Tea Review - The Republic of Tea

In the next three posts we will be reviewing teas from The Republic of Tea.

The following teas were sent by and courtesy of  The Republic of Tea Team.

The tea are of Pumpkin Spice, British Breakfast and Peppermint Bark.

The Pumpkin Spice and Peppermint Bark are scented teas, while the British Breakfast is a blend of black teas.

These are teabags that are packed in brightly labeled and airtight tin cans.

Each can comes with suggestions for brewing with regards to time and temperature and the leeway of personal preferences.

According to the label only sustainable derived ingredients are utilized.

There is also a Caffeine Content indicator on the label.

Peppermint Bark comes in 1.65 oz can that contain 36 teabags. 

This is a blend of organic ingredients - green Rooibos, Peppermint, Cocoa extract, Stevia leaf, vanilla flavors and natural flavor. 

This is a Kosher certified tea, with the USDA Organic and Certified Organic Quality Assurance International stamp of approval.

It also carries the stamp of approvals for Gluten Free, Rainforest Alliance Certified for Rooibos and NON  GMO Project verification.

Pumpkin Spice is a blend  of black tea, ginger, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, Sweet Blackberry leaves and Pumpkin flavors. 

The can contains 50 teabags with a total weight of 2.8 oz. 

This is a Gluten Free certified tea blend.

British Breakfast blends black teas from Assam, Ceylon, Darjeeling and Africa.

Contains 50 teabags in a can of 2.8oz.

Kosher Certified, Gluten Free and NON  GMO Project verified.

We will be doing a taste tests for each of these teas.

Teacups - Winter and Summer

Chinese teacups are traditionally made of porcelain and they are smaller than the European style  that was known as tea dishes.

The European style teacups were an adaptation of the English posset cup that was used to serve heated milk, spirits, wines, sugar and spices. 

These posset cups had handles on both sides of the bowl. 

When tea drinking was introduced into Europe most tea ware used in the European household were from China. and Japan.

The teacups were small and handleless.

These cups or tea dishes were used until the 19th century when they were gradually adapted and designed with handles.

Chinese teacups are meant to be cradled/cupped in the hands transfering beverage's warmth.

These cups hold between 2 -3 sips of tea.

They varied in size and shape according to the season.

Winter cups were uncurved at the lip.

They were rounded, deeper bowl and larger.

 

The summer teacups have a curved lip so as to have the tea cool faster in comparison to the winter cup for heat reservation.

The summer cups are smaller.

The porcelain walls of the cups are thicker to contain the heat.

Chinese Dou Li Chinese tea bowl. 

Styled on the Chinese and south east Asian bamboo hats popular throughout rural areas worn by farmers and fishermen.
A summer style of teacup having a larger diameter for heat diffusion.

The decorations of on the porcelain were of motifs from nature usually depicting the four seasons or emblems that were culturally significant.

LACMA - 17th century French Porcelain Manufactory

Tea and coffee service in France and Europe began with popularity with the import of tea and coffee in the beginning of the 17th century.
They were widely served in a mobile style.
Venues were budoirs, salons, or even in the garden.
These mobile tea service were called dejeuners.
They were brought in and served upon a tray.

Teapot with cover, and Cup and Saucer and Tray
circa 1775

Vincennes Porcelain Manufactory
France 1740-1756
Soft Porcelain with glaze and gilding

The Sevres Porcelain Manufactory was founded in 1756.
This service comprises of a pair of cups and saucers, teapot, milk jug (not in photo), and a sugar bowl (see picture below.)

Component parts of tea service always varied according to the personal preferences of the owner.
These motives of pheasants and a Europeanized landscape of the Oriental motive was derived from the illustrations of Jean-Baptiste Oudry - 1686-1755.
He was a French artist of the Rococo period - painter, engraver and tapestry designer.

Sevres porcelain Manufactory
circa 1786
Porcelain with enamel, gilding and glaze.

LACMA - French Neo-Classical Tea and Coffee Service

Coffee Cup and Saucer - 1779

Porcelain with enamel, gilding and glaze

Louis Francois Lecot

France 1741/2 - 1800/3

Sevres Porcelain Manufacturer

Cup and Saucer 

circa 1730

Soft-paste porcelain and glaze

Staint-Cloud Porcelain Manufactory

Plate, Cup and Saucer

circa 1750

Vincennes Porcelain Manufactory

France 1740-1756

Soft paste porcelain with enamel and gilding

Cup and Saucer 

circa 1800's

Porcelain with enamel, gilding and glaze

LACMA - Neo-Classical English Tea Service - II

 Teapot

Staffordshire, England

Circa 1750

Stoneware with glaze

Teapot

Staffordshire, England

Circa 1750

 

LACMA - Neo-Classical English Tea and Coffee Service

Cauliflower teapot with cover.

1768-1770

Earthenware with lead glaze

Thaomas Whieldon, England 1719-1795

Coffeepot with cover

Staffordshire, England
circa 1765
Stoneware with glaze

LACMA - Dejeuners and Cabarets

Tea and coffee service in the 18th century were called Dejeuners and Cabarets.

They were used to serve tea and coffee in bedrooms, boudoirs, salons or outdoors.

This service was a gift from the Empress Marie-Louise and the Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte.

It was gifted to the emperor's sister Pauline - Princess Borghese.

Heavily guilded in the Sevres' Etruscan style.

Floral still life's executed by the Dutch artist Georgius Jacobius Johannes  van Os - 1811.

LACMA Exhibit of Porcelain Tea Service

 BACK: Bouillon cup

Circa 1745

Soft-paste porcelain with glaze

Cup and Saucer

Circa 1730

Soft-paste porcelain with glaze

LACMA - Neoclassical Tea Service

Custard cup with saucer and cover.

China, 1745 - 1755

Trembleuse cup and saucer

China, Qianlong Period, 1755-1775

LACMA - Exhibit

These tea  artifacts are on exhibit at the Los Angeles County of Museum of Art.

 Meissen Porcelain Factory

Meissen, Germany 1710

Porcelain Cup and Saucer, 1740

Porcelain and gilding

Chantilly Porcelain Manufactory

France, 1725-1789

Cup and saucer, 1735

Soft paste porcelain with glaze and enamel

LACMA - Neoclassical British Silver Tea Service

These tea  artifacts are on exhibit at the Los Angeles County of Museum of Art.

 Neoclassical British late 18th to early 19th century

Paul de Lamerie

England, 1688-1751

Kettle and Stand 1736-1737

Silver

Tea Caddies and Sugar Box

England

Silver , 1747-1748

John Swift

England, 1728 -1773

Tea Urn

Silver

1768-1769

John Payne 

England, 1740-1799

 Coffee pot

Silver with wood

1763

Lewis Herne 

England, 1755-1822
Coffee pot

Silver and ivory, 1757

Samuel Courtauld I

England,  1720-1765

Chocolate Pot

Silver and Fruitwood, 1750-1751

John Walker

England, mid 18th century

Sugar Bowl, mid 18th century

England, mid 18th century

Samovar

Paul Storr

England, 1771-1844

Silver Tea and Coffee Service, 1809-1810