Of New Arrivals and Happiness

"You can't buy happiness but you can buy tea and that's kind of the same thing."

Yesterday almost felt like Christmas.  It always feels like that when the new tea order arrives.  It's really very difficult to comprehend but there are few things and far in between that could arrive by mail that will make me as happy as when I find a tea in my mailbox.

Why is it?  What does tea represent that make me feel this way?  

Is it comfort, that homey feeling when you sit with a hot cup of tea in front of the roaring fire on a cold winter morning?  

Or maybe it's when you're curled up on the couch in your pyjamas with a good book and a biscuit on a dark wintery afternoon while the snow storm rages outside.

Whatever it is when the tea order arrives it evokes all those feelings and more.

That's exactly how I felt yesterday when my David's Tea order arrived.  Inside was Coconut Oolong (goodness gracious I thought I will never see it again), black tea blend Brazillionaire and and green tea Dragonwell.  In addition there were three free samples that David's Tea always includes with every order.  This time I got herbal Midsummer Night's Dream, herbal Forever Nuts and Rooibos de Provence.

Over the next few days I'll be busy trying out these new teas.  My taste buds can't wait!

Cheers

Of Big Packages and Pretty Tea

Ohhhhh yes!! Another week and another order arrived on my doorstep today.  This package was bigger than usual as I ordered three varieties of tea and a silver tin.

I stuck a flower in the picture to show my love :)

The package included my beloved Dragonwell, Japanese Sencha and Creme Brule.  I just can't wait to try Creme Brule.  It's a mix of red and green rooibos with added safflowers, calendula and natural flavoring.  The label claims it to be organic... Hopefully. :)

I didn't know what calendula was so I googled it.  It is a variety of marigold in the daisy family Asteraceae, native to area from Macaronesia east through the Mediterranean to Iran.  It is said to be anti-inflammatory and anti-viral.  The petals are edible and can be used in salads, to color cheese or as a replacement for saffron.  Apparently, they can also be used in my tea. :)

Orange Calendula

I couldn't resist and opened the package of Creme Brule to sneak a peak... Beautiful aroma and very pretty looking tea.  Look at all the colorful flowers in there!  If I'm not mistaken, the yellow ones are from calendula  (which can also be yellow) and the red ones are safflowers.

My package as usual, besides the ordered tea, included three complimentary samples... the mystery tea...the present within a present. Today I got:

1. Orange Pekoe (Fine black tea from Sri Lanka and Assam, India)
2. The Skinny (Oolong tea, pu'erh tea, ginger, ginseng, orange peel and natural flavoring)
3. Coco Chai Rooibos: (Rooibos, coconut, cinnamon, ginger root, cardamom, red pepper, cloves, pink peppercorns, artificial and natural flavoring)

All of the above I already got before which is a bummer because I love trying new teas, but if I remember correctly The Skinny was pretty good and it's all natural.  Coco Chai was delish as well but I'm not crazy about the artificial flavoring.

There is another order on the way, somewhere between Minnesota and here.  It's pu'erh from Verdant Tea and I can't wait to get my hands on it.  Straight pu'erh tea is such a mystery to me, everything I heard about it makes me want to try it even more.  Hopefully it arrives soon.

Cheers!!!

The History of Tea: The Invention

The history of tea is long and complex, spreading across multiple cultures over the span of thousands of years.  Although tales exist in regards to the beginnings of tea being used as a beverage, no one is sure of its exact physical and cultural origins. - Wikipedia

All different types of tea except for rooibos, come from the same plant Camellia Sinensis which is said to have originated in Southeast Asia and more specifically somewhere near northeast India, north Burma, southwest China and Tibet.  From there the plant was introduced to more than 52 countries.

Few people know that tea is a second most popular beverage on earth, surpassed only by water. It is a very important part of the culture in many countries.

In China for example, according to Chinese saying, tea is one of seven basic daily necessities which are: firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar and tea.  There are also tea houses in most Chinese neighbourhoods and business districts offering many varieties of hot and cold tea beverages and tea friendly snacks.

In Japan there is a cultural activity called Japanese Tea Ceremony or The Way of Tea that involves ceremonial preparation and presentation of Matcha, the Japanese green powdered tea.

In Great Britain and Ireland, tea is not only a name for the beverage but also a name for the meal.

As we can see, tea has swept the world but the question is: where did it come from, when was it discovered and how?

Shen Nong - Unidentified artist, 1800s, Japan

The legend has it that the tea was discovered by accident by the Chinese Emperor Shen Nong in 2737 B.C.

Shen Nong was a scientist and inventor of Chinese medicine as well as agriculture.  He was of firm belief that  water should be boiled before drinking.  One day the Emperor and his servants were travelling when they decided to take a rest.  As servants began boiling water for their ruler, some dried leaves of nearby Camellia Sinensis bush fell into the boiling water changing the color and the taste slightly.  The Emperor took a sip and was pleasantly surprised by the aroma and taste of the resulting concoction.  He also noticed that he felt somewhat refreshed and reinvigorated.  He then proclaimed that this drink is good for health and hence the tea was invented, although at first it was considered a medicinal beverage.  It wasn't until around 3rd century A.D. that tea became an everyday drink in China.

And as to the rest of the world?

Around 12th century Japanese Buddhist monk brought the tea to Japan where the tea ceremony emerged years later.  The tea was introduced to Europe at the start of 17th century and it was around 1650 when the tea was brought by the merchants to New York from where it spread through the rest of the nation.

Cheers!!

Coco Chai Rooibos by DAVIDsTEA

This tea arrived at my doorstep as a sample included with my latest DAVIDsTEA order.  Since I've never had rooibos before, I was excited to try it.

Let's have us a cuppa!

Out of the drawer the scissors go, the package is snipped open and first whiff is inhaled.  The tea smells delicious which is a no particular surprise after noting the ingredients listed in the sample.  The aroma is sweet, I detect cinnamon and a little coconut.  It looks interesting too.  I love the added visual touch of red peppercorns, they just look adorable in there.  They are actually called pink peppercorns but they look definitely red to me.

I brew this tea according to the instructions on the packet.  The aroma now fills the kitchen, it's sweet and spicy, I'm loving it.

As I take the first sip my socks are being knocked off.  This stuff is amazing!  It's smooth and slightly sweet with no astringency, only pure and gentle love.  The coconut has now taken a back seat and what I really taste is apples and cinnamon, and let me tell you, I love apples and cinnamon.  The fact that rooibos is naturally caffeine free it's an added bonus.  I can drink this concoction and not worry about climbing the walls! Awesome!

The color is very pleasing to my eye, deep orange red and it tastes as good as it looks.

The only problem I find with this tea is that among listed ingredients there is also artificial flavoring.  I don't mean to be a pain in the behind but I tend to exclude anything made with artificial flavoring from my food and drink list.  This tea will be no exception but I am so impressed with the aroma and taste that I will look for something similar to this in the organic and all natural department.

Oh yes, I'm inspired to do one more thing.  Find me a jar of pink peppercorns.  Until today I didn't know about their existence and now I want these little guys.

Ingredients: Rooibos, coconut, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves, pink peppercorns, natural and artificial flavouring

Brewing temperature: Boiling

Brewing time: 7 minutes

Brewed in: Chinese blue and white ceramic teapot

Cheers!!