Dr. James Moore, DOM, L.A.C. is nationally board-certified in herbology and acupuncture, specializing in Traditional Chinese Medicine.?
He will discuss natural, safe and effective methods to heal menopausal symptoms including night sweats, hot flashes, emotional changes, dryness and lowered libido. His techniques involve the use of nutrition, herbal formulas and supplements?
Gail, Bret and Kerstin successfully completed the Black Tea portion of the Specialty Tea Institute’s Certification Program.? This intensive series of courses seek to allow Tea Purveyors to expand their tea knowledge and demonstrate that knowledge via an examination at the end.
To our customers it means that you can rely on Souvia to always have up-to-date information on tea sources, processing, health benefits, and to put it to use to help you choose the right tea!
We tasted a *lot* of teas today focusing on the Sri Lankan (Ceylon) and Indian teas.? ? The Level III certification includes history, geography and chemistry.? In fact, the Sri Lanakn presentor is a chemist who drew wonderful diagram of not only the processing equipment but alsom explained the chemistry behind teas taste!? We tasted Assams, Darjeelings, Nilgiris and even a White Tea comparable to silver needle.? Amazing
We all took lots of notes on the material presented
? Every cup is meticuously analyzed as we expand our palates!
Another great day.? Bret learned about Rooibos from a South African Grower.? A class is in the works.? Kerstin studied the top 10 teas of China as well as the fabulous stories that go with…..? Gail got some great info on how to hone our customer service.
? We tasted more teas!!? Lots of exciting ones will be hitting the stores in the next few months
The 2007 World Tea Expo is off to a good start!? In this photo you can see the sprawling Georgia World Congress Building where thousands of tea enthusiasts, purveyors, and suppliers come together.? Kerstin reports that “it is a fantastic experience to be surrounded by tea lovers from around the world”. Bret sat next to the Sri Lankan Tea board President and tasted teas from all over? India.? (He was checking out the competition)
erstin learned of the changes in the Pu-Erh as prices rise driven by increased demand and that shady characters are turning up selling substandard products and cartels are forming to corner the markets.? It reads like a Sopranos episode!
Gail learned about selling to the younger set.? What they like and don’t about this “adult” beverage.? Watch for some innoative tea based drinks in Scottsdale.
We checked out some cool new products that will be making their way to a Souvia shelf near you soon.
Most of all our feet and backs and throats hurt…? we are resting up to reurn tomorrow for another full day.?
Stay tuned….
Just like wine connoisseurs, tea aficionados appreciate the differences in flavor and quality which vary from season to season and from region to region.? Other tea-drinkers prefer the consistency of a blend, such as and English Breakfast or Ceylon Blend. However we like our tea, the quality has to be evaluated. This is done by professional tea tasters in a very structured way by examining the dry and infused leaf, the color and aroma of the liquor and finally the taste of the infusion.
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To prepare the teas, the dry leaves are laid in containers in rows on the tasting bench. The taster weighs a specific amount of each tea and places it in a special small brewing vessel. Sometimes this is a lidded mug (Gaiwan) or a small porcelain teapot. The brewing vessels are always white so that the color of the infusion is easier to assess. Boiling water for black teas, and slightly cooler water for green and white teas, ? is poured over the leaves which are than allowed to steep for 3-6 minutes depending on the varietal. After the steeping, the infusion is poured into tasting bowls and the infused leave is collected on the lid of the brewing mug.? Like a wine taster, the tea taster slurps the tea into his mouth which is quite a noisy affair, but necessary because the tea needs to hit all taste buds to unfold its character.
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Tea tasters taste hundreds of samples of different teas from different estates regions and seasons every day. In fact, it takes a long time to become a professional in this art. At least five years of training are needed before becoming a tea master, however even after many decades of tasting, these tea masters will tell you that they are still learning.
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While we don’t offer tea master training, if you are interested in learning about the many nuances in aroma and flavor of orthodox teas, sign up for one of our tea classes and learn the art of cupping tea.
Dear Souvia:? How much loose tea do? I need for my teapot?
? We recommend starting with 1 measuring teaspoon for every 6 ounces of water.? Aren’t sure how much water your heirloom teapot holds?? Fill it with water and empty into a measuring cup.? ? Check the ounces and divide by 6!? Use heaping teaspoons for large leaf teas like White Silver Needle.
Dear Souvia:? Is High Tea the same as Afternoon Tea?
No!? The Afternoon Tea Tradition started in the 1800’s when Lady Bedford had an Afternoon snack prepared to tide her over until dinner.? High Tea was so-called due to the high tables it was often served on.? It was a full meal and not like anything served at a typical Tearoom.? Many people use these terms interchangeably but they are very different things.
Dear Souvia:? What is Chai??
Chai is actually a Southern Asian word for Tea not unlike the word Cha in China and Japan.? In practice, Chai is a blend of tea and spices as unique to a household as your Uncle’s secret Chili recipe.? In some cultures, Chai implies tea steeped in milk with added herbs and spices.? So, Chai defines a class of tea blends but each is unique!
Owners Kerstin and Bret Wingert missed the tea shops of Europe and has a vision to bring that experience to life in Arizona.? SouviaTM Tea located at 15414 N. 7th Street Suite #8 (Barro’s/Circle K center) provides a place to experience “the perfect cup of tea.”? Check out the website at www.souviatea.com? to learn more about SouviaTM ? and tea. The store is open Tuesday-Friday 10-7 and Saturday 10-5.
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SouviaTM Tea has Arizona’s largest selection of over 100 loose leaf teas, fruit blends, and herbals from the planet’s finest tea estates to suit every palate.? From the sublime taste of a first flush Darjeeling to the “curl up and enjoy” tastes of flavored teas like Tiramisu Mascarpone.? You’ll find old favorites like English Breakfast tea and Earl Grey.
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Let the SouviaTM Tea staff help you select the teas you love, sample something new, or enjoy a pot of tea and pastries in a comfortable and relaxing atmosphere inside the store.
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Of course, SouviaTM Tea also sells all the accessories you need from European and Asian style tea pots to Rock Sugar stir sticks.
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SouviaTM Tea holds regular tea-tastings, and workshops to provide customers with ongoing education about the health benefits, origin, quality and ceremonial use of tea.
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With a contemporary European design that reflects the natural basis of the product offered, SouviaTM ? strives to create an environment that appeals to tea drinkers of all levels.
We tasted a *lot* of teas today focusing on the Sri Lankan (Ceylon) and Indian teas.? ? The Level III certification includes history, geography and chemistry.? In fact, the Sri Lanakn presentor is a chemist who drew wonderful diagram of not only the processing equipment but alsom explained the chemistry behind teas taste!? We tasted Assams, Darjeelings, Nilgiris and even a White Tea comparable to silver needle.? Amazing
We all took lots of notes on the material presented
Every cup is meticuously analyzed as we expand our palates!
Another great day.? Bret learned about Rooibos from a South African Grower.? A class is in the works.? Kerstin studied the top 10 teas of China as well as the fabulous stories that go with…..? Gail got some great info on how to hone our customer service.
The 2007 World Tea Expo is off to a good start!? In this photo you can see the sprawling Georgia World Congress Building where thousands of tea enthusiasts, purveyors, and suppliers come together.? Kerstin reports that “it is a fantastic experience to be surrounded by tea lovers from around the world”. Bret sat next to the Sri Lankan Tea board President and tasted teas from all over? India.? (He was checking out the competition)
Just like wine connoisseurs, tea aficionados appreciate the differences in flavor and quality which vary from season to season and from region to region.? Other tea-drinkers prefer the consistency of a blend, such as and English Breakfast or Ceylon Blend. However we like our tea, the quality has to be evaluated. This is done by professional tea tasters in a very structured way by examining the dry and infused leaf, the color and aroma of the liquor and finally the taste of the infusion.
