That costs how much?! For most of us, the price tag influences many of our buying decisions. Beyond just affordability, we know just how much we're willing to spend for any given object, food, or experience. Sometimes we're swayed subconsciously. For example, if the price seems too low, we may deem the item of poor … Continue reading Does the Price of Tea Predict Its Quality?
Out of curiosity, my daughter and I picked up a bag of kankaliba tea leaves awhile back. We had never heard of this herbal tea so we had to look into it! The Plant Although the package specifies "kankaliba," the plant is also commonly spelled "kinkaliba" or "kinkeliba," and is seh-haw in the Wolof language. … Continue reading Kankaliba Herbal Tea from Western Africa
This intriguing tea has been sitting around our office for a really long time. It may have even improved with age, but who would want to disassemble such an expertly wrapped pressed tea?! The plastic bag that housed it was labeled Phongsali Lao tea, which got me started. Phongsali Prefecture lies in northern Laos—and contains … Continue reading Phongsali Lao Tea Cigar
Anything that contains dragon fruit evokes places far from Michigan. A distant shore, where warm salty waves lap white sand, overseen by graceful palm trees. Somewhere neither gray nor dreary. Pomegranate dragon fruit is a tea that can transport. With its sweet and fruity aroma, I can envision the sun's warmth. The Tea This green … Continue reading A Tea That Whispers of Warm Climes: Pomegranate Dragon Fruit
Tea should be fun, and even though I'm generally not a fan of foods/beverages pretending to be something else, I have to say that Creamsicle tea is surprisingly like its namesake—you know, the summer treat with orange sherbet wrapped around vanilla ice cream—and surprisingly delicious, especially iced. In this case, I'm talking about a rooibos … Continue reading Creamsicle Rooibos Inspires a Look at Frozen Treats
Roasted Almond fruit tea (or more accurately, tisane) consistently ranks as one of the top ten best-selling teas at TeaHaus, with many raving about both its flavor and its stunning color in the cup. With a foundation of apples, red beets contribute additional sweetness along with color, while cinnamon adds spiciness and the almond pieces … Continue reading Roasted Almond Fruit Tea, Dessert in a Cup
Tea can evoke many things: a memory, a tradition, the essence of a country. Just the words "English breakfast" immediately conjure up a complete picture of participants, setting, teapot, and type of tea. So too Слава Україні (Glory to Ukraine!), blended by tea sommelier Lisa of TeaHaus. When Lisa began blending this tea—a tribute to … Continue reading A Tea with All the Flavors of Ukraine
Sunflowers have new depths of meaning these days, a fact that seems startlingly at odds with the flower's straightforward boldness. After all, its perpetual cheeriness and habit of quite literally following the sun make this a fitting symbol for reveling in summer's warmth, simple happiness. But even the robust sunflower—that with a more subtle hue, … Continue reading Ukraine and Sunflowers
Little cups are irresistible, whether designed for tea or coffee. A yard sale find, this small handleless porcelain cup was made in Ethiopia, land of coffee drinkers. But who's to say it can't be used for tea? Which made me wonder whether Ethiopians drink tea. Ethiopian Tea, or the Tea That's Grown in Ethiopia Evidently … Continue reading Ethiopian Tea
Fruit Teas To tea purists, fruit tea is not tea. And technically, they are correct. Actual tea is composed of Camellia sinensis whereas beverages made from other plants are tisanes or infusions. Hence, there are fruity teas (C. sinensis blended with fruit) and there are fruit "teas" (blends of fruit, herbals, and/or spices). In the … Continue reading Do Moringa Leaves and Beets Make Fruit Tea a Healthier Brew?
It's More Than Tea 