Author: Michelle

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Masters Teas’s Huang Shan Mao Feng

Huang Shan Mao Feng by Masters Teas
Green Tea / Straight
$17.00USD for 1.5oz

Masters Teas has provided me with Huang Shan Mao Feng for the purposes of writing an honest review.

First Impressions

Huang Shan Mao Feng is a Chinese green tea from Masters Teas that came in a sealed, printed and resealable pouch. There was some information on the packaging, the rest I gleaned from the product page online. The leaves are dark green and wiry that have a mix of light fruity and floral aromas.

This tea originates from Anhui, China from the farmer Liao Xiao Juan. This straight green tea was grown at 800m elevation above sea level and harvested in April 2019.

Preparation

Master Teas recommends steeping Huang Shan Mao Feng at 170°F (77°C) for 2 to 3 minutes. I heated my water to 175°F (79°C) and allowed it to cool for 5 minutes before doing an initial steep for 2 minutes.

First Taste

Huang Shan Mao Feng steeps to a very pale yellow colour after the initial steep for 2 minutes. I found that the flavour was surprisingly more complex than I had initially thought it would be. Huang Shan Mao Feng has a well-balanced flavour profile that has both sweet fruity and floral flavours, as well as a hit of grassy notes at the tail end of each sip. I found that this green tea has a thickened mouthfeel to it, and it’s an easy tea to drink.

A Second Cup?

Masters Teas suggests that Huang Shan Mao Feng can been steeped up to seven times, so I did six resteeps with the same leaves. I found that the flavour got more savoury with each steep, losing that fruity and floral sweetness slowly and gaining more grassy and vegetal flavours as I continued with each steep. The tea itself also became more of a golden yellow in colour.

My Overall Impression

I loved Masters Teas’s Huang Shan Mao Feng. I really enjoyed the delicate complexity in the flavour profile of this Chinese green tea, and really enjoyed the texture in this tea as well. I loved that it started out sweet before giving way to being savoury and more grassy, which was fun to experience. I would definitely recommend resteep Huang Shan Mao Feng, because the leaves so do well with being resteeped and you can experience the different flavour notes and how it changes with each steep..

Curious about the cup rating system? Click here to learn more.

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Naked Teas Galore’s Earl Grey Matcha

Earl Grey Matcha by Naked Teas Galore
Green Tea (Matcha) / Flavoured
$14.95 for 227g ($3.25 for 25g sampler)

First Impressions

I picked up a sampler of Earl Grey Matcha when I popped into Naked Teas Galore a few months ago. I’m a fan of Earl Grey, and a fan of matcha, so would I be a fan of the combination? The sampler came in a resealable silver foil pouch. the label on the front tells me the name and ingredients, a label on the back provided me with the instructions for preparing it both hot and cold.

Earl Grey Matcha consists of organic sugar cane, organic matcha, organic flavouring and citric acid. The aroma of the powder blend is bright and citrus-y, I can see the cane sugar granules and smell the matcha base. It’s lightly grassy with a strong bergamot aroma.

Preparation

Naked Teas Galore suggests a cold preparation with the matcha in a shaker cup with ice and milk – and to shake it. The hot preparation is matcha with hot milk, and to stir. I opted to do the cold preparation. I don’t have a shaker cup, but  prepared it in a glass with cold, unsweetened soy milk. I opted to blend Earl Grey Matcha with a handheld milk frother.

First Taste

Earl Grey Matcha blends to a pale green colour, the aroma is a mix of bergamot, matcha, and soy. The taste is pleasant, I liked the Earl Grey notes, and there are grassy and vegetal notes from the matcha. I found it to be very pleasant and enjoyed the ease of mixing it up.

A Second Cup?

As this is a matcha preparation, there are no resteeps possible.

My Overall Impression

I loved Naked Teas Galore’s Earl Grey Matcha. I enjoyed the aroma of the powder, and the combined flavours of Earl Grey and matcha that made it quite pleasant to drink. I found it easy to prepare, I’m sure the hot preparation is just as easy as the cold (it certainly sounds like it is!). I loved the flavour and think it’d be a great matcha option for on-the-go or at work since it’s easy to make.

Curious about the cup rating system? Click here to learn more.

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London Fog Bubble Tea

Bubble tea, boba tea, pearl tea – whatever you call it, it’s (usually) a milk tea with tapioca pearls and an extra-wide straw. Bubble tea was invented in Taiwan in the 1980s. This popular drink is often seen with chewy dark tapioca pearls and a wide straw – perfect for getting all that delicious goodness at the bottom of the cup! If you’re shopping for tapioca pearls online or in store, you’ll see both black and white varieties – you’ll want the black ones for this drink. The white pearls cook up clear and are meant to be used in dessert, and aren’t as sweet as the black tapioca pearls.

Earl Grey is one of my favourite classic black tea blends – I just love the combination of black tea with bergamot. And I make it no secret that I adore a good London Fog (you can find my recipe for a London Fog with Lavender Simple Syrup here), so the idea of a London Fog Bubble Tea is just perfection in my summer-lovin’ eyes. And even though it’s getting to be really close to August, I’m pretty sure any day is a good day for bubble tea!

London Fog Bubble Tea Recipe – Serves 2

Tea
2 cups water (100°C/212°F)
3 teaspoons of loose Earl Grey tea or 4 Earl Grey tea bags
1 teaspoon dried lavender buds
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Tapioca Pearls
½ cup black tapioca pearls
4 cups water

Simple Syrup
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup water

½ cup milk (dairy or non-dairy alternative)
Ice cubes

Prepare Simple Syrup
Mix 1 cup brown sugar and 1 cup water together in a small pot.
Heat until the sugar is fully dissolved and allow Simple Syrup to simmer for 5-10 minutes.
Remove from heat and set aside.

Prepare Tapioca Pearls
Heat 4 cups of water in a small pot until boiling.
Add tapioca pearls.
Stir to prevent the pearls from sticking together.
Follow cooking time on the packaging – you’ll know that the pearls are cooked when they’re dark and translucent. Most black tapioca pearls need to be cooked for a minimum of 30 minutes, so check the package directions!
Strain out the pearls, and rinse under cool running water to wash off the extra starch.
Add pearls to Simple Syrup.
Set aside until ready to use.
Do not prepare tapioca pearls too far in advance, if left for more than 4-6 hours after cooking, they get very tough/chewy. Leaving the pearls to ‘swim’ in a Simple Syrup bath will help prevent them from sticking, and also make them sweeter.

Prepare Tea
Steep Earl Grey and lavender buds in heated water for 3-5 minutes.
Remove tea leaves/tea bag – strain out lavender buds.
Add vanilla extract.
Set aside to cool.

Now to just put all the components together! In each tall glass, layer the following:

¼ cup cooked tapioca pearls in Simple Syrup
Ice, to fill glass
¼ cup milk
1 cup Earl Grey tea (infused with lavender buds and added vanilla extract)
Serve with wide bubble tea or smoothie straw to make it easier to drink the bubble tea and to mix the layers together.

Excess Simple Syrup can be kept in the fridge in an air-tight container for up to 2 weeks in the fridge – don’t forget to label it with the date!

Fun Fact! Like regular-sized straws, you can also find and purchase reusable bubble/boba tea straws! They come in silicone, stainless steel, and glass.

If you make this London Fog Bubble Tea, I’d love to see your photos! Be sure to tag me on Instagram (@onemoresteep #onemoresteep) or comment below with a link to the photo!