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Do You Want to Win Some Scrumptious Steeped Tea?

Of course you do!

Steeped Tea is running a photo contest on ! Simply go to our      fanpage, click on CONTEST at the top and submit a photo of your favourite teapot. The public will vote to choose the winner. The winner will win a large Henley Teapot ( our most popular) and 6 bags of our most popular teas! Tell your friends!!

Prize Details -

One of our most popular stainless teapots with a built in mesh infuser. No drip spout, feet to protect your furniture and the handle stays cool while the tea stays hot! Beautiful and functional! PLUS 6 25g bags of our most popular loose teas!

Prize Eligibility -

Only persons residing in Canada and United States who are at least 13 years of age can enter.

Contest Starts -

July 21, 2010 @ 02:00 pm (PDT)

Contest Ends -

August 20, 2010 @ 02:00 pm (PDT)

Click here to enter! We can't wait to see your unusual, funky, artistic, antique, hand-crafted, delicate, ugly (you name it) teapots!

 

Tea from New Zealand

When we think of the major tea growing nations, we think of China, Japan, India, Sri Lanka, perhaps even Africa. There is a little tea growing in the US, in the Carolinas. Also Hawaii is boasting tea plantations. Did you read that on our Facebook fan page? If not, you can read it here.

Well, the newest nation, it seems, to be growing and marketing tea is New Zealand. The are shipping some to the US. Here is the story from a press release:

Tea lovers in the United States will have their first chance to try New Zealand’s only tea, Zealong, beginning on June 29, 2010, when Chicago Tea Garden makes it available to its retail and wholesale customers.

Zealong began in 1996 when its owners planted imported Taiwanese seedlings on their New Zealand farm. Only 130 of the original 1500 imports survived the strict 10-month quarantine period, and from these hearty plants, over 1,000,000 tea bushes now grow on Zealong’s 120 acre farm.

Zealong is a fresh, floral oolong with tremendous staying power: Drinkers can expect to get 8 steeps from each pot of tea brewed. Zealong is grown without the use of chemical fertilizers or sprays, and is picked and processed on a farm and tea processing facility certified as meeting the ISO22000 food safety management standard. The result is a tea that is not only delicious, but that is unmatched for purity.

Zealong Oolong will be available for sale on Chicago Tea Garden’s website beginning June 28, 2010.The Chicago Tea Garden also welcomes wholesale inquiries from retailers.

I wonder if they do tea plantation tours - looks like a fantastic place to visit!

Tea Beer - another innovative Canadian product!

We were in Toronto last night for a concert and stopped in at the Fionn MacCool's pub for a bite first. Hubby is a beer lover and we were fascinated to see a Lemon Tea beer on the summer menu. The portion it was being offered in precluded us from ordering it (1.89 litres) as I would really only be tasting, not drinking it...

It is a sunset-coloured (orangey-amber) beer that is made with the addition of black tea leaves and lemon in the aging tank.

The menu says, "Hand-filled by Canada's Brewery of the Year, this thirst-quenching Belgian-style wheat beer is a perfect complement to the summer. Cold-steeping black tea creates a light tea flavour and a slightly sweet, dry finish."

The brewery is a micro brewery and brewpub located in Toronto and their beers are being found on tap in various places around Ontario. They are also bottling their beers, including the Mill Street American Lemon Tea beer, so keep your eyes open at the beer store, and if you try it, leave us a comment - did the tea thing work with the beer thing for you?

Tea inspires collections...

I've heard of tea lovers collecting tea pots, tea cups & saucers, tea-related jewellry, and even tea (wink!). Now there's a collection of tea caddies that  is vying to be included in the Guinness Book of Records. 

Graham Brooks of New Zealand, the owner of the collection of the tea tins has been collecting the containers for over 35 years.  For the first time in 25 years Graham’s collection of approximately 3000 caddies will come out of storage for a special event to raise funds and awareness for the Alzheimer's Society in New Zealand.

Do you collect anything tea related? Let us know in the comments.

By the way, if you think tea tins would help you keep your stash of Steeped Teas organized, we offer them in 2 sizes and shapes. Just order them from your Steeped Tea consultant.

Plaza Citrus Tea-zer

Here's a refreshing, tea-inspired way to cool down this summer. The origin of the recipe is Cynthia Gold, the tea sommelier of Pairings Restaurant in Boston.

The Plaza Citrus Tea-zer
Makes 1
1-1/2 ounces Green Tea-Coconut Rum
3 ounces grapefruit juice
1/2 ounce Green Tea-zer Simple Syrup
Splash Champagne
Lemon twist for garnish (optional)
Basil leaf for garnish (optional)
Shake the rum, grapefruit juice, and syrup vigorously in a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Finish with a splash of Champagne and garnish with the lemon twist or a fresh basil leaf.

Darjeeling Peach Pie

Here in Ontario, it's most usual to see fresh Niagara peaches in the markets in August, but this year, maybe because of the heat, produce seems to be ripening ahead of schedule, and early peaches are already being spotted in the markets. That makes this a perfect time to share this yummy sounding recipe for Darjeeling Peach Pie. Try Steeped's Margaret's Hope for this recipe.

Plan ahead so the dough can be chilled for two hours before rolling it out. The peaches can be peeled, pits removed, cut, and cooked in advance in the brewed tea, thickened with starch, spiced, and ready to go. In fact, if the filling is cold, it’s easier to put the pie together. Once the pie is assembled, you can choose to bake it immediately or wait a few hours, baking it a few hours before serving. (I never serve a pie hot out of the oven; like roasted meats, pies need to settle during cooling so that they may be cut cleanly and all of the flavors have had a chance to marry and mellow).

Here’s a quick puff pastry dough that I like to use for this pie, but feel free to use any dough that you like. It’s best to make the dough first since if it’s well chilled, it’s easier to work with and will yield a flakier end result.

Crust:

8 ounces (scant 2 cups) all-purpose flour
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold but malleable, cut into pieces, measuring approximately 2 inches long by 1 inch wide
½ t. salt
4 ounces (one-half cup) ice water

Place the flour, butter, and salt into a large mixing bowl. Using your fingers, lightly toss the ingredients together until the butter is evenly coated with flour. Add the water all at once and mix gently again to distribute the water evenly throughout the dough. Do not overwork. At this point, the dough will be shaggy, not yet cohering into a rollable dough.

Turn the ragged mixture onto a lightly floured surface and using a rolling pin, tap firmly on the dough to help it come together, frequently scraping it free from the work surface until the ragged mass starts to cohere. Using more pressure, roll the dough into a rough rectangle. Then fold one end of the dough toward the middle and the other end on top of that so you have a three-layer roughly rectangular shape. Flour the work surface lightly again and with the short end of the dough facing you, roll the packet into a rectangle again, being sure that the dough is not sticking to the work surface. Fold the dough again into a three-layer packet and chill. When the dough is well chilled, divide it into two unequal parts using one third of the dough for the bottom crust and the remaining two-thirds for a lattice top for the pie.  Return the two pieces of dough, wrapped well, to the refrigerator. While the dough chills, make the following filling.

Once the dough has chilled:

Place the empty pie pan onto a sheet of parchment paper and then trace the outline onto the paper. Set aside.

Roll the smaller of the two pieces of dough into a thin circle, large enough to cover the inside of the pie pan with a one-inch overhang all around. Place the dough into the pan without stretching it, allowing for an overhang of one inch (this overhang will be folded in once the lattice is in place). Pour the fruit filling into the dough and place the pie into the refrigerator while you roll out the remaining dough for the lattice top of the pie.

(If you wish, instead of a lattice, simply roll the remaining dough into a thin sheet, trim it into a circle, one inch larger than the top dimensions of the pie. Use a round, square, or other shaped small cookie cutter to cut out decorative shapes in a symmetrical pattern.  Cut a circle to fit nicely on top of the pie, fold in the overhang, and crimp using a fork or other tool, sealing the two layers together.)

For the lattice, roll the larger piece of dough into a sheet, about ¼-inch thick, large enough to fully cover the top of the pie. Cut the dough into thirteen even strips, each about ¾ inch wide. (The dough should be soft enough so that it doesn’t break when you manipulate it, but not sticky or melting.)

Turn the paper with the circle drawn on it over (marked side down) and place 6 of the strips within the drawn circle onto the paper, ¾ inch apart and parallel to one another. Fold back every other strip halfway and place a strip of dough perpendicular to the line of strips. Return the folded-back strips to their original positions and then fold back the other strips. Place another strip parallel to, and ¾ of an inch apart from, the center cross strip and continue the process of folding back the strips and positioning the cross strips to complete the lattice on both sides of the center strip. Chill the lattice until firm, about half an hour.

Any leftover dough may be turned into cookies. Simply coat the dough with a bit of cinnamon sugar and bake until puffed and golden brown.

Filling:

20 grams whole-leaf Darjeeling tea (fragrant and fresh)
16 ounces (2 cups) water
10 medium-sized ripe yellow peaches (you will get a better yield of usable fruit from freestone, but cling varieties will work too)
6 ounces (scant cup) granulated sugar, approximate (more or less to taste, depending on the sweetness of the fruit)
1-1/2 T. cornstarch
1 t. cinnamon
½ t. freshly grated nutmeg
2 ounces (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut up into ¼-inch cubes

Use a small paring knife to remove the skin of the peaches. Remove the pit and then cut the fruit into ½- to ¾-inch slices.

Bring the water to a boil. Add the tea leaves. Immediately remove the pot from the heat and allow the tea to steep for 3 minutes. Pour the liquid through a fine meshed sieve into a heatproof bowl. Discard the leaves. Add the sugar and stir to dissolve. Remove 5 ounces of the liquid and allow it to cool.

Whisk the cinnamon and nutmeg into it and dissolve the cornstarch in that liquid, stirring until perfectly smooth. Then add the spice-cornstarch mixture back into the remaining sugared tea liquid. Cook over a medium heat until the liquid thickens and the starch is fully cooked. Add the sliced peaches to the liquid and simmer until the peaches are tender, but not mushy. Add the butter and stir until melted. Allow the mixture to cool while you roll out the chilled pastry to line the pie pan.

Final assembly of the pie:

Remove the lattice and pie from the refrigerator and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Brush the edge of the bottom crust lightly with water. Carefully place the lattice onto the pie and fold the overhang over the edge of the lattice to enclose it all around the pie. Use a fork or other tool to crimp the bottom and top doughs together to seal.  Brush the lattice lightly and carefully with heavy cream. Sprinkle with granulated sugar.

Place the pie on a heavy rimmed cookie sheet (to catch any drips from the pie) and bake for approximately one hour and 10 minutes, or until the fruit is bubbling and the crust is golden brown. Allow to cool to lukewarm and then serve.

Enjoy, with a cup of tea!

The Art of Coffee

Andrew Saur and Angel Sarkela-Saur have been painting with coffee for several years now. It all started one summer when they planned their first art show in a coffee house in Duluth, Minnesota. They wanted to come up with something unique and creative. Since their show was going to take place in a coffee house, they thought it would be appropriate to use coffee as their medium. They tried several techniques, such as using the coffee bean to sketch with and making pastels out of coffee grounds. These techniques were not successful. So they finally decided to use the coffee as a watercolor. The watercolor technique was the most effective way the artists found to use. They first sketch out an idea, then start brewing a really strong pot of coffee that is really dark and thick! From there, water is added to gain the subtle tones of brown. Finally, a clear coat of acrylic is added to preserve the art and a painting of delicate beauty is finished.

If you visit their website, you'll find they've categorized their art into 5 themes: art about coffee, conceptual themes, nature, wildlife and portraits. Some of the work is for sale.

All you artists out there, get your Steeped Volcanic Coffee brewing and see what you can come up with. Hmmm, I wonder if this technique could be used with tea - I've dyed paper and ribbon with tea before...

Steeped Tea Specials are HOT in July!

Throw a small tea party and enjoy FREE tea among other spectacular freebies and savings!

 

Attend a tea party and you too can earn FREE items. Spend $50 and receive a FREE 50g bag of Prince of Wales.

Give your consultant a call today - she's waiting to serve you! If you do not have a consultant, please let us know at info@steepedtea.com and we'd be happy to connect you with one. If there is no consultants in your area, perhaps you'd like to consider becoming a Steeped Tea consultant. We are looking for representatives for every area of Canada.

 

 
 

Happy Canada Day!

It's Canada Day and Steeped Tea is so proud to be a Canadian company!

If you live in Canada and are searching:

 - for delicious loose leaf tea

- to host a tea tasting in your home

- a way to add to your monthly income (or replace your monthy income) that is fun and profitable and provides you with tax benefits,

Steeped  Tea is here for you!

Enjoy celebrating the riches of living in Canada, and remember to include tea in your celebrations!

How Do They Make That? - Japanese Green Tea

Green tea plays an integral role in Japanese culture.  Japanese people diligently practice the precise art of brewing and serving tea.  However, the manufacturing process begins the journey of crafting the perfect cup.

Japan is the only country that uses mechanical shears.  Introduced in the nineteenth century, these fast, efficient machines shear 200-300 pounds of tea during the harvesting season.  Highly skilled workers oversee the cutting and sorting.  Limited quantities of high-grade tencha and gyukuro are handpicked.  All tea manufacturers use the same precise processing method to produce aracha.  Aracha is unrefined green tea leaves.

After tea leaves are picked, they are stored in a cool pre-server, remaining there for several hours before entering the production process.  The first step is steaming the leaves for 30-40 seconds to stop the oxidation.  After steaming, the leaves are allowed to cool to room temperature.  Next, the leaves are placed in a primary dryer/roller.  This enclosed machine blows gentle, warm air onto the leaf while mechanical hands toss the tea in a continuous motion.  Next the tea is rolled in a rotary rolling machine, which rolls the tea in a circle over a grooved bottom plate.  The motion and pressure help distribute the cell juices in the leaves evenly.  Then the leaf is placed in the second tea roller and dried further.  Finally, the tea is placed in a final roller, where paddles push the leaves over a grooved plate to shape them.  The leaf has about 13% moisture at this point and is called aracha.  The tea is vacuum packed and saved until later when it is blended to produce the final product.

Aracha serves as the base for tea artisans to skillfully finish the tea through a refining process.  During the refining process, aracha is sorted, separated, and dried.  This process brings out the balance of flavor, aroma, and color.  The moisture in the leaf is reduced to five percent.  Refined aracha is called shiagecha.  All tea companies and artisans use the shiagecha method to finish processing the tea.  The shiagecha method produces sencha, gyukuro, and bancha.

From plant to cup, the Japanese strive to produce the best cup of tea.

- Williams Tiffany originally authored this article at TChing.

If you are looking for a fine cup of Japanese green tea, look no further than Steeped Tea's Japanese Sencha.

Don't Stand There with the Door Open!

Green tea has now inspired a colour. In their recent release of coloured appliances, Amana included this Green Tea refrigerator.

According to the Amana website, the Green Tea refrigerator is a calming shade of metallic green with leaf etching. The unique design can add a fresh pop of color to an otherwise neutral kitchen or instantly brighten an entertaining space, such as a sun room, wet bar or entertainment room.

How does green tea inspire you?