Absolutely! A Fair Trade Certified&trade label ensures that the entire tea supply chain -- from garden to market -- has undergone inspection and certification for certain standards of quality and social responsibility. The Fair Trade Certified&trade label guarantees that tea workers receive a fair wage, decent working conditions, as well as additional revenue for their communities. Workers have spent such additional revenue on community vaccinations, continuing education and re-forestation programs.
So, when you purchase Fair Trade Certified&trade tea, you are helping farmers, their communities and the environment. You're contributing to a better world!
For more information, go to www.FairTradeCertified.org.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Happy New Year!
On this New Year’s Eve, we want to thank all of you -- readers, customers and friends -- for your tremendous support and encouragement. We appreciate all of you and wish you a wonderful New Year!
Happy Sipping in 2009!
-Chai, Baby!
Happy Sipping in 2009!
-Chai, Baby!
Monday, December 15, 2008
Spice it up!
Want to spice up your holiday? Adding masala chai to your favorite holiday dishes will give them a wonderfully exciting layer of flavor.
1. Breads. Add one cup of prepared masala chai to pumpkin or cinnamon bread recipes for wonderfully varied and spicy flavor.
2. Veggies. Use prepared masala chai to steam vegetables and rice or soak lentils and beans.
3. Soups, sauces and marinades. Add prepared masala chai directly to these dishes.
4. For you gourmands: Spicy ice cream. Boil 4 cups of masala chai over medium heat until it becomes a syrupy reduction sauce. Mix into vanilla ice cream and re-freeze.
So, what are you waiting for? Get cooking, baby! And keep us posted on your tea-inspired culinary adventures.
1. Breads. Add one cup of prepared masala chai to pumpkin or cinnamon bread recipes for wonderfully varied and spicy flavor.
2. Veggies. Use prepared masala chai to steam vegetables and rice or soak lentils and beans.
3. Soups, sauces and marinades. Add prepared masala chai directly to these dishes.
4. For you gourmands: Spicy ice cream. Boil 4 cups of masala chai over medium heat until it becomes a syrupy reduction sauce. Mix into vanilla ice cream and re-freeze.
So, what are you waiting for? Get cooking, baby! And keep us posted on your tea-inspired culinary adventures.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Thanks, baby!
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!
-Chai, Baby!
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!
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