Steepedteablog.com

Feeling Peachy Keen!

The second tea from the new winter insert that I am sampling is Peaches & Cream.

The aroma of the dry tea as I unzip the packet is extraordinary. You really believe you are standing in a peach grove!

Lovely large white tea leaves compose this tea which is flecked with yellow and orange petals and small chunks of dried tropical fruit.

The flavour is smooth and light. As expected with a white tea, there is nothing bracing about it. I'd also suggest there's a perky quality to it, perhaps from the fruit. It seems to be a cheerful tea. Without any spice or vanilla creaminess that might suggest a peach cobbler or peach crisp effect, this tea truly emanates white tea and fruit and makes a delightful mid-morning tea. I would think that this would also be a lovely iced tea, and would probably be a refreshing base for a cocktail as well.

Let me know if you try it iced or as a cocktail, or any other recipes you use it in - I'd love to hear about it!

To get your own Peaches & Cream simply contact your Steeped Tea consultant, and if you don't have one, you can find one close to your vicinity by clicking here.

 

The New Winter Insert

Have you browsed the new winter insert yet?

Right on the first page, you will see some new teas, which, for me, is always the highlight of any new Steeped catalogue or insert. I love my tea, and I'm always curious to see what new flavours Steeped has found for us to explore! I took advantage of December's hostess special so that I could try 2 new teas right away.

I have to tell you, they are both fabulous!

Nuts About You is a blend of black and oolong teas accented with almonds and walnuts. Isn't it beautiful? When you unzip the bag, the aroma that wafts out is sweet, yet nutty (not surprisingly). I steeped my tea for about 3 minutes and then started to drink.

I found it to be pleasantly sweet, without the addition of milk or sweeteners, and a very smooth, easy drinking cup. The insert suggests that this is a great after-dinner tea, which it certainly is - in fact, if you are trying to skip dessert (and a lot of us are at this time of year!), this could make a delicious replacement for dessert. The sweetness will satisfy your craving. That is why I also think this could make a great mid-afternoon beverage, when you might be thinking about a snack as a pick me up a few hours before dinner. I know I'm enjoying it just about any time of day, and encourage you to give it a try, perhaps at your next party!

I'll be back in a day or so to share my impressions of the other new tea I've had the pleasure of tasting!

 

It's a Green Christmas!

Well, the weather outside has not been frightful here in Ontario, and it could very well be a green Christmas this year.

I know regardless what the weather does, it will be a green Christmas for me as I enjoy some wonderful Steeped Tea green teas this month!

I placed an order recently (it arrived as I prepared this post - how cool is that?) and I am looking forward to restocking a favourite green tea, Snow Cap, as well as the classic standby Japanese Sencha. That's the Snow Cap in the picture - isn't it gorgeous?

I'm also going to be trying a blended green/rooibos when Holiday Treat arrives. This tea also incorporates the tastes of caramel, coconut and vanilla. Dessert in a cup! In fact, I bet you could add a bit of this tea to whipping cream as you are making whipped cream and it would be just dreamy!

 What teas are you looking forward to savouring over the Christmas season?

I'll leave you with a song about a green Christmas. This is a live performance a few years ago - Green Christmas by the Barenaked Ladies. (Canadian tea company, Canadian band, Canadian performance site.)

The Asian Influence on Canadian Tea Drinkers

This article recently appeared in the Montreal Gazette, via Tea News Direct. Since green tea is so amenable to natural flavours, you can easily find a green tea you'll love in the Steeped Tea catalogue and holiday flyer 

Canadians’ tastebuds turning eastward as Asian flavours take root

 

As Asians become a higher percentage of the Canadian population, tea-flavoured drinks such as green tea are among the dietary climbers, along with pork, rice and seafood.

Canadians are eating less beef and potatoes and more pork, seafood and rice, thanks to the fact that about 10 per cent of us now are of Asian descent. We’re also snacking more, even more so on fruit, and drinking more green tea — both again due to eastern influences, according to a study by Toronto-based market research company NPD Group.

There are 3.3 million Asians in Canada, or 11 per cent of the population, and the food and beverage industry ignores them at its competitive peril, says the study’s authors.

 By recognizing the similarities and differences between Asians and others, restaurants and retailers “will be better equipped to make the strategic decisions necessary to fuel their success,” said NPD analyst Joel Gregoire.

The study, Eating Patterns in Canada, found that over the past 10 years, the number of meals featuring potatoes has dropped by 703 million “eatings” every year, while those that included rice jumped by 297 million eatings.

Beef consumption was down by 384 million meals since 2001, while pork during the same time jumped by 372 million meals a year and seafood by 248 million eatings.

“As the face of Canada’s population continues to change, our eating behaviour is sure to follow suit,” said Gregoire.

The study also found Asians snack more than other cultures, at an average of 309 snacks per year per person, with fruit being the dominant food choice 38 per cent of the time. The average Canadian chooses fruit as a snack 30 per cent of the time, it said.

There has also been a hike in the number of meals consumed by Canadians that included a flavoured tea drink, to 44 a year per individual from 25 in 2001.

The jump is most noticeable with green tea, which falls in that category. In 2001, Canadians included green tea in their meals just four times a year and that number is now almost 15.

Immigration is expected to grow by 15 per cent over the next decade and most of the new Canadians are expected to come from Asia, NPD said.

“The Asian community is a prime growth target in Canada whose dietary preferences should not be overlooked by corporations seeking longevity,” NPD said in a news release issued Tuesday.

© Copyright (c) The Province

Are you among the statistics? Have increased your consumption of green tea?

End of Month Round Up!

It's the last day of October, and besides it being Halloween, it's also the last day of the terrifically spooktacular offers put on by Steeped Tea just for this month. Brew in the mugs, Shanghai presses, Pumpkin Pie Chai, red teapot infusers - all these are available through special offers, but the offers end TODAY! Get in touch with your consultant now to take full advantage! And tune in tomorrow for November's offers.

Did you know that tea consumption is constantly on the increase? Steeped Tea offers an amazing opportunity for everyone. Whether you are looking for a little extra money each month or a full-time income, Steeped Tea has everything you need to become a successful entrepreneur. Join our opportunity webinar November 3rd from 8 pm to 9 pm EST, to find out why everyone is talking about Steeped Tea! Click here to join the webinar.

If you are escorting your little trick or treaters through the neighbourhood tonight, why not take a travel mug to stay warm. Steeped Tea founder Tonia Jahshan is putting a concoction of Mulled Spice tea steeped with hot apple cider in her travel mug. Why don't you try it too, to stay warm?

Experimenting with Tea = Yummy Iced Tea Blend!

There are tea purists - for them nothing but plain tea leaves, without added flavours are their preference. When they describe how tea tastes, they are referring to the very subtle tastes that they discern, the way a wine connoiseur describes fine wine. They might blend their unflavoured teas to create a signature cup, but they would always keep their blending within a tea type.

For other tea lovers, flavours are a fun way to experience their favourite beverage. Blending teas to create new iced tea flavours is a fun and inexpensive experiment.

For this pitcher of tea, my daughter helped me select the tea flavours. We used 1 perfect pot spoon of each Last Mango in Paris, Coconut Calypso, and Berry Mania. The teas were added to the infuser of the Bodum pitcher and then boiling water was added to the pitcher, about 1/2 full. The tea steeped for about 4 minutes - I started with that because we were steeping white teas that usually do not steep for long. If I make this blend again, I would steep it just a little longer, but everyone in our family really enjoyed it, even dear hubby, who is not generally a tea drinker!

Have you combined a few teas to create a new flavour? We'd love to hear about your iced tea blends - leave a comment!

Enjoy Victoria Day Weekend with this Tea Cocktail!

In honour of the person in whose honour we enjoy our first long weekend of the summer, enjoy these homages to Queen Victoria:

a.) Young Queen Victoria limited edition teapot (read more here)

 

 

 

b.) another teapot - this one, comemorating her diamond jubilee (possibly for sale here - but I'll say buyer beware)

 

 

 

 

c.) classic 60's tune by Brit band, The Kinks:

 The words, written by Ray Davies can be found here:

The Kinks - Victoria Lyrics @ LyricsTime.com

Finally, why not toast Victoria Day with your own version of this tas-tea sounding beverage? The recipe originates from the Radio Royal York website and was posted last year, when the Royal York offered this cocktail for $14 a pop. You could almost buy the gin for that at the LCBO.

The Imperial Splendour

1 1/2 oz. Victoria Gin
3 1/2 oz. strongly brewed Earl Grey tea, chilled (we suggest Steeped Tea loose leaf Earl Grey black, either traditional, or creme)
1/2 oz. fresh lemon juice
1/2 oz. Cointreau
2 dashes “Twisted & Bitter” orange cocktail bitters

Combine ingredients and shake on ice. Strain into your finest china.

Garnish with an orange slice and a small cube of frozen marmalade.

Note - Victoria Gin is hand made in small batches from a wood-fired still on Vancouver Island. If you can't find it, use what you do find and enjoy the weekend! 

How to Make Great Tea Even Better!

 
How do you make great loose tea, like Steeped Fine Loose Tea, even better tasting? It's simple: start with good water.

A number of weeks ago, I wrote up my little review of the new Hazelnut Banana black tea. Loved it, by the way! I had used water from the water filter and boiled it to prepare the tea.

A few days later, I was at a friend's home and she had served me the same tea. She had boiled water that she poured straight from the tap and I have to tell you, the tea tasted completely different. Many of the lovely nuances noticeable in my cup at home were missing. Mostly it tasted like a black tea, with a vague flavour to it, and was quite disappointing.

Clearly this is merely a subjective point of view, but I truly believe if you want to experience the best flavour from your loose tea, start with great water - filter it so that the additions of chlorine and other chemicals are not present in your cup.

When it's howling outside...

... here in southern Ontario, the wind is blowing, there's snow in the air (though not much on the ground yet, here). It's just plain blustery.

On days like this, I reach for comforting things like afghans, thick sweaters, hearty soup, and tea!

The spice teas especially appeal on days like this. The fragrance with its exotic notes hint at warmer places and taste just seems to warm from the inside out.

Steeped Tea offers a lovely range of teas with spices. Of course, there are the many chai blends in black, green, rooibos and even mate offerings. There is also spicy ginger rooibos, spicy cinnamon rooibos, cinnamon stick green, superior snow cap green, and from the holiday flyer, pumpkin pie, Christmas chai, and mulled spice. Today, I am sipping one of the new teas introduced in the fall catalogue, Vanilla Maple Cinnamon black tea.

This tea presents subtle and complex flavours. The cinnamon is there, in a gentle way, not a bold Hot Tamale flavour, but a soft and warm hint. The maple adds a sweet yet grounding aspect to the tea and the vanilla offers a lovely creamy smoothness to it. Can you tell I like it?

You bet, especially on a morning like this when the wind shows no sign of stopping, and all I hear is the sound of wind wrapping itself around the house. I better put on more water for a second cup!

What is your favourite tea when you just want to cuddle into a cup of warm comfort?

Steeped Tea now offers themed tea parties!

 
How fun is this! You pick your theme and your tea consultant will do the rest, working with you to ensure your themed party is a fun night for you and your guests. There are 2 themes to choose from now, with more coming in the future.

Here is the info on the Chocolate theme:

 

 
Can't you imagine sitting around with your friends sipping chocolate teas and nibbling on some delectable chocolate goodies?

If you think something exotic is a little more fun, try our chai theme:

 
 
It's just another way that Steeped makes it easy for our consultants to work with our hostesses! Book yours now and remember to take pictures at your party - we'd love to share them here!