During the month of March we are promoting our herbals. There are many ways these can be used outside of making delicious infusions since their medicinal properties can be utilized in various ways from lotions, poultices, tinctures to steams, essential oils and hydro-sols.

Since it has been so incredibly dry these past few weeks, my skin has been flaky, ichy and just uncomfortable. Arizona winters are hard on the skin. Flipping through my herb litarture, I found a recipe for a toner that truly calms and soothes dry,chapped or even sunburned skin. It is so easy and inexpensive to make – and it really works!

Take 4 tsp of lemon balm and 6 tsp chamomile flowers.

Add these to 2 cups of boiling water, remove from heat and let the herbals steep until the water has cooled off. Strain the herbs and pour the liquid through a clean container.

Apply the toner to your skin with a clean cotton pad, or fill the toner into a spray bottle and carry it conveniently in your purse to use it whenever you need to.

It’s as simple as that – go try it yourself!

After the recent recall of contaminated spinach and now the appearance of radioactivity in Tokyo’s water supplies, Japan’s exports have been scrutinized and tea drinkers are worried whether or not it is safe to drink Japanese teas.

There is a lot of information out in the media and sometimes it is difficult to separate the truth from hype and fiction. The suppliers I work with, and who are in direct contact with Japanese tea growers, assured that there was no reason to be concerned at the present time. Dan Bolton, editor for the World Tea News also explained in a recent article that only less than 1000 tons of tea are grown in these particular areas and that no contamination has been reported at this time. The major tea growing regions, like,  are beyond the 200 km zone where unacceptable levels of fallout have been reported.

As for right now there really is no need to worry. The spring tea harvest has not even started and the tea currently available in  retail stores here in the U.S. and other countries is part of the 2010 harvest.  

There is no doubt, though, that consumers will be more inquisitive and careful about Japanese food products – tea included.  included. Our advice is: know your tea vendor and be sure that he/she can answer your questions and address your concerns!

Yes there is such a thing – and March is the month when we draw our attention to the good, bad and ugly of caffeine.

In my previous blog, I wrote about the pros and cons of caffeine, where it is found , the level of caffeine in different tea varietals and how it is removed.

Today, I want to focus a bit more on the alternatives if you have to or want to abstain from caffeine completely. As mentioned before, decaffinated tea still contains about 5mg of caffeine per 6oz cup and might not be the best choice if you want to go completely “without”.

There are many options among herbals though and some are quite delicious and might make the transition easier. Most herbals (tisanes) are caffeine free, but rich in vitamins, minerals and polyphenols. They can be used individually, like peppermint, chamomile and lavender, or blended for a unique taste experience. They can be enjoyed hot or over ice on a summer day.

My favorite iced tea blends are

Hibiscus/Mint – A refreshing blend that keeps your mind alert and your blood pressure in  check. Take 1 part mint and 1/2 part hibiscus and steep in 210F water for 5-8 minutes.  Sweeten with stevia, agave syrup or honey since the hibiscus is  a bit tart and pour over ice.

Nettle, Lavender Chamomile – this is my favorite way to end the day! Nettle is a very nutritive herb, rich in calcium and also known for its cleansing properties.  Both, lavender and chamomile are herbs that have a soothing effect on your nervous system – just perfect to wind down after a busy day. If you feel especially experimental or like the floral note, throw in a few rose petals as well. It’s makes for a beautiful aroma and flavor. I use 1part nettle, 1/2 part chamomile, 1/2 part lavender and rose petals to your liking.

Celebrate Caffeine Awareness Month with us at Souvia!

With a name like “gunpowder” you know you are getting a lot of “bang” for your bucks! Joke aside, though, Gunpowder is a very popular green tea from the Zheijiang province in China.

The Chinese name for Gunpowder is “zhucha” (pearl tea), a reference to its pellet-like shape. Perhaps the tea’s green-grey color and large, irregular “grains” reminded traveling tea drinkers of gunpowder pellets used for canons. The processing method was initially developed  as a way of keeping green tea fresh for a longer period of time.

Today, gunpowder is a favorite in North Africa and the Middle East, where it is frequently mixed with mint and sugar to produce Moroccan mint tea blends.

Brewed gunpowder has a toasty, vegetal, slightly sweet taste to accompany its yellow-green liquor. It has a full body and hearty flavor and makes a delicious afternoon tea.

Be sure to brew Gunpowder tea loose in your cup so you can watch the leaves gracefully unfurl in the water.

Gunpowder is particularly popular with our male customers – could it be the name???

By now everybody had their fill on Nutcracker Suite, Pumpkin Pie and even Holiday Delight did not sound too delightful any longer. With the sunshine and warmer temperatures, most taste buds crave something a bit lighter and more refreshing. I have spent many hours over cupping sets these past three months and tasted about 150 teas to find those that would WOW  our sophis-tea-cated Souvia  fans! The result: Sixteen wonderful new teas with flavors and characters that will entice just about any palate.

• After only one week of rolling out our spring selection, Pacific Rim has already risen to the top – a blend of black and green tea with juicy pineapple, papaya and kiwi flavor it is an unforgettable taste sensation.
• For those adventurous tea drinkers, I found a wonderful black tea from China, called Kublai Kahn. It combines the smokey flavor typical for yunnan teas with the brightness of  white teas since many silver tips have been added to the blend – a must try!
• How about a little Spring Fling - oh no – this one is really harmless – doesn’t even have caffeine! Don’t let that fool you though – it bursts with flavors of orange and lemon and eucalyptus adds cooling note to the mix. Hot or cold, I promise this fling will quickly turn into an affair!

If reading these descriptions make your mouth water, then wait until you smell and taste these new teas…..don’t wait…come in for a taste of spring!

See you soon,

Kerstin

My last blog was about jasmine teas and as I was sitting there sipping a cup of  jasmine downey perls, I wondered, how else I could make use of this wonderfully fragrant tea.

I found a recipe for breakfast scones that turned out to be easy enough and  incredibly delicious. You will wow your  family and friends with these delicious scones:

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups buttermilk, 1tsp vanilla

1tbsp loose-leaf jasmine tea leaves

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup white  whole wheat flour

3 tbsp packed light brown sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp fine sea salt

5tsp chilled unsalted butter

1 tbsp granulated sugar

 Put the tea leaves, vanilla and buttermilk in a small saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat until just beginning to boil. Remove from heat and let steep about 5-10 minutes. (do not strain)

Preheat oven to 400F; line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with vegetable cooking oil.

In a large mixing bowl, combine both flours, the brown sugar, baking powder and salt – mix well. Add the butter and mix with an electric mixer on medium-high speed.

Pour the buttermilk-tea mixture into a blender and blend into a uniform texture. Strain the buttermilk into a glass measuring cup and add the tea leaves to the butter-flour mix. Measure out 2/3 cup of the remaining buttermilk and add it to the bowl. Mix on low speed.

Divide the dough into 2 disks and place ona lightly floured  surface. Pat each disk into a circle about 6 inches. Cut each  circle into 6 wedges and transfer to the prepared baking sheet, placing them about 1-2 inches apart.

Lightly brush the surface of each scone  with the left over buttermilk and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake for 14-16 minutes at 400F.

I love these straight out of the oven, when they are still warm and of course enjoy them with a lovely cup of Jasmine Perls!

The Chinese were the first to add a little more flavor to their teas by scenting them with flowers. Scented teas differ from flavored teas in that nothing other then the scenting agent (flowers, spices) is added and the process is much more cumbersome.

One of the most popular scented teas is Jasmine, a delicate flower that is predominantly combined with green or white teas. Most jasmine-scented teas come from several provinces in southeastern China, although Taiwan also makes excellent jasmine teas.

How does the Scent get into the Tea?

Jasmine teas take a long time to produce since the tea is picked and manufactured in the spring. They are then carefully stored until the jasmine flowers bloom in late summer. For premium jasmine teas the tea and flowers are layered and left overnight so that the tea leaves can absorb the essential oils of the jasmine flower. The next morning the jasmine flowers are removed and the process is repeated as many times as it takes to create a superb quality tea.

The overall quality of the finished tea is determined by the quality of the green tea, the amount of jasmine flowers left in the final blend (the fewer flowers, the more premium the tea) and the scent transfer of the flower s to the tea.

The result of this careful processing is a light, aromatic and sweetly soothing tea with a golden green liquor. It is important to note that aromatic does not mean “perfumy”. (which is often a sign of lower-quality jasmine tea).

Jasmine teas are best taken without milk and are an excellent choice after meals, with desserts or on its own!