Thinking outside the bag ...

Monday, March 30, 2009

Pairing tea with food

Monday, March 23, 2009

To utter the words chai tea is to be completely redundant. That's like saying tea tea. Orginating in India, chai is the Hindi word for tea. It often refers to Masala Chai which is a stimulating combination of black tea infused with milk and spices that is savored for its rich, complex flavors. As with all spice blends, there is much variation from kitchen to kitchen. Most commonly, though, the spices used will include ginger, cardamom, coriander, cinnamon, clove, allspice and black pepper. As SensibiliTeas, our very popular chai blends use cinnamon, clove, cardamom, ginger and black pepper. Many feel chai produces a warming, soothing effect and a serene sense of well-being. One cup is usually followed by another.

But what if you were out of chai, your favorite tea shop was closed and you still craved a nice cup of chai? Here's a recipe I've rarely shared, but admit to using it myself with outstanding results. Try it ... and let me know what you think!

1 14oz can of condensed milk (sweetened or unsweetened)

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Blend spices with the milk and place in a clean dry jar. Cover tightly with a lid.Place in the refrigerator. The longer it stays, the better it gets.To use, stir the mixture and scoop out 2 TBSP or so into a cup of strong hot black tea (2tsp black tea to 12oz of water)

The best teas for this are Assams or Assam blends like Scottish Breakfast or Afternoon With Aunt Faye, though great results can also be obtained with Java Kertasarie or some of the Ceylon teas like Ceylon Kenilworth, Ceylon Vithanakande or Ceylon Lumbini (Vithanakande and Lumbini are new to the shop and not yet on the website, but both are outstanding Ceylon teas)

Enjoy!

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Fair warning ...

Each year during April, SensibiliTeas is closed so that the owner, Donnalynn, may travel to New England to help manage the largest international machine quilting show in the world. The Machine Quilters Exposition attracts quilts from all over the US, Canada, Europe and Australia and highlights the enormous strides that machine quilting has made over the last 10 years. This is also the best show to attend for anyone interested in purchasing a longarm, midarm or shortarm machine. See www.mqxshow.com for details. (Or click the link under the ``A few of my favorite things'' listing to the right of this posting.)

This year the dates of the SensibiliTeas closure will be Saturday April 11 through Monday April 20, reopening on Tuesday, April 21.

We do apologize for any inconvenience this closure may cause you, and hope you will continue to visit our blog, our website and most of all our shop!

The hours of the shop have also been temporarily modified, as Donnalynn goes through training during the day at her other job. The hours for the next few months are Tues-Fri 2pm-5pm and Saturday 10am-5pm.

Lights, camera, action ...

On this day in history, Auguste and Louis Lumière give the first public demonstration of the cinématograph.

In Besançon, France, Auguste Marie Louis Nicolas Lumière was born October 19, 1862 and Louis Jean Lumière was born October 5, 1864 the sons of Charles Antoine Lumière, who ran a photgraphic firm. In 1870 they moved to Lyon, and attended La Martiniere, the largest technical school in Lyon. They later worked for their father, Auguste as a manager, and Louis as a physicist. Louis had made many improvements to the still photograph process. The most notable of these improvements being the dry-plate process, which was a major step towards moving images.

They had not, though, started to create moving pictures until their fathers retirement in 1892. They patented many significant processes all leading up to their film camera - most notably film perforations as a means of advancing the film through the camera and projector. The cinématographe itself was patented on February 13, 1985 and the and the first footage ever to be recorded using it was recorded on March 19, 1895. Workers Leaving the Lumiere Factory was privately screened on March 22, 1895. Some consider this world's first movie.

The brothers stated that ``the cinema is an invention without any future'' and declined to sell their camera to other filmmakers. Consequently, their role in the history of film was exceedingly brief. They turned their attentions to photography.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The predecessor of motion picture was laterna magica (magic lantern) and toys called zoetropes. In the Shirt Factory that houses the teashop, there is a graphic artist well-versed in the subject of these devices. If ever you desire a truly entertaining show illustrating laterna magica, please contact my good friend Russell Serrianne!
http://lanternshow.net/index.html
(He's a really great graphic artist, too -- in case you ever need any professional artwork or logo development done)

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Dr. Livingstone, I presume ...

On this day in 1871, Welsh journalist Henry Morton Stanley (left) started his famous quest through Africa for the missing British explorer Dr. David Livingstone.

In the late 19th century, Europeans and Americans were deeply fascinated by Africa, hailed as the "Dark Continent", and its many mysteries. Few did more to increase Africa's fame than Dr. Livingstone, one of England's most fearless explorers. In August 1865, he set out on a planned two-year expedition to find the source of the Nile River. Dr. Livingstone also hoped to help bring about the abolition of the slave trade, which was devastating Africa's population.

Almost six years after his expedition began, very little had been heard from Dr. Livingstone. Stanley was sent to Africa, by New York Herald editor, James Gordon Bennett, to lead an expedition into the African wilderness to find Livingstone -- dead or alive. At age 28, Stanley had his own fascinating past. As a young orphan in Wales, he crossed the Atlantic on the crew of a merchant ship. He jumped ship in New Orleans and later served in the Civil War as both a Confederate and a Union soldier before beginning a career in journalism.

After setting out from Zanzibar in March 1871, Stanley led his caravan of nearly 2,000 men into the interior of Africa. Nearly eight months passed--during which Stanley contracted dysentery, cerebral malaria and smallpox--before the expedition approached the village of Ujiji, on the shore of Lake Tanganyika. Sick and poverty-stricken, Livingstone (right) had come to Ujiji that July after living for some time at the mercy of Arab slave traders. When Stanley's caravan entered the village on October 27, flying the American flag, villagers crowded toward the new arrivals. Spotting a white man with a gray beard in the crowd, Stanley stepped toward him and stretched out his hand: "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?"

These words soon became famous across Europe and the United States. Though Stanley urged Livingstone to return with him to London, the explorer vowed to continue his original mission. Livingstone died 18 months later in today's Zambia. He was found in his hut, having passed away during prayer. A monument was erected on that spot, and his heart was buried there. The remainder of his body was taken back to England, where he was buried in Westminster Abbey with pomp and glory.

As for Stanley, he returned to Africa to fulfill a promise he had made to Livingstone -- to find the source of the Nile. He later damaged his reputation by accepting money from King Leopold II of Belgium to help create the Belgian-ruled Congo Free State and promote the slave trade. When he left Africa, Stanley resumed his British citizenship and even served in Parliament, but when he died he was refused burial in Westminster Abbey because of his actions in the Congo Free State.

Monday, March 09, 2009

Happy Birthday Barbie!

On March 9, 1959, she was born Barbara Millicent Roberts, daughter of George and Margaret Roberts in the lovely little town of fictitious Willows, Wisconsin where she attended high school before transferring to Manhattan International High School to continue her education while pursuing her career as a fashion model.

Today, Barbie is 50 years old. Yes, that 11-inch beauty with the waterfall of golden tresses first appeared on display at the American Toy Fair in New York City on March 9, 1959. She was the first American mass-produced doll with adult features, touting a figure – 36-18-38 (at 7’ tall) – that would be controversial for decades to come.
Barbie was developed by Mattel co-founder Ruth Handler, after seeing her young daughter, Barbara, ignore her baby dolls to play make-believe with paper dolls of adult women.

Barbie’s appearance was modeled on a doll named Lilli which was based on a German comic strip character and originally marketed as a racy gag gift for adult men in tobacco shops. After Lilli became popular with children, Mattel bought the rights to Lilli and made Barbie, named after Handler’s daughter.
Mattel became the first toy company to broadcast commercials to children and successfully used this medium to promote their new doll. The enormous demand for this new toy led Mattel to find a boyfriend for Barbie, and Ken was developed and named after Handler’s son. Midge, Barbie’s best friend, was introduced in 1963 and Skipper, her little sister debuted the following year.

Barbie has often been the center of controversy. On a positive note, many saw Barbie as providing an alternative to the traditional gender roles of the 1950s. She’s been a doctor, pilot, airline stewardess, astronaut, athlete – and even a US presidential candidate. Others, though, found the never-ending supply of designer outfits, sports cars and Dream Houses to seem materialistic, and a bad influence on youngsters. Her appearance, however, has been the greatest controversy, as many claimed that Barbie and her amazing measurements provided little girls with an unrealistic and harmful example, fostering negative body image.

Regardless, sales of Barbie-related merchandise have continued to skyrocket topping $1,000,000,000 annually in 1993. Since her debut in 1959, more than 800,000,000 dolls in the Barbie family have been sold around the world, and Barbie is now truly a global icon.

Now, no one has actually ever seen Barbie drinking tea, but she had many, many tea sets. There was a lovely tea room for the Dream House, and various tea sets including Victorian Barbie Tea Set, Twelve Dancing Princesses Tea Set, and Swan Lake Barbie Tea Set – even Ken got in on the action. Maybe he shouldn’t have …

Wednesday, March 04, 2009

Happy Birthday to You

So many times this blog is about someone born of this day in history and a relationship (however loose) back to tea. Today we celebrate the publishing of the song, we've come to recognize as the official birthday song, ``Happy Birthday to You''. It was first published in on this day in 1924 by Claydon Sunny. So today we sing Happy Birthday to the song itself!

So what does that have to do with tea?
Well, there isn't a single package of green tea, white tea or a light oolong that leaves our shop without the words ``Happy Birthday'' on a bright green label on the back of the package. Why? As mentioned in previous posts, boiling water is too hot for tender tea leaves as found on green, white and light oolong teas. If the water happens to come to boiling, remove the water from the heat source and sing Happy Birthday. The length of this little ditty is just about right for allowing the water to cool to an appropriate brewing temperature.
Off the tea topic, the same song can be used to teach little ones to wash their hands for the proper amount of time.

I have a tea in stock called Birthday Wishes. It was developed when I was challenged to make a tea that is reminiscent of birthday cake. It even has sprinkles, just for fun. I'll offer that all week this week at 10% off. Just mention the blog.

As well, I'd like you all to know that I carry an electric tea kettle that has a temperature gauge. That means when it reached the set temperature, it stops heating. This means no more burning up the tea kettle! It's great for heating water for tea, coffee, hot chocolate, oatmeal, noodly soup, rice -- the perfect gift for anyone. It's energy efficient, too. It heats 1.6 L of water in about 4 minutes. If you are interested, please stop by the shop to see it, or give me a call. They retail for $50.00. I've personally been using the predecessor model for many years. I'd be lost without it!
How about a 10% discount on that too?! Sure!

Monday, March 02, 2009

Would you like green tea and ham?

You guessed it! It's Dr. Seuss' birthday. He was born in Springfield MA on 03/02/1904.

I'd really wanted to do a poem ... but in order to be good it will have to wait. Maybe next year ...

When people ask me my favorite author, they always look a little dejected when I mention Dr. Seuss made it to the short list of favorites. When asked for my favorite books I usually reply Yertle the Turtle. It confuses folks a lot. That's more their problem than mine...

There aren't a lot of direct Dr. Seuss tea links. Okay ... there's an early work of his in which he invents a contraption to help a hapless hiccougher not spill his tea at a tea party (the Lehrenkrauss Hiccough Machine, I believe), and everyone remembers the uptight little fish in the teapot in The Cat in the Hat (and who doesn't have the hat ??? Crushed velvet never looked so good ....(hat shown above), but I think the loose tea reference I'll go with is another quote from beneath the lid of a bottle of Honest Tea:

Unless someone like you
Cares a whole awful lot,
nothing is going to get better.
It's not. -- the Lorax

So what can you do? There's so many thing you can do. Even in the choosing your tea ...
Did you know that if 10,000 tea drinkers chose an organic cup of tea over a conventional cup of tea every day for a year, we would keep the weight of 373 Dr. Seuss books in pesticides from pouring into the environment.

(Did you know Dr. Seuss wrote Green Eggs and Ham on a bet? His publisher bet him he couldn't write a book using only 50 words. The publisher lost the bet. Green Eggs and Ham contains exactly 50 words. Take that, Sam I Am ...)

Sunday, March 01, 2009

I'ts March! That means Earl Grey month!

Oh sure you know the tea, but do you know the man?
Did you know that Earl Grey was a real person?
The Earl Grey blend is named for Charles Grey, the 2nd Earl Grey, born March 13, 1764, the second but eldest son of General Sir Charles Grey and his wife, Elizabeth (1743/4–1822), daughter of George Grey of Southwick.

The Earl Grey blend is named after Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey, British Prime Minister 1830-1834, and author of the Reform Bill of 1832. The Reform Bill reformed the House of Commons and sought to abolish slavery in the British Empire by 1833. He was well educated and said to be one of the most prominent orators of his time. So what the heck does this gent have to do with tea?

No one is 100% sure how the tea came to be named for him. However, I'm always happy to share a few stories. According to one legend, a grateful Chinese nobleman was rescued from drowning by Earl Grey or one of Earl Grey's men during a trip to China. When asked how this rescue could be repaid, he remarked that having the recipe for that fabulous tea would be thanks enough.

Another version holds that the son of an Indian raja was rescued from the jaws of a hunger tigher by Grey or on of Grey's men.
Both stories sure make Earl Grey sound heroic, however, Earl Grey never traveled to China, and the Indian version about the tiger is a rarely told tale. Jacksons of Piccadilly lay claim that it was their recipe as given by Earl Grey to Robert Jackson & Co. parnter George Charlton. They state that the tea has been in constant production since 1830, and the recipe has never left their hands. Their recipe is based on a Chinese black tea since the beginning, while other companies tend to more commonly use black Indian or Sri Lankan (Ceylon) teas.
So that's who Earl Grey was ... how about what Earl Grey is!

Many believe that if they are drinking Earl Grey that they are drinking a better grade of tea. Sorry to say this is not necessarily true. Earl Grey is simply black tea flavored with bergamot -- the essential oil of a citrus fruit native to the Calabria region of Italy.

And what is Lady Grey? Well, Earl Grey tea was reported to cause improper impules in women so it was formulated to be a bit more citrusy -- usually with the addition of lemon. Lady Grey is said to better suit the temperment of a women. Oh, please ....

Fictional characters who are said to enjoy Earl Grey tea include;
Bruce Wayne of Batman
Eric Cartman of South Park
Frasier Crane of Cheers and Frasier
Captain Jean-Luc Picard of Star Trek: The Next Generation
Dr. Donald Mallard (Ducky) of NCIS
Bobby Simone of NYPD Blue (I couldn't even watch the series after they killed him off)
Sir Leigh Teabing (The DaVinci Code)
and many others I'm sure.

A word of caution about Earl Grey, however. Bergamot, the primary flavor in Earl Grey, is said to create photsensitive reactions in many people, such as with tetracycline antibiotics and sulfonamides.

So what good does Earl Grey month do you? How about a 15% discount off all Earl Grey varieties from now until March 31! In shop, email and phone order customers need to remind me of the sale, as this sale is open only to blog readers. Online customers should enter the code blogearl in the special comments of the online order form.
Earl Grey Bravo
Earl Grey Creme
Earl Grey Organic
Earl Grey With Lavender
Darjeeling Earl Grey
Victorian Earl Grey
Earl Green
Earl Green with Lavender
Earl Grey Rooibos
Lady Myrtle Grey
Classic Iced Tea Blend

Saturday, February 28, 2009

Lemon Myrtle -- cure for the common cold?

Lemon myrtle, indigenous to Australia, is a tropical rainforest shrub that can grow into a full tree. It is a less fragrant relative of the eucalyptus, also a native Australian tree. Lemon myrtle’s scientific name is Backhousia citriodora, a tribute to James Backhouse, an English botanist as given by Baron Ferdinand von Mueller, a German botanist who was curator of the Melbourne Botanical Gardens in 1853. The leaves of the Lemon myrtle plant make a wonderful healthful beverage that has kept many SensibiliTeas customers free of the symptoms of the common cold and stomach flu since its introduction two years ago.

The main flavor constituent of Lemon myrtle is citral, which is responsible for most of the lemon scents and flavors in nature, including that found in the lemon fruit, in lemongrass, lemon balm, and lemon verbena. Citral has several medicinal uses. It is a potent antiseptic and may prove useful in treating gastro-intestinal infections, including Helicobacter pylori, which is responsible for many cases of gastric ulcer. It has antispasmodic properties that help alleviate intestinal spasms, as may occur with intestinal infections or adverse reactions to foods. Overall, it has a relaxing effect. Further, one of its modern applications is for treating throat disorders, either due to infection or to overuse and irritation.Lemon myrtle is great as a beverage all by itself, but beautifully complimented by the addition of honey. It can also be found in several tea blends at SensibiliTeas:
Pacific Spring –- Organic Gunpowder green tea with lemon myrtle
Raven’s Zest –- Ceylon black tea with lemon myrtle
Myrtle White –- Organic Pai Mu Tan with lemon myrtle
Myrtle Mint -– Lemon myrtle with Organic American Peppermint – great for colds symptoms
African Outback – Rooibos and lemon myrtle -- perfect for cold prevention -- from the bestsellers list!
SereniTea – A calming, relaxing blend of organic chamomile flowers, lemon myrtle, jasmine flowers, peppermint and lavender flowers.
Waves of Joy – Organic ginger, rosehips, lemongrass & lemon myrtle
A custom blend of Tulsi (Holy Basil), Olive Leaf and Lemon Myrtle makes a delightful detox blend … still working on a name … I’m thinking Holy Detox … any comments?

Lemon Myrtle is safe for all ages, and delicious both hot and iced. However, it is advised that those allergic or sensitive to citrus products avoid usage of this product due to it’s high citral content.

Saturday, February 21, 2009

The obvious birthday ...

George Washington’s first recorded tea order included a request for six pounds of the finest Hyson tea England. His breakfast at Mount Vernon was routinely three cups of tea, no cream or sugar--the correct way to drink green tea, and three hoecakes made from Indian cornmeal with honey and butter.

According to Tea with Presidential Families by Beulah Munshower Sommer and Pearl Dexter, orders for tea were placed for both Mount Vernon and his Philadelphia residence. These orders included requests for Gunpowder green tea and Young Hyson. George Washington drank tea regularly before the American Revolutionary War, after the Boston Tea Party, while he was the commanding general during the war, and during his presidency, as did most Americans.
It is estimated that Americans at the time of the American Revolution drank more tea per capita than any other nation on earth, at times averaging ten pounds of tea yearly for every man, woman, and child. (One pound of tea makes about 200 cups of tea, so that’s 2000 cups of tea yearly!) He loved the best gourmet green tea and continued to buy highest quality teas throughout the war (Dutch ships carrying tea and supplies were allowed in). In the book George Washington’s Expense Account, by Marvin Kitman, records show that he purchased tea costing over $20 a pound (calculated to 1970 prices). I wonder if American Revolutionary War re-enactors know of George's love of tea ...

After he became the first American President, tea was always served for state occasions.
George and Martha Washington brought with them to the Presidency several complete tea sets as well as tea boards, tea tables, tea chests, silver teaspoons, and a silver-plated tea urn.

In honor of George's great love for green tea, particularly gunpowder green tea and Young Hyson, I'm placing both on sale through the end of the month (02/28/09) at 10% off. If you are placing an online order, please make reference to ``blogspot 022209'' in the Special Comments section of the online form. If you are making an in-ship purchase, please remind me of the sale. The highlighted words oin the articles I write are links to either my website or other sites of interest and/or relevance.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Guess who's coming to dinner!

In honor of Sidney Poitier's 81st birthday on 02/20, enjoy a fabulous cup of tea while you consider …

If you could invite any 12 historical figures to dinner, who would they be? Though I’ve considered this for a lifetime, my list is not yet complete. Folks drop off the list and find their way on to the list as my life goes on. Here, though, are those who top the list (in no particular order):

Shen Nung

Albert Einstein
Queen Elizabeth I
Monctezuma
Thich Nhat Hanh
Alexander the Great
Hippocrates
Helen of Troy
Mohandas Gandhi
Jesus
Socrates
Benjamin Franklin
Leonardo Da Vinci
Nelson Mandela

What conversations would occur? Would every joke be lost? Would any of them wish to remain alive? And what would they wish to change if they did remain alive? How would the world change?
What's our menu? What's our setting? Color scheme? Theme for dinner?

It’s interesting how almost everybody’s list (including my own) is primarily men and usually they’re dead!

There are many folks I’d love to invite, but just don’t make the grade for dinner. So how about a tea reception for the leftover folks? (Again in no particular order)
Sidney Poitier
Mary Queen of Scots
Maya Angelou
Shakespeare
Edgar Allan Poe
George III
Crazy Horse
Henry VIII
Geronimo
Sigmund Freud
Lewis & Clark
Janis Joplin
Sojourner Truth
Alfred Hitchcock
Teddy Roosevelt
Eric Clapton
Susan B. Anthony
Bono
Mozart
Princess Diana
Louis XIV
Tim Russert
Marie Antoinette
Bob Marley
Frederick Nietzsche
Mark Twain
Mother Teresa
Stephen Hawking
Adam & Eve
Julia Child
Jimmy Hoffa
Moses
King Arthur
Cleopatra

Feel free to leave your list ... could be fun!

Sunday, February 15, 2009

The Lady with The Alligator Purse

Susan Brownell Anthony was born on February 15, 1820 in West Grove near Adams, Massachusetts, the oldest of seven children. Under her mother’s influence and her father’s open-mind, this precocious child grew up to be a lasting inspiration as a rights leader extraordinaire. (Abolitionist, prominent player in the temperance movement, women’s rights activist, suffragist for blacks and women, and more!)

She lived most of her life in a brick house located at 17 Madison Street in Rochester, NY, sharing it with her mother and sister, while other extended family members lived next door and across the street. This house is also the site of her famous arrest for voting in 1872.

This house is only a few blocks from where longtime friend Frederick Douglass had lived during his time in Rochester, when he was publishing his abolitionist newspaper The North Star. A block away from the Susan B. Anthony house and halfway to where Douglass’ house stood there is a sculpture in a park-like setting of Douglass and Anthony having tea, which represents the cordial relationship that they had in real life. (Can you imagine the conversations they must have had?!)

Another tidbit about Susan B. Anthony …
Did you know that Miss Anthony carried an alligator purse with her everywhere she traveled? It’s on display at the Susan B. Anthony house in Rochester. Could she have been ``the lady with the alligator purse’’ chanted about in clapping games and jump roping? So say the guides at the Susan B. Anthony house.

Miss Lucy called the doctor,
Miss Lucy called the nurse,
Miss Lucy called the lady with the alligator purse.

Mumps, said the doctor,
Measles, said the nurse,
Vote! said the lady with the alligator purse.

This isn’t how I remember it … it’s not even how I recall imagining an alligator purse. This is how I imagined the purse …

Oooo ... is the blog starting to prove how my mind and imagination works? Oh well, you can see I fully enjoy humor (and I have no real fashion sense)!

I first learned of Susan B. Anthony when she was mentioned in a ditty called Sufferin’ til Suffrage on my favorite childhood program, Schoolhouse Rock. You can view it here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGHGDO_b_q0

Friday, February 13, 2009

Let’s talk about love

Well, we've successfully survived another Friday the 13th, and gently progressed into the loving holiday of Valentine's Day. 20% discount now through 02/21/09 to blog readers when blog021409 is placed in the special comments field of the online order form, or if a blog reader reminds me of the sale Have a fabulous Valentine's Day! Fill the world with love no matter where you are!

Kashmiri Rose The marriage of spice and floral, creates an unusually bold, strong and spicy black tea with a sweet and subtle rose aftertaste. Romantic and sensual
Amore Blend of organic flower-scented white teas, wild roses, organic peppermint, and seasonally selected botanicals. Great for an after meal pick up or late night elixir used to refresh the mind and enhance the mood. One pot can make the night sweet and reminiscent. Share it with someone you love.
Essence de l'Amour This beautiful full-leaf white tea has been enhanced with the addition of large red rose petals. This heady combination produces a tea with a delicate body and refreshing floral taste. The perfect way to say "I Love You!"
Forget-Me-Not Rooibos A blend of blackberry, jasmine and rose rooibos with blackberry leaves and jasmine flowers.
Valentine Black tea united in love with the taste of chocolate-dipped strawberries.
Antony & Cleopatra Black Hearts The tradition of pressing black teas into various forms and shapes dates back to the early Song Dynasty, 960 – 1279 BC. Sculptors and artisans would work with tea the way others worked with clay or textiles to form and mold delicate works of art. Unlike traditional art pieces however, these tea creations were never meant to be permanent, instead serving to represent the impermanence of life, love and happiness here on earth. In the modern era, the traditions continue and the stories and fables of life and love still serve as the inspiration for the creation of unique tea pieces. A bold taste with deep red wine notes. Reminiscent of seasonal Keemun.
Romeo & Juliet Tea Hearts The ancient tea makers of Yunnan, who developed the method of pressing tea into miraculous shapes back in medieval China, knew that when things were done well, amazing results could be achieved. To start, they knew that you couldn’t turn a sow’s ear into a silk purse. Which is to say that the world’s greatest tea techniques were useless if they didn’t start with the best ingredients. Subsequently, to create their works of art, only the finest teas from gardens high in the clear air of the Yunnan mountains were used. When processed into their tiny forms, whether a bird’s nest, crown, flower or in this case a heart, the teas they created took on a life of their own, transcending the time and place of their creation. Nowadays, a visit to Yunnan will show that the same level of care goes into the production of the province’s famous pressed teas. The finest leaf available makes its way to the factory where it is steamed and pressed into forms before drying. Like the famous love story, this tea has the power to take you away to another time and place.
Thankfully unlike the tragic story, this is a happy place where the tea is fresh with a cup that’s light on the nose, grassy and full-bodied hinting at honey with subtle astringent notes. Shakespeare would have loved this one.
Lover's Triple Blossom Tea legend has it that the creator of Lovers Triple Blossom found a parallel between the idea that the flowers picked by the maiden could provide a glimmer of warmth in her heart and the fact that his teas could do the same thing. Inspired, he picked the finest blooms of jasmine, amaranth and lavender, and tied them in with a delicate full leaf green tea. The tea he created was bright, with a bouquet of fresh cut flowers. The cup displayed a fresh grassiness punctuated with floral blooms and undertones of honey. He knew in an instant he had achieved the pinnacle of his life’s work.
Longing Heart Although it is not certain when it was first produced, legend has it that Longing Heart was created by an old Anhui teamaster in an effort to soothe the yearning of his heart when making the long trek to the markets of Beijing. He took the fresh young shoots of the finest bushes of his native Huang Shan district and painstakingly tied them with chrysanthemum petals into an ancient symbol for the human heart, a pearl within a shell. Now, when sitting around a fire on the market trail he could brew a pot of tea, watch the leaves unfold, and in his heart feel that he had never left his beloved home. Over the years the master enjoyed the tea in solitude. One day at the Beijing market however, a local buyer noticed the special tea in a pouch on his table and asked if he could purchase some. The rest as they say is history. This is a very light green green with a detectable kiss of peach dancing throughout.
Bliss Silver-tipped green tea leaves hand-selected and meticulously tied into a sphere. Each sphere has been scented with fresh jasmine flowers up to nine times to deliver fresh floral notes. When brewed this tea opens like a flower and reveals a small pink blossom as it infuses in your cup or pot. Organic.

Sunday, February 08, 2009

Tulsi (Holy Basil)

To answer this week’s most popular question …

What is Tulsi?

Known as "The Queen of Herbs", tulsi (Ocimum sanctum) or holy basil is the most sacred herb of India. Although called holy basil it is a different plant from the pesto variety of Basil (Ocimum basilicum). For over five thousand years, tulsi has been revered in India as a healing balm for body, mind and spirit, and is known to bestow an amazing number of health benefits. Today, available at SensibiliTeas, it is known as a stress-relieving, energizing and delicious tea.

What are the health benefits of tulsi?
Tulsi, rich in antioxidant and renowned for its restorative powers, has several benefits:

Relieves stress
Boosts immune system
Enhances stamina
Provides support during cold season
Promotes healthy metabolism
Lowers cholesterol
Eliminates toxins
Protects against radiation
Relieves inflammation
Prevents gastric ulcer
Reduces fever
Improves digestion
High in antioxidants
Improves viscosity of blood
Regulates blood pressure
Normalizes blood sugar

How soon can you expect to see results from drinking Tulsi?
Some of tulsi effects are quite immediate, while others develop gradually after weeks of regular use. You may feel more relaxed and energized after the first cup. With regular use, you may simply notice that you do not seem to be bothered by stress or common illnesses, such as colds or flu, as often or as much as before, or you may generally notice that you tire less easily. As with many other herbal supplements, it usually takes at least a week or so of consistent use for the body to experience major benefits. For best results, we recommend drinking 3 cups a day (or two mugs) if possible.

As well as carrying plain Tulsi, I also carry a tulsi blend, Shanti, that contains orange peel, fennel and spearmint. I’m also working on a Tulsi Chai blend, and a sensuous, relaxing blend that is yet to be named containing rose petals, chamomile, lemon myrtle.

If you have any further questions about tulsi, please feel free to ask!

Want to try Tulsi? How about a sale through Saturday, February 14th? 20% off all purchases of Tulsi or Shanti to blog readers. For online orders, use the code ``blog020809'' in the special comments field of the online order form. For in-shop sales, remind me of the blog sale for Tulsi.

Tuesday, February 03, 2009

The Day the Music Died

On this day, fifty years ago in 1959, rising American rock stars Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and JP ``the Big Bopper'' Richardson were killed when their chartered plane crashed in Iowa moments after leaving Mason City heading for Moorehead, MN. Holly and his band the Crickets had just scored a hit single with ``That'll Be the Day'' ( :o( do you remember the next three words?)
Buddy Holly was 22 and left behind a pregnant wife.
Ritchie Valens was only 17, but had already scored hits with ``Come On, Let's Go'' ``La Bamba'' and the song I dreaded my whole childhood (I don't mind it now) ``Donna'' (for those who don't know ... my name is donna)
The Big Bopper was a Texas disc jockey who scored a big hit with ``Chantilly Lace''
Waylon Jennings gave up his seat for The Big Bopper. Tommy

Don MacLean wrote the song ``American Pie'' as a reference to this day.
Here's an interesting video suggesting explanation for many of the references heard in the song.

I know it has nothing to do with tea, but I believe each day that passes should be a day within which you learn something new. So look at this as a learning tool you can enjoy while sipping a lovely cup of tea.

Intake of Flavonoid-Rich Wine, Tea, and Chocolate by Elderly Men and Women Is Associated with Better Cognitive Test Performance

This article is best read as written by the authors.
Don't you love when articles like this give use license to more fully enjoy the best tasting foodstuffs on earth? Chocolate, wine and tea! Just click and read!

http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/abstract/139/1/120

Two studies find mercury in high fructose corn syrup

From World Tea News:
January 27, 2009
High fructose corn syrup has become a common ingredient that extends shelf life and replaces sugar as a sweetener in many everyday processed foods. Although FDA has ruled that HFCS can be labeled ‘natural,’ and the American Medical Association concluded “it doesn’t appear to contribute more to obesity than other caloric sweeteners,” its detractors now have one more reason to be upset by its ubiquity on supermarket shelves.

Much of it is contaminated with mercury, according to findings of two new studies—one published in yesterday’s issue of the Environmental Health science journal, and the other also disclosed Jan. 26 by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP).

“High fructose corn syrup samples were collected from three different manufacturers and analyzed…[and] were found to contain levels of mercury ranging from below a detection limit of 0.005 to 0.570 micrograms mercury per gram of high fructose corn syrup,” wrote Renee Dufault et al, in the article, Mercury from chlor-alkali plants: measured concentrations in food product sugar. “Average daily consumption of high fructose corn syrup is about 50 grams per person. With respect to total mercury exposure, it may be necessary to account for this source of mercury in the diet of children and sensitive populations,” they urged.

Mercury turned up in nine out of 20 samples of commercial HFCS collected by Dufault while she was an environmental health officer for FDA in 2005. She and co-authors published their findings now after FDA didn’t press the issue.

The separate IATP study detected mercury in nearly one-third of 55 popular brand-name food and beverage products where HFCS is the first or second highest labeled ingredient. Examined for the Not so sweet: missing mercury and high fructose corn syrup report were beverages, salad dressings, barbecue sauce, yogurt and more. Mercury was most prevalent in dairy items, dressings and condiments, said IATP.

“Mercury is toxic in all its forms,” said IATP’s David Wallinga, M.D., and a co-author of both studies. “Given how much high fructose corn syrup is consumed by children, it could be a significant additional source of mercury never before considered. We are calling for immediate changes by industry and the FDA to help stop this avoidable mercury contamination of the food supply.”

A good place to improve, believes SupermarketGuru.com, would be in completing the phase-out of mercury cell technology, which is sometimes used to produce caustic soda to separate corn starch from the corn kernel. This process, says IATP, could contaminate the caustic soda and ultimately HFCS with mercury. Beyond that, we feel the more light we shine on any questionable aspects of HFCS, the smarter the food choices we all will make and the sooner federal food policies could address any possible risks of this substance.

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The bottom line?
High fructose corn syrup, despite the romantic television commericals, is not good for you. It's just that simple. Please do what you can to avoid it. Read labels. It's not just in soft drinks. It's in bread, salad dressings, cookies, everywhere!

Green Tea Shows Promise for Smoking-related Lesions

A study published last month in the journal Nutrition & Metabolism suggested that liquid green tea extract may be able to lessen the harmful effects and disease-related lesions caused by a carcinogen linked to tobacco.

According to an abstract, researchers set out to study the effects, if any, that green tea and/or licorice aqueous extracts would have on the thyroid function of male albino rats intoxicated with Dimethylnitrosamine, a carcinogenic compound that occurs especially in tobacco smoke.

The team split 40 rats into several groups to control the administration of green tea, licorice, and a combination of both substances, then measured results over a period of four weeks.

The results indicated that "aqueous extract of green tea may be effective in amelioration of biochemical effects and histopathological lesions induced by DMN," stated the abstract.

(Did you know that underlined text in my posts may take you to the actual abstracts or related links?)

Sunday, February 01, 2009

Tea to relax

Did you know.... tea contains L-Theanine, a unique amino acid that can ease anxiety and depression. According to worldwidehealthcenter.net, research on human volunteers has demonstrated that the amino acid directly stimulates the production of alpha brain waves, creating a state of deep relaxation and mental alertness similar to what is achieved through meditation. Nice, right?

Tea May Decrease Breast Cancer Risk

It was reported earlier this week that a study led by a researcher at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, FL has indicated that drinking tea may help women under 50 stave off breast cancer.

Published in the January issue of the medical journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, the study looked at potential links between regular tea consumption and the risk of breast cancer.

The Moffitt Cancer Center's Nagi B. Kumar headed a team – which also included researchers from Dartmouth Medical School (Lebanon, N.H.), the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (Seattle) and the University of Wisconsin (Madison) – that surveyed more than 9,500 women ages 20 to 74, some with cancer and others without. The team conducted phone interviews, asking the women questions about tea consumption and other breast cancer risk factors.

According to an abstract, the results indicated that "tea consumption was not related to breast cancer risk overall." However, when looking at results only for participants 50 years of age or younger, "those consuming three or more cups per day had a 37 percent reduced breast cancer risk when compared with women reporting no tea consumption." While conceding that further work is needed to confirm their conclusion, the team stated: "We observed evidence to support a potential beneficial influence for breast cancer associated with moderate levels of tea consumption (three or more cups per day) among younger women."

The study did not indicate the type of tea most commonly consumed among the test group, however it is our believe at SensibiliTeas that the tea consumed was authentic tea (black, green, white, yellow, oolong, puerh) and not rooibos or any herbal teas.

Tea Break

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