The forecast is .... ICED TEA WEATHER!

What healthy beverage quenches your thirst better than an iced cold glass of iced tea? Did you know that freshly brewed iced tea contains more that 10 times the antioxidants than store-bought ready to drink iced teas? And it only takes about 3 minutes to make any kind of iced tea your want!

If your SensibiliTeas tea calls for 1tsp per cup, you need 2TBSP per quart.If your SensibiliTeas tea calls for 2tsp per cup, you need 4TBSP per quart.If your SensibiliTeas tea calls for 1/2 tsp per cup, you need 1TBSP per quart.
Steep the appropriate amount of tea in a container large enough to allow the tea to float freely (that's where flavor comes from!) Want it sweetened? Adding sugar now allows the sugar to dissolve more completely, possibly requiring less sugar than that added afterward. You also have the option to brew stevia leaves with your tea for added sweetness. Steep in whatever amount of water allows the tea to float freely. Steep for the time recommended on the SensibiliTeas package.
Now you've made a concentrate. Pour that over ice cubes and top off with cold water. You have the best freshly brewed iced tea in town! Got questions? Give us a call at 518-824-1290 or 888-449-9888.

What's Your Beverage Doing for You? -- Part 3

Obesity rates are staggering — it’s estimated 66% of Americans are overweight and liquid calories are part of the problem. Guzzle a 20-ounce bottle of Pepsi (or two 20-ounce bottles of Vitamin Water or Gatorade) and it will cost you 250 calories. Order that Starbucks Venti Caramel Macchiato and you’re looking at 405 calories!

Although, loaded beverages can be a delicious occasional splurge (I admit it!), when it comes to managing your weight, remember to account for those calories and moderate your intake.

Consider this: Trim 500 liquid calories from your daily diet and you’ll save 3,500 calories a week. That’s potentially ONE pound lost per week and more than FIFTY pounds lost at the end of the year!

Follow these three tips to avoid packing on the pounds:

1. Think before you drink
Be mindful of beverages loaded with caloric ingredients — sugar, corn syrup, fructose, milk, cream, syrup, special flavoring and even fruit juice. When it comes to managing your weight, calorie-free water or freshly brewed unadulterated tea
will always be your best bet .

2. Calculate the “total calories” you’ll be drinking — not just one serving.
Many beverages list calories per serving, but pack 2 or more servings into each bottle. Make sure you look at the serving size… and calculate how many servings (and total calories) are included in one container.

3. Healthy drinks can also pack on the pounds
Just because a product claims to be “all natural,” or contain “no refined/added sugars,” doesn’t mean it’s calorie-free. For example, 100% fruit juice and fruit smoothies are filled with nutrition but also often high in calories. If you’re watching your weight you are better off eating fruit versus drinking it.

Total calories in popular beverages:

Soda
Soda (20-oz bottle) = 250 calories
7/11 Big Gulp (32-oz) = 400 calories
Large movie theatre soda (44-oz) = 550 calories
7/11 Double Big Gulp (64-oz) = 800 calories

Tea and Coffee Drinks
Snapple Peach Iced Tea (16-oz bottle) = 200 calories
Arizona Lemon Iced Tea (20-oz bottle) = 225 calories
Starbucks Mocha Frappuccino:
- Tall (12-oz) = 200 calories
- Grande (16-oz) = 260 calories
- Venti (24-oz) = 390 calories

Starbucks Caramel Macchiato = Grande (16-oz) = 270 calories Venti (24 oz) = 405
Starbucks Chai Iced Tea Latte = Grande (16-oz) 260 calories Venti (24 oz) = 390
Duncan Donuts, Coffee Coolata (16-oz w/2% milk) = 190 calories

Fruit Beverages
Jamba Juice: Banana Berry (classic smoothie):
- 16-oz = 280 calories
- 24-oz original = 450 calories
- 30-oz power = 600 calories
POM Pomegranate Juice (16-oz bottle) = 320 calories
Orange Juice (pint container, 16-oz) = 220 calories
Orange Juice (one cup) = 110 calories
Naked Juice-Orange Mango Motion (16-oz container) = 240 calories
Odwalla Citrus C Monster (16-oz container) = 300 calories
Country Time lemonade (12-oz can) = 130 calories
Minute Maid lemonade (20-oz bottle) = 260 calories

Flavored Waters and Sports Drinks
Vitamin Water (20-oz bottle) = 125 calories
Life Water (20-oz bottle) = 125 calories
Gatorade (20-oz bottle) = 125 calories

Freshly brewed iced tea
Any size, any flavor unsweetened = 0 calories!

What's your beverage doing for you? Part 2

Researchers say drinking two or more sweetened soft drinks each week may increase the risk of pancreatic cancer.

According to Reuters, the study that appears in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, found that individuals who drank two or more non-diet sodas each week had an 87% higher risk of being among those who got pancreatic cancer.

Researchers studied more than 60,000 men and women in Singapore for a period of 14 years for their results.

It is believed that the sugar in soft drinks may be to blame for the high incidence of the cancer since the insulin the body uses to metabolize sugar is made in the pancreas.

"The high levels of sugar in soft drinks may be increasing the level of insulin in the body, which we think contributes to pancreatic cancer cell growth," the study’s lead author Mark Pereira said.

The American Cancer Society reports that there were 42,470 new cases of pancreatic cancer last year and 35,240 deaths from it.

Bottoms up?

What's your beverage doing for you? Part 1

Have a Coke and a Smile ...

You know it's bad for you, but you drink it anyway. Let's take a closer look at what that soft drink does to your body.

* In The First 10 minutes: 10 or more teaspoons of sugar hit your system. This is 100% of your recommended daily intake. You don’t immediately vomit from the overwhelming sweetness because phosphoric acid cuts the flavor allowing you to keep it down.
* 20 minutes: Your blood sugar spikes, causing an insulin burst. Your liver responds to this by turning any sugar it can get its hands on into fat.
* 40 minutes: Caffeine absorption is complete. Your pupils dilate, your blood pressure rises, as a response your livers dumps more sugar into your bloodstream. The adenosine receptors in your brain are now blocked preventing drowsiness.
* 45 minutes: Your body ups your dopamine production stimulating the pleasure centers of your brain. This is physically the same way heroin works, by the way.
* In less than 60 minutes: The phosphoric acid binds calcium, magnesium and zinc in your lower intestine, providing a further boost in metabolism. This is compounded by high doses of sugar and artificial sweeteners also increasing the urinary excretion of calcium.
* In less than 60 minutes: The caffeine’s diuretic properties come into play. It is now assured that you’ll evacuate the bonded calcium, magnesium and zinc that was headed to your bones as well as sodium, electrolyte and water.
* In less than 60 minutes: As the rave inside of you dies down you’ll start to have a sugar crash. You may become irritable and/or sluggish. Likely, you’ve also now, literally, pissed away all the water that was in the Coke. But not before infusing it with valuable nutrients your body could have used for things like even having the ability to hydrate your system or build strong bones and teeth.

This will all be followed by a caffeine crash in the next few hours. (As little as two if you’re a smoker.) But, hey, have another Coke, it’ll make you feel better.

This is not a slam against only Coke. It’s against the dynamic combo of massive sugar doses combined with caffeine and phosphoric acid -- things which are found in almost all soda.

So how about a nice glass of sugar-free, antioxidant rich iced tea ... it only takes three minutes!

Happy Birthday Bono!

Bono, main vocalist of the highly successful Dublin-based rock band U2, turns 50 today! Born and raised in Dublin, it's natural to find that Bono's favorite beverage is tea!

Outside his work with the band Bono is also widely known for his activism concerning Africa, for which he co-founded DATA (Debt, AIDS, Trade, Africa) EDUN (a socially conscious clothing company, the ONE campaign (an organization which aims to increase government fund for and effectiveness of international aid programs) and Product Red (a brand that partners with companies willing to donate proceeds to global funds). He has organized and played several benefit concerts and has met with influential politicians to seek support for his concerns. He has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, was granted an honorary knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II and was named Person of the Year by Time Magazine in 2005, along with Bill and Melinda Gates, for his work promoting justice and equality.

Today is also his daughter Jordan's 21st birthday.

Other Bono bits:
Bono's favorite foods are caviar and fish n' chips, his favorite drinks are tea, Jack Daniels, and wine, and his favorite color is amber.
(Wonder if he knows the perfect tea with fish n' chips is Longjing or Gunpowder ...)
As a child he was a chess champion.
The natural color of his hair is red.
He is fluent in English, Italian and Spanish and also knows some Gaelic.
Bono credits watching The Secret Policeman's Ball in 1979 as being his inspiration to get involved with charity work.

Do you believe world peace can begin with a cup of tea?
I'm not sure, but I think it's a great start.
I'll put the water on and give Bono a call.

Inspired by Spring!

I've become so inspired by the recent outbreak of spring weather here in the Adirondacks! But I've been here long enough to know that spring weather in March is often a cruel hoax and that tea drinking weather is still with us. So in an attempt to celebrate the beginning of spring, and to give you a great chance to stock up in preparation for the early spring snowstorms we often get, I'm having a sale on spring-related teas! So on Saturday, March 20 (the first day of spring) if it has the name of a flower or the word spring in the name of the tea it will be on sale for 20% off.

Included are Lilac Bouquet, Emerald Lily, Orchid Oolong, Assam Rani Spring, Darjeeling Makaibari Spring, Blossom Blend, all the artisinal (blooming) teas, all jasmine teas, etc.

(Website customers can take advantage of this sale through Saturday by adding the code SPRING in the spical comments field of the online order form.

Happy Spring!

The South High Marathon Dance

Well, long time, no blog ... I know! Life has been beyond hectic! My deepest apologies!

Well, instead of touting the benefits of tea this time, I'd like to turn your attentions to a phenomenon we have here in our area. It's the 33rd annual South High Marathon Dance. While I know that conjures images of couples hanging on each other to be the last one standing, this event, scheduled for Friday March 5 and concluding Saturday March 6 is far different.

This marathon dance is an annual fundraising event held by the student of South High in South Glens Falls NY. They raise money through various means to serve the needs of the community that are not properly served by larger organizations. They've been doing this since 1976. Since that time, the kids have raised over 2.14 million dollars that has been funneled right back into the community in which they live. For a list of this year's recipients, please see http://shmd.org/public_recipients.htm The kids decided where the money goes, and with the assistance of a devoted alumni group, a dedicated teaching staff and community supporters the kids beat their previous year's total almost every year! Last year they raised over $260,000 with the support of people like you.

SensibiliTeas is a strong supporter of this effort. Our ``tip jar'' is actually part of our donation to South High. We match that penny for penny ... that means a $1 donated equals $2 donated to local causes. Additionally, we've always donated the proceeds of Tom's Compassion and White Pear to the Marathon, as they are the favorites teas of Tom Myott, South High art teacher and alumni and Bill McCarthy, one of the founding members of Marathon, respectively. This year, in addition, I'll be donating proceeds from the favorite tea of South High Alumni Thaddeus Powers -- Earl Grey Creme. And all week this week all proceeds from the sale of any to-go beverage in the shop will be donated AND MATCHED!

I urge you to do what you can to support this effort. Online donations are possible ... click here Every little bit helps! Or just stop by SensibiliTeas and enjoy a cup of tea! Hydrate and help! For those of you who are local, you are also welcome to stop by South High this weekend and participate in their silent and live auctions, and haircuts by Kip Dare of Kipper's Clippers in South Glens Falls. And if you can stay for the closing ceremonies, I think you'll find it to be a moving experience you will not soon forget! Hope to see you there!

All the tea in China

There's a lovely young student in the South Glens Falls school district, Emily Meyer, who is diligently trying to raise money for a once in a lifetime experience with People to People. She's been chosen as one of their ambassadors this year, and the trip she anticipates making will be to China! That would be a dream come true for me!

I've decided to help her in a unique way ... I will be donating a portion of the proceeds of all the teas from China sold between January 17 and the beginning of Chinese New Year, February 14. (Year of the Tiger ... can you hear the jokes starting already?).

So what teas come from China?
All the Pu Erh
Most of the White Teas
All the Artisanal teas (Blooming/Flowering teas)
Many of the oolongs
The iced tea blends (Sorry, :0( Arctic has been discontinued)
Many of the green teas
Any black tea that comes from Hunan, Yunnan, or Keemun, plus the smoky teas
and
All the yellow teas !

I know that's a lot of tea, but this is the opportunity of a lifetime and its only for a month.
If you'd like to make an additional donation to help Emily reach her goal of raising over $3,000, please contact me and we'll make arrangements for that to happen. (Please note that these donations are NOT tax deductible. This is donation you just make because it feels good to make a dream come true).

Pu Erh, cholesterol, weight loss and you!

This is largely a repost from last year, but it bears repeating. Local doctors are sending people to the tea shop to try a regimen that includes this tea in order to avoid cholesterol medication. Most of those who stick with the tea avoid the medication. While the earthy scent can be tricky to adjust to at first, in my opinion it's easier than adjusting to the $40.00 monthly prescription price tag that comes complete with side effects. Additionally, folks continue to happily share reports of reduced C-reactive protein levels (increased levels have been associated with sudden fatal heart attacks) and triglycerides levels. Pu Erh also has a loyal following of those who are giving up coffee or cutting back on caffeine, as this tea is quite dark and rich, though never bitter. So far in 2010, in just 11 business days, 4 people have come into the teashop to excitedly report that their cholesterol has dropped! This excites me to no end! It's one thing to send a customer out knowing they go equipped with the tea that is capable of keeping them off the medication. It's quite a different happiness when I see the excitement and hope in their eyes as they tell me of their most recent success. The average cholesterol reduction is about 60 points over 6 weeks if three cups of tea are consumed daily. One person reported a drop of 80 points as a result of drinking only one cup per day.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From last year ... This is the time of year everyone tries to lose that holiday weight and head back toward that shapely bathing suit figure. If people come into the shop looking for the ``weight loss tea’’, I usually recommend one of two teas. One of them is Pu Erh. Pu Erh (pronounced Pu-Air or Pu-Er) comes from Pu Erh county in Hunan province. It is not uncommon for it to be made up of leaves plucked from ancient trees rather than from carefully cultivated bushes. It is a post-fermented tea. This means that all the normal processing to be a black tea, a green tea, or a white tea has already been done, and then the tea is aged. Essentially, it is composted, but likely without the worms and all. While in the past this composting occurred in highly guarded caves belonging to the emperor, it is now likely occurring in a climate controlled setting. During this processing the tea takes on an earthy quality. Tea can then be pressed into cakes or tuo cha, small single servings of Pu Erh that resembles a tiny birds nest (pictured in this post). It is also available in a leaf form, which seems earthier, but more popular due to the ease of preparation. Some say it tastes like dirt.

I’ll tell you the black tea loose leaf version, which is what I carry at the shop, certainly smells earthy. The older it gets, the more mellow it becomes. I find it to be a very smooth, relaxing cup of tea. It is believed that the caffeine level is reduced during processing.

The most popular Pu Erh I carry is Immortal Nectar, as found in this collection. I admit. I hated the first cup I ever drank, but told myself I must be professional about this, and I continued to drink the sample. By the end of the sample, I wanted more. It had become my go-to tea. And I had lost weight, to boot! While there is no carefully controlled scientific evidence available to support the notion that Pu Erh is effective as a weight loss tea, I’ve had in-shop results. I invited 15 willing participants to drink Immortal Nectar for 10 weeks – one cup with each meal, for a minimum of three cups a day. Many of those participants had physicals before they started so they knew their exact weight, cholesterol levels, triglyceride levels and C-reactive protein levels. Of the 16 participants, 15 lost weight. After 6 weeks, we started receiving reports about cholesterol and triglyceride levels being greatly reduced. Cholesterol reduction was the most popular result.

After 6 weeks, the average cholesterol reduction was 60 points. One woman saw a reduction of 123 points while another saw a reduction of 102 points. When someone comes to the shop looking for Pu Erh now, it is not uncommon to learn that they have been sent by a doctor. For many, this may be an easy all-natural, organic way to avoid being put on cholesterol reduction meds. Together they lost 164 lbs. The participant who gained weight (6 lbs.) learned that drinking this tea was not a license to eat Crispy Creme donuts for breakfast and lunch. May common sense prevail.

Love spicy food? Pu Erh is the perfect spicy meal complement. I've found the only food I don't think it is suited too is sushi and sashimi. Not a big problem in the standard American household (for sushi and sashimi, try a nice light oolong)

I asked the father of a Chinese friend of mine how he could explain the effectiveness of Pu Erh in a weight management program. He surprising replied … ``Maybe it’s not the tea.’’ He went on to explain he theory that historically, Chinese consume most meals with a cup of tea while Americans take their meals with a cold beverage. And then he asked ``if you are going to put grease down the drain, would you follow it with hot water, or cold water?’’

Could it be that simple? Well worth a try, I’d guess. And why not make tea that hot beverage?

All we are saying, is give teas a chance!

Cinnamon Apple Rooibos on Sale 01/09/10-01/12/10

Windy and cold in the Adirondacks on
Saturday, 01/09/10.
A high of 18°F ... sounds like tea drinking weather to me!
So how about a tea to warm you -- body and soul!
Cinnamon Apple Rooibos will be the
tea of the day on Saturday.
And on Saturday morning we'll be baking
Cinnamon Apple scones to go with it.
Additionally, so you can continue to enjoy this
warm, cozy anti-oxidant rich tea in the
comfort of your own home ...
Cinnamon Apple Rooibos
is on sale
Saturday, 01/09/10!
One ounce, $2.00 (16¢-20¢ per cup!)
Two ounce, $4.00 (16¢-20¢ per cup!)
Four ounce, $7.00 (14¢-17¢ per cup!)
Eight ounce, $13.00 (13¢-16¢ per cup!)
One pound, $25.00 (12¢-15¢ per cup!)

Stop in and warm yourself from the inside out!
(Internet customers enter code CINROO in the special comments section of the online order form. Valid for internet customers 01/09-01/12)

Snow Water

A short poem to enjoy with a cup of tea ...

Snow Water
By Michael Longley

A fastidious brewer of tea, a tea
Connoisseur as well as a poet,
I modestly request on my sixtieth
Birthday a gift of snow water.

Tea steam and ink stains. Single-
Mindedly I scald my teapot and
Measure out some Silver Needles Tea,
Enough for a second steeping.

Other favourites include Clear
Distance and Eyebrows of Longevity
Or, from the precarious mountain peaks,
Cloud Mist Tea (quite delectable)

Which competent monkeys harvest
Filling their baskets with choice leaves
And bringing them down to where I wait
With my crock of snow water.

While I'm not familiar with Clear Distance as a tea, I do carry Silver Needle, one that can be called Eyebrows of Longevity and Cloud Mist tea. All you need is the snow water. Many of us have access to plenty of that!

The Sixth of January

The Sixth of January
by David Budbill

The cat sits on the back of the sofa looking
out the window through the softly falling snow
at the last bit of gray light.

I can't say the sun is going down.
We haven't seen the sun for two months.
Who cares?

I am sitting in the blue chair listening to this stillness.
The only sound: the occasional gurgle of tea
coming out of the pot and into the cup.

How can this be?
Such calm, such peace, such solitude
in this world of woe.

From Moment to Moment: Poems of a Mountain Recluse (Copper Canyon Press)

It's National Hot Tea Month!

January is National Hot Tea Month!
I think Joe Simrany, President of the Tea Council in the USA summed it up nicely by stating:

``This January is the perfect time to consider tea as part of a healthy diet. As a new year and new millennium begin, people are making resolutions to eat and live healthier, and there’s no better time to celebrate tea’s healthy attributes than National Hot Tea Month.''

Naturally I agree ...

It's also National Soup Month!

And January 1-7 is Resolution Week. Such a good time to work tea into your healthier-for-the-past-four-days lifestyle. Perhaps paired with a great bowl of soup.

Here's a nice recipe that pairs soup with tea ... the tea is in the soup! Nice vegetarian soup or even vegan with the right pasta choice.

GREEN TEA SOUP

Ingredients
5 cups vegetable stock, broth, or bouillon
4 large cloves garlic, minced or pressed
3 tsp dried thyme, lightly crushed
3 cups chopped broccoli
8oz. small shells or other macaroni shapes
1 cup prepared green tea
2 TBSP fresh lemon juice (about one lemon)
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
salt to taste

DIRECTIONS

Combine the stock, garlic, and thyme in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir in the broccoli and macaroni, reduce heat, and simmer until the macaroni is just at the al dente stage of tenderness, about eight to twelve minutes according to package instructions. Stir in the tea and heat through for about a minute. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice and pepper, and adjust the salt if necessary. Serve immediately and piping hot.

Need a little different?
Substitute other chopped cruciferous vegetables (cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi) for of the broccoli.

For a main dish soup, add 1/2 pound firm tofu or chicken, diced

Enojy with friends, perhaps some awesome hot bread, and of course, a cup of awesome tea.
Namaste!

The Moon Diet

The moon diet is a liquid diet, consistent with the moon phases - new moon, first quarter, full moon and last quarter.

Obtain a full list of the phases of the moon by date and time and the exact phase of the moon at the moment. Here's a good site for that. All times are Universal (GMT) so adjust according to your correct time zone.

The diet starts when the moon enters into one of four phases and ends after 24 hours. During these 24 hours to drink only freshly squeezed juices from fruits and vegetables, tea with honey, mineral water.

Liquids have a multiple and favorable influences on the tone, spirit and health. Liquids stimulate kidney activity, clear the body and strengthen the immune system.

Moon diet relieves the body of water retention and accumulated toxins as a result of unhealthy diets, poor digestion and stress.

Once you pass the 24 hours it is best to eat light meats, more vegetables and fruits. Recommended are foods that are baked, steamed, or stewed rather than fried.

During the moon diet, drinking alcohol is not recommended, but if you have reason, it is acceptable to enjoy a glass of white wine.

The Three-day Moon Diet

What better time of year to post some strange diet menus? Oooo ... how about the moon diets! So appropriate for Blue Moon season!

Three-day moon diet is a liquid diet consistent with the moon phases.

Three-day moon liquid diet is consistent with the moon phases. The diet is followed once a month, beginning the day before the full phase, continuing during the full phase day and finishing the day after the full phase.

In this three days drink as much water -- mineral or spring, herbal teas and freshly squeezed juices -- as possible. Coffee during the diet is not recommended.

During the moon diet you can drink different kinds of herbal tea, mint iced tea or cup of hot water with lemon and honey.

Here example menus for each of the days during the three-day moon diet:

First day

Upon awakening - a glass of water and juice of half orange
Breakfast - yogurt and 1 apple
10 o'clock - juice from orange and lemon
Lunch - a cup of vegetable juice
Afternoon snack - herbal tea with honey
Dinner - a glass of citrus juice
Before bed - tea with honey

Second day

Upon awakening - a glass of water and juice of half orange
Breakfast - herbal tea with a spoonful of honey
10 o'clock - juice from orange and lemon
Lunch - a cup of vegetable juice
Afternoon snack - herbal tea with honey
Dinner - an apple puree
Before bed - tea with honey

Third day

Upon awakening - herbal tea with honey
Breakfast - yogurt and banana puree
10 o'clock - a glass of grapefruit juice
Lunch - vegetable juice and juice of two oranges
Afternoon snack - herbal tea with honey
Dinner - a cup of herbal tea
Before bed - tea with honey

To keep the lost pounds after you finish the moon diet is better to bet on light food menu. It is advisable to cook on steam.
The food should consist mainly of fruits and vegetables, focusing on carrots, cabbage, zucchini, celery, lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers.
To flavor salads, use olive oil and apple vinegar, no salt.

The Blue Moon sale!

It's the Blue Moon sale!

It's a blue moon month! A blue moon is said to be the second full moon of any given month. This happens every two and a half years, on average. I think the next one is to occur August 2012.

10% off all orders totaling $20.00 or more 12/30/09 through 01/02/10.
20% off all orders totaling $30.00 or more 12/30/09 through 01/02/10.
30% off all orders totaling $50.00 or more 12/30/09 through 01/02/10.
That's for tea, tea accessories and even gift certificates! How crazy is that!?
(Offer not to be combined with other coupons or discounts)

Orders mean your total at the register upon your visit to the shop, or online orders received between 12/30/09 and 01/02/10 (Discount applied to total before shipping costs) Please mention the blog posting to take advantage of this sale.
Code BLUEMOON entered in the online order form for online orders.

Green Tea by Dale Ritterbusch

Cool poem found today:

Green Tea

by Dale Ritterbusch

There is this tea
I have sometimes,
Pan Long Ying Hao,
so tightly curled
it looks like tiny roots
gnarled, a greenish-gray.
When it steeps, it opens
the way you woke this morning,
stretching, your hands behind
your head, back arched,
toes pointing, a smile steeped
in ceremony, a celebration,
the reaching of your arms.

"Green Tea" by Dale Ritterbusch, from Far From the Temple of Heaven. © Black Moss Press, 2005.

A note to my loyal customers...

I haven't forgotten you! Yes, the current campaign seems to be all about getting new customers, but that is, after all, how businesses survive.
Have I anything special for you?

I do ... If you help me grow my business by bringing me a new customer, I will give you a discount card worth 10% of the new customers purchase. Bring 6 friends, 10 friends, a new customer every day for a month ... it doesn't matter. Each time you introduce a new customer to the shop, you receive a discount worth 10% of the new customers purchase.
Local customers: Yes, for accounting purposes it is necessary for you to be with the new customers.
Internet customers: email me and I'll tell you how to take advantage of this offer. I can be reached at teasmith@sensibiliteasonline.com

So ... are you still drinking dust?

If you're still drinking bag tea, you're likely still drinking dust. It's not your fault! It's usually all that's available in a grocery store. The boxes don't say Dust ... you wouldn't buy it if it did! They say ``fine quality Orange Pekoe'' or ``mountain estate grown'' or ``premium pekoe and cut black teas.'' Take one of the tea bags and cut it open ... what do you see?
If it looks like dust, it is likely dust.

Don't know anything about loose leaf tea? That's okay. No one is born with the knowledge to make loose leaf tea. We know plenty about loose leaf tea and we're willing to teach you what you need to know.

Want to try loose leaf tea? Bring one or two of your tea bags to us here in the tea shop. We'll do a free taste test. We'll make a cup of yours and we'll make a cup of ours. In five minutes or less, you'll know the difference between bag tea and loose leaf tea and will see how easy loose leaf tea can be to prepare. If you bring a second tea bag, we'll cup it open and we'll show you the difference between your tea and our tea. Our hours are Tues-Fri 2pm-5pm and Sat 10am-5pm. We are NOT a tea room, but rather a retail tea shop selling loose leaf tea and tea making accessories, but we do make the best tea-to-go in town!

Not here in town? Mail me a tea bag of your tea so we know what your drinking, and we'll mail you a tea bag or two of our tea (loose leaf tea in a bag made for loose leaf tea.) similar to what you've been drinking. You'll need no special equipment or knowledge. Just add water and enjoy.
Our address is:
SensibiliTeas
71 Lawrence Street
Glens Falls, NY 12801
Attn: Donnalynn

Not a tea drinker yet? If all we'd ever had to drink was tea bag tea, we wouldn't be tea drinkers either! If all you've ever had was a tea bag, you may have no idea what tea is supposed to taste like! Men didn't sail around the world and risk their lives in war and journey for the taste of a tea bag!

Or perhaps you're trying to get away from coffee a bit, or add tea as part of your healthy new resolution lifestyle. Our huge variety of tea convinces us that we'll certainly fit you to a tea! Visit the tea shop or email us at the teashop at (teasmith@sensibiliteasonline.com) We'll make some suggestions and send a cup or two of tea your way!

Restaurateurs? Want to understand how to increase tea sales? Bring or send us some of the tea you offer and we'll show you what you could be offering. If you're interested, we can even match teas to your meals or desserts. We can make it easy on your staff, and impressive to your clients.

Perhaps it's time to turn over a new leaf!

Does your tea make the grade?

Tea grading remains one of the most confusing of all tea discussions. This stands to reason as the tea grades are not standardized worldwide and tend to vary according to origin. The grading terms below are usually applied to black teas from India, Sri Lanka, Java, Sumatra, and Africa.

Black teas are typically graded according to leaf or particle size of leaf. Harvesting and manufacturing techniques greatly impact the finished size of the leaf, thus the tea grade. There are two main methods of producing black tea. The traditional Orthodox method requires hand-plucking of the buds and the two top leaves. The leaves are then rolled before size and grade of leaf is determined. (beginning of fermentation/oxidation stage) . The Orthodox method yields all of the possible leaf sizes and grades.

The CTC (crush, tear, curl) method of producing black tea has been gaining in popularity because of its convenience. CTC processed teas are either hand-plucked or may be machine harvested. When machine harvested, the CTC process gathers the traditional top two leaves and bud as well as other leaves on the tea bush. The leaves are then processed through the Cut, Tear, Curl machine which renders the leafs in particles cut to a common size. CTC processed teas have a appearance much like that of ground coffee.

Remember sifting sand as a child? The rocks or biggest particles always stayed on the top tray, while only the finest sand sifted all the way to the pail. Tea is processed with a similar technique. A whole leaf that does not pass through a designated sieve size during the sifting process is referred to as Orange Pekoe (OP) (pronounced 'Peck-o', rhymes with gecko). Orange Pekoe has nothing to do with oranges or orange flavor. The reference of Orange likely is a reference to the Dutch House of Orange, who, in founding the Dutch East India Company, played a major role in the spread of tea drinking habits throughout Europe and later the world. These leaves are usually of uniform size and rolled lengthwise. OP teas are categorized into finer definitions.

Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe (TGFOP) is the top grade. During harvesting the bud and the top two leaves are hand-plucked. When harvested during slow growth periods, these young buds have a golden tip, hence the grade ``Flowery". Flowery does NOT indicate the teas flavor. When these tips are in found in abundance, the terms ``Tippy and Golden" are also attached. Number ``1'' or ``2'' may be placed at the end of the letters to designate better grades among similar teas. Similarly the letter 'F' may appear before the TGFOP to indicate a ``finer'' grade, while the letters ``SF" indicates a ``super fine'' grade. A tea graded as ``SFTGFOP1'' is a Super Fine Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe - grade 1. Fabulous ... It's not unusual for higher grades of tea to command higher prices.

The next grade below Orange Pekoe is called Broken Orange Pekoe (BOP) which designates a broken leaf that is smaller than those designated as OP. Just as with the OP grades, letters and numbers may be added to further define the grade -- Tippy, golden, and flowery, or a combination of these terms may also be applied. Thus a grade of ``TGBOP'' is a Tippy Golden Broken Orange Pekoe tea. The letter 'I' for Imperial may also appear after BOP and designates a size which is smaller than whole leaf (OP) grade but larger than most of the BOP grades.

The tea grade which is even smaller than BOP is the PF, for Pekoe Fanning if produced by the CTC method of manufacturing, and Fanning if produced by the Orthodox method. This is a broken leaf about the size of a pin head. This grade of tea is often found in tea bags.

The lowest grade of tea available is the PD, Pekoe Dust if produced by CTC method of manufacturing, and Dust if produced by the Orthodox Method. This size is the smallest broken pieces left after siftings. These pieces are sometimes called the ``sweepings'', and it doesn't take much imagination to determine why. Some tea bags will contain fannings, or a combination of fannings and dust. Most tea bags in the United States contain only dust.

But your box of tea says ``fine quality Pekoe tea''? Could be true, but it likely means Pekoe Dust. Be wary of terms like ``fine'' and ``natural''. ``Fine'' is likely an opinion, and there is nothing in this world that is not ``natural'' (that is to say, derived from nature.). And to say a tea is ``mountain estate grown'' ... well, most teas are estate grown. And many estates are on mountains. That isn't anything special as tea goes ... that just where it like to grow best!

Fannings and dust have their place in this world. Fannings and dust are popularly used in tea bags because they steep so much faster than full leaf teas. Loose leaf teas, do though, have other advantages:
1) Loose leaf teas come in a far larger variety.
2) Tea bags may have environmental implications. Regular tea bags take about seven years to break down in the environment under perfect conditions for biodegradation. Pyramid tea bags, if not made from polylactic acid (a corn product), may last in the environment for over 120 years.
3) Studies have shown greater health benefits exist in loose leaf teas than tea bags.
4) You can control the strength of your own brew when using loose leaf teas.
5) Far better flavor

As SensibiliTeas, we do not carry dust. We do have a few teas that are the result of the CTC process, and are granular in nature, but they have been brought in by popular demand. Our standard at SensibiliTeas is to bring in as many hand-plucked, hand-processed first grade teas as possible and we are leaning toward a majority of teas produced through organic, fair-trade and/or bio-dynamic means.

We have also huge variety of caffeine-free herbal tisanes, and would be happy to teach you how to decaffeinate any of our other teas.