Steep up a pot of tea and CUT YOUR STROKE RISK by 21%

According to a study from the UCLA School of Medicine reported in this month's Prevention Magazine, sipping tea may help protect you from a life-threatening stroke. Researchers collected data from 9 studies about 4,400 strokes amongst 195,000 people.  The encouraging trend that they pulled from this huge pool of data was that those people who drank at least 3 cups of tea a day had one-fifth the risk of stroke, compared with those who drank less than one cup of tea a day.  Tea type was not a variable in this study.  So drink up!

Photo: Andrea Doenges, our Regional Sales Manager, sipping her way to heart health at her desk :)

Westward Bound... to EXPO!

Feels like the night before Christmas - when all through the house, not a creature was stirring at The Tea Spot.

3 of our team of 7 are already in/on their way to Anaheim, CA for the largest Natural Food Show of the year, EXPO West.  EXPO's hosted by the Boulder media powerhouse, New Hope Media.  We'll be one of over 2000 exhibitors. From our town alone, about 40 companies are exhibiting - no small feat!  Our local paper ran an article, appropriately titled "Naturally Hopeful" in the biz section this week, stating (quite accurately, I might add) that this event is, for many companies, the largest annual marketing expenditure they'll choose to make.  So even from our 10x10 spot in the basement, we intend to wow many of the 53,000 anticipated "industry professional" passer-bys with our outstanding teas and innovative Steepware products, including some previews of exciting developments coming in 2010. Our newest development dovetails perfectly with the strong Going Green initiatives that New Hope has taken with CO2 emissions reductions initiatives at the show this year ;)

Our Natural Foods sets are growing, both in quality of products and number.  We're thrilled to be offering our teas in bulk to grocery shoppers in select stores like Whole Foods (Southglenn store set pictured at center) and Food Lion.  But the cornerstone of our brand and affinity for the natural and organic shopper comes from retailers like Lazy Acres in Santa Barbara, and Ellwood Thompson's (set pictured at the bottom) in Richmond Virginia.  This is our customer, and this year, we hope to be able to better represent our brand on their shelves, offer a wider variety of products in bulk, as well as new and innovative tea steeping tools for the consumer as well as foodservice.

The feeling of pending expectation has been building... now in our 5th year of exhibiting at the show, we're (thankfully!) at our most organized and well-mobilized, and looking forward to not only representing our own products and mission of fostering health and wellness through loose leaf tea, but taking in what others are doing in our industry. 

So please come by and visit us (and enjoy some tea!) at booth 5766 in Hall E - our hall opens at 9:30 AM - 30 minutes earlier than all the others (is this 'cus it's hard to get to, I wonder?!)

The Natural Products EXPO West show runs from March 12-14 at the Anaheim Convention Center. 

And I'll do my best to report here on our experience at the show :)

Steep up a little dust lately?

read on... odds are, if you're a US tea drinker, you probably have :(

I did a double take then I first saw this headline in the Financial Express: "Clean tea, dusts in strong demand" Who's demanding dust, I wondered... but of course - your best-known tea companies!

From Wikipedia: "Dust tea...Traditionally these were treated as the rejects of the manufacturing process in making high quality leaf tea... has however experienced a huge demand in the developing world in the last century as the practice of tea drinking became popular. Cheap tea stalls in India and the South Asian sub-continent, and Africa prefer dust tea because it is cheap and also produces a very strong brew - consequently more cups are obtained per measure of tea dust."
 
Terrific... We Americans and Brits established dust's popularity, and tea bags made it all possible.  I guess there's something to be said for the vertical integration and sustainability aspect to being able to use the whole leaf, even the rejects from the manufacturing process ;)

Even the "clean tea" that was in high demand was - fannings!  Fannings are barely a step up from dust. They're defined in the tea industry as: Dust or very small particles of tea left over after processing. This is the lowest grade of tea.  Some auctions, however, include "dust" as an actual grade of tea, namely the one being reported on in our subject article.

Take heart, however, in that you'll probably never find dust or fanning grade tea in any loose tea product.  From the seven main grades of tea auctioned off, we're the ones who buy up the top 3 grades. So you can drink up and feel good about it :)

Photo Credits:
* Teabag beauty shot from prwatch.org 
* New Moon Darjeeling leaf pile from theteaspot.com

More on Locks of Love...

I feel the need to elaborate a little on my last post...

In accordance with our social mission to donate 10% of ALL sales to cancer wellness & community programs, I finally cut my hair. It took me close to a year to grow it long enough to donate it to Locks of Love. 

What is Locks of Love?

Locks of Love is a public non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children under age 18 suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis. Their 'mission is to return a sense of self, confidence and normalcy to children suffering from hair loss by utilizing donated ponytails to provide the highest quality hair prosthetics to financially disadvantaged children. The children receive hair prostheses free of charge or on a sliding scale, based on financial need.'

Cancer constitutes the second highest percentage of their recipients. Every year approximately 2,200 children under age 20 are diagnosed with brain tumors. Radiation treatment to the brain stem as a treatment for cancer can cause permanent hair loss. Chemotherapy may also cause hair loss to be long-term depending on the length of treatment needed.

It is amazing, something I took for granted is something a young child relies on for normalcy. Anyhow, I am not elaborating on my experience to toot my own teapot. I am trying to spread the word. It is a great cause that will help kids feel confident, beautiful and like everybody else. 

Just find a great hair dresser.

If you live in or new Boulder, CO go to Zing Hair. They treat their customers like family.

Watching a company take off... the view from inside

This summer has been a turning point for our company. We’ve taken that critical step from being a “start-up” to a business operation. Positioning is clear. Roles are (relatively…) clear. Repeat business is an important part of our revenue stream. Surprises, though always a part of business and life, are now fewer in number and further between incidents. And this is all due, of course, to the people. The sales operations team have outstanding relationships with their customers. Whenever I have the (always welcome!) opportunity to meet a customer or a prospect, I get rave reviews – no wonder, of course, as they’re always sensitive to meeting exactly their customers’ needs. They do their job more as customer advocates rather than sales people. It’s never “push” - only “serve”. Our Director of Development can do anything… two days ago I put a challenge in front of her to tackle an opportunity that needed to be addressed within 36 hours – I really didn’t expect that she’d say it was possible, and WOW – she used probably 33 of those 36 hours to produce a creative and superbly professional piece of work. I was stunned… It’s been about 18 months since we hired our now COO, the cog in the wheel. He is the chief in this company – no question - with business acumen, ethics and professionalism that any company would envy. He could be a diplomat or executive in any government or business enterprise. And our Tea Spot Chef is possessed with talent and energy that never cease to impress me – and is a community networker like none other. And I’m the lucky one who gets to help and watch this go forward, evolve and take form – Thank You team Tea Spot for rallying and making loose leaf tea that simple and elegant everyday luxury we dreamed it would be, helping people live healthier and happier lives!

My cup of tea was somewhat weak :( evoking further memories of “Tea”…

Last night, we were at Santa Fe Opera’s production of Donizetti’s “Elixir of Love”, one of the funnest and most melodic operas ever. If you’ve never been to the opera before, this would be a fine place to start… The production was stellar: original, aesthetically beautiful, and superbly executed. But the soloists’ singing left me a bit wanting… which brought back memories of the last time I left the opera here wanting for more – Tan Dun’s Tea opera 2 years ago.

Needless to say, as both an opera and tea lover, and a great admirer of Chinese culture, I had expectations for Tea… Tea, the opera, is set in ancient Japan and China, and tells a tale based on historic facts of erotic love, mystery and intrigue surrounding the chase for the legendary tea master Lu Yu’s Book of Tea. This too, was a superbly professional production by Santa Fe Opera, but the only things that remain in my memory 2 years later are a shrieking E-flat clarinet, great banners of paper being rustled and ripped, and the sound of water being poured in and out of uplit glass bowls.

Like with all artistic endeavors, the outcomes are mixed – from production to production, even from night to night. But with a house having the stature and legacy of Santa Fe Opera, we’ve been thrilled here enough times to know that the outcomes can be world class. With the exception of the amazingly lovely bassoon solo last night in the tenor’s aria, this production left me wanting for more than the warm personality and solid performance of the two male leads. So onwards and upwards to Don Giovanni tonight and La Traviata tomorrow… we’ll be sure to hydrate plenty and caffeinate ourselves before the long evening shows here at 7000 ft altitude with Bolder Breakfast and Earl of Grey Puerh. And here’s to hoping our next “cup of tea” in Santa Fe is stronger! (Image courtesy Santafeopera.org)

Tea and Honey

It’s noticeable, that particularly in Europe, people tend to think about sweetening their tea with honey. I can’t remember the last time someone brought me some honey with my coffee, and this got me wondering why… does sweetening tea with honey really work better than sugar? I think the answer lies in that the subtlety of tea actually allows the flavor of the honey to come through, and actually work with the honey to create a completely new sweet flavor (all kidding and nastiness aside – a dollop of honey in a cup of coffee would simply get lost!). The floral aspects present in both tea and honey work beautifully together. With all the amazing honeys available at farmer’s markets, I tried a few.

Not being a habitual sweet tea drinker, this was a fun excursion into sweet flavors – each like a candy defined by a tasty tea base, then prolonged or sometimes lifted by the honey flavors.

I’ve now tried creamy honeys, various floral honeys,

including orange blossom, and am anxious to try some lavender honey with my Earl of Grey. I recommend it, and in a future post plan to talk through some tea and honey pairings…Sweet Dreams!

Thank you abeilles.apiculture.free.fr for the photos!

Contest: TEAS Your Favorite Recipe...

Your challenge: Take one of your favorite recipes and 'TEAS IT'. 

Winner of the most creatively tea-licious recipe posted here before September 15th 2009 receives a $25 gift certificate to theteaspot.com.

Why TEAS your recipe?

• It enhances the flavor of almost any recipe            
• It provides health benefits                     
• It's a unique culinary ingredient         
• It’s already in your cupboard, loose leaf or tea bag

 How to TEAS a recipe?

• Make a tea seasoning, finely grounded tea leaves blended with herbs and/or spices               
• Use it as a smoking agent              
• Make a tea concentrated broth                        
• Use it as a meat tenderizer                       
• Make a glaze, dressing or marinade                                                    
• Cook grains in tea infused liquid
• Make an ice cream

For more on how to TEAS a recipe, check out Tacoma's Tea Examiner, Casie Swanson's, recent article. 

You can also visit The Tea Spot Chef's blog and The Tea Spot.

Looking forward to testing your recipe. Let me know if you have any questions.

EARL OF GREY Risotto with Shrimp & English Truffled Peas

Last week in culinary school I learned how to make a basic Risotto alla Parmigiana. A classic dish with a specific cooking technique that is not hard to perfect but important to master. Once mastered you can incorporate different ingredients and various flavor profiles. Needless to say, I added tea to the recipe, incorporated the English peas I got from the Farmer's Market (Pastures of Plenty) and mixed in shrimp I found in my freezer. I stirred in some Parmesan cheese and finished it with a touch of white truffle oil. 

The recipe is very similar to the one I illustrated last week except I placed EARL OF GREY tea in a cheese cloth and steeped it in the chicken stock. Once the risotto was 3/4's of the way finished, I took it off the stove and separately sauted the blanched peas and shrimp. Then finished cooking the risotto and folded in the peas, shrimp and finishing ingredients (cheese and truffle oil). The result...a creamy, earthy, tender yet firm risotto with hints of bergamont and citrus from the tea.

EARL OF GREY Risotto with Shrimp & English Truffled Peas

Portions: 10

Portion Size: 6-7 oz

Ingredients:

• 1 oz butter 
• 1 fl oz Vegetable oil
• 1 oz onion, finely diced 
• 1 lb Arborio rice (short grain)
• 2 qt Chicken Stock, hot
• 2 TBS EARL OF GREY, wrapped in cheese cloth

Finishing Ingredients:

• 3 oz butter, separated by oz (1 oz for peas, 1 oz for shrimp, 1 oz for finishing)
• 3 oz onion, finely diced & separated evenly
• 1.5 lb shrimp, deveined & peeled (option: tails on or off)
• 12 oz English peas, shelled & washed
• 2 TBS white truffle oil
• 4 oz Parmesan cheese, grated
• SPTT (Salt and Pepper to taste)

Preparation:

1. Blanch peas: Bring salted water to boil. Add peas and cook 4-6 minutes, should be tender yet firm. Remove peas from boiling water and shock them in ice cold water to stop cooking. Reserve.
2. In a medium pot, bring chicken stock with EARL OF GREY tea wrapped in cheese cloth to boil. 
3. Over medium-high heat, melt butter and oil in a large, straight-sided saute pan. Add the onion, sweat until soft and translucent. Do not brown.
4. Add the rice and saute until well coated with butter, oil and onion.
5. Using a 6-oz ladle, add one ladle of stock to rice at a time and gently stir over medium heat until the rice absorbs all the liquid. Repeat procedure until 3/4 of stock is absorbed, reserving the last 1/4 stock until ready to serve. Do not add more then one ladle of stock at a time and do not sir too much. Remove pan from heat and reserve until peas and shrimp are cooked.
6. Melt 1 oz butter in large saute pan over medium-high heat. Sweat 1.5 oz onions, add peas and coat with butter.  Cook until tender but still firm, about 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from pan and reserve
7. Melt 1 oz butter in the same large saute pan over medium-high heat. Sweat 1.5 oz onions, add shrimp and coat with butter. Cook until pink yet translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Turn off heat and let stand. 
8. Place risotto mixture back over heat and add the remaining chicken stock one ladle at time, stirring gently. Stop adding stock when the rice is tender but still a little firm in the center. It should look moist and creamy, but not runny. Remove from heat.
9. Place shrimp back over medium heat combine reserved peas. Cook for another 1-2 minutes. Turn off stove and drizzle with tuffle oil. Gently stir to combine.
10. Fold the shrimp mixture into the risotto, add butter and Parmesan cheese. Salt & pepper to taste. Serve immediately on a heated platter.
    

I left the shrimp tails on because I think they add another level of texture and a slightly salty flavor to the dish. My husband on the other hand thought they should have been discarded because they were messy and ruined the presentation...what would you do & why? 

Tea for Romance

Summer in Boulder: our extraordinary irises and wild Mariposa Lilies, which we’re well known for, are showing their varied colors and exuding their delicious fragrance. Wood roses are open and sharing their exotic perfume. These and more contribute to the lovely feeling of romance in the air…hence my inspiration for this post!

As busy entrepreneurs in our respective businesses, my fiancé and I don’t always have the time or energy for a leisurely 6 o’clock drink, but it’s still important for us to get together and reconnect at the end of our work days - which is just as beautifully, if not more so, accomplished with an informal gong fu tea ceremony and some aromatic (is there a pattern here?) oolong…or, if we need more of a lift, a nice strong pot of Earl Grey, or a Japanese green with some dark chocolate! When we’re really looking to unwind, a couple of aromatic steeping cups of Meditative Mind, our white tea blend sprinkled with rosebuds and green tea jasmine pearls, are just the thing.

A quick Google search on “aphrodisiacs” shows that there are many different categories of substances named after the Greek Goddess of love, Aphrodite, used in the belief that they increase sexual desire – aromatic, edible, stimulating, relaxing, hallucinogenic, and more.

The oil of bergamot in Earl Grey, it turns out, has long been used as an aromatic aphrodisiac to reduce muscle tension, anxiety, and stress. For added smoothness, our Earl of Grey has just a touch of licorice root, considered an excellent edible and aromatic aphrodisiac. In fact, traditional Chinese medicine used licorice root to enhance love and lust and the ancient Kama Sutra included it as an ingredient for many recipes to increase sexual vigor! According to research done at the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago, the smell of licorice root is particularly stimulating to women. I always thought the calming aromatherapeutic benefits coupled with the visual beauty of Meditative Mind helped make it our best-selling tea, and had quickly dismissed a most grateful cycling buddy who once told me that my gift of that tea turned his girlfriend wild! But my research unveils that the rosebuds and jasmine pearls may do more than simply calm us down. Rosebuds are, indeed, an aphrodisiac…mmm. Their aroma stimulates the brain and keeps the mind focused and alert (hence the name of our tea!). But rosebuds are also a great mood enhancer and amplify the libido! Eating them (though I don’t know about their infusion) apparently increases blood flow through the body and allows a warm sense of stimulation. Jasmine is also an aromatic aphrodisiac. So much for the meditation…perhaps we should have called it “Tantric Mind”.

Needless to say, the caffeine in tea can offer an energy boost at the end of a long day to get you back to your best when starting your evening with your sweetheart. You should consider a romantic tea break next time you come home. Just keep in mind the quote by the travel writer Catherine Donzel: “Each cup of tea represents an imaginary voyage”.

Probably not your cup of tea...

Lately, I’ve wondered more than once about what is Tea Tree Oil? There are spray bottles standing around the yoga studio where I go with water mixed with this stuff, and I always spray some on my beloved purple yoga mat after every class, assuming that I’m doing it some good.

As it turns out, Tea Tree Oil is an essential oil obtained by steam distillation of the leaves of Melaleuca alternifolia, a plant native to Australia. It is no relative of the tea plant. Not even close! According to the American Cancer Society: "Tea tree oil is toxic when swallowed. It has been reported to cause drowsiness, confusion, hallucinations, coma, unsteadiness, weakness, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach upset, blood cell abnormalities, and severe rashes. Tea tree oil may cause hearing loss when used in the ears. It should be kept away from pets and children." Great… so why am I putting this stuff on my yoga mat?

Tea tree oil contains terpenoids, used as topical antibacterial and antifungal lotions in a range of products including antiseptics, deodorants, shampoos, and soaps. Historically, the leaves were used as a substitute for tea, which is how tea tree oil got its name. Tea tree has a long history of traditional use. Australian aboriginals used tea tree leaves for healing skin cuts, burns, and infections by crushing the leaves and applying them to the affected area. Do not confuse Tea Tree Oil with tea oil, the sweet seasoning and cooking oil from pressed seeds of the tea plant (Camellia sinensis) or the tea oil plant (Camellia oleifera).

So there. You can now safely file this under useless random information…but next time you see some Tea Tree Oil, don’t be tempted to take a swig!

Cooking Light - Ultimate Reader's Recipe Contest

Cooking Light magazine has an annual contest, The Ultimate Reader’s Recipe Contest. All recipes submitted must made with at least one ingredient from their participating sponsors. Sponsors include: Newman’s Own, Eggland’s Best, Del Monte Fruit, Al Fresco, Bush’s, Domino Sugar, Lindsay Olives, Over the Moon Milk, Swanson’s and Mexican Haas Avocados.

Being half Hispanic I grew up eating avocados like Southerners grow up eating their grits, although I never really understood how versatile the fruit is until I began making healthier choices and started to ‘really’ cook. As I experimented with this green goddess I began using it in salsas, sauces, spreads, soups, marinades, dressings, oils, drizzles, drinks, desserts, on the grill, as a garnish and even as a topical ointment. The Haas avocado is the fruit of life that is buttery in taste and texture and is amazingly nutritious and delicious. It has over 20 vitamins, nutrients, phytonutrients, helps regulate cholesterol and promote healthy cardiovascular functions. Needless to say, the Haas avocado is versatile, nutritious and is a healthy substitute for ingredients that are high in calories and saturated fats. For example, substituting a healthy Haas Avocado for mayonnaise and using fresh citrus juices to keep the avocados from oxidizing while adding a slight tartness makes this Succotash salad creamy and healthy. Adding green tea to this recipe enhances the flavor and health benefits of this dish. Served as a side or add crabmeat, shrimp or scallops makes this dish a nutritiously light yet completely filling meal.

3 Bean & Haas Avocado Green Tea Infused Succotash Salad Drizzled with Haas Avocado & Poblano Citrus Dressing

Prep Time: 20-30 minutes

Serving Size: 6-8

Level: Easy

Ingredients: Haas Avocado & Poblano Citrus Dressing

• 1/2 poblano, seeded & chopped
• ¼ cup fresh mint, chopped
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 lemon, zest & juice 
• 1 lime, zest and juice
• 1 Clementine, zest & juice
• 1 TBS agave
• 1/2 - 1 tsp cayenne pepper (spice to taste)
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 TBS BOULDER BLUES Green Tea, steeped into a ¼ cup concentrate, add 2 ice cubes to chill (Or any other fruity green tea)

*Hot to make a Green Tea Concentrate: Steep 2 TBS of tea in 4 ounces water at 175° for 3 min*

• 1 Haas avocado, pitted, chopped & scooped out of skin (reserve skin for presentation)
• 1/3 cup avocado oil
• salt & pepper to taste

Ingredients: 3 Bean & Haas Avocado Succotash

• 2 Haas avocados, pitted, chopped & scooped out of skin (reserve skin for presentation)
• 1 can corn (15 oz - no salt added), drained & rinsed
• 1 can black bean (15 oz - no salt added) drained and rinsed
• 1 can cannellini beans (15 oz - no salt added) drained & rinsed
• 1 cup frozen edamame, shelled defrosted
• 1 packet cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
• 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
• 1 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1 head Napa cabbage, washed and shredded
• Garnish with lemon sliced and fresh mint

 

Preparation:

1.   Hass Avocado & Poblano Citrus Dressing: In a food processor, add the poblano, mint, vinegar, lemon juice & zest, lime juice & zest, Clementine juice & zest and agave. Pulse to combine. Add cayenne pepper and smoked paprika and pulse to combine. Combine tea concentrate and pulse. Add avocado pieces and combine. While processing, slowly add avocado oil until dressing is smooth. Remove from food processor and reserve.

2.   3 Bean & Haas Avocado Green Tea Infused Succotash Salad: In a big mixing bowl, combine Haas avocado, corn, beans, tomatoes, bell pepper and cilantro. Quickly whisk dressing and fold 2/3 of dressing into the bean mixture. Reserve 1/3 of dressing in a small side bowl to serve with dish.

3.    Presentation: On a large rectangle platter, cover bottom with shredded cabbage. Scoop succotash into empty avocado skins and place them around the platter. Scoop remaining succotash mixture in the middle. Garish with lemon slices and mint leaves. Serve with remaining dressing on side.

You should definitely make this, the next time you feel like making something with an avocado...Then let me know if you think it could win Cooking Light's Ultimate Reader's Recipe Contest...