IMBB 17: TasteTea Roundup Part III

Twenty-one stops into our tasteTea tour around the world, you may think that we’ve seen it all.  But in reality, we still have sixty-nine more places to go to, and much, much more to see.

Before leaving Singapore, we make sure to visit Colin of Only Slightly Pretentious Food to indulge in his Mango and Green Tea Sorbet.  The bittersweet combination of green tea and mango purée is delicious, and is matched only by its vibrant orange colour.

Now it’s back across the Pacific to Los Angeles where the our most recent SHF host, Nic of Bakingsheet greets us with a fresh loaf of beautiful Chai-Tea Apple Bread.  A fragrant combination of Stash’s Double Chai Spiced tea and apples bits kneaded into the dough, Nic’s loaf is fit for any occasion – a simple snack or as part of an elegant meal.

In Annapolis, Maryland, we’re in for a treat.  Not only has Grommie of The Power of Cheese made us a Green Tea Vanilla Cake, but she’s made it in the shape of a charming and beautiful teapot!  A brilliant take on this month’s tasteTea theme that’s undoubtedly delicious.  To compliment her cake, Grommie’s also baked up a batch of aromatic Chai cookies.

At an undisclosed location somewhere in America, Alice of My Adventures in the Breadbox checks her Cooking with Tea cookbook and decides to make a vibrant dish of Red Rice in Oolong Tea.  Cooking the rice in tea gives the dish a very pronounced tea flavour which Alice balances off with a beautiful medley of sautéed vegetables.

Now it’s off to St. Paul, Minnesota where the ever-ambitious ChefDoc of A Perfect Pear isn’t barbecuing just any old quail, but a Five-Spice Chile-Tea Rubbed Quail with Grilled Fennel and Wild Mushroom Orzo 'Risotto' based on a recipe by Ming Tsai.  The creamy orzo perfectly cuts the spiciness of the quail, and ChefDoc plates his dish with a beautiful arrangement of lime zest, sliced scallions, truffle oil, scallion 'flowers', and nasturtium blossoms.  It’s hard to imagine that Ming Tsai could do any better.

In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, boo_licious of masak-masak has graciously written two tasteTea entries.  In the first, she shares her family’s Hakka ancestry with us and talks about their tradition of making Thunder Tea Rice (Lui Cha Fan).  In her second entry, she serves up an impressive trio of dishes that beautifully showcase Chinese tea.  First up, it’s a pristine Tea Smoked Salmon Sushi where boo_licious has wrapped her fragrant jasmine-smoked salmon, suzuki seabass sashimi, and wakame in crisp daikon radish slivers.  Next, it’s a Baked Wakame Tart with Seared Green Tea Scallop, a magnificent creation of baked pastry topped with wakame and crowned with a seared scallop garnished with green tea salt.  Completing the trio, boo_licious presents a delicate and gorgeous Prawn, Scallop and Green Tea Wanton served with a Broth Perfumed with Green Tea.  All so delectable and beautifully photographed. 

Back on the plane, and just in time for breakfast we arrive in Chicago where Gemma of Part-Time Pro Bono Baker is serving gorgeous Matcha Pancakes with Matcha Yogurt Sauce and Matcha Soda Biscuits with Matcha-Ginger Butter.  Her pancakes are amongst the fluffiest I’ve ever seen, and the combination of matcha, ginger and cinnamon sound delicious.  Gemma’s soda biscuits look wonderful too, with their beautiful golden crust and pale green interior.

Letting our food senses guide us to somewhere in Northeastern America, we run into Stef of Stefoodie who’s in a rush to leave, but was kind enough to make us three types of tea.  We first sample her Filipino-Style Iced Tea that combines tea with honey and calamondin/kalamansi juice.  Next we move onto a Spiced Tea that’s reminiscent of spiced or mulled apple cider.  And finally, it’s time for a glass of cool and refreshing Avocado Bubble Tea made entirely with natural ingredients, rather than the powdery flavourings commonly used in stores.  Embracing this month’s tasteTea theme to the fullest, Stef has also made Tea Eggs and Tea-smoked chicken breast.

Around the world to Auckland, New Zealand we travel to visit Barbara of Winosandfoodies who’s prepared a handful of most delectable treats for us.  We’re first served a tray of elegant flower-shaped matcha cookies, and then an trio of uniquely flavoured tea jellies.  Lemon and Ginger Tea with Honey, Smoked Black Tea and Brown Sugar, and lastly Matcha and Maple Syrup.  All so unique and delicious!

We end today’s journey in Reedville, Virginia where aspiring chef Violet of And the Dish Ran Away with the Spoon serves up scrumptious Sautéed Vegetables with Rum and Sassafras Tea Sauce and Rose Green Tea Couscous.  I’d imagine that both teas would give this dish a lovely aroma, and the vegetables and couscous would provide a plethora of textures.

Stay tuned for Part IV of the round up coming soon.  On a related note, I apologize for not replying to my recent comments and e-mails.  I’ve just been overwhelmed by a number of things lately, but I promise to write back soon.  I’m also trying to pick up the pace of the round-up.  Certainly I don’t want to still be writing this by the time this month’s IMBB comes around!

Comments

[Nic]

Clement, I have to say that you are doing a wonderful job with the round up. And setting the bar awfully high for all future hosts!

[violet]

yay, clement! no worries, my darling. you took on a lot by volunteering to host this round. im sure everyone (myself included) understands that you're a bit swamped with this sizable task not to mention the business of everyday life. you're doing wonderfully! cheers!

[AugustusGloop]

What a round-up! Not only are you providing visual snapshots but wonderfully written descriptive ones as well.

I like how you're breaking up the summaries too. You are doing an amazing job and I can appreciate the amount of time and effort you've put in. Thanks so much!

[Reid]

Hi Clement,

No need to apologize. In fact, if you stretch it to the next IMBB, I think it will make things more interesting! =)