Tea Historyhttp://blog.nmteaco.com/tea-history/en-US2012-02-23T13:56:21ZSquarespace Site Server v5.11.81 (http://www.squarespace.com/)Vintage Earl Greyhttp://blog.nmteaco.com/tea-history/2011/12/31/vintage-earl-grey.htmlDavid Edwards2011-12-31T21:38:12ZA sophisticated twist to an undeniably sophisticated black tea. Vintage Earl Grey adds the subtleties of rose and lavender to the familiar well-loved tradition of Italian orange bergamot for a smashing afternoon delight. Enjoyed with an intimate circle of friends or in your own personal retreat time, this soothing and lively combination will stir memories of pleasant times well spent.

The Earl Grey blend is named after 2nd Earl Grey, British Prime Minister in the 1830s and author of the Reform Bill of 1832, who reputedly received a gift, probably a diplomatic perquisite, of tea flavored with bergamot oil. Bergamot is a citrus fruit typical of Southeast Asia and grown commercially in Italy.

]]>Guayusa from the Ecuadorian Amazonhttp://blog.nmteaco.com/tea-history/2011/10/31/guayusa-from-the-ecuadorian-amazon.htmlDavid Edwards2011-10-31T17:49:00ZThese chilly November mornings are a reminder that the holiday season is here. For me this time of year is exciting because it is an opportunity for friends and families to get together, to relax, enjoy each others’ company, and tell stories about the past year.

The Kichwa people of the Ecuadorian Amazon don’t wait for the last two months of the year to celebrate: Every morning at dawn, they gather to share stories, dreams, music, and myths. The village elders pass on their knowledge to the youth, teaching them hunting techniques, social values, and what it means to be ‘runa’, or ‘fully living human beings.’ During all of this wonderful exchange they drink gourds full of guayusa until the sun rises.

Guayusa is similar to mate (the caffeinated plant from Argentina), however in addition to caffeine is also has theobromine (the stimulant in chocolate) and L-theanine which is in green tea and reduces both physical and mental stress. On top of all that, its anti-oxidant levels are through the roof. Read more about it on our Guayusa page.

Several Kichwa myths recount how guayusa was the first plant that taught people how to conquer fears and have poise and presence through difficulty. If only we were open on Mondays so you could have some before you go Halloween trick-or-treating!

]]>Green Tea Chai from Kashmirhttp://blog.nmteaco.com/tea-history/2011/10/16/green-tea-chai-from-kashmir.htmlDavid Edwards2011-10-17T05:07:09ZKashmir’s beauty is unparalleled. Upon visiting the Valley of Kashmir, the Mughal emperor Jehangir exclaimed: “If there is paradise anywhere on earth, it is here...”. It lies in the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent, originally consisting of the majestic valley between the Himalayan and Pir Panjal mountain ranges. 

Today it’s a much larger area split into three subsections: Forty three percent under Indian control, 37% administered by Pakistan, and 20% by China. Since 1947, Kashmir has experienced at least three wars, owing to an ongoing territorial dispute between India and Pakistan. In recent years, the political and public sentiment has turned towards granting Kashmir its own autonomy--with the exception of the Chinese controlled region--though any official resolution between India and Pakistan is not likely in the near future. 

Our Kashmiri Chai is modeled after Kahwah, a popular green tea recipe in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the Kashmir Valley. Traditional Kahwah is made by boiling green tea leaves with cinnamon bark and cardamom pods, and is served with sugar or honey and crushed almonds. Saffron strands are sometimes also added for honored guests. It is also common to prepare Kahwah like a Masala Chai with both cream and sugar; this is our favorite way to drink it. Our Kashmiri Chai is a blend of cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, chopped almonds, and green tea. We did not include saffron, which sells for over $500 per pound. But if you happen to have some, don't hesitate to throw in a few strands for yourself.

]]>The great tea clipper race of 1866http://blog.nmteaco.com/tea-history/2011/9/1/the-great-tea-clipper-race-of-1866.htmlDavid Edwards2011-09-02T01:00:00ZThese days, if I want to import tea from India, it is flown practically to my door and arrives within a week. But, during the 18th and 19th centuries it took considerably longer. In the early 1800’s, when the tea trade was largely monopolized by the East India Company, speed was not a consideration. The company wanted to maximize profit by carrying as much tea as possible, resulting in large, slow ships. It took a whole year of hard sailing to get back to Europe from India.

The East India Company lost its monopoly in 1858, following the Indian Rebellion of 1857, when the British Crown assumed direct administration of India during the British Raj. The use of the small, fast Clipper ships began to gain popularity, and eventually escalated to the great Tea Clipper race of 1866 from China to England.

The Taeping, the Ariel, and the Serica left China on May 30th. All three arrived in England fourteen weeks later on September 12th, and within one-and-a-half hours of each other! Given the length of time, the distance, andvariables in ships and crew, this is an amazing feat and a testament to the precision and skill that existed throughout the industry at the time.

The Taeping was the winning vessel, and was awarded an extra ten shillings for each of the 491 tons of tea in cargo. By my calculations, 4,910 shillings in 1866 would be about $237,016 in modern American dollars. Given the prize, you can see why they were racing so hard!

Read the original Gazette article from Wednesday, September 12, 1866 to get more details about the race.

Source: The Great Tea Race of 1866 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Tea_Race_of_1866)
Source: LONDON, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1866. (http://www.bruzelius.info/Nautica/News/SMG/SMG(1866-09-12)_p5ab.html)

]]>Irish super hero Cú Chulainnhttp://blog.nmteaco.com/tea-history/2011/8/1/irish-super-hero-cu-chulainn.htmlDavid Edwards2011-08-02T01:00:00ZIreland is a small country full of big tea drinkers! 4.4 pounds of tea a year are consumed for every man woman and child on the island -- many people drink 5 cups a day. For comparison, a United States citizen is likely to consume under a half pound per year. The Irish are famous for their strong brew, which is accompanied by a very generous amount of cream or milk that is often poured into the cup before the tea is added.

When designing the label for our best-selling breakfast tea, Ann insisted the image be of her favorite Irish super hero Cú Chulainn. I learned two things about Ann that day. First that her love for the Irish goes beyond River Dance, and second that she knows a lot about Irish folk lore!

Cú Chulainn's original name was Sétanta. His nickname comes from an incident when he was a child at which time he killed his host's guard dog in self-defense after arriving late to a party. Out of a sense of personal integrity he offered to assume the guard dog's role in protecting the stables. His oath turned out to be prophetic because he later became the protector of Ulster, one of the four provinces of Ireland, when he rode his chariot into battle and single-handedly defeated the armies of the warring Queen Medb.

There can be no better image for this strong breakfast tea than J. C. Leyendecker’s perfect depiction of Cú Chulainn. Just imagine what you will be ready for after drinking 5 cups!

]]>Indian Independencehttp://blog.nmteaco.com/tea-history/2011/7/1/indian-independence.htmlDavid Edwards2011-07-02T01:15:00ZThis weekend is, of course, a celebration of our independence from the United Kingdom 230 years ago--we declared independence in 1776, but did not win it until 1781. But, let us not forget the 64th anniversary of India's independence from British rule next month on August 15th. We sell by far more India black tea than any other type of tea in our store. Tea in India was first cultivated in Assam in the 1840s. Assam was not always a picturesque tea growing region; it was carved out of the jungle by thousands of native Kachari people andhundreds of thousands of workers from Kolkata (Calcutta) who were looking for a way to make a living. It almost goes without saying that conditions under British direction at the time were deplorable. If you were not killed by malaria and dysentery on the migration to Assam, you might very well be attacked by tigers, or worked to death (tea pickers were expected to pick 1 or 2 leafs per second for 10 hours a day 6 days a week). I recommend reading a book called The Empire of Tea if you would like to learn more about this subject.

Conditions have changed for the better in recent years--just a few weeks ago tea pickers in Sri Lanka received a 25% pay increase. However, I still think it is important to have an understanding and appreciation of the hard work and sacrifice of the tea workers in India for the past 180 years. Without them I would not have a livelihood,and you would not have excellent black tea to drink every morning!

]]>Gongfu Cha Chinese Tea Ceremonyhttp://blog.nmteaco.com/tea-history/2011/6/1/gongfu-cha-chinese-tea-ceremony.htmlDavid Edwards2011-06-02T01:21:00ZMuch of the equipment used in the tea class is from the Gongfu Cha Chinese tea ceremony. The class does not teach this ceremony; however, I have found that the general structure of the ceremony is perfect for sampling many different kinds of tea. Special care is taken at each step of the tea making process, giving attention to amount of tea, time steeped, and water temperature.

In China today most households have a set of tea implements, and every guest is expected to sit and have tea while talking. In my own travels to China I saw that most businesses also set aside a place for drinking tea, often on the sidewalk in front of the store.

The first account of a tea ceremony was during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). The term to describe the serving of tea was initially called cha dao or the "way of tea" in China. Japanese monks traveling through China during this period began to learn about tea and tea culture.  After bringing this knowledge back to Japan, the Japanese tea ceremony evolved as an expression of Buddhist ideals and is still called cha dao. Gongfu Cha on the other hand is not so much about esoterics as it is about the pursuit of preparing a delicious cup of tea for guests.

]]>A tea to remember!http://blog.nmteaco.com/tea-history/2011/4/1/a-tea-to-remember.htmlDavid Edwards2011-04-02T01:25:00ZYou may not have been invited to Prince William's London wedding on April 29th, but don't worry you can participate by having tea at The Langham hotel in London. The bejeweled and glittering Palm Court is the centerpiece of the newly refurbished Langham Hotel; it was awarded the prestigious 'Top London Afternoon Tea 2010' by the Tea Guild.

The hotel's Executive Pastry Chef has created delectable treats as a celebration of the royal wedding.  'Tea Royale' will include Lobster and Cucumber Finger Sandwiches dusted with Fennel Pollen, Westminster Abbey Chocolate Cake, and warm Wild Lavender and Honey Scones with Devonshire clotted cream and strawberry preserves. You can also enjoy all the pomp and circumstance at home, without the $83 per person price tag, by selecting your tea at New Mexico Tea Company and following our recipes here.

]]>Uprising in Egypthttp://blog.nmteaco.com/tea-history/2011/2/1/uprising-in-egypt.htmlDavid Edwards2011-02-02T02:28:00ZThe world is looking at Egypt this week because of the miraculous uprising of people expressing their desires in a mostly peaceful manner. Given that tea is the national drink of Egypt, I can only imagine that the marching masses have had many tea breaks over the last 7 days. In Egypt tea is called "shai". The waning Egyptian government considers tea such an important crop that it runs large tea plantations in Kenya. Almost all Egyptian tea is imported from Kenya or Sri Lanka.

If you visit Egypt you will be able to find black tea prepared in two ways: Koshary and Saiidi. In Northern Egypt Koshary tea is made by lightly steeping half a teaspoon of black tea and adding fresh mint and sugar. Saiidi tea is common in Southern Egypt. It is prepared by boiling two teaspoons of black tea in a cup of water for 5 minutes. It is then sweetened with cane sugar and enjoyed black.

]]>Masala Chaihttp://blog.nmteaco.com/tea-history/2011/1/1/masala-chai.htmlDavid Edwards2011-01-02T03:41:00ZTraditional chai, known as Masala Chai, is a combination of black tea and five spices. Generally milk is added along with sugar but can be enjoyably consumed without either. Masala Chai originates in India, the black tea used coming from the Assam region.

A bit surprisingly, tea of any kind was not drunk in India until the English forced the development of tea growth in Assam and Ceylon during the mid-1800s as a challenge to the tea grown in China. Tea consumption remained low until an aggressive promotional campaign by the British-owned Indian Tea Association in the early 20th century. Factories, mines, and textile mills were encouraged to provide tea breaks for their workers to boost sales. Around the same time many independent chai wallahs supported their families by selling chai throughout the growing railway system.

The five spices used in chai are an integral part of Indian cuisine used throughout centuries for their health benefits. However only ginger, cardamom, and black pepper are native to India. Cinnamon originates in Sri Lanka and cloves are native to Indonesia.

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