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4 ounce bag
$3.00/oz  |
8 oz (1/2 lb) bag
$2.70/oz |
16 oz (1 lb) bag
$2.40/oz |
Breakfast teas typically rely on a good, strong, malty tea from Assam, in northeastern India, and this Irish blend is no exception. What is exceptional, however, is the February-picked black tea from the Usambara mountains in Tanzania that's blended with this June 2nd-flush Assam. These two top-quality organic black teas come together to produce a strong, malty cup of tea that's perfect with a bit of milk and honey. It makes the perfect companion to an Irish breakfast fry-up or a quiet moment reading James Joyce.
In Ulysses, Joyce wrote a dialog that pretty well sums up the Irish take on tea:
"Haines sat down to pour out the tea.
— I’m giving you two lumps each, he said. But, I say, Mulligan, you do make strong tea, don’t you?
Buck Mulligan, hewing thick slices from the loaf, said in an old woman’s wheedling voice:
— When I makes tea I makes tea, as old mother Grogan said. And when I makes water I makes water.
— By Jove, it is tea, Haines said."
Maybe it's the cold, damp weather -- who knows? -- but the Irish do know what to do with a teapot. They brew it boiling hot and almost always serve it with a bit of milk and sugar. Irish Breakfast Tea in the morning, and Irish Stout in the evening. It doesn't get much better than that.
IngredientsOrganic Assam and Tanzanian tea. |
Preparation Instructions
Leaves: 2 tsp |
Black tea is fully oxidized, removing all green color from the original leaves. This is sometimes (incorrectly) referred to as “fermenting.” (If you want real fermented tea, see our Pu-erh teas).
After oxidation, the tea is generally stronger and higher in caffeine than white, green, or oolong tea. It also has a longer shelf life.
