Steeped

Teatotaller is moving to High St! Be part of the project. For $500, the TT crew will blend a tea just for you (or your dog!)

Email us at [email protected] for more information!

                Teaotaller's very own blend: Caramel Hearts Chai

There are a number of reasons, but they all come back to the quality taste of the tea. Although loose leaf teas and teas in bags (like the supermarket brand tea bags) come from the same plant, there are a few factors that influence the quality, taste and longevity of the final tea.

High quality loose teas are made from the Camellia Sinensis plant’s finest buds, whole tea leaves, large pieces of leaves or a combination of these parts.  The time of year and growing conditions will affect the quality of tea you end up with. When all of these factors are taken into consideration, much like a fine wine, the tea will retain its distinctive flavors and characteristics.  

                                                              Camellia Sinensis Plant

In contrast, the tea found in tea bags usually consists of smaller pieces of tea leaves which give a quicker brew, but lack the full flavor of the larger loose leaf teas. Tea bags can also release more tannins than loose teas giving it a harsher flavor.

For the tea lovers that like the convenience of a tea bag, you can purchase paper tea filters for use with loose tea leaves.  Like a tea bag, the paper tea filter can contain your tea while steeping eliminating the need for an infuser or strainer. 

Loose leaf tea and bagged teas both have expiration dates. Generally, tea will lose flavor after six months and become stale after one year if not stored properly.  At Teatotaller, we recommend using a tin or container with an air-tight seal which will keep your loose leaf tea fresher, longer.

As Teatotaller looks to its rebirth, we've been having a lot of fun in the kitchen experimenting with some new menu items.  Some are crazy, eccentric, who-came-up-with-that style creations (do you expect any less) and others are bringing us back to the roots - the tea house from around the Globe.

So, we thought we'd take a crack at a simple lunch offering that can be found in pan-Asian tea houses around the world: Fresh spring rolls!  

Fresh basil, mint, vermicelli, spinach - these babies are the epitome of fresh!  I always thought the task of making them was so daunting - yet they're quite easy.  In fact, once I got the hang of the first round, I've been making them every night this week (that, and the fact that there are about 100 strips of rice paper in one package!).

Of course, you can't do spring rolls without a spicy peanut sauce.  But for me, there is where the creativity sets in.  Here are just a couple special ingredients in our secret spicy peanut sauce...

Everything that comes out of Above the Dam is fantastic - for this recipe I went with their cinnamon and honey to give a little Huzzah!  But the real kick came from my can't-live-without Cholula.  Oh Lula... if only you lived in Somersworth...

Two other awesome things about Spring rolls?  They're entirely gluten-free! (if you don't use traditional soy sauce)  Second, with all the left over herbs, Teatotallers never shy away from a solution....

Fresh mint tea!  Just another exciting feature on it's way to the new space.  Speaking of which - have you read the news?

And that's all it takes for some yummy spring rolls.  Be on the look-out in our new digs!