Monthly Archives: February 2011

You drink it every day, but how does all that wonderful tea go from the gardens into a tea sachet?  With its incredible variety of tastes, textures and aromas that come from all over the world, you might think that there are a wide variety of tea plants that produce different sorts of tea. The reality, however, is actually quite the contrary—similar to wine, tea comes from one plant, camellia sinensis.   The region, terrain and climate where camellia sinensis grows, along with different processing methods, is actually what lends tea its incredible variety.  With that in mind let’s explore how tea actually makes it from the garden into your cup. To start, let’s walk through how a black tea is processed and made.  From there, we’ll point out minor differences that take place in the processing of green and white … Continue reading →

“Tamayo…what?” That’s many tea drinkers’ reaction when first seeing our delicious, prized Organic Tamayokucha (pronounced “tammy-o-koo-cha”) green tea.  However, after one sip of this smooth, creamy, vegetal green tea, pronunciation issues are put aside, replaced by simple enjoyment. But if you’re an ardent Tamayokucha lover and still can’t figure out how to pronounce it, feel free to adopt our office pet name for the tea: just call it Tammy! The Story of Tamayokucha Two leaves and a bud CEO Richard Rosenfeld was travelling in Japan, exploring green teas.  He had tasted dozens, but one stood out from the pack: tamaryokucha.  Translating literally from Japanese as “rolled green tea”, the moment Richard tasted tamaryokucha, he wanted to make it a part of the two leaves and a bud family. The Japanese tea masters, however, told him no: “They said it was … Continue reading →

May you always have walls for the winds, a roof for the rain, tea beside the fire, laughter to cheer you, those you love near you, and all your heart might desire. ~Irish Blessing This St. Patrick’s Day, if you truly want to feel a bit o’ the Irish, set down your pint of Guinness and raise a “cupán tae” (“cup of tea” in Gaelic) to your lips instead. Somewhat surprisingly, Ireland is the largest tea consumer, per capita, of any country in the world. Their favorite brew is Irish breakfast tea, a strong blend of Assam and Ceylon teas, and is traditionally served with milk. And while they may call it Irish Breakfast, their tea of choice isn’t only served at breakfast. It is said that in every Irish household a pot of tea is brewing from morning until … Continue reading →

“Who would think of mixing cocktails using tea?” I heard that a lot starting out on this story. Turns out, quite a few.  Some might even call it, trendy. The seemingly inconsistent idea of blending therapeutic teas with spirits that stir (more than just cocktails) is taking off! Of course, mixologists in Brooklyn have been combining various spirits with ancient leafy blends for years, now.  But they set the hipness for the rest of the nation.  Hadn’t realized the rest of the country had caught on, too. If you think about it, blending the two makes perfect sense.  Both cocktail hour and high tea are afternoon pleasures enjoyed by those who know the art of taking time out.  Why not try the grand idea of mixing them together? After all, coffee liqueur has been a regular thing for coffee lovers … Continue reading →

So you want to pull off a romantic Valentine’s Day for your sweetheart. Did you know that people often complain V-Day is among the least romantic days of the year? I know… hard to believe. Chocolates and roses… well they don’t exactly say, “I’m paying attention to your every unique desire.” Why not treat your honey to something more personal? Here’s a suggestion to give a gift more closely aligned with your sweetie’s discriminating tastes. Go down to the nearest natural foods store and look for a locally made jar of honey. (Hopefully you’ll find one of those adorably cute bear-shaped bottles than can be repurposed to hold dish soap—ding, ding, ding, more bonus points for creativity! Honey for your honey….) Next, stroll over to the tea aisle. Pick up a perfect accouterment to honey. What better way to set … Continue reading →