Todays Tea  actually is yesterdays tea.?  I had a early start yesterday with MPG and was not able to even consider a tea until I was back home and preparing to go out to dinner with my husband at one of our favorite locale restaurants, Jake's Good Eats. Which by the way will be featured on Diners, Drive Ins and Dives  either this month or next.

My choice was FOXTROT- which is not listed on  the website but it soon will be. It is a house blend . The elements are combined to create a simple, palatable beverage that will aid in sleep. I choose it because the previous night I  found myself unable to sleep for  most of the night( anxiety) . I have a lot of Changes going on right now.

Several years back I embarked on a study of herbal teas. I have always had the desire to possess the knowledge to be able to put together blends of herbs that would heal. One of my favorite herbalist is Brigitte Mars,A.H.G.. Her book Healing Herbal Teas, a complete guide to making delicious, healthful Beverages, was great.  Another get book Herbal Teas-101 Nourishing Blends for Daily Health & Vitality  by Kathleen Brown and Jean Palatable was inspiring. However, what I often found when you start to blend healthy  herbals teas is the Taste. Most often there isn't anything more than  straw taste.

However, with  the introduction of Rooibos to my knowledge and it's many flavors provided by my main purveyor ,additional health and taste make many of my blends  palatable.

Foxtrot is a simple blend of Chamomile, peppermint and Rooibos. So here is the Scoop

Chamomile has a honey like flavor that is famous as a calmative, Peppermint is minty and rooibos, while often has the smell of creamulsion, the blend is delicate with only a slight hint of mint. It is smooth and light. I can drink it without a sweetener, however honey  would make this and excellent beverage.  I had a cup before dinner, which  Chamomile and peppermint are both digestive aids so there was an added benefit. When I returned home I had another cup . I went to bed and sleep all night , which does not happen because I have to empty my bladder  in the middle of the night, this is an age thing.

I will be posting additional info on each element later.

Drinks Oceans of Tea for the Health of it  and remember we encourage  heavy drinking

Welcome to day 1 of my Ships  Log / Tea of the day. The idea was inspired by the movie Julia and Julie, which I recently viewed. Yes I know it is not very original, but so what I am not known for  a lot of original ideas, just knowing when to utilize them. The name for this is original in that it came from my idea to help move our tea inventory when I managed a small tea shop in 2007 ,Two Leaves and a Bud,Inc in Concord, NC.

I suppose I should I also tell why I think so highly of this beverage called"Tea". Iced tea was served for dinner at our house, sweeten of course, however only to those of us old enough to consume it.  Although at the time I really did not know what made it not consumable to the under aged. Later I concluded it was the Caffeine. You see My mother's generation respected the affects of caffeine on the children in the family. I think they knew it would give us the ability to fly, around the house and drive her crazy. So it was that  mystery than  sparked my curiosity along with those special little, individual tea pots that my Grandmother and Mother placed at her dinner setting.

However, it was my sister who insisted that I join her on Valentine's Day 2004 at a new tea shop in Concord, NC that has launched my fascination into the realm of Tea Snob. This Tea shop, Two Leaves and a Bud, Inc was the brainchild of Molly Reese and with the financial help of her sister and brother in law Lina and Rick Gibson. More Later.

So on to what Tea will start us off. Well what better tea than what starts me off every day, Monkey Picked Golden. It is a China Black Tea. The name is associated with a time when monkeys were used to harvest tea leaves, particularly those taller plants. Obviously this practice is not used today.


This tea does not taste like what I call traditional teas. You have to know I thought there was only one "tea", Lipton. Those loose leaves were responsible for every glass, cup and pot of tea every consumed in our house and the homes of my Grandparents.

When you read the info page on this tea the opening says it all to me,"Before brewing this tea we would like to offer a warning: Prepare yourself for what may be the best cup of tea you've ever had in your life! Without word of a lie, this is truly a truly fabulous brew."

Amen. It does not have the bit on your tongue, which I believe to be what the tea world calls"astringent" . It is smooth from start to finish, thats front and back in some circles, I have also work in the wine industry. It may even have a slight , very slight hint of sweet. There might be a very light and delicate flavor of oak. It is just really, really gooood. For my family: husband, sons and daughter, this is their tea of choice as well

So after stumbling to the kitchen in the AM,I fill my tea kettle with purified water, turn it on, then fill a T-sac with 2 scoops of Monkey Picked Golden. When the water has reached a roaring boil I pour it into my 12 Oz cup, set my timer for three minutes. When the timer  goes off I pull the bag up, let the beautiful brown liquid drain completely out then discard the bag, add 2 teaspoons of raw sugar, stir and enjoy.

Here are a couple of official terms I will use:

Bright- Denotes a lively fresh tea with good keeping quality
Brisk- The most "live"characteristic.Results from good manufacturing.( I don't know if this is brisk-Lipton is 'Brisk")

All I know is I like it . When I don't have it I am not a happy camper. If anyone would like a sample let me know I will send it to you: a sample= two bags, for a 6-8 oz cup. I must let you know this stuff isn't cheap. That is probably why I love it. Here is a link Contact US

One more note. You will conclude from this that I am not a professional writer or typist. If anyone feels the need and necessity to make correction ,please by all means do I will send you some tea as a token of my gratitude.

So drink Tea for the Health of it and always remember heavy drinking is encouraged

I ran across this article today and wanted to pass it on.

http://technorati.com/lifestyle/article/dont-forsake-black-tea-in-rush/page-2/

Pu-erh will be available in a couple of weeks. Pu-erh is also called Red Tea and it tends to have and earthy flavor

Happy drinking and as was said at TLAB- "we encourage heavy drinking"

White Tea

 

What is all the fuss about GREEN tea, you would think it was the greatest thing since sliced bread. Personally I don’t care for the robust flavor of chlorophyll when I drink a beverage. Oh but it is GOOD for you. However did you know that White tea is actually higher in good stuff than Green tea?

FYI: Black, green, white and oolong tea come from the same plant, the camellia sinensis. The leaves are infused with Hot water, and produce a beverage referred to as ‘tea”.  The Primary difference is in the fermenting. As applied to camellia sinesis, "fermented” does not mean it has been turned to an alcoholic beverage. Rather the fermentation process instead refers to the enzymatic changes occurring during the process. White and Green Teas are not fermented

 

What about a little white tea fuss?

 

What Is White Tea?

 

White tea is tea made from leaves of the tea plant Camellia sinensis. The leaves are harvested while very young, and the buds are still covered in very fine, white hairs. These hairs are what give white tea its name.

While black tea is harvested and dried leaves that are fermented before being cut up, white tea is only very gently dried. Because of this careful handling, white tea buds still have the same high concentration of antioxidants as fresh tea leaves.



White tea is cultivated primarily in China, mainly in the mountainous and fertile Fujian province, where white tea has a long history. The bushes on which the white tea leaves are to be grown are the ones that are best placed with respect to sunshine and rain.

Harvesting

The best quality white tea is harvested first. The finest qualities of white tea, often called «Silver Needle», consists exclusively of the buds of tea leaves. These buds are handpicked during certain days in the spring, usually between March 15th and April 10th. By that time, the buds have reached the perfect balance between youth and maturity that gives the best-tasting tea. Only undamaged and unopened buds are used for Silver Needle. Other qualities of white tea may incorporate leaves that are no longer buds, but are still young, with the white fuzz still on them.

Processing

The leaves and buds are withered over a few hours, and then air dried. The temperature and even the air moisture are taken into consideration during the production, and the art is to get a perfect balance between solar withering and indoor withering. Like green tea, the leaves are not fermented at all. The extremely gentle and quick processing means that the buds and leaves are very close to their natural state. This allows the antioxidants in the leaves to survive intact, making white tea the best alternative for health-conscious aficionados. White tea is very rare, and can be much more expensive than other teas.

The tea

Properly brewed white tea has a pale, slightly golden color, not unlike white wine. The scent is light and fresh, and the taste is mild and silky with a subtle, sweet aftertaste. The «grassy» aftertaste of green tea is quite absent in white tea, which can be drunk until it is cold without any noticeable deterioration in taste or quality.1

 

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Oolong Tea:

• Digestion
• Antibacterial
• Heart
• Lower cholesteraol
• Slimming
• Combats Fatigue
• Prevent Cancer
• Longevity/antiaging
• Anti Oxidant

Green Tea:

• Digestion Slimming
• Anti Bacterial
• Cancer Prevention
• Heart
• Anti Aging
• Prevention of Osteoprosis

White Tea:

• Digestion
• Anti Bacterial
• Antioxidant
• Longevity/anti aging

In and article from Natural Health, Green tea boost your metabolism mainly because it contains a compound called catechin a class of antioxidant which has been associated with an increased metabolism and the  ability to stimulate fat burning. Basis,a published study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2005.

Natural Health Magazine,July/August 2008 issue 6 Herbs For Weight Loss by Darlyn Eller,

Indigo Tea Market recommends:

Often Green tea taste likes grass clippings. This naturally makes potential green consummer to say No Way. This is how I am. It was because of my time spent in a tea room, stocking over 150 Teas and a wide variety of Green teas, that I came to find Green Teas that don't make me scream Yuk!

Indigo Tea Market suggest the following:


Jasmine with Flowers - shop.indigoteamarket.com/product.sc?categoryId=5&productId=30

Crime of Passion - -http://shop.indigoteamarket.com/product.sc?categoryId=5&productId=15

Long Island Strawberry - http://shop.indigoteamarket.com/product.sc?categoryId=5&productId=16

Internet info site www.healthday.com reports "

Green Tea Antioxidant May Help Prevent Alzheimer's
The science looks hopeful, but it's still too early to make a dietary recommendation, experts say

By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, May 30 (HealthDay News) -- An antioxidant found in green tea appears to prevent the development of amyloid fibrils, a toxic protein associated with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, a new study finds. Amyloid plaque is commonly seen in the brains of Alzheimer's patients and appears to disrupt the function of cells. Strategies to prevent the development of amyloid plaque are one avenue being explored in the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's. For the complete article

http://www.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=615980

Read about the history of tea: http://jollygoodtea.com/DetailsTeaInformaton/DetHistory.htm

I recently read an article about hypothyroidism in menopausal women who are struggling with weight gain, fatigue, poor concentration, hair loss, even depression — and they want answers about how to feel better. http://www.womentowomen.com/hypothyroidism/thyroidandmenopause.aspx

Nutrient-rich foods to replenish thyroid health

o   Iodine (I): seaweed (e.g., nori), clams, shrimp, haddock, oysters, salmon, sardines, pineapple, eggs.

o   Selenium (Se): smoked herring, smelt, wheat germ, Brazil nuts (just one nut provides ~139 mcg), apple cider vinegar, scallops, barley, lobster.

o   Zinc (Zn): fresh oysters, ginger root, pecans, dry split peas, Brazil nuts, egg yolk, whole wheat, rye, oats, and peanuts.

o   Vitamin E: wheat germ oil, olive oil, sunflower seeds, almonds, peanuts.

o   Vitamin A: dark green leafy veggies, liver, winter squash, cantaloupe, stone fruits, papaya, and cod liver oil.

o   B vitamin complex: brewer’s yeast, wild rice, brown rice, whole wheat, beans, peanuts.

o   Vitamin C: Red chili, guava, parsley, dark green leafy veggies, strawberries, papaya, citrus fruits.*

Please if you think that your thyroid might be your problem consult your health care professional and have it checked.

 

 

Tea for thyroid health might include” basil, oregano, rosemary and spearmint. All of these contain rosmarinic Acid, a compound that may raise levels of thyroid hormone when they’re low. It has already been shown to reduce hormone levels when they are high.”  The Green Pharmacy and Anti-aging Prescriptions by James A Duke, Ph.D.

 

Spearmint Tea is a good source of Vitamins A and C, and a minor Source of B complex, calcium, sulphur, iron, iodine, magnesium and potassium.  So Drink tea for the health of it.

    Some people consider the words"infusion " and "tisane" to be synonymous, while others attribute slightly different  meaning to each. The word "tisane" is derived from Greek meaning barley water. Later, "tisane" came to denote a noncaffeinated herbal tea, rather than a caffeine-containing tea. Some consider a tisane to be a tea made from fresh rather than dried plant material. However defined , a "tisane" is , indeed an herbal infusion enjoyed for its therapeutic effects.

    An infusions is result of a  process of  bringing cold water to a boil and being pouring over dried tea leaves, herbs or fruit ,then allowed to steep anywhere from 3-10 minutes.