Hanami -- The Cherry Blossom Festival

As I recently said in the Samovar blog, I planned a hanami celebration with some friends. It was incredibly windy on the day of, so although we made matcha, it was left undocumented. Here are a few photos we DID manage to snap. I hope you enjoy them, and take the time to welcome spring with your friends!

We celebrated at my favorite park in Charlotte -- Freedom Park. Here's the view near the entrance.














Here's the view from our barbecue spot.


























Veggie Yakitori + FIRE



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Happy Vee! (If you look closely, you can see my hubby, Marko, reflected in my sunglasses.)

Maybe it's just that I was very happy, but it also seemed that the ducks and ducklings were enjoying the weather. :)













Hanami Crew














Andrea drinking matcha. She'd never tried it before, nor had Adam (also pictured).














The willow tree near our barbecue was lovely, but...














... we came for the cherry blossoms!














We found a nice spot to enjoy our veggie yakitori/kabob-type food (yum!) and assorted sushi (veg + otherwise) from our fave local sushi joint, Ru San's (nothing fancy, but very fun -- fusion rolls like walnuts and Sriracha hot sauce).
























Later, we ate wagashi (higashi, matcha agar and youkan) and played soccer. (Below) Marko (our official photographer and my beloved) kicking our collective butts with his Eastern European soccer skills.

Wintertime Chai

One of my favorite types of tea for Winter is masala chai. It's so warming and rich, perfect for a cold day or an evening by the fireplace I wish I could afford in NYC. :) A while back, I wrote two articles on it. Here's some info on the history, culture and ingredients behind masala chai and here are some masala chai recipes. Do you have a great masala chai recipe to share? Feel free to post it as a comment! We'd love to try it out.

Thanksgiving Teas

Thanksgiving can be an ideal time to share delicious teas with friends and family. Aside from flavored teas, there are a number of rich, warming and even digestion-aiding teas, tisanes and tea cocktails/mocktails you can make for Thanksgiving. This year, I'm making home-blended masala chai, fresh ginger tisane, Superior Pu-erh from Imperial Tea Court and Ti Kwan Yin from Teance. I'm also making homemade rum-spiked apple cider, which I'll also be spiking with black tea. Yum! What are you brewing this Thanksgiving?

Holiday Teas

In recent years, season teas have become more and more popular. One side effect is the explosion of "holiday teas." Some are surprisingly good, some are wretched, some seem to bear to connection to any kind of holiday except in name. If you're looking for holiday teas, complete with holiday-themed packaging, names, AND flavors (plus an unexpected French influence), check out Lupicia Fresh Tea. Happy Holidays!

Cold-Weather Teas

Some teas are just perfect for cold weather, and for the holidays. A few of my current favorites:

Masala Chai: creamy, spicy, sweet, delicious

Russian Caravan and Lapsang Souchong: rich, deep, VERY smoky, strong

Vee's Witches Brew: perfect for fighting colds

Pretty much any good, balanced blend with spices and citrus: evocative, indulgent, AND healthy

"Russian Tea*": soothing, citrusy, sweet, spicy


If you try any of these or have any to suggest, drop me a line. Have a Happy Thanksgiving week!

*This is something my mom used to make. It was part of my very early love for tea. The recipe is below.

Vee's Mom's "Russian Tea"

4 cups water
7 teaspoons strong black tea (Assam works well)
1 small can orange juice concentrate, plus 1 can water
1 small can lemonade concentrate, plus 1 can water
1/2 large can pineapple juice
15 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick

Bring the water to a boil in a large pot. Add the tealeaves and remove the pot from heat. Brew tea for 5 minutes. Strain leaves. Return tea to the pot. Stir in juices and spices. Bring to a boil. Simmer 30 minutes. Strain. Serve hot with a slice of orange or a cinnamon stick for garnish.