In the end, because I'm new to this and a bit of a coward, I play safe with a pot of the organic house blend called Newcastle Breakfast, combining
Keemun (a famous Chinese black tea), Rwandan Rukeri and a tea variety from Ceylon.
It is not the size but the well-defined delimitation that qualifies most specialty teas as origin teas, and usually the place will be part of the name, from Ceylon tea to Darjeeling tea to
Keemun or Qimen black tea to Kakegawa Fukamushi tea, there are hundreds more of them.
If you do like milk then try Assam, Yunnan or
Keemun black teas as an alternative.
Spicy teas, like Yunnan, a Chinese black tea, or
Keemun, a fruity Chinese black tea, offer complexity and layers to the experience of tea pairings.
The Royal
Keemun. for example, has fed wine-like qualities, but has somewhat limited applications for use in cocktails.
Choose from a menu of royal teas such as the Queen of England's favorite, "
Keemun Hoa Ya A," or perhaps a traditional tea such as "Evelyn's English Breakfast." This black full-flavored tea is named after "Aunt Evelyn." Evelyn Steadman was Smith's aunt and an English teacher in Hattiesburg schools for more than 30 years.
Experiment with exotic varieties of green teas like Gunpowder, Dragonwell, Hojicha and Sencha; black teas such as Golden Needle,
Keemun, Lapsang Souchong and Assam; Oolongs like Pouchong, Qing Tea, Red Hood and Wuyi; or Matcha, a fine, powdered green tea used in the traditional Japanese tea ceremony.
Keemun: "Wraps of crispy duck with a couple sprigs of spring onion and a thin smear of hoisin sauce would be perfect."
Stephen Stroman, manager of the Lobby Lounge at the Charleston Place Hotel in Charleston, SC, where afternoon tea is de rigeur, notices that China Rose Petal is a popular scented tea, while tea purists usually opt for high quality Darjeeling,
Keemun and green teas.
With a black
Keemun tea and a strawberry-banana smoothie, the feast came to $30.50.
Used for enhancing energy, some black teas include: Assam, Ceylon, Darjeeling,
Keemun, Lapsang Souchong and Orange Pekoe.