Tea Haul: Dessert by Deb's new spring collection!

As Asian Heritage Month draws to an end, I thought it would be fitting to share my latest tea haul from Dessert by Deb. I was beyond excited when Deb announced the theme of her new spring collection: Japanese & Asian Patisserie! 

She also added new teas to existing collections (Garden Tea Party; Cake & Celebration), as well as released the first blend for the upcoming Deb's Vintage Diner collection.

 

 As you can see, I wanted to try all the teas from spring arrivals!

I got 2 bonus teas (75g of Lychee Mango Mochi green tea and 100g of Peach Crumble Cake black tea) as part of the special launch promo for e-mail subscribers.

 

 

I also couldn't resist getting a keychain and set of pins. They're perfect for my tabletop tea-themed Christmas tea (I'm on the lookout for tea-themed ornaments all year round)!

 

 

Deb generously included these bonus goodies in my order.

 

I'm not a fan of floral teas, but I actually enjoyed this Blueberry Lavender Angel Food Cake black tea. 

I was delighted to finally find a peach tea that was NOT a peach ginger blend. The Peach Crumble Cake was a yummy peach black and rooibos tea with cinnamon, Canadian maple, and brown sugar!

 

 

The Thai Banana Cake black tea was a delicious blend of two of my favourite fruits: banana and coconut!

I love bubble tea and am fortunate to have multiple bubble tea chains near my office. Pre-pandemic, I used to buy bubble teas all the time during the spring/summer.

The tasty Boba Milk Tea is the classic brown sugar milk tea flavour: Assam black tea, vanilla, and brown sugar. The raisins don't actually contribute to the flavour profile; they're supposed to mimic the tapioca pearls. I followed the steeping instructions and prepared it with milk!

 

May sipdowns

Tea(s) I may buy again: Paris black tea by Harney and Sons

International Tea Day

 Did you know that the United Nations designated May 21 as International Tea Day?

"The Day will promote and foster collective actions to implement activities in favour of the sustainable production and consumption of tea and raise awareness of its importance in fighting hunger and poverty" (The United Nations).

I celebrated International Tea Day by drinking various types of teas from across the globe!

1. Oriental Beauty Tea Oolong (Taiwan)

 

2. Kusmi Tea's English Breakfast Tea black tea: Ceylon (Sri Lanka) and Assam (India).

 

 

3. DavidsTea's Japanese Sencha green tea (Japan)

 

4. Ten Fu's Jasmine Pearls green tea (China)

 

5. Dessert by Deb's Orange Ginger Shortbread Rooibos (rooibos is from South Africa)

6. Monarch Tea Co.'s Love You Tea Black Tea

"Tea is resilient, sustainable and and healthy - from bush to cup." 

 (Tea & Herbal Association Canada)

Tea-themed colouring books

 Remember when adult colouring books were all the rage?

I got "Time for Tea" from the Dollar Tree many years ago. The paper is thin, but the book was great for getting started with adulting colouring!

"Vintage Charm" was a Michaels find from a few years back. The paper stock was better quality and had perforations so you can rip the pages out.

I received this "Tea Time" colouring book as a birthday gift this year.

Do you use adult colouring books?

The case of the missing tea package

After 12+ months of online tea shopping, it finally happened: a package went missing!

The tracking said that the package was left at my front door, but it wasn't there (and I had also checked my neighbours' porches, just in case), so I reported the missing package to FedEx. It turned out that the package was delivered to the wrong residence! FedEx tried unsuccessfully to trace/retrieve the package, and eventually advised me to contact the Seller to either get a refund or replacement package.

When I informed Blighty's, a British shop in Orangeville, Ontario, what happened, they dispatched a replacement package immediately. Purolator delivered the package safely the following day!

 

These Yorkshire Teas specialty brews have been on my wish list for MONTHS so I was thrilled when I finally found a Canadian retailer that sold them online! 

Each box comes with 40 tea bags. I love the packaging's super cute design!

 

Decarf Bedtime Brew with Vanilla and Nutmeg: 

I thought this blend was just okay. I couldn't really taste the vanilla or nutmeg?

 

 Malty Biscuit Brew:

The biscuit scent was strong, but the malty flavour was more subtle. This tea was also good with milk.

 

 Toast & Jam:

This blend was my favourite among the three. It was a strong black tea with a delicious fruity flavour (strawberry jam?)!

Spring teas: Lemon cake-inspired teas

We made it to May!

 

 My April tea empties

Oldest: Organic Black Chai with Ginger and Elderberries by Ikea (2019?)

Newest: Caramel Custard Flan Rooibos by Dessert by Deb (April 2021)

Already repurchased: Madeleine Cookie Black Tea (Monarch Tea Co.) and Key Lime Chamomile (Teamancy)

May repurchase: Caramel Custard Flan Rooibos

As the weather warms up, I've been enjoying some light lemon teas.

DavidsTea's Lemon Pound Cake oolong was a smooth and creamy tea. I tried it hot first and then resteeped the leaves for an iced tea. They were both delicious!

Dessert by Deb's Lemon Sugar Bundt Cake black tea was a lovely blend of lemon and cinnamon spices!