A breath of fresh air! French Lemon Ginger, an organic ambrosia is the answer to a clean fresh cup. Combining lemon verbena, lemongrass, botanicals, and ginger complimented with the sweetness of South African honeybush.

It is hard to believe that such small disks can pack so many flowers, roots, berries and botanicals. TNT Teas and Tisanes are truly unique. With 20 disks per dynamite shaped stick each disk in TNT is pre-cut, which makes it separate easily and brew the perfect 10-16 oz pot. I have even experimented with an 8 oz cup and had very promising results. So, how do they stick together?  Each stick has the 20 disks pressure compressed. The natural sugars from the botanicals, red dates and goji berries help keep them intact. With such names as Chill Out Tea and Happy Tea they seem to set a certain ambiance. Dropping a disk in your favorite teapot and pouring fresh spring water at about 208F will allow the TNT disk to fully unfold and break apart evenly in about one minute. Each flavor delivers a fresh and fragrent display at various temperatures. I encourage you to try all six flavors. At a dollar a disk, which can be resteeped multiple times, it is well worth the unique experience. 

Organic rooibos & honeybush are carefully blended with lemongrass, lemon myrtle, rosehips, hibiscus, marigolds, citrus peel, apple and essence of apricot & pear. Brews a rich burgundy color with a clean finish reminiscent of Asian pear. Apricot Escape may be enjoyed hot or over ice.

Want “in” on one of the best new green tea blends in the nation?! Well, allow me to introduce you to one of Art of Tea’s latest creations: Green Pomegranate.

This delectable fusion took 2nd place in the Green Tea category at last week’s World Tea Expo in Atlanta, GA, and is blazing a trail of devotees across L.A.

Steve Schwartz, our inspired leader and master-blender, has combined fresh, fragrant green sencha tea with raspberries, rosehips and essence of pomegranate. The fact that pomegranate is America’s current culinary darling for its anti-oxidant benefits is just icing on the cake. Combined with the already lauded anti-oxidant properties of green tea, this blend provides a power-punch of both healthful benefits and amazing flavor.

Then there’s the aroma - just opening the container and taking in the bouquet will send you over the edge. And if you thought indulging in this prize-winner hot was as good as it could get, then you’re going to flip over what you and all your friends are going to say was the highlight of 2007’s summer: Green Pomegranate iced tea!

For a fabulous and fun way to enjoy Green Pomegranate iced, use our Iced Tea Shaker Set to make hand-shaken iced tea! This is a great way prepare iced tea in fresh, individual batches, as well as when entertaining guests. And if you’re feeling adventurous one of these hot summer nights, try mixing Green Pomegranate into an exotic, specialty cocktail! My favorite is mixing chilled Green Pomegranate with pomegranate liqueur – Pama makes a wonderful one.

Combine two parts Green Pomegranate tea with one part pomegranate liqueur and shake it up with ice in a shaker, or serve on the rocks, for a light and refreshing cocktail. If you prefer yours a little tarter, try using equal parts tea and liqueur. For added yumminess, throw in fresh, crushed strawberries.

With the limitless possibilities of tea, feel free to experiment. And if you come up with any winning combinations, please share the joy with us. But be sure, laced in liqueur or not, with Green Pomegranate in hand, you’ll be beckoning the burgeoning summer sun to “bring it on” with the coolest drink in town.

In Japan and Europe there have been recent studies on the effectiveness of a particular tea called Fucha (Fu Cha). Fucha is a fully fermented dark tea that has undergone a double fermentation process, twice as long and time intensive as the cycle for producing Pu-erh tea.

Fucha is relatively new to the Western world, however, it has been consumed for centuries as a staple part of the Nomadic people’s diet in North Western China, Tibet and various regions in the Himalayas where high ratios of meat, mutton, and cheese are part of their standard diet.

Recent studies have shown that great progress has been made in weight management and lowering blood sugar in molecular levels via two new found active substances which have been named Fucha Su A and Fucha Su B. Case studies are in action on the benefits of Fucha’s ability to effectively aid in digestion, metabolize fat, lower blood sugar, and adjust cholesterol and blood pressure.

During the last 40 days of the fermentation process a natural enzyme is produced, the Chinese refer to this enzyme as the Golden Flower. This enzyme is researched for its abilitiy to help the body to digest heavy meat and dairy based foods. In our next posting on Fu Cha Tea we will elaborate more on the Golden Flower.

Begining July 1st 2007 Art of Tea will be honored to launch in North America Vintage Dark Tea. Vintage Dark tea is a 2003 Fucha tea as part of the TNT Teas and Tisanes line of products.

Legend has it that a monk summoned a dragon to save a village from a drought. The rains came and a well is still present today delivering fresh spring water to the meadow. Our Organic Dragonwell is cultivated in the Spring time in the West lake of Zhejiang, China. The leaves drenched in morning dew make this tea a prized modity. A favorite of the tea connoisseur with its four unique characteristics: flat sword shaped leaves, jade green color, fresh aroma, and a gentle mellow flavor.

Blend of organic flower-scented white teas, wild roses, organic peppermint, and seasonally selected botanicals. Great for an after meal pick up or late night elixir used to refresh the mind and enhance the mood. One pot can make the night sweet and reminiscent. Share it with someone you love.