Barmbrack – Traditional Irish Tea Bread

When it comes to sweet treats and fun traditions, you really can’t beat Halloween. Although there are some staple goodies when it comes to the season – caramel apples, s’mores, and candy, to name a few – sometimes the most interesting rituals are ones that point back to much older origins. One such custom is the making of barmbrack, a traditional Irish tea bread long associated with Halloween.

Although the connection between barmbrack and Halloween in Ireland has been lost to recorded history, the confection may trace parts of its origin to soul cakes, small scone-like cakes that were baked on the Christian festival of All Soul’s Eve (also known as All Hallows Eve, the immediate predecessor to our modern Halloween), and given to beggars in exchange for prayers for the departed. But many years before that, soul cakes were thought to have been used in the rites of Samhain, a Celtic pagan festival marking the end of the summer harvest and the coming days of winter. These cakes may have been used for divination purposes, or as offerings for wandering spirits on a night when the veil between worlds was thin.

Quite some backstory for a simple tea-bread! These days, barmbrack is most often baked in Ireland and among the Irish diaspora as a tasty treat for the Halloween season. But lest anyone forget its ancient origins, there is still a touch of divination to the barmbrack tradition – often, a few small tokens are baked into the loaf, which are said to foretell the future of those who find them. Most commonly included are a ring (for love or marriage), a coin (for wealth), and a pea or bean (for prosperity).

Want to try making barmbrack yourself? Here’s one of our favorite recipes, courtesy of Donal Skehan (including a few notes of our own). Don’t forget to serve up with a cup of your favorite warming tea. Happy Halloween!

You will need:

13 oz assorted dried fruit (We like a mix of chopped dried apricot, raisins, and figs)

2 oz whiskey (optional)

9 oz cold black tea (such as Irish Breakfast)

Butter, for greasing

8 oz all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

4½ oz light brown sugar

1/2 tsp mixed spices (Hint: a pumpkin or apple pie spice blend would work well here!)

1 large egg

A ring, to place inside (optional, but fun!)

Steps:

Place the mixed fruit in a bowl and pour over with tea and whiskey. Allow to soak up the liquid overnight.

Preheat the oven to 325°F (170°C). Grease and line a 2 lb loaf pan.

Combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, and spices in a mixing bowl. Make a well and break in the egg, then use a wooden spoon to mix it with the dry ingredients. Add a little bit of the liquid from the mixed fruit and mix it through to form a wet dough (Note: you may not need all the liquid to get there, so add in small amounts).

Stir in the fruit until everything is thoroughly combined. Add the ring (and any other charms you like) and stir through. Spoon the dough into the lined loaf tin, place on the middle rack in the oven, and bake for 1 hour.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before removing from the loaf tin and placing on wire rack. Your brack will be excellent fresh from the oven, but even better over time as its flavors deepen.

Written and Baked by: Jen Coate

Witch’s Brew 2021: Making Your Own Tea Blends

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For Halloween, let’s brew up some unique tea blends using existing teas. Over the next four weeks, we will walk you through the craft of blending tea while creating four new blends to enjoy. So grab your measuring spoons, cup and infuser and join us on our blending adventure.

1st Recipe: Toasted Marshmallow

Our first recipe of the 2021 season is a blend of Lapsang Souchong and New World Vanilla to get us a smooth toasted marshmallow flavor. If you have not tried Lapsang Souchong before, this is a pine smoked tea from the Fujian Provence of China. The pine smoke nose hides a beautifully smooth and slightly sweet black tea that has a full mouth finish.

The good news about this recipe is that the teas are roughly the same size and density. So if you like this combination, you can mix a larger batch and have it on standby in the pantry. The recipe below is for an 8oz mug:

Toasted Marshmallow Recipe

Lapsang Souchong – 1/4 teaspoon

New World Vanilla – 2 1/2 teaspoons

2nd Recipe: Strawberries and Cream

This blend takes two popular oolong flavors, Strawberry Oolong and Milk Oolong, and combines them for a sweet and creamy cup of tea. Using desserts as inspiration for tea blends is pretty common as it allows a drinker to narrow in on a desired flavor.

Strawberries and Cream Recipe

Milk Oolong – 1/2 teaspoon

Strawberry Oolong – 2 teaspoons

3rd Recipe: Mint Julep

There are flavors in cocktails that can be easily mimicked in tea. The bourbon in the classic mint julep cocktail can be replaced with the pine smoked tea of Lapsang Souchong. The smokiness is smoothed out with the vanilla of New World Vanilla to help complete the bourbon replacement. Of course, a mint julep is not complete without mint, so we included Mint Fields. This type of copycat recipe is tricky because you are trying to replicate a flavor profile that can vary widely based on the alcohol that is used in the cocktail. So the goal is to pick the dominate flavor in the complex beverage and adjust the tea accordingly. We love the earthiness of the bourbon, so we scaled the Lapsang Souchong to come through on this recipe.

Mint Julep Recipe

Lapsang Souchong – 1/4 teaspoon

New World Vanilla – 1/4 teaspoons

Mint Fields – 2 1/2 teaspoons

4th Recipe: English Toffee

We wrap up our 2021 Witch’s Brew with a traditional candy, toffee. The subtle flavors in caramelized sugar are mimic by the Japanese tea, Hojicha. This beautiful roasted green tea carries a roasted nut flavor that when combined with our Dulce de Leche turns into a cup of toffee. While there are two teas with different brew times, this is a tea that should still be brewed for 5 minutes with boiling water. The Hojicha can handle the heat without becoming bitter, thanks to the roasting of that tea.

This is a recipe where the density of the two teas is too different to blend in advance (gravity will separate them in storage). So make by the cup or pot only. The recipe below is for an 8oz mug:

English Toffee Recipe

Hojicha – 1 teaspoon

Dulce de Leche – 1 1/4 teaspoons

Tea Pairings for a Late Summer Harvest

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When it comes to fresh produce, there’s no season more abundant than late summer. If you spent your spring planting and weeding, you may find your home garden filled to bursting, while local farmer’s markets are more bountiful than ever.

With such a wonderful recent harvest, we’ve been having fun experimenting here at Dominion Tea, pairing up some of our favorite teas with dishes made from seasonal produce. Yes, pairing – just like wine, tea’s widely diverse range of flavors and complexity means that a proper match with food can lead to beautiful complementary tastes. But just like wine, the art of pairing food with tea is a delicate balance, combining flavors without overwhelming any one component.

Curious to give it a try? Here are some of our favorite combinations for the late summer season.

Overwhelmed with cucumbers and tomatoes? Nothing beats a classic Greek Salad with feta, oregano, and olive oil. Try pairing it with our Red Alishan Oolong to enhance its sweet and earthy flavors. Remember that balance is important when it comes to tea and foods, so go light on the vinegar and onions if you use them.

If you have squash or zucchini and you’re feeling adventurous, break out your spiralizer for a veggie-forward take on classic carbonara. Not only do vegetable noodles offer a healthy (and keto-friendly) alternative to traditional pastas, these garden mainstays pair delightfully with woody, malty Chinese black teas like Yunnan Sunrise or Keemun Mao Feng.

For herb lovers, put fresh-plucked oregano and basil to use in a simple herb dressing, an easy and versatile fridge staple that can be applied to fish, chicken, salads, and so much more. Try with a cup of our White Monkey to augment its bracing freshness.

Sweet and rich summer corn is delicious no matter how you prepare it, whether it’s seared on the grill or fried up with elote spices for a fun summer side dish. Pair with classic Chinese green tea like Huang Shan Mao Feng to enhance its creamy sweetness.

And for dessert, there are few things better than a warm fruit cobbler, especially when it’s made with fresh and juicy summer peaches and plums. Serve with a cup of 2^nd Flush Darjeeling to bring out the tea’s naturally rich and fruity muscatel finish. Enjoy!

By: Jen Coate

Japanese Philosophy of Tea: Wabi-sabi

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Matcha Whisk, Powder and Bowl — Matcha Whisk, Powder & Bowl

Formalized in the 16^th century by practitioner Sen no Rikyū, the practice of the Japanese tea ceremony, called chadō (“the way of tea”), is one of the most famous aspects of Japanese tea culture. Key to chadō is the concept of wabi-sabi, an essential component of Zen Buddhist philosophy.

Wabi-sabi Defined

Wabi-sabi is based on the acceptance of the beautiful impermanence of the natural world, and of the virtues of simplicity and imperfect form. Through the lens of wabi-sabi, a rough clay cup or rustic iron teapot – ordinarily so mundane and easy to overlook – becomes beautiful, transcendent, and worthy of meditation.

Adapting to the principles of wabi-sabi is not easy, especially in our modern and hyperconnected world. This mindset requires patience, quiet, and separation from the hustle of the daily grind. The aim of chadō is to facilitate such a transition. Every part of the tea ceremony, from its setting and architecture to its precisely choreographed rituals and equipment, is designed to assist practitioners in releasing themselves from the cares of the material world and the egotism of the self.

Chado

Japanese Tea Room by Yuki Yaginuma CC-BY-ND 2.0

A space set up for chadō must possess elegant simplicity. Traditional tea ceremony rooms emphasize minimalism, decorated with no more than a calligraphy wall scroll and a delicate flower arrangement. But even these seemingly small details must be selected with care. The calligraphy scroll may contain famous axioms, or seasonally appropriate meditations to serve as the theme of the ceremony. The floral arrangement is done in chabana, a style of ikebana specifically for tea ceremonies. Japanese mats, known as tatami, cover the floor. Tatami not only provides a surface for kneeling, but also forces participants to slow down and walk carefully as they move through the room.

Utensils for chadō are known as chadōgu. To the master chadō practitioner, these highly prized tools must be carefully handled, as well as meticulously cleaned before and after each use. While many specific chadōgu vary according to occasion, school, and season, the most essential to the tea ceremony include: a chawan (tea bowl), chaki (a caddy for matcha powder), chashaku (bamboo scoop), and chasen (bamboo whisk). The ritual usage and specific movements associated with each tool are designed to promote a meditative and familiar experience for the practitioner.

But beyond setting, styling, and tools, the most important aspect of chadō is the tea itself. For this, chadō masters reach for ceremonial grade matcha. This highest-quality matcha has been hand-harvested and ground on granite stones. Its rich complexity and character pairs perfectly with the careful and deliberate pace of a chadō ceremony, with bright grassy flavors undergirded with a bold umami body and a sweet finish that is designed to be savored slowly. During the ceremony, the matcha is typically served in both koicha (thick) and usucha (thin), allowing participants to experience its wonderful variety of flavors in different presentations.

Tea Appreciation

From its overarching philosophy to the smallest details of aesthetics, the practice of chadō is rooted in the expression of wabi-sabi and Zen Buddhist contemplation. In all the hectic busyness of daily life, perhaps there are lessons we, too, can learn from the tranquil art of tea appreciation.

By: Jen Coate

Floral Tea: History of Brewing Flowers

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With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, we’ve been getting into the spirit by brewing up some of our favorite floral tea blends. From classics like Jasmine Green and Lotus Blossom to newer favorites like The Rose Garden, there are teas for lovers of almost every kind of flower you can imagine. And as it turns out, the practice of using flowers to flavor tea blends is nearly as old and widespread as the art of tea itself.

Some of the earliest records we have on the use of floral infusions come from Persia, during the Sasanian Empire (224-651 CE). Although Persian royalty had long been known for their love of beautiful gardens, it was during this era that methods of steaming petals to make rosewater were perfected. Rosewater was soon used in everything from perfumes to cosmetics to medicinal decoctions, and its popularity spread throughout Europe, northern Africa, and western Asia. Ancient Greeks and Romans associated the flower with Aphrodite (also known as Venus) and like the Persians made broad use of the flower in almost every application imaginable. Roses continued to be used worldwide in folk remedies over the centuries, and with the introduction of tea culture into Europe it was only inevitable that the two would be combined. Western recipe books and home journals begin suggesting the additions of rose petals to tea blends by the early Victorian era, gaining special popularity around the turn of the 20^th century. Today, rose petals are one of the most popular additions to teas of all types, as well as tisanes.

Across the world in China, tea merchants have been using jasmine flowers to scent and blend with green tea since the Song Dynasty (960-1279 CE). This era also saw the growing popularity of chrysanthemum teas and tisanes, as the lightly fragrant yellow blossom was prized not only for its medicinal properties but its sweet and delicate flavor. Chrysanthemum tea soon spread to Japan by the 5^th century, and also to Korea, where it remains popular alongside other flower tisanes such as peach and plum blossom.

Two other flowers that are commonly seen in tea blends and tisanes are chamomile and lavender, both of which have long been thought to possess calming or sleep-inducing properties. Like roses, lavender and chamomile blossoms have been used for medicinal purposes since antiquity, with ancient physicians such as Dioscorides prescribing them for all sorts of ailments from indigestion to headaches. Preparing these blossoms for consumption by infusing them in boiling water was commonplace, and they were often paired with herbs like mint, sage, and rosemary for a more palatable and very fragrant tisane.

As all this history attests, flower petals and tea can make for delicious and beautiful combination. We especially love brewing floral tea in either a glass teapot or gaiwan to fully appreciate the appearance of the blossoms as they infuse. During a long and dreary winter, flower teas are just one small way to look forward to the coming days of spring.

By: Jen Coate