Details:

Tea. In many ways, it’s very British. From high tea to tea biscuits and tea clippers, the Brits have had a hand in many tea related endeavors. We’ve got two more to add to the list: Pomegranates and Rosehips. John Bartram, a London Botanist, sent pomegranates to British Quakers in Philadelphia in 1762. The early Americans prized the fruit for its sweet juicy flavor and high vitamin C content, one fruit providing 40% of an adult’s daily requirement. Interestingly it is for the same reasons the British have long collected and consumed Rosehips, the round apple-shaped interior of the rose flower. During WWII, Rosehips with their high levels of Vitamin C became an important source of the vitamin for British school children. Closure of trans-Atlantic shipping routes meant that shipments of Oranges from the US and Southern Europe were no longer available. Children were subsequently given the task of collecting rosehips from their local gardens for the creation of a syrup that was diluted with water. The concoction was sweet and hinted faintly of the flowers they came from. So there you have it. The British love Pomegranates and Rosehips. So it only seems fitting that someone should combine the two with a good solid British tea, which is what we’ve done here. Sweet, tart and fruity on the nose, the cup exhibits deep notes of syrup, red berry and faint wisps of rose blended seamlessly with our astringent Ceylon – a fabulous blend.

Cup Characteristics:

Wow! Very refreshing. Pomegranate gives a lovely astringency and Vitamin C laden Rosehip rounds the edges.

Infusion:

Bright and coppery

Grade:

OP (Orange Pekoe)

Manufacture Type:

Orthodix

Region:

Sri Lanka - Nuwara Eliya, Dimbula or Uva districts

Tea Production:

What type of tea do we use, how do we flavor the tea and why do we use natural flavors? Firstly... we only use high grown teas from the top 3 tea growing regions of Sri Lanka - Nuwara Eliya, Dimbula and Uva. These three high-grown districts produce flavorful teas that have classic ‘Ceylon’ tea character which is noted by floral bouquet and flavor notes, touches of mild astringency, bright coppery color and, most importantly - perfect for use as the base tea of our flavored teas. (We have tested teas from various other origins around the world as base stock for our flavored teas, but none of these teas made the grade.) Dimbula and the western estates of Nuwara Eliya have a major quality peak during Jan/Feb, whereas Uva and the eastern estates of Nuwara Eliya have their peak in July/Aug. This ‘dual peak period’ allow us to buy the best for our flavored tea blends several times during the year, ensuring top quality and freshness. Secondly... we use flavoring oils not crystals to give the tea drinker an olfactory holiday before indulging in a liquid tea treat. Thirdly... we specify natural flavors. High quality tea tastes good and natural flavors do not mask the natural taste of the high grown Ceylon tea. (The norm for many making flavored tea is to use overpowering artificial flavors, which can be used to hide lower quality tea). Natural flavors do not leave an aftertaste giving the tea a clean and true character. It should be noted that natural flavors tend to be somewhat ‘soft ‘ and the flavors slightly muted, but for many this is a refreshing change and one of the desired attributes of our naturally flavored teas.

Hot Tea Brewing Method:

This tea is best enjoyed using 2-3 heaping teaspoons for a 6 cup teapot. Allow the tea to steep for 3-5 minutes, remove the leaves and pour. We do not recommend adding milk or sugar since this can mask some of the intrigue and subtle nuances of this vintage tea.

Iced Tea Brewing Method: (to make 1 liter/quart)

Place 5 teaspoons of tea into a teapot or heat resistant pitcher. Pour 1 1/4 cups of freshly boiled water over the tea. Steep for 5 minutes. Quarter fill a serving pitcher with cold water. Pour the tea into your serving pitcher straining the leaves. Add ice and top-up the pitcher with cold water. Garnish and sweeten to taste. [A rule of thumb when preparing fresh brewed iced tea is to double the strength of hot tea since it will be poured over ice and diluted with cold water].

Tea & Health

No matter what your age, tea delivers a multitude of health benefits that range from: being cardio-protective, a good source of fluid and being friendly to your teeth. As educated people we know the importance of eating a balanced diet that contains five portions of fruit and vegetables, plenty of complex carbohydrates and restricted amounts of saturated fat. However, when it comes to what we drink, even health experts can get a little confused. In a recent survey of health professionals, only 23% of GPs thought that tea could be included in the daily fluid allowance, whereas more than a fifth of practice nurses believed tea to contain the same amount of caffeine as coffee.

Not All Tea Is the Same

Roughly 2.5 million tons of dried tea is produced each year, and about 20% of it is "green tea", which is made by steaming the fresh tea leaves lightly, and drying them quickly. The rest of it is called "black tea", and it involves fermentation of the fresh tea leaves. For medicinal purposes, green tea is considered superior to regular black tea, since it has as much as five times more of the polyphenols that are of interest to us as potent anti-oxidants and cancer preventives. The composition of the green tea varies with the geography, climate, seasonal fluctuations and the methods used in growing it. When tea is harvested, they are supposed to take only the leaf bud and the two adjacent young leaves. Older leaves are considered inferior, and they have much less of the medicinal polyphenols. Usually, a good quality green tea has about 10% by weight of polyphenols. Our teas are of the best quality which promotes the high concentration of polyphenols.