Faking Sanity

Tea 101: Earl Grey

Posted by mtlaise - 30/04/11 at 04:04:53 pm

Earl Grey is one of the most easily recognizable tea blends. What many people don’t realize is that it’s a bergamot citrus fruit (much like an orange in taste) that is key to its distinctive flavour. Earl Grey is traditionally a blend of China and Indian black teas. These days, there are many varieties, though; everything from China tea, Darjeeling, Ceylon, Silver Tip, smoked tea (Lapsang Souchong), and even green tea, oolong, and decaffeinated teas. The key to a great Earl Grey tea, in my opinion, is in large part the quantity of bergamot oil used: too much and it tastes unpleasant and somewhat soapy, but too little and you can’t taste it. Done right, though, it’s one of my favourite traditional tea blends, regardless of the the variety of tea used.

There are lots of stories about how Earl Grey tea got its name. One tale cites a British diplomat on a mission to China who saved a Mandarin man. To show his gratitude, the man gave the recipe to the diplomat and prime minister (Earl Grey, 1830-1834). Another variation is that the Earl himself saved the man. Whatever the true story, Earl Grey tea remains one of the most popular tea blends to this day.

Try some for yourself! Here at Faking Sanity, you can try our Steeps Earl Grey Classic, a Ceylon tea blend flavoured quite strongly with bergamot oil. If you like Rooibos, or would prefer a naturally caffeine-free option, check out our Rooibos Earl Grey.

Gifts for Mom

Posted by mtlaise - 28/04/11 at 03:04:21 pm

Are you looking for a gift for Mother’s Day?

We’ve changed up our staff picks wall to a display of books for Mother’s Day – from women’s fiction to parenting books – there’s something for everyone’s mom. Feel free to ask for recommendations, too; we’re happy to make suggestions based on personal reading preferences.

We just got in more tea and coffee-related giftware, such as french presses in several sizes, as well as both our plastic and steel travel presses again. There’s also a selection of jewellery, and beginning this Saturday, we’ll have in a variety of hand-crafted cards, both from local artisans. And of course, as always, we can make up custom gift baskets or gift certificates in any denomination.

Tea 101: Breakfast Blends

Posted by mtlaise - 26/04/11 at 01:04:11 pm

As mentioned previously, breakfast tea blends are so called because they tend to be flavours that go well with typical rich and hearty breakfast foods, such as eggs, bacon and sausage. Two of the most popular breakfast blends are English Breakfast and Irish Breakfast teas.

English Breakfast tea is typically a blend of teas from Assam, Sri Lanka and Kenya. The malty and smooth yet strong flavour of the Assam tea blends superbly with the bold, deep flavours of Sri Lankan and Kenyan teas. Some companies also use China Keemun in the base for their breakfast blends for a more unique flavour. Irish Breakfast tea usually comprises of a blend of Kenyan and Indonesian black teas. It is well known as a strong, dark tea.

Here at Faking Sanity, we opted for a Canadian Breakfast tea. Like the more common breakfast blends, it goes well with rich breakfast foods. This tea, however, is unique in that it was specifically blended to go well with the wide variety of water we have here in Canada, so whether you have extremely hard or soft water, this tea is made to shine in it! The Steeps Canadian Breakfast blends teas from Assam, Kenya and Yunnan and has a slight malty flavour with floral hints and accents. This is probably my favourite plain black tea in the store; come on in and try it out for yourself!

Tea 101: Tea Blends

Posted by mtlaise - 18/04/11 at 02:04:13 pm

Over the course of the next few posts here, I’ll be talking about some of the common tea blends. Each of post will discuss the characteristics of popular tea blends such as Earl Grey or English Breakfast, or some of our own custom blends. Here is a little tidbit to tide you over until the next post. Did you know that a tea categorized as a “breakfast tea” is so-called because it tends to go well with righ, heavy foods such as fried eggs, bacon, etc? Our next post here in Tea 101 will be about some of the most popular breakfast blends.

Tea 101: Oolong

Posted by mtlaise - 11/04/11 at 01:04:20 pm

Ever wonder what the deal was about Oolong tea? Or wondered what in the world it is?

Oolong tea is a true tea; it is processed from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant, and comes mainly from China and Taiwan. It is processed somewhat similarly to black tea, but the oxidation period is shorter. This leaves Oolong tea somewhere between a green tea and a black tea, both in terms of oxidation and flavour. It tends to have a strong flavour that is both even and smooth, and a crisp, refreshing cup. In recent years, Oolong, which is also referred to by its Chinese name of Wu Long (meaning “dark or black dragon”), has been in the news due to its many health benefits. These include assisting in lowering blood cholesterol as well as reducing hunger, and therefore helping with weight loss.

We just got in a new Oolong tea here at Faking Sanity. It’s called Oolong Fancy Formosa and has a strong yet smooth, slightly nutty taste. Come try it out!

KEC Be Your Own Boss Tour

Posted by mtlaise - 07/04/11 at 09:04:47 pm

A few weeks ago, a representative of the Kiwanis Enterprise Centre came by to ask us if we would like to take part in the “Be Your Own Boss Tour”. The tour started out this morning at 9:30 with about 25 youth interested in learning more about entrepreneurship, and the ins and outs of running your own business. They visited about a dozen small businesses throughout the day, ending right here at Faking Sanity.

At 2:00, about 25 young people walked into the store, and after grabbing a cookie, settled in for a 1/2 hour chat and question period about our experience buying, opening and running the shop. It was a great event, and if our experience here was similar to that of the other businesses, I’d say the Enterprise Centre had a raving success. They gave preparation materials to both the youth and the businesses involved several weeks ahead of time, allowing every one to come prepared. This group of youth was very engaged and asked great questions. Enough questions, in fact, that we didn’t even say everything we had prepared. The format was an informal chat, with kids asking questions throughout; it flowed very naturally from one topic to another based on the questions, and was a great fit.

We also got to mention the Novelteens reading group organized by Reconnect and the Dawson Literacy Group that meets here weekly, hopefully connecting more of these youth with some of the services available to them in Dawson. I hope that all the other stops went as well and that these young people found not only a new connection to the businesses they visited, but got a glimpse of what it’s like to run your own business and whether entrepreneurship is a route they’d like to pursue.

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