Yorkshire Harrogate

Description

Ingredients from: India / Kenya / China
Region(s): Nilgiri + Assam / Nandi Highlands / Yunnan Provence
Grade Composition: FBOP (Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe) / FOP (Flowery Orange Pekoe) / BP1 (Broken Pekoe #1)
Growing Altitudes: 500 – 6500 feet above sea level
Manufacture Type(s): BOP (Broken Orange Pekoe)
Cup Characteristics: Few teas have such rich fullness and flavor. A light astringent cup becomes golden bright with milk.
Infusion: Bright and coppery.
Luxury Ingredients: Black tea.
Caffeine Content: Medium
Antioxidant Level: High

It is immensely fitting that Harrogate, Yorkshire; a city in central England should have a tea named after it. Why? There are a few reasons. The first is that the city is known for its water – the prime ingredient in a fresh hot cuppa! The city is home to many ancient wells, most famously, the Tewitt well discovered by one William Slingsby sometime during the 1700’s. Slingsby believed that Harrogate’s water supply had healing properties and the ability to cure almost anything.

The second reason, and this is probably because of its wonderful water supply, Harrogate has long been famous for its proliferation of teashops. Tea and Harrogate have a shared history dating back to almost the first recorded instance of tea consumption in Britain. Nowadays, a visit to the old city is considered incomplete without a stop to Betty’s teashop for a good strong cup and a plate of pastries. And it must be true what they say, that a good cup of tea starts with the right water, because the tea served in Harrogate has a wonderfully sweetish cup you won’t find anywhere else.

The third reason Harrogate should have a tea named is after it is a little less obvious. The reason is simply that the city is home to a festival celebrating that most British of literary institutions – Crime. The annual Harrogate Crime Writing Festival brings together authors and readers alike to revel for a week in tales of greed, crime, and murder – very British – just think Jack the Ripper. Well, it occurred to our Master Taster that the best thing to do while curled up on a couch with a good crime novel was to sip a cup of tea. So, without further ado we present this blend. Full bodied, with a deep rich flavor, this tea deserves a festival of its own. Brew a pot and let the celebration begin!

Hot tea brewing method: Bring filtered or freshly drawn cold water to a rolling boil. Place 1 slightly heaping teaspoon of loose tea, 1 tea bag or 1 Q3 portion pack for each 7-9oz/200-260ml of fluid volume in the teapot. Pour the boiling water into the teapot. Cover and let steep for 3-7 minutes according to taste (the longer the steeping time the stronger the tea).

Iced tea brewing method (Pitcher): (to make 1 liter/quart): Place 6 slightly heaping teaspoons of loose tea, 6 tea bags or 6 Q3 portion packs into a teapot or heat resistant pitcher. Using filtered or freshly drawn cold water, boil and pour 1¼ cups/315ml over the tea. Steep for 5 minutes. Quarter fill a serving pitcher with cold water. Pour the tea into your serving pitcher straining the tea or removing the bags. Add ice and top-up the pitcher with cold water. Garnish and sweeten to taste. A rule of thumb when preparing fresh brewed iced tea is to increase the strength of hot tea since it will be poured over ice and diluted with cold water. (Note: Some luxury quality teas may turn cloudy when poured over ice. This is a sign of luxury quality and nothing to worry about.)

Iced tea brewing method (Individual Serving): Place 1 slightly heaping teaspoon of loose tea, 1 tea bag or 1 Q3 portion pack into a teapot for each serving required. Using filtered or freshly drawn cold water, boil and pour 6-7oz/170-200ml per serving over the tea. Cover and let steep for 5 minutes. Add hot tea to a 12oz/375ml acrylic glass filled with ice, straining the tea or removing the bags. Not all of the tea will fit, allowing for approximately an additional ½ serving. Sweeten and/or add lemon to taste. A rule of thumb when preparing fresh brewed iced tea is to increase the strength of hot tea since it will be poured over ice and diluted. (Note: Some luxury quality teas may turn cloudy when poured over ice. This is a sign of luxury quality and nothing to worry about!)

ANTIOXIDANT BENEFIT: More antioxidants are extracted from tea (L. Camellia Sinesis), or rooibos (Asphalatus Linearis), the longer it is brewed….and the more tea or rooibos that is used, the greater the antioxidant benefit.