Tuesday Tea

I've always liked Celestial Seasonings tea. The story is pretty "hippie" like but still good.

It began when founder Mo Siegel and his crazy friends began picking wild herbs in the Rocky Mountains. By 1969 they had packed 10,000 muslin bags with Mo's "36 Herb Tea" and sold them to a health food store in Boulder, CO.

If you're curious Celestial Seasonings offers tours at their factory and I have it on good authority that the tea doesn't get any better than right off the line ^_^ My grandma and one of my sister's went back in February this year.

I'm a big fan of Sleepy Time Tea and the Tummy Mint

I'm also partial to the art work on the boxes which make them even more fun to pop open to brew a cup ^_^ Visit the site

Tuesday Tea

Orange Pekoe, what on earth is this stuff and why is it called ORANGE Pekoe?

Well way back in olden times the Dutch royal family, the House of Orange no doubt, received a fine China tea from early Dutch traders to the region. The name has nothing to do with the flavor of the actual tea, instead the word "orange" simply refers to the royal house giving the tea it's seal of approval by blessing it with their name.
How kind. A royal tea. Remember to sip delicately and with your pinky up! No gulping lest you smear the royal tea's name for good.

In case you were also wondering Pekoe tea is one of the more popular teas exported from China and includes the tea leaf and buds. It should be readily available in shops who specialize in tea and maybe even your local grocer.

Tuesday Tea

Happy September!

Teas, like wines, are often named for the areas in which they are grown. Each area/region will give the tea a unique flavor and character.

Unlike wine, teas will not improve with age....unless of course you're a Pu-erh kind of tea drinker.

Tuesday Tea

Pu-erh tea, unlike any other tea, actually gets better with age. Made from either black or green tea leaves, pu-erh has an earthy, mellow flavor.

Honestly I've never even heard of this tea so I had to go look for more info about it. Most of the time a tea does not improve with age because teas rely on the remaining oil in the leaves (after the dehydration process) for flavor and strength. Tea doesn't always go "bad" but it will go stale as the oil will eventually completely dissipate leaving a rather bland taste if brewed.

I'm not sure HOW accurate the wiki article is but it's very interesting.

They say it's made in "bricks" which if you recall from earlier Tuesday Tea's, tea bricks were a common form of currency used in ancient Asia. These bricks haven't lost their value as some of the OLDEST of the Pu-erh teas have sold for thousands of dollars for just one!

I think I'll pass.

Tuesday Tea + Awesome

Pinpinn scored another FP last night, unbeknownst to me as I was busy working on my large dog ornament order for Tumus which, by the way, is definitely progressing and about 75% done.

It still gives me a feeling of absolute gratitude and joy at having both my shops picked and featured on the front page and in gift guides with good frequency. It's like my hard work is FINALLY paying off. All that gripping and struggling over pictures and practicing over and over, plus refining designs, stitching and new ideas. It's all right there. In one brief moment of unabashed, free promotion.
Woot.

Now to celebrate I'll have a cup of tea:

Did you know that a cup of black tea contains more caffeine than any other types of teas, but still contains about half the caffeine of coffee?

I'd like to think of tea as a "gentle" wake up call....this morning, however, called for coffee.

Tuesday Tea

Summer is pounding away with it's heat and humidity here in my area. I came across this bit of fashion while browsing the internet. It's a bit old as in 2006 old, but still pretty funny.

Celebrity fashion designer Brett Cooper was commissioned by Celestial Seasonings to transform nearly 700 used packaging to make a Moulin Rouge-inspired dress. Complete with hat, purse and high heels.

Read the full story on the NY Times

Tuesday Tea

Sir Thomas Lipton (sound familiar?), a Scotsman with a large grocery store chain entered into the tea business and in 1889 celebrated the arrival of 200 tea chests in Glasgow. Being a savvy businessman he sold tea at unprecendented low prices to tap into the working-class market.

(Tea 365)

Tuesday Tea

Iced tea was popularized in America by an Englishman who live in Calcutta. Richard Blechynden was selling hot tea at the St. Louis 1904 World's Fair, with no success. In desperation he poured tea over ice and served it in tall glasses....and the rest is pretty tasty history.

Tuesday Tea

Most specialty tea is hand picked and harvested because superior teas start with careful plucking, except in Japan, where tea shears are typically used. Kind of reminds me of that Snapple White Tea commercial :lol:

Tuesday Tea

nearly every British and Irish home owns a Brown Betty Teapot. The dark brown and black color won't show staining and it's round pot-bellied shape causes the leaves to be gently swirled around as boiling water is poured onto the leaves.

Tuesday Tea

Dim Sum, loosely translated as touch of the heart, began as a mid to late afternoon snack and has evolved into breakfast and lunch. Restaurants serve small samplings of delicious foods such as steamed dumplings and turnovers which are always accompanied by tea.

I REALLY wish there was a Dim Sum in our area much less our state. I can dream!

Tuesday Tea

Back in 2000 it was estimated that the US only had approx. 200 active tea shops, compared to today 2009 where there are over 1,700!

Tea totally wins.
We even have a new tea shop that's local and serves, from what I'm told, a fine cup of high tea. I REALLY need to seek this place out.

Tuesday Tea

Accordng to 18th cen. tea merchants, fake tea was made up of dried, baked ash leaves, steeped in copperas with sheep dung and then dried on the floor.

Ew "fake tea"?!

Wonders never cease!

Tuesday Tea (a bit late!)

Apologies for the late tea, but I've been very wrapped up in things and forgot what day of the week it was, ha!

I came across a really tasty butter that you must make for yourself! This would go GREAT with biscuits, toast or even bagels:

Strawberry Tea Butter:

You'll need: 10 oz of frozen strawberries (or fresh) with 1 stick of softened butter, 1/2 cup of powder sugar and about a teaspoon of grated orange zest.

What to do: Puree it all together in a food processor until smooth, then spread on a biscuit and ENJOY!

Tuesday Tea

Tea's potency comes from the tea leaf's oil. The flavor can be easily spoiled so store fresh tea in a cool, dark air tight container and away from moisture.

Though tea can't ever go "bad" (like spoiled milk) it can mostly definitely become stale and weak.

Tuesday Tea

If you're ever in the Far East, Chinese, Japanese and Koreans call black tea "red tea", which is the true coloring of the liquid itself ^_^ Order up!

Tuesday Tea

One sip of this will bathe the drooping spirits in delight, beyond the bliss of dreams - Milton

(Tea 365)

Tuesday Tea

Never put your teapot in the dishwasher! You could ruin it not only that but immersing it in soapy water can leave a nasty residue affecting the taste of your favorite cup. Instead simply pour out the tea, rinse with clean water several times and turn it over to drain completely.

Tuesday Tea

Did you know tea grows in over 30 countries and on every continent except Antarctica? (of course not Antarctica lol) Serious tea drinkers will argue where the best tea comes from but most will agree that exceptional tea comes from Sri Lanka, Taiwan, India, Japan and China.

Tuesday Tea

Tea is drunk to forget the din of the world. - T'ien Yiheng