Sharing of food and drink has always fascinated me primarily as social ritual. Travelling as a stranger in desolate places, I have taken special note of how refreshments and nourishment are offered as part of cultural interaction.

The way that food and drink function on a symbolic level depends largely upon context. For instance, in a place where the mercury rarely descends below 100 degrees F, there is no more lavish gesture of welcome than a glass of ice-water, further cooled by a slab of peeled cucumber, a crushed sprig of mint leaves, and the piercingly tart juice of tiny limes.

Humans have also historically used foods, spices and seasonings to send messages of status, prestige and wealth, similar to the appeal of luxury designer goods today. Both tea and sugar have a shared history as a prestige import, and this is, in part, why sugar is conventionally part of tea-drinking in the West.

Author John Keay illuminates some of this history in his fascinating book, THE SPICE ROUTE – A History (University of California Press, 2006), where he chronicles the trade boom around stimulants (tea, coffee, sugar) as well as many other kitchen-commodities which, though familiar to us now, were once exotic beyond compare. Salt and pepper, for example, were once as valuable as precious metals.

Poor-quality tea also invites intervention. Since the 1930s, commercially produced tea-bags, filled with “fannings” which are essentially the dust from the broken remains of tea leaves, call out for cream, sugar, honey, lemon. These traditional augmentations cut the raw-feeling bitterness and mustiness of an inferior brew. Tea purists understandably rankle at this, and nutritionists warn against our current sugar consumption.

But the sugar bowl and creamer predate the modern teabag by centuries. Like the salt cellar, these containers for precious condiments once broadcast the worldly affluence of the owner, and thus occupied a place of honor on the formal dining tables of imperialist Europe and Britain.

Times change, and now premium teas from everywhere on earth are available and accessible for brewing and enjoyment. From a historical perspective, this is an unprecedented opportunity to enjoy tea in its most immaculate state.

Because we now are able to experience the freshness of tea, we also have the opportunity to shelve the sugar bowl for baking. Just as an aside—in the quest for a sugar-free alternative, have you ever had even a lovely cup of tea dosed with Stevia? A bit like sipping through a rolled-up ball of aluminum foil.

Buddhists say that life is simply a moment, and that life is comprised of moments. Art of Tea specializes in creating teas for every one of these moments, including the craving for a bit of sweetness (when you really want to go there, check out Art of Tea’s new tea-infused gourmet chocolates!).

Blending the essences of natural fruits, spices and other botanicals releases subtler, mellower and more complex sweet notes than interaction with sugar, aloe-syrup or honey, much less the yellow, pink or blue packet.

For the move from fall to winter, Pumpkin Pie (Caffeine Free), Cinnamon Fig, Cherry Amaretto (Caffeine Free), Caramelized Pear (Caffeine Free), Italian Blood Orange, award-winning Lychee Peach and Peach Oolong bring the last bit of ripeness from the harvest and orchard to the cup.

In a holiday mood, or want to get there? Chocolatey-vanilla Velvet Tea, White Coconut Crème, Coconut Cacao Puerh, Hot Sweet Cinnamon and Vanilla Berry Truffle warm as well as sweeten the palate, perfect for sharing with friends around the fireplace.

These blends open the experience of tea in its uninterrupted state—a bit like drinking real tea for the first time.

–Victoria Thomas

Have you tried our new batch of Jasmine Pearls? Art of Tea proudly offers certified organic Jasmine Pearls that are now sourced from a fair trade vendor. Being a green tea lover, I naturally gravitated toward Jasmine Pearls for its exquisite presentation and flavor. This supreme quality, organic green tea is hand-picked in Fujian, China and scented with night jasmine blossoms. The wonderful aroma of the jasmine flowers embodies the tea, which is hand-rolled into tiny pearls. As the silvery-sheened pearls are steeped in boiling water, the green tea unravels into its original shapes of leaves and buds. Jasmine Pearls brew a yellowish- green cup of mild flavor. As you indulge into each sip, the smoothness of the green tea harmoniously blends with the floral and sweet scent of the jasmine to craft a heavenly treat for your taste buds. This is definitely my favorite green tea.

Over a thousand years of traditional tea scenting techniques are still used in creating Jasmine Pearls. Green tea leaves and buds are hand selected and harvested in the spring. They are stored until summertime, when the jasmine flowers begin to bloom at night. The jasmines are meticulously picked accordingly to the color of their petals, which indicates their readiness and extent to bloom. Plucking an open flower means the scent has already escaped, but if you pick a bud too early, it may not bloom in time to impart its scent onto the tea leaves. Every evening, the tea is carefully placed on burlap and layered with fresh jasmine. Layer upon layer, the flowers open up, leaving their scent on the leaves. Every morning, the flowers are removed, and the process is repeated nightly. Once the tea leaves have sufficiently absorbed the jasmine scent, the green tea is dried and hand-rolled into little spheres about 8 to 10 mm. in diameter. Because of their beautiful shape and color, Jasmine Pearls are often called Dragon Phoenix Pearls.

-MELISSA CHUA

There’s something about a good oxymoron. This one— Ti Kuan Yin, “Iron Goddess of Mercy”—uniquely captures the complexities of what some tea-drinkers consider to be the world’s best-known and best-loved Oolong.

In English, “iron” would not be a word associated with the quality of mercy. Even if we consider the juxtaposition of words in the context of the Chinese Wu Xing, or Five Phases identified in the Chinese cosmos—Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water—Metal is the least yielding, the least merciful. As far as goddesses go, “iron” suggests more of a fierce, Valkyrie warrior-woman as opposed to the bodhissatva Kuan Yin, who hears the cry of the world, eases all suffering, and dries every tear with her unending compassion.

This seeming contradiction is what begins the revealing of this tea. Like so many depictions of Feminine Divinity across all cultures, this Chinese Oolong shows itself in a series of subtle, teasing unveilings.

The optimum steeping temperature for Ti Kuan Yin is 185 – 206 F, for 3 – 5 minutes. I took the middle way for the first steep, bringing the cup to my lips at four minutes. Bliss. I found there to be an elusive waft of grain in the first steep, with a pristine, fruit-blossom aroma.

As an Oolong, this tea is semi-oxidized, offering some of the feeling of both green and black teas. The second steep brought a less floral, nut-like, more roast-y, and deeply soothing note, as if the tea had literally ripened between steeps. Mistakenly thinking that the tea would weaken in value, my second steep was six and a half minutes. This second brew was a transparent amber, full, without a trace of “iron”, or any bitterness.

A number of ancient legends give this tea her name, one involving an iron statue of Kuan Yin who gave the gift of the tea-plant to a humble farmer who cared for her neglected shrine. As with ourselves, rediscovering and honoring life’s sacred places—sweeping out the twigs and dust—always yields revelation.

I especially enjoyed this tea as the weather in Los Angeles moved from brilliant and scorching to a chilly rain. According to the Chinese tradition, Metal is in fact in the fourth position of the Five Phases, associated with Autumn, and closure.

- Victoria Thomas

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Here are five ways you can get involved with Fair Trade and change the lives of international workers for the better:

1.  Like us, you can opt for Fair Trade teas whenever possible. They’re increasingly available, and the more people buy them, the more available they will become.

2.  Look for the Fair Trade certification logo in other purchasing decisions, particularly for labor-intensive products like flowers and sugar. You can also use the Fair Trade Finder on facebook to find and help others find fair trade products near you

3.  Organize a Fair Trade event at your school, work, place of worship or home.

4.  Offer Fair Trade products through your business. This could mean retailing Fair Trade products, giving Fair Trade corporate gifts or simply switching the coffee and tea in the break room to Fair Trade.

5.  Donate to causes like the empowerment of female workers, the education of farmers’ children or the health of third-world farming communities.

Tea is wonderful, however it’s enjoyed, and I think there is special pleasure in enjoying tea from a handmade clay cup which has been thrown on a potter’s wheel.  When you drink tea from such a cup, it’s easy to feel the revolving energy which created it. And for each of us, as with the ball of wet clay that becomes a vessel, the challenge is to become centered as the wheel whirls and spins.

The feeling of turning, turning is upon us. Fall is officially here. It is a time of harvest and celebration, and our table is heaped with ripeness and abundance. Then, there is emptiness.

If you’ve ever lived or worked on a farm, or even picked apples or grapes in an orchard or vineyard as a fun family outing, you know this feeling of stillness when all of the fruit has been gathered. The spaces which are created invite gratitude, and contemplation.

The same feeling is also in our cities and towns this time of year. Trees drop their leaves, and we see more sky, even in the middle of Seattle, London, or LA. Looking up, birds migrate in patterns across the new openings. These openings are opportunities for renewal in ourselves, as the old year releases us and a new year begins.

Speaking as someone whose life and work depends intimately upon the renewal of plants, this is just one of the many lessons that the natural world offers. By releasing old patterns, we make space for new growth. Renewal requires this letting go of the old.

With this is mind, you may find inspiration in steeping a pot of tea with a friend, and pouring out your intentions for the new cycle, the new year.

What old patterns would you like to release?

What debris can you clear, in order to make room for more prolific flowering?

What would you intend to “turn around” in your life?

Art of Tea’s “Feel Better Blend” is a customer favorite for letting go of stagnation. This signature blend brings together Ayurvedic and Western herbs. The twist of bracing, autumnal zest and spice— including Organic Fennel, Orange Peel, Licorice, Cinnamon, and even a bit of heat from Chili Pepper—may inspire you to view Fall as a time of new beginnings.

Muse of the Brew, Student of the Leaf

I’m not an elitist, a purist, an expert, a tea-snob, or a know-it-all. I am a beginner, and a tea-adventurer.

Tea often speaks of the kindness of strangers, when spoken language will not suffice. Tea transcends expectations. In an ancient gesture of welcome, a cup of hot tea offered on a desert-journey refreshes and, surprisingly, cools, like a floral oasis. Mine was poured from a dented aluminum kettle carried by camel-pack, sipped in silence as we crouched on hard-baked earth that held its heat although the equatorial moon burned full above us.

Many degrees north and east, I have shivered and clasped a tea-bowl with both hands while a storm raged up and down the mountain, wind rattling the corrugated tin roof like a hungry ghost. My hosts chuckled at me through the veil of steam rising from our cups, their children dozing blissfully in our laps, wrapped in skins.

Imagine my amazement not long ago when I encountered the seemingly normal couple with no teapot. Prosperous retirees in a sleek, designer-y home on the northern California coast, filled with books and art. No teapot, no tea-kettle, no tea. Not even a random no-name teabag pinched from hotel room-service on a business trip. No, they were not zealots, who consider tea (perhaps correctly) as medicine. For the first time, I knew that I was amongst savages. I found it terrifying.

What I love about tea is its mystery. There is always an element of surprise when I raise a cup of tea, even if it is one of my favorites. Like wine, tea is dynamic and volatile. Its chemical composition evolves and changes. Even in a proper airtight tin, tucked away from light, it will not last forever. Speaking as a novice, my advice: enjoy it now.

There is no time like the present, starting with October, to enjoy “Tea for Her”, if you’re a gal. If you’re not, well, it couldn’t hurt, but Art of Tea also makes manly blends for dudes.

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It’s the perfect time to schedule that squeeze-fest known as a mammogram, or as I prefer to call them, “girlie s’more’s”. For resources and information, check out Pink-Link.org, a non-profit online resource for women with breast cancer, breast cancer survivors, and all of us who love them.

Back to the brew: As you know, many potential benefits are swirling in the pot of discussion regarding tea-drinking. In particular, an organic phytoestrogen known as Shatavari makes this tea of special interest to women. In the Ayurvedic tradition, Shatavari is called “curer of 100 diseases”. Well, actually, in Sanskrit, “Shatavari” means “she who possesses 100 husbands”, which, hmmmmm, sounds even more interesting, as long as I don’t have to wash all those socks. In any case, this relative of the asparagus plant has been valued in India for centuries as a women’s tonic, recommended to support healthy pregnancy and support a nursing mother’s lactation.

“Tea for Her” blends Shatavari with Organic Fennel (yummy licorice/anise-like flavor, and famously digestive) with a bouquet of Organic Lavender, Hibiscus and Chrysanthemum, suffused with the exquisiteness of Organic Rose-Petals. No caffeine. This is a Certified Organic and Fair Trade tea. A pleasing cup for anyone needing a lift, or just lovin’ some girl-power.

-Victoria Thomas

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Fair Trade is an issue that’s close to our hearts. However, our stance on Fair Trade goes beyond tea. Fair Trade products include coffee, cocoa, sugar, honey, flowers, gold, handicrafts and more. Regardless of the material, it’s amazing what a difference that we, as citizens of first world countries, can make with a few small changes.

Interested in making a difference with Fair Trade? Here are five ways you can get involved with Fair Trade and change the lives of international workers for the better:

1. Like us, you can opt for Fair Trade teas whenever possible. They’re increasingly available, and the more people buy them, the more available they will become.
2. Encourage your local cafe to serve only Fair Trade Certified Tea.
3. Look for the Fair Trade certification logo in other purchasing decisions, particularly for labor-intensive products like cocoa and sugar.
4. Organize a Fair Trade event at your school, place of worship or home.
5. Offer Fair Trade products through your business. This could mean retailing Fair Trade products, giving Fair Trade caswsazworporate gifts or simply switching the coffee and tea in the break room to Fair Trade.
6. Donate to causes like the empowerment of female workers, the education of farmers’ children or the health of third-world farming communities.

How do you support Fair Trade? Share your tips for a fairer world in the comments below.

As you may have heard, October is Fair Trade month. Here at Art of Tea, we are committed to sourcing Fair Trade teas whenever possible, and proud to offer a range of Fair Trade certified teas. Ultimately, our goal is for each and every one of our teas and our tea blend ingredients to be sourced as sustianably and fairly as possible.

At Art of Tea, Fair Trade isn’t just a business strategy. Four years ago, we got certified as a Fair Trade company by TransFair USA because we think that Fair Trade tea is about making this world a better place than the way we found it. To share our viewpoint with you, our founder Steve documented just a few of the ways in which Fair Trade has benefited a tea-producing community in China, with a new video on Fair Trade tea. See for yourself what Fair Trade means to the tea producers in a town near Wuyi Shan in Fujian.

Some of our best-selling teas (including Caramelized Pear, Egyptian Chamomile and Velvet Tea) are Fair Trade, so it’s possible that you’re already drinking Fair Trade tea without even knowing it. If those teas have piqued your interest in trying more Fair Trade teas, or if you simply feel that opting for Fair Trade tea is the right thing to do, then we think you’ll be interested in trying our new Fair Trade Tea Sampler. It includes four delicious Fair Trade tea samples (Jasmine Reserve, Caramelized Pear, Tali’s Masala Chai and Velvet Tea) totaling about 70 servings of tea. If you’re interested in spreading your passion for Fair Trade, it also makes a great gift.

Have things settled down from the Back to School Mania? If you’re a student or a parent of a student, you have just gone through some major changes. Here are a few teas to help ease you back into the swing of the school year:

Kid-Friendly Blends

Kids love the sugary flavors of sodas and juices, but at Art of Tea we’ve created a few caffeine-free herbal infusions that are kid-friendly, too. We recommend Blueberry Cheesecake, Banana Dulce and Kauai Cocktail Fruit Blend as a naturally sugar-free alternative for the school-bound kids in your life. These blends smell great and taste delicious!

Teas to Adjust Your Sleep Schedule

Long daylight hours and summer vacations can wreak havoc on the sleep schedule. If you need to get to sleep at a decent hour and wake up bright and early, sip relaxing herbal blends like Ethos, Chamomile Clementine and Caramelized Pear.

Need a healthy energy boost in the morning? Try caffeine-rich teas like Biodynamic Breakfast, Earl Grey or our award-winning Classic Black.

Study Teas

Some studies have shown that a component in tea called L-theanine aids in memory function and alertness. Sounds like a great study aid to us! Shade-grown teas, such as Ceremonial Matcha, Uji Gyokuro and Ginger Matcha, are all high in L-theanine.

Alternatives to Juice and Soda for Lunch

If you plan to pack teas or herbal infusions for lunch or a late night at the library, you’ll probably want to know that some teas hold up better in a Thermos than others. In general, rooibos and other herbal infusions retain their flavor well. If you’re looking for an iced tea, we also recommend Santiago Strawberry, Passionfruit Jasmine and Garden of Eden. For hot tea, we also recommend Assam Gold, Cinnamon Figand 1896.

Do you have any recommendations for back-to-school teas? Tell us which teas you choose to drink during the school year (and why) in the comments below!

The Art of Tea team and I recently wrapped up from a weekend at The World Tea Expo in Las Vegas. Steve taught a three-hour class on tea blending and two of his blends (Passionfruit Jasmine black tea and Brûlée Mint rooibos) won awards in the North American Iced Tea Championship. Perhaps it was the combination of desert heat, a weekend brimming with tea, and one of the world’s best wine scenes, but something inspired me to share a few summery, pairing-friendly iced tea recipes with you here on the Art of Tea blog. Brew these iced teas at home or at your tea business… or convince your favorite restaurant to serve them with the pairing suggestions below.

Brûlée Mint on Ice

Brûlée Mint is an award-winning, caffeine-free rooibos blend. When iced, it has a perfectly balanced, naturally sweet flavor profile that appeals to everyone from tea connoisseurs to kids. Brew iced Brûlée Mint with these easy instructions:

1 cup (250 mL) filtered or spring water

2 Tbsp. Brûlée Mint

1 cup ice cubes

Instructions:

1) Bring the water to a boil.

2) Brew Brûlée Mint for five minutes.

3) Remove the leaves and pour the brew over ice.

4) Serve immediately.

Makes approximately two servings (1.5 cups/350 mL).

For an added treat, pair Brûlée Mint on Ice with lamb tagine, dark chocolate French macaroons or lavender-sea salt caramels.

(Almost) Classic Iced Tea

Art of Tea’s award-winning Classic Black makes a fantastic iced tea. Its Nilgiri base produces a fragrant, crisp, clear brew, while its Yunnan golden buds add an alluring, chocolaty depth that’s rare in iced teas. Blended with sugar and lemon, it takes Southern sweet tea to a new level. Brewed with vanilla sugar and orange, it becomes a sophisticated, satiating iced tea unlike any you’ve ever tasted. Here’s how to make our (Almost) Classic Iced Tea:

1 cup (250 mL) filtered or spring water

1 heaping Tbsp. Classic Black

1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed orange juice

1 Tsp. Madagascar vanilla sugar (or coconut palm sugar with a few drops of pure vanilla extract)

1.5 cups ice cubes

1 wedge orange

Instructions:

1) Bring the water to a boil.

2) Brew Classic Black for four minutes.

3) Remove the tealeaves.

4) Stir in the vanilla sugar and orange juice.

5) Pour the mixture over ice.

6) Add the orange wedge and serve immediately.

Makes approximately two servings (2 cups/475 mL).

For an added treat, pair this modified classic with Kansas City-style barbecue, fresh peaches or cardamom-vanilla pudding.