A Local Favorite of Mine: Vanilla Oolong Tea by Open Door Tea
Several years ago my home town of Stratford, Connecticut was long bereft of good tea and coffee shops. Thankfully towards the end of the 2010s, Kasia Lindeberg placed her faith in my town and opened up the most welcoming tea shop and cafe with her European heritage and flare.
Open Door Tea has its own proprietary tea labels that span across all the different tea variations of the world. Through here, I discovered my appreciation for oolong teas.
Oolong with a golden brown color originally brewed from fermented leaves in Taiwan and the southern regions of Mainland China. Therefore, oolongs are rich in antioxidants and confer a lot of health benefits. What strikes me the most is the pronounced yet refreshing vanilla aroma. the vanilla scent and flavor remains throughout the sip to finish with a slightly stronger vanilla on the finish. The tea itself is not overly sweet, with more of a creamy vanilla taste. At Open Door Tea, it is usually served as a loose leaf servd at a frencgh press on location, or in loose leaf packaging to take home. This is a great afternoon tea. Pairs with sweets and savory snacks or is a solid standalone beverage. It has some energy in it, but it is not as caffeinated as its black tea counterparts or matcha.
Suggested serving: water just under boiling (around 90 degrees Celsius. Gentle pour throughout an infuser or on a French press glass. Let sit for 4-5 min.
For those who cannot visit the Stratford tea room, they do have an online store where you can have tea and tea supplies shipped to you.
Editorial note: I am unapologetically biased in favor of Open Door Tea. It was the first restaurant I was able to visit after the difficult COVID-19 lockdowns of 2020. I will sometimes write here.
Leave a Reply