Tag: Dessert by Deb

Posted on

Dessert by Deb’s Lychee Mango Mochi

Lychee Mango Mochi by Dessert by Deb
Green Tea / Flavoured
Price$ for Weight

First Impressions

Lychee Mango Mochi was a blend that I came across on the Dessert by Deb website when I was putting in an order (because I wanted a pink teapot with matching cups and saucers…), and I figured, why not get some teas while I was at it? Lychee Mango Mochi wasn’t one that I had gotten to try yet via the subscription box, so I was wanting to give it a go because it sounded quite intriguing. I mean, I love mango, I love lychee, and I’m a fan of mochi… So why not?

This mango-forward green tea blend comes in a large pink pouch, and is part of the Japanese & Asian Patisserie collection. It has a very strong mango aroma, and Lychee Mango Mochi consists of: Chun Mee green tea, jasmine blossoms, natural lychee flavour, dried mango, coconut, and sencha green tea. It’s a beautiful blend to look at, and I think the mango is a lovely ingredient that really doesn’t get showcased often enough in tea blends. It’s a strong ingredient though, and definitely overpowers what coconut is in the bag – even if the coconut is visibly present.

Preparation

Dessert by Deb recommends steeping Lychee Mango Mochi in 200°F (93°C) water for 3 to 4 minutes. I opted to do an initial steep of Lychee Mango Mochi for 3 minutes

First Taste

Lychee Mango Mochi steeps to a bright yellow, very sunshine yellow in appearance. The aroma is primarily mango, with hints of coconut in the background. The tea itself has sweetness – fruity mango flavours, a creamy coconut, the flowery sweetness from the jasmine, and an underlying vegetal flavour from the green teas. I find it has hints of umami throughout, a slight bit of salty, that vegetal bitterness that you come to find in dark green, leafy vegetables. I had this tea hot, and found it had a great fruity flavours – the mango really shines through beyond the rest of the ingredients.

A Second Cup?

I resteeped Lychee Mango Mochi once, adding an additional 30 seconds for the subsequent steep. I found that the flavour wasn’t as good as the original steep. That said, the jasmine really shines through with the green tea – so it’s a good tea blend to resteep if you love a green tea with jasmine.

My Overall Impression

I  loved Dessert by Deb’s Lychee Mango Mochi. It has a great flavour to it, and the mix of mango with jasmine and green tea, with the underlying coconut, makes it a tasty treat. While I don’t really taste the lychee (which I’ve always found to be quite the delicate flavour), the mango more than makes up for it. I had this tea hot, but I could see it fairing very well iced or cold steeped and would love to try it more in the spring or summer time – this bag is going to end up in my iced tea basket.

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

Posted on

Dessert by Deb’s Lemon Chiffon Pie

Lemon Chiffon Pie by Dessert by Deb
Green Tea & Oolong Tea / Flavoured
$6.50 for 25g

First Impressions

Lemon Chiffon Pie was a tea that showed up in my bimonthly subscription box from Dessert by Deb. This green tea and oolong blend is part of the Deb’s Vintage Dessert Diner collection – which features all fun diner classics (like… the Lemon Chiffon Pie). I love the packaging – the pale pink metallic is just pretty.

Lemon Chiffon Pie consists of organic: green tea, ti kwan yin oolong, lemon peel, coconut, toasted coconut, lemongrass and calendula petals. The blend is quite beautiful, and the coconut flakes are just such a bright white compared to the rest of the ingredients. It has a very strong lemon, coconut, and lemongrass aroma to it – and the Lemon Chiffon Pie blend is pretty.

Preparation

Dessert by Deb recommends steeping Lemon Chiffon Pie in 200°F (93°C) water for 4 to 5 minutes. I followed the steeping instructions and did an initial steep for 4 minutes.

First Taste

Lemon Chiffon Pie steeps to a yellow-green colour. The aroma is primarily that of the lemongrass and coconut – they’re just quite strong flavours. Taste wise, I found it to be mostly coconut, lemongrass, with a buttery flavour that mingles in the background that allows the tea to be really smooth on the palate. The green tea isn’t that pronounced, but the oolong really carries through with the buttery creaminess and makes it seem more pie or pastry like.

A Second Cup?

I resteeped Lemon Chiffon Pie once, adding an additional 30 seconds for the resteep. The flavour is low on the coconut and lemongrass, but the oolong does well with the resteep and with a stronger buttery flavour to it. I’d recommend resteeping Lemon Chiffon Pie if you’re into oolong.

My Overall Impression

I liked Dessert by Deb’s Lemon Chiffon Pie. I like the blend with the coconut and lemongrass, the oolong does well to carry the blend and add to the flavour profile with that butter flavour. While I don’t specifically get the idea of lemon chiffon pie, I do like the flavours of this blend and think that it tastes delicious – I would definitely make this iced in the spring or summer to enjoy because I think that coconut flavour would lend itself well.

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

Posted on

Dessert by Deb’s Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

Strawberry Rhubarb Jam by Dessert by Deb
Green Tea / Straight
$6.00 for 25g

Strawberry Rhubarb Jam came as part of the bimonthly subscription box from Dessert by Deb.

First Impressions

Coming to me in a matte gold sealed, resealable pouch, Strawberry Rhubarb Jam is part of Dessert by Deb’s Garden Tea Party Collection. It came in my bimonthly subscription box from Dessert by Deb and comes in a familiar matte metallic pouch with the colourful polka dot label on the front. The name makes me think of strawberry rhubarb… pie. Jam makes me think of sticky sweetness. All good things to have in a dessert tea!

Strawberry Rhubarb Jam has an aroma to it that is berries and fruity sweetness. It definitely smells like it would be delicious as an iced tea (which is a recommendation made by Dessert by Deb). Strawberry Rhubarb Jam consists of organic: green tea, strawberry and papaya pieces, natural strawberry flavour, apple, rosehips, freeze-dried raspberries, and beetroot powder. I can definitely see where the beetroot powder has dusted some of the other ingredients with that berry red colour.

Preparation

Dessert by Deb recommends steeping Strawberry Rhubarb Jam in 200°F (93°C) water for 5 to 7 minutes. I opted to follow the steeping instructions and did an initial steep of Strawberry Rhubarb Jam for 5 minutes.

First Taste

Strawberry Rhubarb Jam steeps to a lovely pink colour, likely thanks to the beetroot powder that’s in the blend. It has a lovely strawberry aroma, and some other type of fruity aroma that I can’t quite place (but I’m thinking it’s likely the papaya). Flavour wise, Strawberry Rhubarb Jam has a sweet fruity flavour that reminds me of mixed berries, with just a hint of tartness that reminds me of the rhubarb. The green tea base is really in the background, with just a light grassy flavour. It’s quite good hot, and I suspect it’ll do well cold or iced with that fruity flavour profile. I do think it could use a bit more sweetener to make me think of jam, so I’d add some sweetener to it if I were to make a pitcher of iced tea.

A Second Cup?

I attempted to resteep Strawberry Rhubarb Jam once, but found that the flavour just wasn’t there compared to the initial steep with the berry flavours or tartness that reminds me of the rhubarb.

My Overall Impression

I liked Dessert by Deb’s Strawberry Rhubarb Jam. This green tea blend has a lovely flavour profile of berries and tartness, with some sweetness that creeps on through. I think it does need a touch of sweetener if you want it to really remind you of jam, but the flavour itself is quite enjoyable. I think it’d be great to have paired with desserts, and to also have iced during warmer months.

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