If only this tea tasted as good as it smells in the tin!!
I first discovered Harney & Son’s Green Tea several years ago. I thought it was one of my all time favorite teas. I went through 5 tins, sharing enthusiastically with friends and loved ones, before I realized…I don’t actually love this tea.
When you first open the pretty pink tin, it smells divine, like exotic flowers, fresh vanilla beans, and tropical fruit and coconut.
Unfortunately, no matter what volume or temperature of water I use, or the steeping time allowed, it never tastes half as good as it smells. At best, I end up with a cup of fairly bland green tea with flavors of grass from the lemongrass. I imagine I can barely taste the coconut, vanilla, and ginger, but I think I might be fooling myself.
A second or third brewing often brings out the subtlety and flavor of high quality green tea, but with this one it comes out even more bland after a second steeping.
My primary complaint is that the tea just doesn’t taste as good as it smells. The other problem is that it’s not cheap. Unfortunately, the only way to purchase this tea is in a fancy pink tin with 20 little silk sachets inside. If H&SFT would sell this tea as loose leaf, I would still likely buy it, just because this tea smells so amazing.
Unfortunately, the amount of tea you get for the price, combined with the flavor not meeting the expectations created by the scent, made me realize that I don’t love this tea as much I as I thought I did.
“Green Tea with Thai Flavors”? What a name!! Hahahahaha :)
Is the soup recipe online somewhere?
Is this the tea that is sold under the name Bangkok as a loose tea? I think it is.
Yeah, this is the same tea as Bangkok. They used to sell it bagged under that name too (I have a pile of empty tins!) but for mass market appeal they changed it.
gmathis, here’s the recipe: http://chefmichaelsmith.com/recipe/thai-coconut-curry-soup/. It is so delicious. I leave off the fish sauce and lemongrass.
Good to know that Bangkok is the same. I figured it was.
Thanks. That looks easy enough for me to handle!
Ooo… that soup must be tried.