Happy Thanksgiving and warm wishes to all of our customers! We are thankful for you and your business, and we always welcome and appreciate your input and suggestions.
-Chai, Baby!
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Monday, October 20, 2008
Party girls
What would go through your mind if you received an invitation to a tea party? Chances are, your brain would conjure up traditional images of formal gatherings and silver tea sets – and possibly sandwiches on (ugh) doilies.
Well, no more, baby! Tea drinking demographics are changing rapidly. To wit, note an opening scene of a recent Gossip Girl episode – which I have now dubbed “Cool Guy Prepares Hot Tea.” And as tea drinking becomes more popular among a younger crowd (very likely due to the increased attention to tea’s health benefits), apparently tea parties are changing as well.
In a recent issue of the Arizona Daily Wildcat, a college student advocated tea parties as a perfect get-together for friends. She suggested avoiding all the highbrow fuss. No tea kettle? Use the microwave, she says. No china teacups? Well, get out those coffee mugs!
Additional thoughts from our Wildcat tea-aficionado included buying at least 2-3 varieties of tea flavors to appeal to a range of palates, inviting both men and women, and including activities like strip poker (I’ll leave that one for you to decide).
My own suggestion is making sure you have beautiful teas on hand (in pyramid sachets, not drab paper bags) to enhance the experiential nature of tea drinking.
At any rate, as more youthful tea drinkers emerge, tea parties are becoming hip & stylish activities. So, when you get your invitation, go party, baby!
Well, no more, baby! Tea drinking demographics are changing rapidly. To wit, note an opening scene of a recent Gossip Girl episode – which I have now dubbed “Cool Guy Prepares Hot Tea.” And as tea drinking becomes more popular among a younger crowd (very likely due to the increased attention to tea’s health benefits), apparently tea parties are changing as well.
In a recent issue of the Arizona Daily Wildcat, a college student advocated tea parties as a perfect get-together for friends. She suggested avoiding all the highbrow fuss. No tea kettle? Use the microwave, she says. No china teacups? Well, get out those coffee mugs!
Additional thoughts from our Wildcat tea-aficionado included buying at least 2-3 varieties of tea flavors to appeal to a range of palates, inviting both men and women, and including activities like strip poker (I’ll leave that one for you to decide).
My own suggestion is making sure you have beautiful teas on hand (in pyramid sachets, not drab paper bags) to enhance the experiential nature of tea drinking.
At any rate, as more youthful tea drinkers emerge, tea parties are becoming hip & stylish activities. So, when you get your invitation, go party, baby!
Saturday, September 20, 2008
A non-negotiable ritual
We talked some time ago about the physical health benefits resulting from daily tea drinking. Regular doses of antioxidants, as well as increased hydration and alertness, are just a few of those benefits. But tea has an experiential component that benefits mental health as well. A few moments taken to sit, sip and contemplate will give your poor, overcrowded brain a rest!
Easier said than done, right? Well, here’s an idea from our fellow Chai Babies out there. Claim one ritual for yourself: an amazing cup of tea and a beautiful place to sit and sip. Whether you choose 5 am before anyone else is awake or at 2 am after everyone has irrevocably turned in (of course, we recommend herbal tea if you choose the latter!), you will find that your ritual quickly becomes non-negotiable.
Easier said than done, right? Well, here’s an idea from our fellow Chai Babies out there. Claim one ritual for yourself: an amazing cup of tea and a beautiful place to sit and sip. Whether you choose 5 am before anyone else is awake or at 2 am after everyone has irrevocably turned in (of course, we recommend herbal tea if you choose the latter!), you will find that your ritual quickly becomes non-negotiable.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Ice, ice, baby!
Greetings, everyone, from the sultry Midwest. Out here, summer is hanging on tight, which probably explains our numerous customer questions about iced tea!
Iced tea is surprisingly simple to make. The key? Don’t get bitter, baby! Some people steep their tea too long in order to produce a tea liqueur that stands up to melting ice. However, over-steeping simply produces bitter tea.
We recommend different technique: the Decoction Method.
1. Bring two cups of water to a boil, and then turn off the heat.
2. Add three or four tea sachets to the boiled water and allow to steep for five minutes only!
3. After this decoction cools, pour the decoction into a large pitcher and add two quarts of water.
4. Refrigerate for two to three hours.
And that’s it! Ice up and cool down, baby!
Iced tea is surprisingly simple to make. The key? Don’t get bitter, baby! Some people steep their tea too long in order to produce a tea liqueur that stands up to melting ice. However, over-steeping simply produces bitter tea.
We recommend different technique: the Decoction Method.
1. Bring two cups of water to a boil, and then turn off the heat.
2. Add three or four tea sachets to the boiled water and allow to steep for five minutes only!
3. After this decoction cools, pour the decoction into a large pitcher and add two quarts of water.
4. Refrigerate for two to three hours.
And that’s it! Ice up and cool down, baby!
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Make the connection, baby!
As I wrote last time, my weekend at the World Tea Expo was incredibly exciting and informative. I had the privilege of listening to (and even speaking briefly with) Mark Blumenthal, the founder and Executive Director of the American Botanical Council. Mr. Blumenthal reviewed the recent clinical and epidemiological research regarding the health benefits of tea.
It is truly staggering, the increasing amount of research being devoted to the connection between tea drinking and good health. And it is difficult to ignore the daily reports about tea’s potential. Of course, as Mr. Blumenthal emphasized during his lecture, it is very important to draw conclusions conservatively and not to read too much into the results of small studies.
As an example of the incremental nature of research, a WebMD feature authored by Jeanie Lerche Davis cited a study in which tea-drinkers’ and coffee-drinkers’ immune cells were exposed to germs in a Petri dish. In the tea drinkers, the immune cells immediately activated. However, there was no such response in the coffee drinkers’ immune cells.
This study of course suggests that tea drinking may boost the body’s immune function. However, it’s important not to extrapolate too much from individual studies such as this one. Though research like this is very, very promising, it will take years and perhaps decades of research to verify all the potential connections.
Nevertheless, there are certain things that we tea drinkers can take to the bank. Even if you put aside the proliferating studies showing that tea can boost metabolism, block allergic response, slow tumor growth, protect bones, improve skin, etc., etc., it is nonetheless clear that a connection between tea and good health exists. The WebMD feature mentioned above also quoted John Weisberger, Ph.D., the senior researcher at the Institute for Cancer Prevention in Valhalla, N.Y. Dr. Weisberger found that both green and black tea are rich in polyphenols. Polyphenols are antioxidants that seek out free radicals that can damage normal cells. Dr. Weisberger further estimated that green and black teas have 10 times the antioxidants that fruits and vegetables have.
Whatever research uncovers and verifies in the future, we know for sure that antioxidants are helpful to the body, and that tea contains antioxidants. You can rest assured that your tea is a wholesome drink!
It is truly staggering, the increasing amount of research being devoted to the connection between tea drinking and good health. And it is difficult to ignore the daily reports about tea’s potential. Of course, as Mr. Blumenthal emphasized during his lecture, it is very important to draw conclusions conservatively and not to read too much into the results of small studies.
As an example of the incremental nature of research, a WebMD feature authored by Jeanie Lerche Davis cited a study in which tea-drinkers’ and coffee-drinkers’ immune cells were exposed to germs in a Petri dish. In the tea drinkers, the immune cells immediately activated. However, there was no such response in the coffee drinkers’ immune cells.
This study of course suggests that tea drinking may boost the body’s immune function. However, it’s important not to extrapolate too much from individual studies such as this one. Though research like this is very, very promising, it will take years and perhaps decades of research to verify all the potential connections.
Nevertheless, there are certain things that we tea drinkers can take to the bank. Even if you put aside the proliferating studies showing that tea can boost metabolism, block allergic response, slow tumor growth, protect bones, improve skin, etc., etc., it is nonetheless clear that a connection between tea and good health exists. The WebMD feature mentioned above also quoted John Weisberger, Ph.D., the senior researcher at the Institute for Cancer Prevention in Valhalla, N.Y. Dr. Weisberger found that both green and black tea are rich in polyphenols. Polyphenols are antioxidants that seek out free radicals that can damage normal cells. Dr. Weisberger further estimated that green and black teas have 10 times the antioxidants that fruits and vegetables have.
Whatever research uncovers and verifies in the future, we know for sure that antioxidants are helpful to the body, and that tea contains antioxidants. You can rest assured that your tea is a wholesome drink!
Thursday, June 5, 2008
What's cooking, baby!
Hello, everyone! I just spent an amazing weekend at the World Tea Expo in Las Vegas. Judging from what I saw and heard, the tea industry is not only booming, but also unfurling in many different directions. One of the most exciting of these directions is, of course, FOOD. A few months ago, I discussed pairing food with tea, but now there is a proliferation of efforts to actually cook with tea. Presumably, one benefit is the addition of tea’s antioxidant benefits to food. More importantly, though, tea truly enhances taste and flavor.
As I walked among the hundreds of booths and presenters, I saw a large variety of chocolates and candies and cookies with tea mixed directly into the recipe. And it wasn’t a gimmick – I could distinctly taste the tea, and the fusion of flavors was interesting and delicious. (I’ll tell you about the green tea liqueurs later!)
The World Tea Expo also featured a series of “Cooking with Tea” demonstrations, featuring some of the top chefs in the country. Many of the chefs incorporated masala chai into their dessert recipes. This is not entirely surprising -- after all, masala chai is usually recommended as a dessert tea pairing based upon its distinctive spiciness. A suggested technique of Michael Minor, Executive Chef of the Border Grill Las Vegas was creating a reduction from masala chai. He boiled about four cups of masala chai over medium heat until it became a syrupy one-cup reduction sauce. Thereafter, he mixed the sauce into vanilla ice cream and re-froze it. This fusion of vanilla ice cream and masala chai was then added to an amazing bread pudding. I can definitely vouch for this dish!
Michael Minor also used the same technique to create a lemon myrtle tea reduction to pour over Hawaiian Opah Ceviche. For us vegetarians, the appropriate substitute for ceviche is tofu. Another interesting tea concoction was a strawberry soup created by Claude Cevasco, Chef Instructor at Le Cordon Bleu.
Now, this was all very fun and interesting to watch, but in the end, I’m no gourmet chef. This prompted me, when I returned home, to look for recipes and tips on cooking with tea for mere mortals like me. I did find a useful article written by Caroline Bloomfield that suggested that tea can be substituted for water during the cooking process. For example, tea can be boiled and used to steam vegetables and rice. It can be used to soak lentils and beans. Or, it can be added directly to soups and sauces and marinades. Ms. Bloomfield also suggested substituting tea (particularly chamomile or mint tea) for water in baked goods to produce a subtle and delicate layer of flavor. Obviously, the endless variations of tea flavors will allow a tea lover/cook to experiment and play forever.
Intrigued? Good. Let’s get cooking, baby! And let me know how it turns out.
As I walked among the hundreds of booths and presenters, I saw a large variety of chocolates and candies and cookies with tea mixed directly into the recipe. And it wasn’t a gimmick – I could distinctly taste the tea, and the fusion of flavors was interesting and delicious. (I’ll tell you about the green tea liqueurs later!)
The World Tea Expo also featured a series of “Cooking with Tea” demonstrations, featuring some of the top chefs in the country. Many of the chefs incorporated masala chai into their dessert recipes. This is not entirely surprising -- after all, masala chai is usually recommended as a dessert tea pairing based upon its distinctive spiciness. A suggested technique of Michael Minor, Executive Chef of the Border Grill Las Vegas was creating a reduction from masala chai. He boiled about four cups of masala chai over medium heat until it became a syrupy one-cup reduction sauce. Thereafter, he mixed the sauce into vanilla ice cream and re-froze it. This fusion of vanilla ice cream and masala chai was then added to an amazing bread pudding. I can definitely vouch for this dish!
Michael Minor also used the same technique to create a lemon myrtle tea reduction to pour over Hawaiian Opah Ceviche. For us vegetarians, the appropriate substitute for ceviche is tofu. Another interesting tea concoction was a strawberry soup created by Claude Cevasco, Chef Instructor at Le Cordon Bleu.
Now, this was all very fun and interesting to watch, but in the end, I’m no gourmet chef. This prompted me, when I returned home, to look for recipes and tips on cooking with tea for mere mortals like me. I did find a useful article written by Caroline Bloomfield that suggested that tea can be substituted for water during the cooking process. For example, tea can be boiled and used to steam vegetables and rice. It can be used to soak lentils and beans. Or, it can be added directly to soups and sauces and marinades. Ms. Bloomfield also suggested substituting tea (particularly chamomile or mint tea) for water in baked goods to produce a subtle and delicate layer of flavor. Obviously, the endless variations of tea flavors will allow a tea lover/cook to experiment and play forever.
Intrigued? Good. Let’s get cooking, baby! And let me know how it turns out.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
It's come a long way, baby!
With the advent of pyramid tea sachets, it’s become quick and convenient to enjoy high quality, whole leaf tea. Just pour hot water over your sachet, and you’re on your way.
Tea has become so easy to make that it’s equally easy to forget the very, very long journey your tea has taken to travel to your teacup. In fact, many consider tea to be one of the most labor-intensive agricultural products in the entire world.
High quality tea from reputable tea estates is carefully -- even lovingly – cultivated, plucked and sorted by hand. Thereafter, the tea leaves undergo a “withering” process that rids them of moisture.
The “rolling” process then bruises the leaf cells, thereby exposing the sap of the leaves to oxygen. Oxidation (sometimes called fermentation) times vary, depending on the type of tea being produced. Oolong teas are oxidized for 3-5 hours, whereas black teas can be oxidized for a full day.
After oxidation, the tea leaves are “fired,” i.e., heated to arrest the oxidation process. Note that green teas are fired immediately after plucking, thereby bypassing the oxidation process completely. For this reason, green teas preserve a certain vegetal quality. Finally, the tea leaves are sorted again, packed and shipped.
The most flavorful and aromatic teas come from producers who follow each of the traditional steps meticulously.
So, the next time you watch your lovely tea leaves unfurling in water, you’ll fully appreciate the journey they’ve made for your pleasure and enjoyment! Remember – it’s come a long way, baby!
Tea has become so easy to make that it’s equally easy to forget the very, very long journey your tea has taken to travel to your teacup. In fact, many consider tea to be one of the most labor-intensive agricultural products in the entire world.
High quality tea from reputable tea estates is carefully -- even lovingly – cultivated, plucked and sorted by hand. Thereafter, the tea leaves undergo a “withering” process that rids them of moisture.
The “rolling” process then bruises the leaf cells, thereby exposing the sap of the leaves to oxygen. Oxidation (sometimes called fermentation) times vary, depending on the type of tea being produced. Oolong teas are oxidized for 3-5 hours, whereas black teas can be oxidized for a full day.
After oxidation, the tea leaves are “fired,” i.e., heated to arrest the oxidation process. Note that green teas are fired immediately after plucking, thereby bypassing the oxidation process completely. For this reason, green teas preserve a certain vegetal quality. Finally, the tea leaves are sorted again, packed and shipped.
The most flavorful and aromatic teas come from producers who follow each of the traditional steps meticulously.
So, the next time you watch your lovely tea leaves unfurling in water, you’ll fully appreciate the journey they’ve made for your pleasure and enjoyment! Remember – it’s come a long way, baby!
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