News / Tea
Organic Twig Tea From Japan Kukicha
Twig Teas are a particularly unusual speciality tea produced in Japan and as far as I am aware no where else. They are green teas and come as roasted or unroasted. We have sourced a wonderful organic toasted Twig Tea that we have all got very excited about.
‘Kuki’ are the leaf stalks or petioles left over from the production of Sencha, Matcha or Bancha teas. They are nearly free of caffeine but rich in trace elements. This Japanese green tea speciality is roasted the same way as Hoji Cha, and it produces a strong tea but with sweetish notes and a mild coffee flavour with possibly a hint of chocolate, how very Jilly Goolden of me…
Organic teas are not common from Japan despite most of the production being made using very traditional ways. I suspect that traditional growing is more important to Japanese tea drinkers than a label telling them it is organic and as such they choose not to join an ‘Organic Certification Organisation’.
In Japan this tea is often combined with juice and given to children, it is most likely the least caffeinated natural tea produced. Use hot 70oC to 75oC water and only steep for a short length of time, one minute or less. I must admit this really is quite a special tea, flavoursome and yet gentle and definitely incredibly ‘moreish’. The second infusion only got 45 seconds, and the third infusion just half a minute.
2016 Our Health Tea of the Year?
Moringa Whole Leaf Organic Infusion
Moringa oleifera is a marvellous tree, due to the high level of nutrients, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals that this tree holds it has also been called the “Tree of Life” or “Miracle Tree”. Originating from the southern foothills of the Himalayas it is now found cultivated in several countries where the young seed pods and leaves are used as vegetables, the flowers are edible when cooked and are said to taste like mushrooms.
Moringa has significant nutritional potency and contains all the nine essential amino acids that our bodies can’t produce, specifically in the correct ratio for humans. As well as improving your body’s natural resistance to infection and disease, Moringa is also well known for its anti-inflammatory properties. As well as being good for the skin and promoting cell structure, Moringa tea gives the drinker a natural feeling of ‘well-ness’ and boosts your energy levels.
You can make Moringa Tea by using hot water at 90oC and brewing a large teaspoon of leaves for between 5 and 10 minutes. Honey can be used if you have a sweet tooth. Alternatively you can add 500ml of cold water to a large spoonful of Moringa, and for taste mix with a little honey, fresh ginger and orange juice and refrigerate for 8 hours.
Helen and I thought the taste was lovely and thoroughly enjoyable without the need to add anything else, but as we always say: "it's all personal taste". </
2016 Our Health Tea of the Year?
Moringa Whole Leaf Organic Infusion
Moringa oleifera is a marvellous tree, due to the high level of nutrients, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals that this tree holds it has also been called the “Tree of Life” or “Miracle Tree”. Originating from the southern foothills of the Himalayas it is now found cultivated in several countries where the young seed pods and leaves are used as vegetables, the flowers are edible when cooked and are said to taste like mushrooms.
Moringa has significant nutritional potency and contains all the nine essential amino acids that our bodies can’t produce, specifically in the correct ratio for humans. As well as improving your body’s natural resistance to infection and disease, Moringa is also well known for its anti-inflammatory properties. As well as being good for the skin and promoting cell structure, Moringa tea gives the drinker a natural feeling of ‘well-ness’ and boosts your energy levels.
You can make Moringa Tea by using hot water at 90oC and brewing a large teaspoon of leaves for between 5 and 10 minutes. Honey can be used if you have a sweet tooth. Alternatively you can add 500ml of cold water to a large spoonful of Moringa, and for taste mix with a little honey, fresh ginger and orange juice and refrigerate for 8 hours.
Helen and I thought the taste was lovely and thoroughly enjoyable without the need to add anything else, but as we always say, "it is always personal taste".
2016 Our Health Tea of the Year?
Moringa Whole Leaf Organic Infusion
Moringa oleifera is a marvellous tree, due to the high level of nutrients, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals that this tree holds it has also been called the “Tree of Life” or “Miracle Tree”. Originating from the southern foothills of the Himalayas it is now found cultivated in several countries where the young seed pods and leaves are used as vegetables, the flowers are edible when cooked and are said to taste like mushrooms.
Moringa has significant nutritional potency and contains all the nine essential amino acids that our bodies can’t produce, specifically in the correct ratio for humans. As well as improving your body’s natural resistance to infection and disease, Moringa is also well known for its anti-inflammatory properties. As well as being good for the skin and promoting cell structure, Moringa tea gives the drinker a natural feeling of ‘well-ness’ and boosts your energy levels.
You can make Moringa Tea by using hot water at 90oC and brewing a large teaspoon of leaves for between 5 and 10 minutes. Honey can be used if you have a sweet tooth. Alternatively you can add 500ml of cold water to a large spoonful of Moringa, and for taste mix with a little honey, fresh ginger and orange juice and refrigerate for 8 hours.
Helen and I thought the taste was lovely and thoroughly enjoyable without the need to add anything else, but as we always say, "it is always personal taste".
Coffee Petal Tea (Yes it's a 'thing')
DRIED RED BOURBON AND SUDAN RUME COFFEE BLOSSOM PETAL TEA.
We recently attended a coffee cupping attended by a major specialist coffee importer, and got conversing with Licensed Q Grade, Coffee Trader, Priscilla, about tea… Obviously it was a conversation about Coffee Blossom Tea, something I knew a little about but wondered if she knew anything herself, not only did she know about it but had some… It transpired that Café Granja La Esperanza , one of our favourite Colombian Coffee Growers and Exporters, has been gathering the petals as they fall from the coffee bushes, (as simple as clean white sheets laid on the ground) and then carefully drying them. La Esperanza is famous in coffee circles for its dedicated research into different varieties, clones and cultivars and their growth and quality relative to the terroir. They have collected petals from seven different varieties; Red Bourbon, Sudan Rume, Geisha, Red Bourbon Tekisic, Yellow Bourbon, Laurina and Pacamara, and Priscilla was able to send a small quantity of the Red Bourbon and the Sudan Rume.
Bourbon Coffee Trees, depending on cultivar, can produce equally as well as the typical Red Cherry also Yellow and Orange. The trees all originated from the island of Bourbon, now Réunion, and they were planted around 1708 by the French from stock given to them by the Dutch. Sudan Rume is a rarely found variety that originated in south-eastern Sudan near to the Ethiopian border.
All these seven aromatic Tisanes differ, producing complex and flavourful aromatic teas. We have no prices for the teas but they will not be cheap, the petals weigh very little and are collected by simple collection methods but at the obvious vagaries of winds and breezes sweeping the dried petals off the sheets.
