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Some good lovin this V-day

The holiday of love is coming up, so I wanted to tell you about our V-day offerings this year. Most importantly, we've even added tea-infused chocolates made with, and paired with, ours teas. Yumm! Here's the low-down...

CLOUD 9... TEA & CHOCOLATE! combines two of life's greatest gifts - premium tea & gourmet chocolates! These custom tea-infused chocolates are perfectly paired for mouthwatering synergy.

3 LITTLE WORDS - the new way to give flowers & chocolate! a 3 pack bundle of tea for 15% off their retail price, includes Meditative Mind, Red Rocks, & Bolder Breakfast.

TEA LOVE is a sure way to the heart of your tea-drinking sweetheart. Give your honey a cup of true relaxation with jasmine & roses in an all white Steeping Cup - it even smells like love!

Tea Pairings by Season

Green tea is to black as spring morning is to winter night, or flute is to cello, or as white wine is to red. Even though each type of tea has a very different character, all teas come from the same Camellia sinensis plant. The difference in type of tea produced has everything to do with how the tea leaves are processed once they are picked. The most natural, and often most successful, pairings in gourmet food are those which take advantage of seasonal and regional splendors. The same is of course true for tea. The newest, freshest leaf tips and buds are most appreciated in Spring, when we step outside and are reminded of fresh growth by budding vegetation, increased sunlight, and birds calling. This is also the time, of course, when fresh green and white teas are available from the current year’s harvest. Summer calls for gracefully scented teas and fresh floral oolongs. Fall is most interesting, as this is the season that brings the most complexity to food products, as they ripen and age. And Winter is the time to best present the richest, darkest and most robust of teas.

Tea 101 by Alton Brown from Good Eats

Maybe it's the geeky biologist in me, but I *love* the host of Good Eats, Alton Brown. I watched this video on another blog, The Ivy Keep, and want to share it with anyone and everyone who appreciates a good cuppa. He gives the skinny on Tea 101. And even though he gives props to Tazo tea bags, I'll forgive him since the episode is packed with good info. So sit back and enjoy a cup of tea while you watch. But don't blink or you'll miss something good. He even digresses to quickly explain superheating explosions that can occur when using the microwave - Scary! Now I digress. Enjoy...

Show Us Your Tea Spot!

We want to feature you & your favorite place to enjoy a cuppa tea. Send us a photo of your garden, kitchen nook, driver's seat of your car, or wherever you find solace with your tea.

We'll feature the photos here and our favorite 3 submissions will receive a free Tuffy Steeper & Tea Spot t-shirt.

Email your tea spot photo to info@theteaspot.com. In the body of the email please include your name & a short description of Your Tea Spot (50 words or less). We'll be collecting submissions throughout this month. Have fun with it!

Winter Nesting – After-dinner and Dessert Teas

Still deep into the winter season here in Colorado, we often find ourselves nesting at home rather than venturing into the city for dinner and drinks. Even after the holidays we're thinking up fun and healthy menus to entertain family and friends. The finale to many a winter gathering is often a beautiful sweet dessert. So what can you present as the perfect "closer" libation? Tea, of course – and with the vast variety of types and flavors tea offers, you can pick the perfect one! Desserts vary widely in taste and strength, some being very full-flavored, others being mild and refreshing. Most important in pairing a great tea for dessert is to match the strength of flavor.

I typically keep my tea pairing suggestions as broad as I can, but in this entry I will depart from that, in recommending specific teas from my company The Tea Spot, mostly because these are the teas I serve most often to my guests and have the most first-hand experience with in pairing with dessert.

With creamy desserts, like Crème Brulee or a Bread Pudding, it's great to pair something that will awaken in flavor, like our new ORGANIC NEW MOON DARJEELING, or if you're looking for something more delicate or almost caffeine-free, our MEDITATIVE MIND white tea blend with rosebuds and jasmine pearls.

For the sweetest of baked treats, try a strong black tea, such as our new ORGANIC BLUE MOUNTAIN NILGIRI, or a character-filled green, like the ORGANIC GREEN TWISTED SPEARS.

A classic with fruity desserts or chocolate with strong citrus tones is EARL OF GREY. If you're looking for a green, a perfect match here is our BOULDER BLUES, a blend of Sencha and Lung Ching with Strawberry and Rhubarb.

With lighter chocolate flavors, like a mousse, or meringues you can't go wrong with an oolong – our lilac-like overtones in the spring-picked, Taiwanese, VINTAGE OOLONG make it my personal favorite.

Some teas stand up beautifully as a dessert on their own. China black tea leaves have been flavored since around the time the Ming Dynasty was founded in 1368, and have become wildly popular in America and Europe in recent decades. The addition of natural essences and flavors create an exciting sensual and gastronomic experience, as both the tea and the scent are often enhanced in the marriage of the two. A favorite is our CRÈME CARAMEL with a well-defined, yet delicate caramel aroma, it's the classic dessert tea.

Holiday Gifting – Make your own Tea-infused Vodkas

My freezer is never without a bottle or two of chilling vodka. I’m not a regular drinker, and it may take me a year or two to get through it, but being of Russian descent, it’s something (along with pickles and herring) I feel compelled to have around for whenever a celebration might arise. Since it takes me so long to get through a bottle, and since I’m so intrigued by sourcing, blending, and cooking with teas, I started infusing little samples of vodkas with tea, herbs, fruits, flowers and spices. Here are some of the results – the good, the bad and the ugly - but some of the winners are truly exquisite. Get some nice bottles and package some up – it makes a welcome and unique gift! And of course, we’re not talking tea here… so drink responsibly!
To make infused vodka – pour 6 oz vodka into a mason jar and add 1 tsp tea leaves, herbs or spices. Let sit in a cool, dark place for 2-3 weeks. Strain and pour into serving bottles. Chill well before serving. Finished product will keep in the freezer for at least 6 months. Generally, the black tea-infused vodkas and the Rooibos were the best.

Oolong-infused vodka – OK, but the whole is less than the sum of the parts. Seems like a silly compromise of two great products.

Red Rocks Vodka – Rooibos infused. Smooth, sleek and awesomely RED.

Darjeeling Vodka – same result as with the Oolong – not really worth the mix!

White Tea Vodka – Um… no. You’ll taste too much of it trying to find the flavor.

Green Tea Vodka – Pretty good, but use twice the amount of tea leaves as recommended, to try to make the overall drink smoother.

Very Black Vodka – my personal favorite! Infused with Pu-erh or Bolder Breakfast You’d never know you weren’t sipping a tiny tea cup of very very black tea!

Lemon Balm Vodka – OK, but haven’t figured out how to make it smooth – a bit rough going down.

Rose Bud Vodka – I’m the only one who drank this - but I thought it made a great chocolate martini. (Everyone else thought it smelled too much like bath lotion).

Peppercorn Vodka – Strong. Not many fans.

Honey Peppercorn Vodka – doesn’t make it much better.

Basil Vodka – very nice. And the leaves look so nice in the bottle.

Mint Vodka – I made 3 different kinds, and again, not many takers!

Oregano Vodka – Also rough, albeit the leaves look very pretty in there…

Rooibos – supercharged but caffeine-free!

The history of herbs and spices is far more ancient than that of tea. Herbal teas should not be called “teas” at all, as they are not made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. They are, strictly speaking, herbal infusions, and naturally 100% caffeine-free. Many host a variety of health benefits, and some will offer a sensational gourmet experience in aromatherapy and taste. But, so many people refer to them as “herbal teas” in the states that we have jumped on that bandwagon and now do the same…

Which brings me to my all-time favorite herbal tea – RED tea, aka South African Rooibos, Bush tea (no relation to our 40th or 42nd President), and Redbush tea. Rooibos (pronounced roy-boss), is grown only in the Cedarburg mountain area outside Capetown in South Africa. Its needle-like leaves are well suited to its arid home. It is harvested manually during the summer, at which point it is still green. Oxidation is essential in order to enhance the flavor of the tea and this turns the tea leaves bright red.

Rooibos is one of today’s hottest trends in the tea industry. This faintly sweet red tea is unique because it contains health benefits while being naturally caffeine free and low in tannin, thus allowing iron absorption. Rooibos contains almost no tannins, but has many replenishing minerals including iron, potassium, copper, alpha-hydroxy and zinc. It is rich in antioxidants, the substances that combat free radicals in the body. It works as an anti-spasmodic, anti-inflammatory and anti-allergen. Rooibos tea has also been shown to soothe the body's reaction to allergies and rashes. At an herbal store, you'll probably find Rooibos under the name "Herbal Allergy tea" due to this natural allergy-fighting quality. Its anti-spasmodic agents can relieve stomach pains and cramps.

Rooibos tea not only acts as your personal helping hand in fighting allergies and ailments, it is also perfectly suited for growing babies, young children, active teenagers, parents and grandparents alike... My recommendation for children is to brew it hot, ice it, and blend with a bit of cranberry juice. You don't need much cran. Being a good source of vitamins and minerals, it can be used as a natural supplement. It also makes a great thirst quencher iced.

And lastly, Rooibos is a most versatile and remarkable tea for pairing with meals. In particular for strong cuisines, such as Italian and Mexican, that don’t come from a traditional tea region, Rooibos pairs smoothly and deliciously, hot or iced. Personally, I enjoy this healthful infusion with a splash of foamed milk or cream – and it’s the first drink I go for anytime I need a calming brew. Images of The Ladies’ No. 1 Detective Agency (by Zimbabwean-born author Alexander McCall Smith) protagonist Precious Ramotswe, the only female P.I. in Botswana, sharing a cup of bush tea with a friend or client while working a case, shine through and linger with me long after I’ve finished my cup of RED ROCKS tea…

Pairing tea with breakfast - a healthy way to toast the day!

Many of us love to start our day with tea. Just tea! The variety of choices here is as wide as the world of tea… many people like to start their day with a green or an Oolong tea, but there are others of us who prefer to hit the morning hours with a nice strong pot of Pu’erh, Assam, or Breakfast Blend. Some of this choice has to do with flavor preferences, but it also has to do with just how much astringency we can deal with first thing. As many times as I’ve tried to kick off my early morning yoga with a green tea ritual, it’s just not something my stomach is prepared to do before having something to eat.Pu’erh, on the other hand, feels like a warm velvet blanket to me.

The traditional breakfast teas and blends are made of black teas. With pronounced tannins and a strong finish, they’re excellent with full-flavored traditional breakfast foods. And of course, getting one’s mind kick-started with a nice black tea is often helpful…

With lighter breakfast foods, such as a continental breakfast of rolls, fruit, cereal and toast, the standards are Assam, Ceylon, Darjeeling, Kenyan and Nilgiri black teas. For a more robust breakfast that might include eggs, meats and cheese, you can pair easily with the above-mentioned favorites. Or, you can choose to go with even stronger or scented teas as well – Scottish or Irish Breakfast Blends, Earl Grey, and Pu-erh can all stand their own to even the strongest tasting cheeses. My personal favorite with bacon and eggs is a Green Pu-erh…. In fact, I’ll drink this tea just to remind me of eggs and bacon when I can’t have those.

And lastly, we would be remiss if we failed to mention one of Pu‘erh’s better-known features, as an excellent hangover cure, making it the beverage of choice for an otherwise painfully slow morning! Pu’erh is very smooth in taste, and even darker than black tea. It has been shown to cut through grease (and cholesterol), help digestion, warm you, help produce saliva and shake thirst, dispel the effects of alcohol, and refresh your mind. For those reasons, when we developed our own “Bolder Breakfast” blend, Pu’erh tea was chosen as the central ingredient.

Pairing Tea with Food - and Introduction

Pairing tea with food is an adventure in flavors. It is also a great way to get to know the variety in the world of tea. Tea provides an extensive range of tastes, similar to that of wine, but without the associated alcohol.

Tea drinking practices are analogous to wine drinking practices, in that we change drinks at a non-alcohol meal (such as breakfast) in the same way we switch between an aperitif and white or red wine at a meal later on in the day. Many people start their mornings with a glass of juice or lemon water, and then switch to coffee or tea. Today’s tea drinkers are getting so sophisticated that many drink more than one type of tea during the day. This is, of course, in part because there are so many different varieties of tea available. The most discerning tea drinkers sometimes ask for two or three different teas at one meal.

People have discovered that a stronger, smokier tea is better with cheese or eggs, whereas a lighter or green or white tea is usually superior with pastries. It’s exactly like learning that red or white wine goes better with some foods than others. For instance, last weekend, we served iced oolong (re-steeped after infusing the rice) with a hand-rolled sushi dinner. It was exquisite… after years of serving only Japanese green teas with sushi, it was a delightful accidental discovery –the oolong was able to accent up and complement the wide diversity of flavors far better than a straight green tea does. Also, serving an iced beverage at this summer evening party was definitely the way to go!

Even though we don’t often give it much consideration, we pair tea with food every day. Some people may start the day timidly, with a weak cup of black tea and dry toast, and others might start the day boldly with a strong mug of black tea and a well-buttered roll. Tea has evolved for thousands of years along with regional cuisine to be the drink that goes along with meals. It is no surprise, therefore that it pairs well with foods! Like a small mid-course or palate cleanser, tea also works as a flavor bridge from one course to the next. As more people adopt tea into their daily ritual, they discover that by pairing certain teas with specific foods, not only is the flavor of the food enhanced, but the quality of the tea is highlighted. Experiment and enjoy – you’ll find that when paired with the appropriate dish, tea helps to complete the flavor journey of that dish!

Flavor Fest - Chicago IL - Aug. 23-24

Calling all people in the Chicago area....
Flavor Fest 2008 is coming up soon, Aug. 23rd & 24th (11am-9pm Sat & 11am-8pm Sun). For those who don't know, it's Chicago's Natural Food & Lifestyle Festival, located at the intersection of Webster & Racine this year. The event is *free* to the public! And should be full of lots of great give-aways! You can catch live music by The Smithereens on Saturday & English Beat on Sunday.

Stop by our booth and meet Karen, our Co-Founder / Tea Chef / Head of Sales extraordinaire!

Antioxidants and Health: How tea processing affects its antioxidants

Tea, red wine, chocolate, blueberries, asparagus, and other fruits and vegetables are rich in flavonoids, a type of polyphenolic antioxidant. Lucky for us (since those are all so tasty!) diets rich in flavonoids have displayed positive effects on an array of chronic diseases including heart disease, certain cancers, and Type 2 diabetes. Tea is a potent source of flavonoids, and tea drinkers have been observed to have 20 times higher levels of flavonoids than non-tea drinkers. Overall, tea has particularly high concentrations of polyphenols which have antioxidant, anticancer, antibacterial, and antiviral characteristics.

Despite the diversity in appearance & flavors, all tea comes from the same evergreen plant, Camellia sinensis. Different categories of tea (white, yellow, green, oolong, black, and pu'erh) are created by the way the leaves are processed. The major delineator in tea categories is the level of oxidation that the leaves are subject to, following this general pattern:

• White – unwilted, unoxidized (0% oxidized)
• Yellow – unwilted, unoxidized, but “yellowed” by low steam (0% ox.)
• Green – wilted, unoxidized (0% ox.)
• Oolong – wilted, bruised, partially oxidized (20-80% ox.)
• Black – wilted, crushed, fully oxidized (100% ox.)
• Pu’erh – traditionally, green tea that is fermented/composted (0% ox.)
  – modern methods speed up “aging” by fermenting black tea (100% ox.)
  
  

Oxidation of the tea leaves changes the appearance and aroma of the leaves, the flavor profile of the tea you drink, and also changes the form of polyphenols in the leaves. As tea oxidizes the simple polyphenols are converted into more complex forms; specifically, with increased oxidation catechins levels decrease while theaflavins and thearubigins increase. So, white tea has the highest level of catechins, followed by green tea, oolong, and black. Conversely, black teas contain high levels of theaflavins and thearubigins, followed by oolong, green & white.

figure from Jane Higdon, Ph.D., http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/f-w02/tea.html

Health Benefits, CliffNotes Version:

Different polyphenols appear to offer different health benefits. There is a growing volume of research on teas' effects on humans, so here is the cliff notes version for the bulk that I've read... Catechins, found in white and green teas, are gaining special attention for their anti-inflammatory and cancer fighting abilities. One catechin, EGCG, is being studied extensively for its potential effects on cancer and neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and HIV-associated dementia. Oolongs and pu'erhs are being studied for their weightloss mechanisms. Black tea consumption is corrolated to decreased risk of heart disease, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes. While multiple studies suggest that daily green tea drinking significantly decreases our risk of many cancers including skin, ovarian, breast, prostate, colon, stomach, and oral among others. However, there are still some studies with conflicting results, which calls for more clinical research on humans.

Health Benefits, Extended Remix:

Different polyphenols offer us different health benefits, thus you'll receive a variety of benefits from drinking a range of teas. Catechins, found in white and green teas, are gaining special attention for their anti-inflammatory and cancer fighting abilities. One particular catechin EGCG (epigallocatechin-3-gallate) is being studied extensively for its potential effects on cancer and neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and HIV-associated dementia. These studies are looking into the effectiveness of EGCG in the prevention as well as treatment of these diseases. One Japanese study also found that EGCG was an effective inhibitor of allergic response. It was suggested that the EGCG compound blocked the production of histamine and immunoglobulin, two compounds that trigger and sustain allergic reactions in the body. So when you get the sniffles during spring, you might try this home remedy for clearing up your sinuses. (Here’s links to our whites & greens: Snowflakes, Meditative Mind, Boulder Blues, Green Roasted Mint)

Oxidative stress also plays a role in many types of cancer and heart diseases. It’s suggested that antioxidants in tea reduce oxidative stress by scavenging free radicals before cell damage occurs to proteins and DNA. Dietary supplementation of tea antioxidants has been observed to inhibit certain cancers, showing promise in both prevention and treatment. These cancers include skin, ovarian, breast, liver, stomach, colon, prostate, esophageal, and oral cancer, among others.

Many preliminary studies performed on lab animals show promising results for the effects of tea on cancers, but results of human studies are varied though some show dramatic effects. One Swedish study examined over 61,000 women between the ages of 40-76, for a 15 year period, and found that women who drank two or more cups of tea per day reduced their risk of ovarian cancer by 46% compared to non-tea drinkers; the effect was additive, such that with each additional cup of tea per day there was an additional 18% lower risk of ovarian cancer. Another study in China, where green tea is a staple, examined 18,000 men and found that tea drinkers were half as likely to develop stomach or esophageal cancer as men who drank little to none, even after correcting for smoking and diet. In vitro studies at UCLA and University of Texas found that green tea extract inhibits breast cancer cells from making a chemical that supports tumors. Similarly, a study at USC examined over 1000 Asian-American women in the Los Angeles area, and found that drinking even 6 tablespoons of green tea a day decreased breast cancer risks by 30% compared to non-tea drinkers and up to 50% risk reduction if she drank more green tea; they found that this green tea effect persisted regardless of other factors such as smoking, drinking alcohol, red meat consumption, age, Asian ethnicity, menopausal status, menopausal hormones, calorie intake, number of past pregnancies, exercise, or whether she had a history of breast cancer in her family. However, another cohort study of over 58,000 men and 62,000 women from the Netherlands did not find a link between black tea consumption and protection against cancer (specifically, stomach, colorectal, lung, and breast cancer) after removing other factors such as diet and smoking. While there is no doubt that tea is a potent antioxidant, there still appears to be some conflict in clinical study results potentially due to confounding factors such as genetics, diet, exercise, and environmental exposure. More studies should illuminate the exact effects of tea on humans, and determine the mechanism that tea is metabolized in the body so we can better understand this relationship.

Tea is also being studied for its effects on diabetes. It’s suggested that its antioxidant properties help in regulating insulin signaling and glucose metabolism. Preliminary results from a USDA study links tea consumption with decreased risk of Type 2 diabetes, a major disease in the United States with increasing occurrence.

Teas other benefit includes weight management. Oolong teas, also called wu-long or wulong teas, have gained some recent recognition as weight-loss teas. One study of 102 Chinese women found that oolong consumption over 6 weeks led to body weight reduction. Another study compared a group of Japanese women after drinking a cup of tea after meals; they each spent a period of time in an oolong tea drinking group, a green tea group, and a control group where they drank only water. The results showed that oolong drinkers had higher resting metabolisms than green tea drinkers at both 60 and 90 minutes after consumption, and both had higher resting metabolisms than those who drank just water. In this study, the oolong contained roughly half the caffeine and EGCG than the green tea, while the polymerized polyphenols were doubled. The results suggest that oolong tea increases metabolism through its polyphenols rather than just through caffeine. Increased metabolism results in reduced body fat. Most notably is reduction in visceral body fat - the type of fat found between internal organs that creates the “beer belly”. While this can not be seen as a weight-loss panacea, it is a perfect complement to healthy eating and exercise. (Check out our premium Vintage Oolong)

Black teas are known to assist in cardiovascular health. They have been shown to decrease LDL cholesterol levels, decrease total cholesterol, and dilate blood vessels which decreases blood pressure. There is a strong correlation between black tea drinkers and decreased cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension. One study found that adding milk to tea bound the antioxidants to the milk proteins making them inactive, but a subsequent study found that this was only true in the cup, and that antioxidants became bio-available again in the body’s serum. So go ahead and add milk to your tea if you’d like, and still reap the health benefits. Black tea is also noted for its anti-bacterial characteristics, and is said to kill bacteria in the mouth that cause bad breath and gum disease. In addition, the fluoride found in all teas helps strengthen teeth and prevent tooth decay. (Here’s a link to our blacks: Earl of Grey, Mango Tango, Crème Caramel, Bolder Breakfast)

I have not run across scientific studies on the health benefits of pu'erh. However, Pu'erh has long been considered a healthy tea by the Chinese, and medicinally, is believed to invigorate the spleen, relieve dampness, counteract alcohol toxins (ie. hangover cure), release stomach heat, and descend stomach qi (or chi). Pu'erh has also been considered a weight loss supplement due to its ability to aid in fat metabolism. (Check out our Bolder Breakfast - a black tea, pu'erh, & chocolate blend.)

The bottom line is that variety is the spice of life - it's true with tasty foods, music, cultures, and it's also true with antioxidants. So feel free to indulge yourself with all varieties of tea as part of your healthy lifestyle. There is a world of teas to choose from - literally. So cheers to our health!

Herbal Infusions

This week’s subject dives into the realm of herbal tisanes. An herbal “tea,” or tisane, is technically anything you steep that does not contain the actual Camelia Sinensis tea plant in it. For experts and tea snoots, an herbal tea is really not tea at all, hence the term “herbal infusion.”
For thousands of years, plants and flowers have been used for their natural healing properties. Many modern pharmaceuticals have been derived from plant sources, and surely many more will crop up in the future. Digitalis, a heart medication, comes from the purple foxglove. Vinchristine, an anti-cancer drug, is an alkaloid taken from vinca plant. Cascara sagrada is the bark of a tree that is used as a natural laxative. Quinine, which has been used to treat malaria among other things, originally came from the bark of the Cinchona tree.

Just as many herbs and plants are beneficial, the opposite is also true. Oleander leaves contain a compound that is toxic to the heart. Philodendron plants contain oxalic acid, which will burn your mouth. Now why you would be munching on a philodendron to begin with is beyond me, but according to my medical source, it does happen.

That being said, there are many herbal infusions that you can blend on your own or purchase that will have numerous and varied benefits. Here are a few of the major players:

Rooibos – This plant is a bush that is native to South Africa, and contains a high amount of minerals and antioxidants. Often called “bush” tea or “red bush” tea, it has a naturally sweet aroma reminiscent of tobacco. Naturally caffeine free, it also contains zinc, potassium, fluoride, and manganese. It is fermented in a way that is very similar to tea, and the result is a fine, red leaf that brews into a deep reddish brown color. The longer you steep rooibos, the better it gets. You can see for yourself by trying our Red Rocks, a blend of rooibos with vanilla and almonds.

Chamomile – Chamomile flowers have a natural fragrance reminiscent of apples, which is the etymology of the word itself (“ground apple”). This herb is most commonly known for its ability to calm stress and soothe nausea and provide relief from aches and cramps. As it relaxes smooth muscle tissues, it is good for digestion and abdominal pain.

Ginger – Ginger root is yet another ancient plant with many beneficial qualities. It stimulates saliva production and digestive enzymes, making it great for weight control and digestion. It is also great for nausea or motion sickness, and increases blood flow throughout your body, making it what is considered a “warm” plant. Ginger is a component in our new blend, Yerba Mate Chai Citron, which will be available on our website soon! But, if you visit our downtown Boulder location, you can try it now!

Peppermint – This age old classic herb contains menthol, which is great for congestion and colds. We have a tin of this at the store, and whenever I need a pick-me-up I just stick my nose in the tin and take a deep whiff and BAM! I am awake again! Peppermint is also recommended for upset stomachs, as it relaxes the smooth muscles in your stomach and digestive tract. It is also an antiseptic and anesthetic, making it useful for tooth or headaches. It freshens your breath and is a great, cooling drink when iced. It is also a component in our delicious Green Roasted Mint!, my personal favorite.

There are literally hundreds of herbs, plants and flowers out there with healing and healthful properties. The trick is to find the ones that work for you to assist you in a more healthful lifestyle. Most herbalists will not recommend these things in place of medical treatments or cures for diseases. Herbal infusions are meant to complement your health and must be used with a degree of caution and self-directed learning. So whatever your ailments may be, just make sure you do a little research before you go on your herbal infusion quest!

-Anne Vickman

So Long, Farewell!

Well everyone, I am sad to say it, but this will conclude (temporarily, most likely) my blogging for the TeaSpot.

For anyone who missed this month's TeaSpot newsletter (sign up here), I will be moving to Boston, MA to pursue a master's degree in Writing and Publishing at Emerson College. So it shouldn't be too long before I have nasty tea withdrawals and start writing more blogs in return for the junk to support my tea addiction and get me through my intense graduate classes.

I will miss the TeaSpot greatly, and first and foremost would like to point out that I love my job, mostly because of all the people I work with. We have a great team here, in our warehouse as well as the shop, and in a perfect world I would just deftly put it all on a truck and take it with me to Boston! I can only imagine what sort of unpaid internships and admin assistant positions await me in the big city! So I must take an acceptance speech moment and thank the corporate team as well as my amazing store staff for making my time here so memorable. I would also like to introduce and welcome the new store manager, Erin Dula, to the TeaSpot family.

FoolongChoo out (left), Erin Dula in (right)

I would also like to thank all the loyal customers who have come into our store regularly and supported what we do. We know these people by name and more often than not exactly what they are drinking so that it's halfway ready when they get to the register. I think the best part is that you could read me the order and I could tell you who the customer is: 12 ounce Bolder Breakfast latte with whole milk and a shot of vanilla (Aulden), 12 ounce cappucino (Jen), cup of Creme Caramel, decaffeinated (Donna), Fancy Formosa with milk and sugar (Michelle), large Pu-erh (Olga), cup of Lung Ching and a bran muffin (ack! I forgot his name!).

What's more I would even like to thank the (very few) customers that made my life hell, and taught me even more about patience and customer service. Especially the lady who came in one day, sat in a booth, and began trimming her fingernails with a clipper before nonchalantly brushing her nasty nail scraps onto the floor. Who are you, and why did you do that?! Or the girl who added her credit card receipt total incorrectly then demanded her tip money back. Ahh yes, I will never forget you! And don't forget the guy who used our couch as a bed, claiming he had purchased some drip coffee (which we don't sell!) and dropping some F-bombs on another customer about her backpack when we asked him to leave. Ah, the stories are the best part!

This is what angry customers begin to resemble.
Image courtesy of http://www.angrybanana.freeservers.com/

In any case I am extremely content with the time I spent with the TeaSpot, and after the insanity of moving across the country and being back in school dies down, I certainly hope to continue the blogathon of anything tea-related. Much thanks to all of you who read our little blog, and please continue to check back for weekly additions!

Oh Man, It's Abnormally Hot

Bubble tea: Not Your Grandma's Tea

Today finds me too hot to really think clearly. All I can think about is how rad it would be if we bought one of those big plastic kiddie pools and filled it with iced peppermint tea and went for a swim. Seriously, that might be the best idea I have had all summer. Or maybe a Slip 'n Slide in the back of the warehouse? Anyone? Or maybe just an A/C box installation would do.

As I consider these options, a bank of darkish looking clouds seems to be heading this way. Thank you, universe.

Since this brief respite is allowing me to think semi-clearly, I would like to lay some praise to my latest favorite summertime tea beverage: Boba, aka Bubble, Tea.

For the rookies out there, Boba tea consists of these components: Boba Pearls, an iced tea of some sort, a splash of cream, a squeeze of agave, and a Boba straw. Allow me to digress.

Boba pearls are really nothing more than simple tapioca balls. You remember tapioca, right? It's that white stuff you always had at grandma's house that never really tasted like much of anything. Same goes for Boba. Only these ones are bigger, black, and squish gloriously when you chew on them.

So what is tapioca, exactly? This is certainly not a question that comes up for most people, a) because most people don't eat tapioca, and b) the ones that do probably don't care what it's made from anyways. Well the answer is that it comes from the root of a cassava plant. The root gets processed and the reconstituted product are those tiny (or large, in this case) tapioca balls. It is a starch, so essentially it's like adding bread to your beverage. Mmmmmm, bread.

So, these boba pearls rest on the bottom of your glass. The remaining ingredients are mixed together (I prefer to make mine with Red Rocks iced tea), and the straw allows you to suck up the boba pearls whilst drinking your tea, making for a deliciously iced, textural experience. The cream adds a dash of well, creaminess, while the agave nectar lightly sweetens it without making it overtly so. Unlike those bottled tea drinks that look so delicious in the refrigerated case until you open it up and take a big swig and feel like you just drank a packet of mint-and-tea-flavored Splenda. (Thanks a lot, Tazo).

I can see the Eldorado Spring Water Delivery Truck outside the office. "Judged the Best-Tasting Water in North America," it says. They have an entire swimming pool full of pure, delicious spring water about 20 minutes from here, in Eldorado. That sounds pretty nice right about now.

In any case, Bubble Tea is seeing a new emergence as an extremely popular drink these days, and since many people are still unsure what it's all about, I encourage you to stop by your nearest Bubble Tea vendor (ie, the TeaSpot's downtown retail location) and check it out!

Mmmm so delicious.

Tea Tasting: Get Yer Slurp On!

We've been having a blast over here tasting new teas from this spring. It's a process full of precision and personal preference, and the perfect break to the work day!

If you're curious about the tea tasting process, it's comparable to wine tasting. And just as fun to do with friends! It goes something like this... We steep up the teas according to their type, sip, discuss, sip, and discuss, using all sorts of creative descriptors. We first compare similar teas, finding the best picks within each category. Then we compare the range of our favorites to narrow it down to an exceptional and well-balanced array of teas, and occasionally find a "best in show" that we all fall in love with, despite our individual pallets.

Typically, tasters use a teaspoon to slurp up a sample of tea from each cup, then spit each slurp into a spittoon, never actually swallowing the tea. And when I say slurp, I mean *ssslllurp!*, because the action allows you to coat your mouth with the tea getting the full viscous feel or "mouth coat" and also adds oxygen to the mix which highlights different flavors of the tea. Some teas even are graced with a double slurp, where the second slurp aids in cooling the tea, further embelishing certain flavors.

Here, however, we usually don't spit it out (especially when the tea is a serious crowd pleaser) and we also do a non-conventional variety of sipping, slurping, and gulping of the teas when they're hot and as they cool. The reason for this is that some teas are exceptional while they're hot then fade into boring dishwater as they cool, and we take note of these guys. Let's face it - we all want to enjoy the entire cup of tea, not just the first part. So at the end, after discussing the flavor profiles and taking tasting notes, we divvy up the remaining teas, trying to give people the remaining cup of their personal favorites.

I also want to note the precision with which we steep the teas during tastings, with special care given to the amount of tea leaves used, the temperature of the water, and the steeping time - these variable can dramatically change the flavor profiles of each tea. This is when I seriously get my thermometer out. And bonus points are given to teas that are less sensitive to "precise" steeping conditions - as some are more forgiving than others - making them more foolproof to steeping accidents. For example, our Green Roasted Mint tea is nearly impossible to mess up while steeping, with regards to both water temperature and steeping time. This tea is more than forgiving to the absentminded and multitaskers, myself included. (fyi, it's discounted 20% this week!) However, other, more sensitive, teas are also given due respect around here and sipped with pleasure after careful steeping, or sometimes tossed with remorse after poor steeping ;)

In any case, let us know your own tea tasting rituals and latest favorites!

Crash Course in Tea Storage

My favorite tins: Kotobuki origami tins, available for purchase at
http://www.rishi-tea.com/

This might not be the most groundbreaking of blogs, but I think it is important nonetheless, because as my favorite cliché goes, knowledge is power.

Storing your tea correctly is imperative to ensure that it maintains maximum flavor and freshness. We opened a random tin of peach rooibos last week that had a skimming of cobwebs along the interior ceiling of the tin. Barf!

There are several factors that will affect the long-term quality of your teas: light, heat, strong smells, and humidity.

Tea that has constant or even intermittent exposure to light will eventually dry out and lose its flavor. Always store your teas in airtight containers made of stainless steel or non-opaque ceramic. Glass should never be used because, dear genius, it lets in light. And don't forget, the best container is a re-usable one, just like our TeaSpot Loose Leaf tins are.

Heat will have the same effect on your tea, rendering it extra dry and flavorless. That being said, you should always store your tea and tins in a cool, dry place. So, over the stove, microwave, or refrigerator is probably not a good idea seeing as these appliances tend to give off heat. Windowsills are also not a good place. Cool, dark cupboards are usually your best bet.

Strong smells are a pretty obvious thing to avoid. Teas are blotters, which means they pick up the scents of things around them. So your teas should never be stored in the same place as your spices! Nor should they be anywhere near your Cheetos, pickles, mustard, jalapenos, leftover pizza, curries, or dirty socks.

Humidity will also mess up the delightful delicacy of your teas. Teas are dried to begin with, so adding excess moisture unintentionally will cause a mustiness that will probably taste like the underside of an old ice tray. That being said, you should never ever freeze or refrigerate your teas either. Cool and dark does not mean the cold, moist darkness of your frigidaire my friends.

So, there you go. Simple and straightforward. Now go to!

This little guy would royally #$%& up your tea!

The Boston Tea Party: The Spark that Lit the Fire of the American Revolution

BANG! Image courtesy of www.digi-hound.com.

Happy 4th of July, tea drinkers!

I can't see a better opportunity to point out the connection between the Boston Tea Party in 1773 and the eventual independence of our country from Britain.

I truly stink at remembering anything historical, but the basic facts are as such: in the early 1760's, British Parliament began passing various acts that required taxation on items like stamps and tea. Americans began to reject the notion that Britain should be controlling the taxation of goods and services because they had no representation in Parliament, which basically meant that they had no say in the votes to implement or increase taxes on any given good or service. So, to put it in perspective, it's kind of like when your parents made you give them some of your allowance for no good reason (putting saran wrap over the toilet seat definitely does not qualify as a good reason), and then telling you that there is nothing you can do about it. The only difference is that you usually just put up a big stink and did what you were told. But not the American Patriots!

Since their basic rights to representation were being violated, the colonists took action. Our boy John Hancock, a wealthy shipbuilder and merchant, had discovered that while most merchants paid duties on imports, he could simply bribe officials and evade the whole taxation business altogether. Hancock smuggled sugar, molasses, and God knows what else into the country for little to no taxes whatsoever. Eventually, he fell under suspicion for various smuggling and tax evasion reasons, and his ship, the Liberty, was seized. Not surprisingly, Hancock became a proponent and financier of the growing rebellion against Britain.

As part of the rebellion and unfair taxation, Hancock organized a boycott of tea from the British East India Company, who supplied a large amount of tea to the colonies. Hancock then smuggled tax-free tea in from the Netherlands at the same time. Rather than revise the taxation system, British Parliament instead allowed a tax break for the East India Company. Which basically translated into what could only be construed as the favoring of a corporate empire and the squashing of the Americans and their rights.

After some rabble-rousing, protest meetings, and violent visits to East India warehouses and homes, our founding father and brewmaster Sam Adams addressed an assembly of gathered protesters, and the fit hit the shan. The Sons of Liberty, a secret group of patriots, disguised themselves as Indians and bum-rushed the Boston harbor. 45 tons of East India Company tea were unloaded from the Dartmouth. The tea was dumped quickly and efficiently into the harbor and all of it was toast by dawn. Glorious! Take that, Britain!

The result was the turning of many heads in Britain, the charging of Hancock, Adams, and others with high treason, and essentially the beginning of Us vs. Them. Any positive or friendly political relations that existed between Britain and the colonies pretty much evaporated after the Boston Tea Party.

But it was all for the best, as we did eventually gain our independence in 1776. 232 years later we play with explosives (only where legal, of course...), drink beer, play outside, watch fireworks, and drink tea whenever we like. Hooray!

Victory is ours! If only they had YouTube back then!

Sex in the City is a Horrible Film

The title has nothing to do with the post, everyone, but I really just had to get that off my chest. It was almost as bad as that Heidi chick from The Hills releasing a "dance track" called "Fashion." Sweet Jesus what planet are we on?!

Ok, onto the tea. Today I think is a good day to write about one's own discovery of tea. I have already gotten my blog on about the importance of slowing down every now and then to enjoy a cup of tea. But what brings people to become tea lovers and connoisseurs? The answer, of course, is different for everyone.

I think my first real tea drinking experience was when I took a semester abroad in Barcelona, Spain. I was about 19; and of course I had had tea before, from various Celestial Seasonings and Twinings tea bags out of my mom's cupboard when I was young, but nothing truly memorable. In any case, I discovered té con leche (tea with milk) at various cafés throughout the city. Now mind you these 2-euro cups were still nothing more than black tea bags, but there is just something amazing about the milk in Europe, and this magical leche with a bit of sugar and I was hooked. I have the best memories of stopping at little places here and there in the city and enjoying this tasty beverage with friends whilst skipping class, studying for finals, or simply taking a load off. I was back (I lived in Barcy when I was younger) in this big, awe-inspiring city, speaking Spanglish with friends, and enjoying my new most favorite daytime drink. I say daytime because the nighttime drinks were plentiful, and alcoholic, which is an entirely different blog for a different website.

I have had fond experiences with tea ever since I discovered it. People stumble across tea for all different reasons, but it seems to be a discovery that people stick with and continue to enjoy and learn about. Unlike food trends such as Olestra or clear Pepsi, tea has been around for thousands of years, and for good reason. It upholds ancient traditions, makes room for new ones, and brings people together. I just read an article about a man who had his father's ashes mixed with clay to make a teapot, because he missed his daily chats over tea with his dad. Hell, the reason our company even exists is due to our founder's devotion and love for tea and its health benefits.

Perhaps one of the greatest things about tea are the stories that it creates in people's lives; how they start drinking it, and what happens as a result. Everyone has a different tale to tell, so feel free to tell us yours.

Now this has all the makings of a truly great story!
Image courtesy of http://www.funnyjunk.com/.

H20 and Tea

Hi Chitlins!

Today's important lesson is about the importance of the water you use when making loose-leaf teas.

Since tea is 99.999999% water, it only makes sense that the water you use to make your tea is rather important. It can contain any number and combination of minerals and flavors that will affect the way your tea tastes. Now perhaps this is delving into the realm of "tea snobbery," but the truth of the matter is that ancient traditional tea ceremonies always call for high quality water, and anything ancient and traditional therefore cannot be deemed "snobbish." </sarcasm>.

In any case, I simply find that anything one can do to make an even more delicious cup of tea should certainly be taken into consideration.

Using very soft or distilled water can lead to a rather bland cup of tea. This is because these types of water lack certain minerals that can actually enhance your cuppa, so using fresh, local springwater is definitely your best option. I would recommend Eldorado spring water if you are in the Denver/Boulder area. But alack, we are not all in the same area and furthermore, we may not all have access to pristine springwater. Bottled water is another option, one that I would wholeheartedly support were I not anti-bottled water to begin with, since it creates excess pollution (via shipping) and waste (more plastic bottles in the trash/recycle can) when you most likely have perfectly drinkable tap water in your home...but that is another blog for another time.

If you want to be environmentally responsible yet enjoy great water at the same time, a small investment in a tap water filter is your best bet. These are relatively inexpensive these days, and easy to install. Hard water should be avoided when making tea (even if it's filtered), so you will have to make your own determination regarding the tap water you use. Hard water contains a lot of minerals, and you can tell if your water is hard by how much your soap or toothpaste froths...lots of lather action means your water is soft, and little-to-none means your water is hard.

Last but not least, always remember that water temperature is crucial to making the best cup of tea possible...never use boiling water on green or white teas! Take a look at one of my older blogs, I Know Why You Don't Like Green Tea, for more details on temperature.

The hardest water of all: bellyflops.
Image courtesy of http://keeneddie.spymac.com/goofy_stuff/bellyflop.jpg