When my sister came to visit for the Holidays this year, she confessed an addiction to green tea.  For a snack she went to the local Japanese grocery store and purchased three different items made of green tea: green tea candy, green tea cookies, and green tea poky sticks.  When I told her Art of Tea carries the beautifully vibrant ceremonial matcha tea and I could easily whip up some green tea desserts for her, she was ecstatic.
I started with a quick search on the internet to reference the different recipes there are available.  There were green tea tiramisu, cookies, cakes, and countless others. Out of pure laziness and for the sake of time, I only used the recipes as a reference as to how much matcha powder to add to a baking mix I’d just purchased at the store.

The first thing I made( and by the time I was done, I’d end up making a couple of different versions of my green tea creations) was Green Tea-Lemon Cupcakes.  I added the ceremonial matcha I’d told my sister about(about 4TBSP) to a lemon cake mix.  All recipes I used called for about 2tsp of green tea powder, but my sister the green tea lover was standing next to me the whole time and kept prompting me to put more in. I then made a frosting with matcha powder, powdered sugar, cream cheese and butter.

For the second batch of green tea goodies, I worked with a spiced cookie mix.  I added about 1 TBSP ginger matcha to a small batch of mix (for about 12 cookies).  I shaped the cookies into leaves, and used a butter knife to make the veins. I finished with a green tea drizzle (consisting of ceremonial matcha I used with the lemon cupcakes, and hot water) on top.

Finally, I added ceremonial matcha powder (4TBSP) to a yellow cake mix and made it into cupcakes. l just followed the directions printed on the box to back my modified little green creations, and then made a frosting for them.  This time, though, I mixed it up and made a frosting out of cream cheese, butter, vanilla and powdered sugar.  On top of that I added the green tea drizzle (sugar, ceremonial match powder, hot water).
And how was everything received once I was finished?  The lemon cupcakes I brought to a party, and every single one vanished in no time. My friends loved them, though of course my sister, the green tea lover, commented that there wasn’t enough green tea flavor to them.
The cookies went over well too pretty.  The spiced cookie mix went well with the ginger matcha, but next time I think I’ll keep them in the over a bit longer and use less water in the glaze to make it set just right.
As for the cupcakes were with the yellow cake mix, they had a buttery green tea flavor that my sister just loved.  It gave her a green tea caffeine boost and satisfied her sweet tooth at the same time.

Art of Tea Introduces its Eco-Mug:
Los Angeles, CA- December 5, 2007— Art of Tea launches their new mug made out of 100% US renewable corn plastic. The bio-plastic is a substitute for petroleum based products. The resin and the mugs are manufactured in the states means less emission into the environment from transport.

“Being a specialty tea company that focuses on organic teas, we have a reputation for caring about the environment. This new product emphasizes our concern for global warming and greenhouse emissions” said Steve Schwartz, FOUNDER/CEO of Art of Tea. “We believe in doing our part in offering our customers products with an environmental conscious.”

The microwave safe eco-mugs will be available on the site for all to purchase for $4.95 each, and make a great gift set with Art of Tea’s unique hand blended teas.

Located in Beverly Hills CA, Art of Tea imports and wholesales both domestically and internationally. Besides some of LA’s finest cafes, restaurants, and spas, Art of Tea is featured in a myriad of venues across the country, from the upscale spas in Vegas to the fine dining scenes of New York City. Exploring the 5000-year-old tradition of brewing loose-leaf tea, Art of Tea custom hand blends and crafts organic teas and botanicals from around the world. The teas are carefully selected directly from growers, offering a unique story to each one. When infused, the teas have a beautiful display, and some even blossom.

Art of Tea was recently awarded 1st and 2nd place, respectively, for best commercial black and green iced tea in the nation at the World Tea Expo in Atlanta, GA in June 2007. Art of Tea was also featured in the Nov 2007 issue of Vegetarian Times.

For more information or to purchase products from Art of Tea, log on to www.artoftea.com.

Tyler, one of our fellow tea enthusiasts here at Art Of Tea, recently wrote about our Ti Kwan Yin as an “all day tea”. As a writer I spend alot of time at my computer, juggling characters and story lines and who knows what else. So the simple idea of a tea that I could sort of prepare once and then just add hot water to throughout the day was more than a little appealing.

Now, I haven’t branched out into Oolongs like the one Tyler was describing yet, but I’ve definitely been busy consuming every variation of green tea I can get my hands on. And recently, I’ve become a huge fan of the Gyokuro Uji. This beautiful Japanese tea, with its clean refreshing taste, is perfect for sipping through a long day of writing - or pretty much anything else.

As a bonus, I’ve found that just a single teaspoon is more than enough for hours of multiple brews. The tiny blade-like leaves blossom into this gorgeous, dense lush green when I pour hot water over them in my individual tea infuser at home. The first cup is a strong, classic “green tea” but with every subsequent steep, you get wonderful bits of subtle, crisp flavor that beg further exploration.

I’ve since begun experimenting with several teas for this same all day effect and, for my own taste, I’m finding some definite standouts. My other favorites in the “all day” category right now are the Green Pear(with just a hint of sweet that I love so much I can literally go on about it for days), and the Moroccan Mint(hands down, my favorite mint tea of all time).

A word of advice: With all tea, you want to be careful how long you steep the leaves when you brew. This is especially true of green teas, which can become bitter when over-steeped. With everything I’ve mentioned above, 3 minutes per brew is all you need.

The Folks at Art of Tea are pretty picky as to what makes the cut each year for their teas and teaware. Each quarter a review of products new and old is taken to the test. To become part of our cutting edge teaware line, we take a close look at numerous products. We discovered this new look and decided to start with two new colors- Paprika and Sage. Each holds 12 oz of liquid with a wrap around, ergonomically sound grip which offers not only style, but also helps deflect heat. All in all, we love this new teacup with infuser. Its stylish modern look delivers functionality time and again with a .3mm strainer that we tried with many of our teas and tisanes.
Here is a little info on this new product and how to use it:
This Asian Style Tea Cup, complete with an extra fine 0.3 mm hole infuser and lid, is designed as a simple and clean way for brewing your own cup of tea in a modern Asian style.

The extra fine tea infuser enables you to brew fine teas and botanicals such like our organic rooibos, to larger varieties like our whole leaf organic Oolong.

When your tea has steeped for the appropriate time, simply remove the infuser from the tea cup and enjoy.

Care Instructions and Warning:

-Dish washer safe.

-Microwave safe, except the infuser.

-Remember to let boiling water settle about 15 to 20 seconds before pouring.

-Use caution when handling hot water.

I mentioned in my last post that I wanted to start cooking more with tea. I found this simple recipe to use as an example of how to effectively infuse other liquids with tea leaves to create a tea liquor.

Chamomile Vinaigrette

Ingredients
1 tsp (rounded) Egyptian Chamomile Leaves
1/4 Cup White Wine Vinegar
1 Tbsp Organic Honey
1/2 tsp Chopped Thyme
1/2 tsp Minced Shallots
Salt & Pepper
1/2 Cup Olive Oil

Place tea and vinegar in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. The leaves will infuse the vinegar with their flavor.

Let simmer 1 minute and remove from heat.

Strain liquor; make sure to press the leaves to remove and remaining liquid.

Combine Tea-infused Vinegar, Honey, Thyme, Shallots, Salt and Pepper.

Slowly add Olive Oil while whisking to keep emulsification from separating.

Splash on a salad and enjoy! I’d recommend something with baby greens and lots of tomatoes – quick before these end-of-season tomatoes are all gone!

I like to cook. No. I love to cook. It’s my hobby and my passion. I’m always scouring through magazines and books, looking for that new interesting recipe that will impress my friends. It doesn’t matter much to me if the recipe is complicated or simple; what I’m looking for is something a little bit different. Often this is something as subtle as adding basil to a curry or as dramatic as pairing quinoa with mango. Recently I’ve been experimenting with tea leaves and I’ve found the results to be very exciting.

Before I start getting into recipes that involve tea leaves (which will comprise my next post or two) I want to take a minute to discuss the best way to utilize tea leaves in cooking. These are very simple guidelines that, if followed, will make for delicious results.

Recipes will call for tea to be used in cooking in one of two ways: processed leaves or liquor.

First and foremost, as with any ingredients, freshness is key. You’ll want to use fresh tea leaves – NOT BAGGED! I’ve already written at length about the evils of bagged tea but in this case the reason is that tea bags are full of fannings, or tea dust, which loses flavor fast. Since the whole point of using tea is to enhance flavor, you’ll want to start with tea leaves that still have, well, a lot of flavor. So put down that box, and pick up a teaspoon of Moroccan Mint.

Likewise, it’s best to use freshly brewed tea, made with fresh water and not the cold leftover tea that’s been sitting on your desk for a day (blah). Remember that you can infuse other liquids with tea; you don’t have to only use water. If, for example, a recipe calls for milk or juice or stock, you can always steep loose-leaf tea in the liquid just as you would with water. Just make sure you bring the milk or juice to just under a boil before you add the tea.

Finally, and this again goes with keeping flavors fresh, if a recipe calls for you to grind tea, do so in small batches. Don’t take you entire supply of Classic Black and pulverize it, or you’ll find it’s lost its flavor by the next time you want to use it.

For cleaning your processor between grindings, you can either use a brush, or grind a tablespoon of raw rice to powder in order to remove any residual flavors.

These are my guidelines for cooking with tea. Follow them and your results can be just divine. And I promise, recipes will be posted soon!

As I try to shed a couple of extra pounds, I have found the secret weapon to curbing my cravings. The story of how I happened upon it began today when the tea was being freshly blended at the Art of Tea facility. The process created an amazing aroma that filled my senses. Immediately, I knew I needed a taste. The delicate scent emanating from the tea was like no other tea I have ever experienced. But it wasn’t until the tea was brewed that I was able to connect that heavenly smell to a sweet treat: a cross between a breakfast pastry and a cinnamon bun.

So there it is. My newfound secret weapon to soothing my sweet tooth is the amazing Cinnamon Fig tea. This is particularly perfect as we are nearing Halloween and Thanksgiving and tempting treats abound. It’s truly a treat with no trick involved! Other amazing seasonal teas that double as a treat for my sweet tooth are Caramelized Pear and Pumpkin Pie. Put these teas together and you practically have an entire holiday meal!

The English translation of Ti Kwan Yin is “Iron Goddess of Mercy”. I think the translation of our TKY - Green should be “all day tea”. That’s what I like to call it. It is one of those teas consisting of leaves I can enjoy steeping over and over again throughout the day. In fact for me, the beauty begins to really show on the second and third steepings. This estate is high in elevation and partially shaded. The plants enjoy cool crisp air with a decent amount of humidity. At harvest the leaves are sorted and then gently basket tossed to break the skins and begin the oxidation. The oxidation process is not long, so the tea retains a subtle fresh green flavor. I am told this is really where the name comes from, but I think it’s all marketing hype.

When you drink it, you defiantly know that it is an oolong. It produces flavors of good toasted herbs and pine nuts, and great texture of fig or apricot. A light vegetal flavor of beans and bell peppers rounds out the mouth. Across the palate this tea is very soft and mellows with each additional steeping. Make this one an “all day tea” and you will be pleased with the changes in your cup.

While perusing the Art of Tea catalogue, I came across an unfamiliar abbreviation: FTC. I was curious. FTC? It reminded me of that flower purveyor that sells online but I was pretty sure it was unrelated. I let it go. It wasn’t until I was researching the benefits of organic agriculture that I again stumbled across the letters, though this time I had context and a definition.

FTC: Fair Trade Certified

But this raised another question: just what exactly does it mean to be certified Fair Trade. I’d heard the expression bandied about a lot, usually in connection to globalization or protest against globalization, but I never really grasped its meaning. So off to Wikipedia I skipped, and found the answer to be better than I even imagined.

Here’s the definition according to Fine (an informal association of four of the main Trade Networks):

Fair trade is a trading partnership, based on dialogue, transparency and respect, which seeks greater equity in international trade. It contributes to sustainable development by offering better trading conditions to, and securing the rights of, marginalized producers and workers - especially in the South. Fair trade organizations (backed by consumers) are engaged actively in supporting producers, awareness raising and in campaigning for changes in the rules and practice of conventional international trade.

One of the tenets of Fair Trade supporters is that the way production, especially agriculture, works when exporting from developing nations to industrialized nations, is fundamentally unfair for the producers. Because the Dollar and the Euro are so powerful, these trade deals can actually keep producers from being able to raise their prices and subsequently, their living conditions. So instead of keeping these workers down, fair trade encourages buyers to pay more for the product with the understanding that this increase will return to the workers in the form of improved housing and working conditions. In order to receive Fair Trade Certification, producers must prove that their workers are not being abused, that there is gender equality, and that there is transparency built into their system of production.

Fundamentally, just because we could buy tea for cheaper doesn’t mean that we should. If you consider the implicit costs in cheap goods, you soon realize that it may not be worth the savings. Take, for example, the cost to the environment of cheap fertilizers that allow for a greater yield but spoil the drinking water down stream. Is that worth an additional savings of ten cents?

And what of the individual harvesting of tea? Is it really worth a savings if we know that the people who provide the product we enjoy can barely afford to keep food on the table for their own families? At what point do we look at where our products come from with the same ethical view that we do production in our own country? As we become increasingly aware of our impact, not only on the environment, but also on the lives of those whose products we so readily consume, it’s is imperative that we begin to ask ourselves these kinds of questions.

Like the organic and biodynamic movements, Fair Trade is catching on. Art of Tea purchases Fair Trade tea whenever possible. Right now we have FTC BioDynamic Breakfast Tea and Herbal Earl Grey (with FTC roobios) available online. Even more varieties are available through our catalogue, and we’re always happy to help you with a selection if you contact our office.

Today we will discover what exactly is Kombucha, where it’s from, and exactly what the heck is in this stuff once fully prepared.

HOW DID THIS WONDERFUL UGLY LOOKING THING COME TO BE?

Story Time - An old country doctor from the Alexandrov district near Moscow noticed his peasant patients had no cancer. The doctor, wondering about this, started looking around… and discovered this: to save money on tea the muzhiks of that locality brewed not tea, but chaga, otherwise known as the birch-tree mushroom. Actually, it’s not even a birch-tree mushroom, but a birch-tree cancer – a sort of ugly growth on old birch trees. It is dome-shaped, black on the outside and dark brown inside. It occurred to doctor Maslennikov that this tea made from the birch tree mushroom could be the magic remedy the Russian peasants, without realizing it, had been using to cure themselves of cancer for hundreds of years.

“So it started in Russia, great let’s move on”… well not so fast!

Often it is said, that the Kombucha fungus had already been used 2000 years ago in China. It is also said to have existed for a long time in Japan and Korea. Particularly in China, it was the Grandmother who kept a jar of it on hand at all times and was responsible for the preparation of the tea. When a daughter in the family got married and moved out to live with her husband (remember there were nucleus families back then when everyone lived together until they got married, and even then they might have continued to live together – side note: don’t tell my mom about that or she’ll expect the same of me!)- The Kombucha culture was passed down to the grand daughter to provide health and longevity to her family. Sort of like a family heirloom. Can you imagine getting that instead of a diamond ring!?!

SO WHAT THE HECK IS IN THIS STUFF ANYWAY?

Below is a complete breakdown of what is found in Kombucha tea along with the associated beneficial function of that ingredient. Remember, this is the finished product of the kombucha tea that has been fermented with a kombucha culture for about 10 days, and not just the kombucha culture itself. This is a truer representation, as usually it is the kombucha tea that is consumed by the individual and not the SCOBY (though some do ingest the SCOBY, it is rare and requires a special technique).

LACTIC ACID: Found in Kombucha in its most potent form L-lactic(+). Lactic acid is essential for the digestive system.

ACETIC ACID: Its main function is to inhibit harmful bacteria. Acetic acid is used as a preservative because of this action. It is also what gives Kombucha that ‘kick’ to its smell and taste.

MALIC ACID: Is also used in the body’s detoxification process.

OXALIC ACID: Encourages the cellular production of energy and is a natural preservative.

GLUCONIC ACID: Is effective against many yeast infections such as candidiasis and thrush.

BUTYRIC ACID: Is produced by the yeasts and when working with gluconic acid. Might help combat yeast infections such as candida.

NUCLEIC ACID: Work with the body aiding healthy cell regeneration.

AMINO ACID: A group of acids which are the building blocks of protein. Your muscular system is made of proteins.

ENZYMES: Are proteins that act as catalysts, speeding the rate at which biochemical reactions proceed.

Kombucha also contains Vitamin Groups B and C, Beneficial Yeasts and LIVING Bacteria.

HOW MUCH CAFFEINE DOES KOMBUCHA HAVE?

Since Kombucha is traditionally prepared with tea leaves, which contain caffeine, it is easy to think that kombucha itself has caffeine in it. Right? Well, yes, BUT the amount is way less than the caffeine that was found in the tea before it was fermented. That’s because the caffeine gets “converted”, (just like the sugar but through a different process) into many of the different elements that we just discussed above. A good rule of thumb is caffeine is cut by 1/2 the amount once fully fermented. So if an 8oz cup of black tea started out with 40mg of caffeine (about 1/3 of a cup of coffee), if you took that same black tea and used it to prepare kombucha tea, the caffeine would yield 20mg (about 2 sips of coffee)

CAN I GET DRUNK ON KOMBUCHA?

If by drunk you mean a high consumption of alcohol, than NO. Kombucha tea does contain a trace amount of alcohol, usually .5% to 1%. That means that drinking an entire gallon of kombucha is the equivalent of drinking a half can of beer. To put it another way, kombucha tea has the same amount of alcohol as a fermented piece of fruit (leave an orange out in the sun for a day).

Though this small amount of alcohol will not get you intoxicated, it is a wonderfull attribute to the tea, as it achieves many beneficial results. Besides aiding in circulation in our bodies and, helping with our lymphatic system alcohol works as a preservative allowing your tea to brew and ferment continuously, without requiring refrigeration so long as the kombucha culture is in contact with it and the brewing container has a breathable cloth on top. In fact, this is one of the great benefits we took to create the concept of the continuous brewing system.

by: David Lindenbaum