Assam Tarajulie

Tarajulie is a beautiful estate that lies in the shadows of the Himalayan mountains on the Bramaputra River plain. On a clear day the majestic mountains are visible on the northern horizon. The estate was purchased by the George Williamson Group of companies in the mid 1980’s and they have maintained the high standards that this estate was known for. The estate produces only orthodox manufactured tea. From time to time on the estate they contend with wild elephants and the occasional tiger. Not too many years ago intrusions by wild animals were not welcomed. Today however, these ‘visits’ are not seen in the same light. In fact Tarajulie has maintained some of the forested areas on the estate to provide cover for these endangered animals. 

You might ask - What gives Assam tea its special characteristics? The Assam valley is dominated by the Brahmaputra River - a large slowly meandering river which over millennia of spring and fall flooding has deposited a rich loam over the valley. The soil is a deep and sandy and the region suffers a very hot and steamy monsoon season, but equally important a relatively dry and cool winter. Perfect conditions for the Assam tea bush. This area is also susceptible to earthquakes which can make the ground swallow up whole tea bushes but this does not affect the unmistakable rich taste of Tarajulie FBOP.


This week Assam Tarajulie is our featured tea and is discounted 20%. Leave your comment about the tea and get a free 4 oz bag! Expires: 1/25/2011

Tea of the Week English Breakfast

We have a winner for 4 ounces of Assam Tarajulie and it's Kevin! Sending you off an email to get your snail mail addy tomorrow. This week we have one of the all time favorites English Breakfast Tea. Leave a comment to win 4 ounces! Don't forget it's also 20% off at the store. We also have a 10% off coupon on everything!

English Breakfast Tea was actually invented in Edinburgh, Scotland. A tea master (Drysdale) came up with the idea of marketing his blend as "Breakfast Tea". The concept soon spread to England where tea was very popular. Tea houses in London began adding "English" to the name and the tea became and remains one of the most popular teas in England. It is a robust, full-bodied beverage with light floral undertones (coppery). When blended with milk, it's aroma is similar to warm toast and honey.

Have a great week!

Tea of the Week: Black Current

Congrats to last weeks winner of 4 ounces of Holiday Winter tea polwanacracker! Please email your snail mail address to me at denise@culinaryteas.com. This weeks tea is Black Current and don't forget it's 20% off.

Black Currant is also known as Cassis. It is both a propagated and wild grown berry which some claim originated in France. Cassis is a very popular beverage throughout Europe, known for being aromatic in smell and in taste. This particular aspect of Black Currant is very evident on this tea. Black Currant gained notoriety in 1712 for its beneficial properties, which were published by the Abbot Bailly inferring that Black Currant was indeed an aphrodisiac and should be consumed with great care.

Black currants were once popular in the United States, but became extremely rare in the 20th century after currant farming was banned in the early 1900s when blackcurrants, as a vector of white pine blister rust, were considered a threat to the U.S. logging industry. The federal ban on growing currants was shifted to individual states' jurisdiction in 1966, and was lifted in New York State in 2003 through the efforts of horticulturist Greg Quinn. As a result, currant growing is making a comeback in New York, Vermont, Connecticut and Oregon. However, several statewide bans still exist including Maine,Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. Since the federal ban ceased currant production anywhere in the U.S., the fruit is not well-known and has yet to reach the popularity that it had in 19th century United States or that it currently has in Europe. Since blackcurrants are a strong source of antioxidants and vitamins, awareness and popularity are once again growing, with a number of consumer products entering the market.

My supplier notes the bulk teabags are selling like hotcakes this year! I wanted to let you know the Cream Earl Grey, Elderberry and Wild Blackberry bulk teabags are back in stock. Also I've added Caramel Cream Rooibos and Chai Rooibos back to the website, they are from a different vendor but just as good as I had before.

Things are going great here at Culinary Teas! I'm starting to stock up on teas for the Holiday season and looking at new products to add. Speaking of that, check out the new Electric Travel Mug we added today. It has a USB and DC adapter great for the car and work! I know I'm grabbing one for my desk...now just to pick a color!

On the home front, leaves and more leaves! We've been raking all week, the trees are finally bare. Hubby says we will be winterizing and putting everything away this coming weekend. I actually had ice on my windshield this morning, I must remember to start the car and warm her up! Have a great week!!!

Tea of the Week: Holiday Winter

No winner for last week, Candie and I just plain lost track of time! You can tell the weather has turned cooler, we are getting much busier (yah)! This weeks tea is Holiday Winter (a flavored black tea). We've carried it in tea bags for years and our supplier finally came out with a loose tea version. It's wonderfully sweet and spicy; and at 20% off this week! Remeber to leave a comment to win a 4 ounce bag.

We've also put our popular Taste of Fall Sampler on sale this week, 10% off. Get yours while we have all the teas in stock!
It's finally dry enough for harvesting, big old farm machinery everywhere on the roads this week. Saw my dad out in the fields twice on my way to work, he's 75 and still loves doing it! I love this time of year, made a large pot of chili last night. Pretty soon we'll be able to light up the fireplace again. We have a lot less leaves to clean up this year, since the big maple in our yard fell on the house and car this summer...but I'm sure the neighbors leaves will still blow in the yard. Candie is bringing me in some winter squash this week, I haven't had any good squash in years. Everyone have a great week!

Tea of the Week - Sencha Decaf (again :))

Congrats to Beverly for winning last weeks Sencha Decaf! Because I've been under the weather this week and the Sencha Decaf went really well last week, it's still Tea of the Week. Look for some close-out and new items to start coming next week.

Tea of the Week: Blackberry Green Tea

Congrats to karma_k who won last weeks Huckleberry Tea! I need you to get a hold of me so I can get your address. Karma_k found me on twitter and you can too, just twitter @culinaryteas. I want to thank Karen R. for her kind words about the blog. Kevin you can win the contest once a month. This weeks tea is Blackberry Green Tea.

Usually prickly, fruit-bearing bush of the genus Rubus, in the rose family, native chiefly to northern temperate regions. The blackberry is abundant in eastern North America and on the Pacific coast; in Europe it is common in thickets and hedges. Oregon is the leading blackberry producer in the world. Its usually biennial prickly, and erect, semierect, or trailing stems bear leaves with usually three or five oval, coarsely toothed, stalked leaflets; white, pink, or red flowers in terminal clusters; and black or red-purple aggregate fruits. Blackberries are a fairly good source of iron and vitamin C.

This tea has a Japanese Sencha base, most commercial green teas have a Chinese tea base. If you've never tried a Sencha tea this would be a great introduction. And lets not forget tea is a healthy alternative to some other summer time drinks. I'm still amazed how many people I talk to that don't know the right way to brew green tea. Do not boil your water! Heat your water to the point you see the tiny bubbles and you will have an excellent cuppa. For ice tea I use an ice tea maker I picked up from WalMart and it's perfect for making green tea, I get three quarts in about five minutes. And another method is refrigerator tea, put tea and leaves in pitcher leave in fridge overnight, strain leaves and it's ready to drink. Wow, I'm a little long-winded today.

Hubby is on vacation this week, so I'm home working today. Drinking a cuppa Queens Oolong at the computer with the dogs sleeping at my feet. Hubby and brother-in-law are putting a new roof on the part of the house the tree fell on a few weeks back. I get to take my smooshed car in to get fixed later today. Ethan is at his dads house until tomorrow, so I'm enjoying a couple of kid free days! Yippee!!! Everyone have a great week!

Tea of the Week: Mango (naturally flavored black tea)

I want to congratulate Katrina for winning 4 ounces of Canadian Ice Wine Tea! I will be emailing you today to get your snail mail address. To win 4 ounces of Mango Tea leave a comment on this post! If you would like to learn more about this tea, click on the link.

Mangos originated in Southeast Asia and India, where references to the fruit are documented in Hindu writings dating back to 4000 B.C. Buddhist monks cultivated the fruit and in fact, the mango is considered to be a sacred fruit in the region because it is said that Buddha himself meditated under a mango tree. The mango belongs to the same family as the cashew and the pistachio nut.

Mango seeds traveled with humans from Asia to the Middle East, East Africa and South America beginning around 300 or 400 A.D. Mango trees need a tropical climate to thrive, and today a majority of the mangos sold in the U.S. are grown near the equator in countries like Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Guatemala and Haiti.

The fruitiness of the mango blends well with the black tea resulting in a cup that is refreshing iced or hot. Here is a great recipe to try! This has gone over great at some of our family gatherings.

Ingredients
1 1/2 quarts cold water
6 heaping teaspoons Mango Tea or 6 teabags
Sugar
1/4 cup mint leaves
Thinly sliced mango
Directions
Bring water to a boil, put tea leaves in an infuser or tea sac and steep until tea is dark, about 5 minutes. Remove tea. Add sugar to taste and stir until sugar is dissolved. Place in pitcher and add mint leaves. Pour over ice and garnish with mango slices.

Hope everyone had a great week! Our new babysitter is working out great, Kaitlyn is 12 and lives across the street...this is her first sitting job away from home. Ethan is thrilled she plays video games with him and is helping on his reading this summer. I don't know what the weather is like where you live but it's been a pretty cool summer here so far. There's been a black lab puppy mix running the neighborhood for a couple of days and Ethan found him yesterday, made for an interesting afternoon. He got along great with our dogs and you know what comes next....of course Ethan wants to keep him. We were very lucky though the neighbors son came and got him for their kids, they live in the country and the puppy will have a very good home. Have a great week!

Tea of the Week: Strawberry Tingle Rooibos

First I want to announce last weeks winner of a 4 ounce bag of Orange Pekoe! Kevin (k3jane@excite.com), Kevin please email me at customerservice@culinaryteas.com with your snail mail address. I also want to thank Candie for filling in for me last week, I had an awful flu. I'm still sounding a little froggy but am great otherwise.

New Tea of the Week is Strawberry Tingle Rooibos. If you have kids that don't like regular tea this is a great one to try on them. Not only is it extremely fruity, it's naturally caffeine free. Makes an excellent iced tea also! For more information on the health benefits of this tea, click the 'More about this tea' link on the website or here.

If you would like to win a free 4 ounce bag of out Strawberry Tingle Rooibos Tea just leave a comment on this post.

Here is picture of the actual Rooibos bush.

I hope everyone had a great weekend! We got the pool up, grandkids been in but I will be waiting until the water warms up! We spent most of the weekend just enjoying being out in the yard, the dogs were having fun barking at all the people walking down the road. And I actually got a little knitting in.

Tea of the Week - Blue Lady

Looks like the blog is up and running again, we will be having our drawing this week after all! To last weeks winner (Kelly) you need to call me, seems like my emails are not getting to you.

Since we're gearing up for Mothers Day, I thought Blue Lady would be an awesome Tea of the Week. Please leave your first name and email in the comments for Mondays drawing for the contest, a free 4 oz bag!

Of all the recorded ghost sightings in North America, more people report seeing a blue lady than any other apparition. Often appearing only for brief moments these spirits materialize, show their hauntingly beautiful forms, then disappear. We’ve named this blended tea in honor of this representative of the spirit world because of its hauntingly sweet flavor. Passion fruit, grapefruit, orange, and grenadine all mix together to create a citrus flavor that is almost as delicate as the ghostly shadows of the spirits. The sweetness of the citrus mélange blends perfectly with the astringency of our high grown Ceylon tea. Brew yourself a pot, pour it hot, or over a glass full of ice and prepare to be mesmerized.

I think this is the perfect blend for this wonderful spring weather we've been having! Pair this with our new Raffles Collection porcelain (20% off this week) for your special Mothers Day tea.

Do you have a special Mothers Day tradition? I will be out planting flowers and sprucing up the deck for summer. I've been looking at a solar fountain for the deck (hint, hint hubby).

Tea to Soothe All Woes

I absolutely hate it when my kids go back to school because they bring home every sickness known to man and of course I catch it all. Today I have a scratchy throat and that weird warm feeling like your under a non-existent sun lamp. Time to pull out my favorite "feeling under-the-weather tea" Hojicha. I don't care if it is the flu or a hang-over this tea soothes my stomach and head better than all others. The best part maybe that I cannot make a mistake while brewing this tea and make it taste bad. You can brew it at any temp for any time period and still still tastes wonderful. What is Hojicha? It is Japanese tea made by roasting green tea. The flavor is very toasty and mellow. If you like green teas but would be willing to try something new I suggest giving this one a try.

Calm During the Storm

When things get really hectic a hot cup of tea is such a soothing balm for my nerves. The rocky economy effects us all in one way or another. Sitting there mulling over your budget is much less nerve racking when you have that cup of tea to sip and hold. At least it is for me. Sure it doesn't magically make everything better but for me it helps me keep a level head get through the ordeal. When I hear about deaths or sickness in my family the first thing I do is send tea and a card because I think the tea provides comfort. If someone you know is having a hard time right now, invite them over for a cup of tea and conversation. You will be amazed how much that person will appreciate it.