NEWSLETTER :: New Teas + Recipes
:: DARJEELING TEA ::
THE FIRST FLUSH
A new shipment of Darjeeling teas are finally on our shelves after tireless sourcing and nail-biting over availability. The pandemic has not been kind to the tea world this year for many reasons, one of which was the lack of tea pluckers in India during the lockdown - The coveted first-flush leaves could not often be harvested, and have become incredibly rare this season.
Gopaldhara SFTGFOP 2020 (also known as Moondrop) is a premium, limited edition first-flush Darjeeling tea harvested this spring, and it is exquisite. Unfortunately, we have limited quantities of this tea, and were also not able to source an organic first-flush due to the extreme rarity.
Tasting Notes: The aroma of fresh-plucked sweet grasses weave delicate floral notes throughout. This bright freshness translates to the palate of the steep as well, which is full-mouthed in its clear, soft texture and flavour. The tea stays shy of a biting stringency, instead building to a pleasant copper linger along the sides of the tongue.
We hope you enjoy this incredible tea!
Be sure to order soon.
Happy Steeping
THE FIRST FLUSH
A new shipment of Darjeeling teas are finally on our shelves after tireless sourcing and nail-biting over availability. The pandemic has not been kind to the tea world this year for many reasons, one of which was the lack of tea pluckers in India during the lockdown - The coveted first-flush leaves could not often be harvested, and have become incredibly rare this season.
Gopaldhara SFTGFOP 2020 (also known as Moondrop) is a premium, limited edition first-flush Darjeeling tea harvested this spring, and it is exquisite. Unfortunately, we have limited quantities of this tea, and were also not able to source an organic first-flush due to the extreme rarity.
Tasting Notes: The aroma of fresh-plucked sweet grasses weave delicate floral notes throughout. This bright freshness translates to the palate of the steep as well, which is full-mouthed in its clear, soft texture and flavour. The tea stays shy of a biting stringency, instead building to a pleasant copper linger along the sides of the tongue.
We hope you enjoy this incredible tea!
Be sure to order soon.
Happy Steeping
::
TISANE OF THE WEEK :: ROOIBOS CHAI
An exquisite organic, loose-leaf Herbal Infusion made from:
Rooibos, Cardamom, Ginger Root, Cinnamon, Orange Peel, Black Pepper, Cloves
Rooibos, fresh from the Cederberg Mountains in South Africa, is packed with excellent flavour and an abundance of antioxidants. Rooibos is a naturally sweet and full-mouthed steep - mixed with our house blend of masala spices, this rich herbal chai finds a warm equilibrium between sweetness and spice.
Enjoy hot or cold.
Brewing Instructions: 2 g per cup. 100ºC water. steep 3 - 5 minutes.
Caffeine Free / Organic
Discount Valid until Monday, September 7th @ 11:59 am
::
This week, we received our shipment of CEDAR + SALT cookbooks (by DL Acken and Emily Lycopolus, with photos by DL Acken) which are now available at our Teashop and in our Online Store. You can find an incredible Westholme Canadian-grown Tea Recipe that Acken and Lycopolus developed on page 148:
We got in touch with DL Acken on receiving the cookbook this week. An accomplished international food writer and photographer, she was born and raised in Canada, and spent some cherished time on Vancouver Island in her youth. Experiencing the abundance of the microclimate here is part of what lead her to a profound appreciation for the sourcing, creation, and documentation of beautiful, fresh food. She now resides part-time on Salt Spring Island, and had come to visit the Westholme Tea Garden to do research and photography for the cookbook.
After leaving with a pouch of our Golden Chai herbal tisane, and playing with the rich turmeric colour and spiced, earthy flavours of the infusion, she came to a wonderful result - the most beautiful, delicious golden ice-cream we've ever seen. This recipe is not included in the cookbook, but she has very graciously sent us the photos and methods to share with our community, so strap in for an exclusive mouth-watering experience.
After leaving with a pouch of our Golden Chai herbal tisane, and playing with the rich turmeric colour and spiced, earthy flavours of the infusion, she came to a wonderful result - the most beautiful, delicious golden ice-cream we've ever seen. This recipe is not included in the cookbook, but she has very graciously sent us the photos and methods to share with our community, so strap in for an exclusive mouth-watering experience.
::
Golden Chai Ice-Cream
- Add the sugar and sea salt and continue to steep, stirring occasionally until the sugar completely dissolves, approximately another 5 minutes. Remove pot from heat and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks slowly and constantly until thickened and pale yellow.
- Very slowly whisk a cup of the hot Golden Chai, cream and milk mixture into the yolks to temper the eggs and avoid scrambling. Whisk this yolk mixture back into the pot with the rest of the Golden Chai-infused mixture.
- Return the pot to the stove over medium-low heat and gently cook, stirring often until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon (about 170 degrees on an instant-read thermometer). Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl to remove any of the tisane infusion spice solids. Cool the mixture to room temperature on the counter, then chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- When the mixture is properly chilled, churn in an ice cream machine according to manufacturers’ instructions. Store in the freezer until ready to serve.
Ingredients
2 cups whipping cream
1 cup full-fat milk
3 - 4 heaping tablespoons Westholme's Golden Chai Tisane
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
6 egg yolks (room temperature)
Method
2 cups whipping cream
1 cup full-fat milk
3 - 4 heaping tablespoons Westholme's Golden Chai Tisane
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
6 egg yolks (room temperature)
Method
- In a medium, thick-bottom sauce pan, combine the whipping cream, milk, and Golden Chai Tisane and steep over medium heat for at least 5 minutes.
- Add the sugar and sea salt and continue to steep, stirring occasionally until the sugar completely dissolves, approximately another 5 minutes. Remove pot from heat and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks slowly and constantly until thickened and pale yellow.
- Very slowly whisk a cup of the hot Golden Chai, cream and milk mixture into the yolks to temper the eggs and avoid scrambling. Whisk this yolk mixture back into the pot with the rest of the Golden Chai-infused mixture.
- Return the pot to the stove over medium-low heat and gently cook, stirring often until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon (about 170 degrees on an instant-read thermometer). Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl to remove any of the tisane infusion spice solids. Cool the mixture to room temperature on the counter, then chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- When the mixture is properly chilled, churn in an ice cream machine according to manufacturers’ instructions. Store in the freezer until ready to serve.
We hope you enjoy this recipe!
Please send us photos of your results + tag us on social media!
We would love to see them.
Thank you again, DL ! You can follow her @dlackenphotos on instagram.
- The Westholme Team
Please send us photos of your results + tag us on social media!
We would love to see them.
Thank you again, DL ! You can follow her @dlackenphotos on instagram.
- The Westholme Team
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