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Thank You Gift Basket

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Anniversary Gift Basket

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Meat Hampers

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Bountiful Blessings Holiday Gift Basket Price: 59.99

Home for the Holidays Holiday Gift Basket Price: 89.99

Have A Very Merry Christmas Holiday Gift Basket Price: 64.99

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Xmas Food Hampers

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Christmas Food Hampers

Tea is most commonly associated with Asia. And it’s true that the majority of tea comes from China, India and other countries in that area. But there are other countries that have the climate, soil and expertise to produce a fine tea.

In recent years, South Africa has been on the radar with the rising popularity of Rooibos. Delightful as it is, Rooibos is not a traditional tea. It’s not made from the Camilla Senensis plant. Another plant makes for a great tea, and this one is cultivated in South America: Yerba Mate.

Produced from the Ilex Paraguariensis tree, part of the holly family, it makes a fine herbal tea. Grown in Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina and Brazil it is a South American wonder. Each country has its own distinctive style of Yerba Mate tea. In Brazil, the leaves are toasted, yielding a stronger taste. In Argentina, the cocido is a fine breakfast tea.

Like other herbal teas, it has many of the great health benefits of a traditional leaf. It provides a relaxing drink while aiding digestion. And it still has many of the antioxidants that are helpful in warding of cancers.

Even in bag or loose leaf form it still makes for a great brew. It can be a very fine, almost powdery substance, though. The leaves are dried, then crumbled into a very fine brown-leaf tea mixture. So, if you don’t care for bits of herb in the liquid, filter well. The tea can even be prepared in a French press.

It’s easy to obtain in bag form, but for a more traditional South American brew there’s an alternative preparation method. Instead of a teapot, a gourd and a bombilla is used. The gourd (called a mate) is used in place of a cup, and the bombilla is a metal straw that gives the smooth herbal a nice little tang.

Fill the gourd 3/4 full of herb, then pour cold water over them until they’re wetted but not drowned. Let them soak for a few minutes. While you wait, heat a cup of water to about 82°C/180°F, then add enough water to fill the gourd. Steep for a few minutes. Then insert the bombilla filter end down into the liquid and sip. Arriba!

In the traditional social setting, one person typically takes the role of preparer and server and has the first sip. Then the gourd and straw is passed from one person to the next. And you thought only the Japanese had tea rituals!

Pick up a gourd and bombilla and have some tea South American style.

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Tea – Yerba Mate, South American Delight

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Wine and Cheese Gift Basket

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Gourmet Baskets

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Tea, coffee and Alcohol Free Baskets

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Wine Baskets

The Beer Basket Price: 70.00 Beers from around the world.

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Beer Lover Gift Baskets

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Tea Gift Basket

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Organic Hampers

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Gourmet Food Hampers

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Beer Gift Basket

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Cookie Gift Basket

White tea is made from the same plant as is green tea, but undergoes a very different process. It begins with the rolled buds of the Camellia Sinensis plant, but suffers no oxidation.

That oxidation process, often called fermentation, is what produces the distinctive color and taste of other teas. Though the word is the same, ‘fermentation’ in tea circles does not mean the same as when it’s used in relation to wine. No sugars are altered to produce alcohol.

Instead of oxidation, the buds are dried by steaming, then air dried. No rolling or crushing occurs. This leaves the enzymes in the leaves intact, unexposed to air. Water evaporates more slowly and up to 40% of the original weight is lost. Then the leaves are slow-roasted to remove about 95% of their moisture content.

The result is a tea with very little caffeine and a very light color and delicate taste. The final product has a very fresh taste, somewhat like real leaves or grass, that is preferred by some tea aficionados. Leaves gathered in the early spring provide a clean cup with a fragrance that has a hint of outdoors.

A type called Silver Needle that hails from the Fujian province in China is an especial treat. The Darjeeling province in India makes a fine white tea as well. And there is a variety called Ceylon White that hails from Sri Lanka.

But there’s more to white tea than just good taste.

Though still an area of active research, there are studies that suggest white tea is even healthier than the already great green tea. Green tea stimulates the immune system to fight infection and according to a recent study at the Pace University, that property may be even more pronounced in white tea. It has an anti-viral and anti-bacterial effect.

With its lower caffeine content (15 mg per serving, compared to 40 mg for black tea, and 20 mg for green tea) white teas will be a great addition to the ‘decaf’ section of your tea tin.

Brew about 2.5 grams (1,5 teaspoons) for every 200 ml (6 oz). Heat the water to 82°C (180°F), then steep the leaves for a few minutes. Cool to taste and enjoy this ancient delight as a new experience.

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Tea – White Tea, Delicacy Personified

Derived from the Afrikaans word for ‘red bush’, Rooibos is not a true tea. It comes from a plant called Aspalathus Linearis, rather than the Camellia Sinensis, which is generally used for making tea. But, as Shakespeare rightly said: ‘A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.’ Or, in this case, taste as sweet.

And Rooibos teas are certainly that. This shrubby bush with thin, needle-like leaves produces a brew that is light, sweet and delicious. The difference in color, which is indeed a light red, even adds to the experience. The color is a nice change from the green or dark brown of more traditional teas.

But then, tradition is different in different places. In South Africa, the home of the native Rooibos bush, the tea has been providing the populace with a wonderful brew for generations. When WWII restricted imports of Asian teas, those who supplied the millions wanting their afternoon cup went looking elsewhere.

They found it in the Cedarberg mountains where farmers harvest its low-volume seeds to produce a drink that has become popular worldwide. The tea is finely chopped, then left in the hot South African sun to dry.

The leaves are originally green, but turn red from this oxidation process, called ‘fermentation’. In tea parlance fermentation bears no similarity to the word as used by wine producers. No sugars are fermented to make alcohol from the plant. The result is a leaf ready to make a delectable drink.

But Rooibos has more benefits than simply good taste. As if anything more were needed!

Rooibos is caffeine-free, yet retains the same anti-oxidant value that is found in green teas. That makes it heart-healthy and a value for those who drink tea for its cancer fighting properties and other health benefits. It’s low in tannin, so you can have numerous cups without concern. Tannins lower the absorption of iron and other minerals.

Like other teas, there is some evidence that it has additional health-boosting abilities. Some studies suggest it helps the immune system, just like other teas. It also has been reported to aid in relieving stomach cramps. Since it has no oxalic acid, it can be drunk by those with a tendency to produce kidney stones.

You may find the product labeled Herbal Allergy tea, owing to its reputed ability to aid allergy sufferers. Or it may be labeled Red Bush and available in the section used to treat skin disorders, such as eczema.

But, again, by any other name it is still a wonderful addition to the tea tin. And that’s a tradition that is worth maintaining.

This post is from: The Food Hamper a site dedicated to the tradition of giving food hampers to celebrate special occasions and events.

Tea – Rooibos, The Red Delight

Tea – Oolong, The Black Dragon

Green or Black? Sometimes you can’t decide. Normally the middle ground is the province of those who just can’t commit. But when it comes to tea drinking, compromise is no vice. Try Oolong.

The word comes from the Chinese, meaning ‘Black Dragon’ and there are a dozen legends surrounding the origin of the name. But one thing is certainly no myth: this is a fine tea.

Midway between a black and a green, Oolong originated in the Fujian Province near the end of the Ming Dynasty 400 years ago. It gradually migrated to Formosa (now Taiwan) and has been a staple product of that noble nation ever since. Though, the majority still comes from Wu Yi Shan mountain in China.

It is not only a delight to taste, when well prepared, but has a distinctive aroma owing to its moderate oxidation and careful processing. The floral scent and slightly astringent mouthfeel bears a similarity to a fine wine. And that is no accident.

Most of the processing is carried out by hand, beginning with the careful plucking by individual farm workers. Selecting an Oolong for harvesting is done as carefully as the picking of perfect grapes by vineyard workers.

Unlike most teas, running hot water through the Oolong leaves more than once can actually enhance the flavor. This rinses away any residual dust or other contaminants from processing. The second bath brings pure Oolong flavor into the cup. This special Taiwanese method of tea preparation has brought the Oolong to the pinnacle of a fine brew.

But more than just a delectable, relaxing drink Oolong also has many health benefits. Research strongly suggests that Oolong is good for several different body systems. The beneficial effects for the digestive system are well known and well documented.

But recent studies suggest that the volatile aromatic vapors from Oolong help dislodge toxic residues from the bronchia and air sacs of the lungs. They can then be expectorated (coughed up and spat out). This effect may help to explain why Chinese men, among the heavier smokers on the planet, tend to have fewer cases of lung cancer.

Oolong teas also contain plentiful amounts of the antioxidants polyphenol and catechins. These help gather free radicals from the blood stream, which are removed during urination. Free radicals are ionized molecules that, in concentration, destroy cell membranes and have other harmful effects.

Oolong comes in a hundred varieties, and nearly every one can be found at some Chinese restaurant or other. There is the Da Hong Pao (Big Red Robe), the Shui Jin Gui (Water Turtle) and many other delightful kinds with equally evocative names. The Golden Buddha produces a light brew, while the Water Sprite is a dark tea. The Dong Ding from Nantou in central Taiwan is a favorite of those who favor Oolong.

But there are times when you want to have a cup without the accompanying Dim Sum. Fear not, for any of those varieties is available online with a few mouse clicks. Drink up!

This post is from: The Food Hamper a site dedicated to the tradition of giving food hampers to celebrate special occasions and events.

Tea – Oolong – So Many People Cannot be Wrong!

Tea – Green Tea – Healthy, Wealthy and Wise

It is not always that we are so fortunate that something we enjoy is good for us. How lucky we are that green tea fits that role so well!

The role of green tea in promoting health has been much in the news in the last few years. There is ample evidence that, consumed in moderation, green tea indeed does aid many aspects of functioning. Some of these benefits have been known for over a thousand years.

The polyphenols, flavonoids and even caffeine (in moderate quantities) present in green tea are all known to help the body protect itself. Green tea helps lower cholesterol (the ‘bad’ kind), absorbs free radicals that can damage cell membranes and reduces the prospect of certain cancers.

Despite Federal FDA denials, many studies lend strong support to those who tout green tea’s benefits. Black tea, as well, has most of the same benefits.

But green tea has many virtues beyond the medicinal. It tastes delightful and provides a relaxing form of enjoyment in a hectic world.

Just as with black or Oolong tea, green tea comes from the leaves of an evergreen called Camellia Sinensis. They are plucked, then processed. But unlike black tea, green tea leaves do not go through a long oxidation process.

Instead, green tea leaves are steamed, which retains the EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) antioxidants. Black and Oolong teas undergo ‘fermentation’ which converts the EGCG into other compounds. ‘Fermentation’ in tea, despite the use of the same word, is not the same process as in winemaking. No sugars are converted to alcohol. It’s simply a synonym for oxidation, more or less.

As a result, the tea flavor is much more delicate and the aroma and taste retain much more of the ‘vegetative’ quality from the original bush. That flavor is enjoyed in a hundred varieties by tea drinkers the world over.

The Long Jing tea from Hang Zhou in China, pan dried and flat in appearance, often goes by the name Dragon Well. This green tea is among the most common drinks in China. Yet for all its commonality, it makes a fine brew. The Gyokuro, also known as Jewel Dew as a consequence of its color, is another fine green tea from China.

The Ryokucha from Japan is a green tea that is so common there that a form of the word (ocha) is often taken to mean simply ‘tea’. Connoisseurs regard the green tea from the Uji region of Kyoto to be among the finest. Matcha is a powdered green tea once used primarily in tea ceremonies. Now it is so popular throughout Japan and elsewhere that it finds its way into ice cream and other sweets.

Gunpowder, which has nothing to do with the explosive, is another popular variety. The leaves are rolled into tiny pellets, making for a very intense infusion. Its muscatel overtones make for a wonderful brew.

There is even a green tea-style Earl Grey. Though without the heady flavor of the more common black tea type, the bergamot oil combines well with green tea.

So if you have always been a committed black tea drinker, it’s time to open up your horizons. It may not make you wealthy, but it can give you enjoyment and promote your health. And isn’t that very wise?

This post is from: The Food Hamper a site dedicated to the tradition of giving food hampers to celebrate special occasions and events.

Green Tea – Perhaps the Most Versatile Tea

Tea – Black Tea, The Good Guy

In traditional Westerns at the movie theater, the good guy wears the white hat. Here, black is definitely ‘the good guy’.

All true tea is the product of the leaves of the Camellia Sinensis plant. But, ah, what a difference a little oxygen and sunlight makes. Green tea is very lightly oxidized, Oolong moderately so and black tea the most heavily oxidized of all. There’s even a fourth variety, white tea, that rarely makes it to western shores.

The black tea leaves are plucked, washed, rolled and dried. From there they may find themselves partially ground into a tea bag or sold more or less whole. But in whatever form the leaf makes it to market, the flavor is largely the result of the region from which it came and the processing used there.

Much of it originated in China near Mount Wu Yi, in the Fujian Province. One style, the Lap Sang Sou Chong, is dried by holding the leaves over burning pine. The result is a delightfully strong, smoky flavor. From the Yunnan Province hails the tea that adopts the name of its homeland. Here is produced a dark, malty tea that is full of rich flavor.

India, for centuries one of the world’s largest tea producers, offers two with names that are possibly more famous than the tea itself. Assam is full-bodied and with a distinctive astringency that prompts many to dilute it with milk. The Darjeeling from West Bengal is more delicate, but still a very robust tea. Slightly spicy, it makes a perfect breakfast drink.

Initial efforts to grow tea in Ceylon (now known as Sri Lanka) in the 18th century were met with utter failure. But the growers persisted and tea drinkers around the world are the beneficiaries. The black Ceylon teas grace many fine table in their home country and throughout the world.

Vietnam has recently made efforts to join the ranks of major producers. The light aroma of a Vietnamese black is deceptive. This dark brew has a wonderful taste that is the real deal.

Even Turkey offers a black tea that any aficionado will want to sample. Hailing from the Rize Province on the eastern coast, this mahogany colored brew  is prepared in a samovar and served up ‘koyu’. The best way to translate that word is simply to drink some. Be prepared for a jolt.

Black tea also makes for an excellent partner in traditional or modern blends. For example, the famed Earl Grey (named after its 17th century promoter) is a sweet, perfumey blend that gets its distinctive taste from a small amount of bergamot oil.

Whichever country you favor, whatever flavor you enjoy, sample a wide variety of black tea straight or flavored. Drink up!

This post is from: The Food Hamper a site dedicated to the tradition of giving food hampers to celebrate special occasions and events.

Tea – Black Tea

Cornucopia: ‘A symbol of prosperity and affluence, dating back to the 5th century BC.’ In modern parlance, ‘a great many very good things’. And that exactly describes the flavored teas that are available today.

Though counting them could be difficult, the variety of flavored teas to be found could quite possibly exceed those of coffee. Devoted tea drinkers everywhere are the beneficiaries of that wide array of choices.

Flavored teas are created by adding, what else can one say, flavors to tea. During the process of preparing tea leaves, particularly as they oxidize, they can absorb a great many additives. Today, those additives range from floral aromas to fruit flavoring to syrups.

Most of the tea used is the black variety, since green tea is barely oxidized at all (it’s steamed instead), and Oolong only moderately so. But all types have been used, even the rare white teas that make it to Western shores only rarely.

The teas used are almost as diverse as the flavorings themselves. Ceylon, Darjeeling, Wu Yi and even African Rooibos are often used.

Among the flower-flavored teas are Jasmine, Chrysanthemum, Rose and many others. These have a delicate flavor and a lovely bouquet revealing their twin origins as tea and flower. They are popular at all sorts of functions, and even those who enjoy a robust Turkish in the morning may long for one after a hectic day.

One can easily find ginger combined with a Ceylon black. Peaches added to a Formosa Oolong are a specialty of many sites. Yunnan from China, flavored with calendula petals is all the rage, too. Even the rare China white, blended with sweet melon, shows the endless creativity of tea creators.

Cinnamon has long been used as a delightful spice sprinkled atop a rich black cup of coffee or hot chocolate. Infusing it into a black tea is just as delicious. In the Middle Ages cinnamon was sometimes used as a currency among the elite. Modern devotees of tea can find out why if they try this superb combination.

The variety of fruits used to flavor teas simply staggers the imagination, not to mention taxing the pen. Blueberry, cherry, banana, apple, raspberry and every other fruit grown on the planet have made their way into one of the world’s most ancient beverages.

Flavorings that have only recently delighted coffee drinkers have been used in teas for decades. Coffee drinkers have to generally be satisfied merely with adding the syrup after brewing. Caramel, chocolate and even candy syrups are being used right in the preparation of the leaf grinds or powder.

Whatever tea you favor, whatever flavor you prefer, you can find combinations that only a computer could keep track of. So don’t rack your brain. Just open your palate and try something new!

This post is from: The Food Hamper a site dedicated to the tradition of giving food hampers to celebrate special occasions and events.

Tea – Flavored Tea, A Cornucopia

Tea – Herbal Tea – What’s In A Name?

Herbal tea or tisane, which isn’t actually made from the tea bush Camilla Sinensis, has been consumed for at least as long as the genuine article – over 5,000 years.

Made from a variety of plants, and prepared in a similar way (infusing hot water through the substance), herbal teas provide many of the same values. They’re relaxing, enjoyable, tasty and have many health benefits.

Chamomile, for example, is one of the most popular of herbal teas. A plant known to have medicinal qualities at least as far back as ancient Egypt, it makes a pleasant brew. It can help relieve anxiety and act as a mild soporific (sleeping brew). It is naturally caffeine free and has a delightful floral aroma and taste.

Dried lemon grass is another very common base used to make herbal tea. Not surprisingly, it has a slightly lemony flavor and its spicy aftertaste brings a pleasant zing to the palate. Studies strongly suggest it has antibacterial properties, too, and it’s known to aid digestion.

Sage, though often used as an herb in cooking, makes for a superb tisane. The calming effect of sage herbal tea is well known, but it also has a very light taste. Slightly peppery, it goes well with a variety of dishes or stands well all on its own.

But bushy plants are not the only source of herbal teas. Rose Hips, for example, have long been used to make a fine brew. Produced from the fruit of the rose plant, this reddish drink has a delicate taste and provides ample vitamin C. A dried 100g sample will contain almost 2g of vitamin C.

During WWII, when imports of oranges were restricted by the war, the locals turned to Rose Hips to help supplement their need for that important vitamin.

While the alleged aphrodisiac effect of ginseng is still up for debate, both the delightful taste and the health benefits have been well established. It should be consumed in moderation, since drinking herbal ginseng tea can lead to excess nervousness.

Produced from the fleshy root of the Panax plant, ginseng has a very distinctive taste. Some find it bitter, others liken it to a mild soda pop. As with any herbal, you either like it or you don’t.

Rooibos, an African word for ‘red bush’, while not a true tea, is closer to black tea than many herbals. It is becoming increasingly popular in the U.S. and elsewhere, thanks to its distinctive taste and red color.

The color is appropriate, since the taste is – while hard to describe – also ‘red’. Tangy, flavorful and with the clarity of a fine, light, black tea it is a wonderful addition to the tea tin.

Whether your goal is to relieve the symptoms of a cold, strive for longer life or simply to relax and have a tasty hot brew, herbal teas are an essential part of the connoisseur’s cabinet.

This post is from: The Food Hamper a site dedicated to the tradition of giving food hampers to celebrate special occasions and events.

Tea – Herbal Tea

There are, fortunately for tea lovers, as many types and blends of tea as there are kinds of coffee. And, that’s a delightfully high number!

For the lover of strong brew, there is the Assam black from India – a malty cup that can really wake you up in the morning. The Keemun black from the interior of China is a great alternative for those cold, rainy days of Fall.

There are the smooth Ceylon blacks from Sri Lanka, that make a wonderfully relaxing drink at the end of a hard day. Ceylon is a former name for that country. Or one might try the renowned Darjeeling muscatel from high in the Himalayas.

But many prefer the gentler green teas from throughout Asia. The Japanese generously provide a platter full of options. The Kukicha is a mix of leaves and twigs, just the thing to spice up an otherwise bland drink. China offers a Mandarin with hints of apricot that does that noble country proud.

From the Fujian province in China comes the Pi Lo Chun that no sensible tea lover will pass up the opportunity to test. The White Monkey should be sampled, if for no other reason than to try to guess what the name has to do with this delicious green.

Africa, Kenya in particular, is now one of the largest exporters of black tea in the world. But size doesn’t always characterize the country best. The red Rooibos of South Africa is simply delicious. And taste is the final arbiter anywhere.

The Rooibos makes for an excellent drink plain or combined with a broad palette of additives. Vanilla, mango, berry even the perfumey Earl Grey are superb variations on an already first-rate brew.

But, oh, those Oolongs. Formosa Oolong may be the most well known and certainly ranks among the finest, but there are others equally worth tasting. A Wu Yi from coastal China is a must. The Jasmine, with an aroma that brings memories of spring to the mind and delight to the soul, is mandatory.

Darjeeling, India produces an Oolong that does credit to one of the world’s oldest and largest producers of fine tea. After all, not everything Asian is Oriental. Heavy domestic demand has limited the supply and therefore raised prices. But a tea this good is worth a little more.

Being provincial is a natural human impulse. But those with the daring to explore the world are the fountainheads of human progress. Join their ranks and sample some of the planet’s fine brews from across the seas. Hoist sail!

This post is from: The Food Hamper a site dedicated to the tradition of giving food hampers to celebrate special occasions and events.

Tea – Variety is the Spice of Life

If you can’t find the kind of teaware online that suits your particular taste and needs, you should invent your own. The reason is simple: there is more variety in teapots, infusers, strainers, cups and more than there ever were add-ons for photography buffs.

A teapot is central to the set and you will find yourself simultaneously frustrated and delighted at the options. You could consume a week just cataloging all the different choices.

Everything from chrome and plastic to ceramic to clay to glass is available and each has its pros and cons. There are teapots with in-built timers and thermometers, detachable base plates and handles… the list is endless.

Some look very much like ordinary traditional coffee pots. But even those have all sorts of extra, modern conveniences like a detachable pot from the heating base for example. Very handy for preparation and pouring.

Others have the look of a much older tradition – the look of ancient China. Yixing clay teapots, of the sort that have been made by fine craftsmen in China for centuries, are both functional and beautiful. Today they have the added advantage of being prepared in modern clay ovens with extraordinary quality control. They represent the best of art and technology combined.

Traditional porcelain teapots from Japan are both works of art and utilitarian objects. Strong, yet with delicate designs, these shining white and blue containers look great and function perfectly even in the most modern of kitchens.

Many American designs now emulate the best of Scandinavia, where tea drinking is an art done with the practical sense of the Danes or Finns. One elegant glass design has an oversized cup with a plate that sits on top and holds a strainer. The assembly on top makes it easy to prepare the tea to perfection, then lift off the upper components and carry the cup to your favorite easy chair for drinking.

The range of artistic styles, beyond the merely functional, would fill a museum. Along with the teapot, the tea devotee will find an equally abundant array of choices for other teaware.

Strainers or infusers, which are used to strain hot water through tea leaves, are essential for those who want to expand their choices beyond tea bags. These come in a variety of materials and designs. Pyrex, copper or aluminum, ceramic and other materials are used. Large mesh, fine mesh and everything in between are useful since you may want to use large leaves or even fine tea powder.

A tea caddy is helpful for those who like to buy in quantity or have on hand different types of tea. That would be everyone, wouldn’t it? They come in a large range of sizes and designs. Some hold only one type, some have compartments for holding bags, leaves or powder in different chambers.

While you’re buying, don’t forget to look for that unique cup that fits your hand and tastes. Then, in about a year when you’ve reviewed one percent of what’s available, you can actually sit down and brew a cup, then relax. After all that shopping, you’ll need one.

This post is from: The Food Hamper a site dedicated to the tradition of giving food hampers to celebrate special occasions and events.

Tea – How do You Like Your Teaware

Whether you prefer loose leaf or bag, or enjoy both, you’ll want to keep that fine tea you searched so hard for in optimal condition.

Like coffee and other organic products, tea can degrade and go stale. Oxygen-filled air and airborne compounds can destroy a fine tea leaf, or infuse it with unpleasant odors and tastes. Fortunately, there is a world of tea tins and tea chests that can prevent those problems. A fine container, also known as a tea caddy, will keep your tea fresh and add a decorative element to the kitchen.

Tea tins and chests come in all sizes, shapes and designs. Few are made of tin anymore, despite the name. But if plastic is not your preferred material there are rust-proof metal tins that can seal airtight and keep your stash fresh as the day you bought it.

Porcelain, glass, plastic, wood and entirely new kinds of materials are being used for tins today. You can enjoy the fine traditional look of a Japanese porcelain or the latest Swedish composite that could seal a modern mummy.

Some are just round, rectangular or octagonal containers in which you dump loose leaf or bags. But others have compartments that help keep your teas separated and organized. You’ll want to keep loose leaf teas in either separate tins or find a tin that has individually sealing compartments. The latter type has smaller cubical areas that enclose individually or close off each one separately when you shut the lid.

Tea chests often allow for holding dozens of individual sachets or bags. Here again, the design you get will be dictated by the type of tea, tea bag and decorative element desired. Individual sachets are air-permeable, so it’s important to get a chest that can seal each compartment. If you buy sealed bags, then the design options are wider.

Chests can hold from as small as a dozen to over a hundred and many make for fine furniture. Teak, and other fine woods are often used and the display is equivalent to a fine cigar holder. Some have cherry finishes, others ebony, others still another color. Some with glass tops are available, but exercise caution. Glass transmits heat much better than fine woods, so you’ll need to keep the tin somewhere out of the sunlight. Also, UV can degrade both fine mesh bags and the tea leaves themselves, so the interior should be kept dark.

In either style, tin or chest, fine teas can be kept fresh up to a year, depending on how often they’re opened and how the tea itself is stored. Small, flexible metal or plasticized paper can seal extremely well. Sachets and other fine cloth mesh will allow exposure to air. But the latter are often used for the finest teas and are intended to be consumed fairly quickly.

You may want just an inexpensive, but attractive, tea tin to hold a few bags. Or, you might prefer a finely crafted piece of furniture for the kitchen that contains hundreds of dollars of fine tea. Whatever your preference, there’s a tin or chest tea caddy in a price and style perfect for you.

This post is from: The Food Hamper a site dedicated to the tradition of giving food hampers to celebrate special occasions and events.

Tea – Tea Tins and Tea Chests

How To Brew Tea

What could be more important than preparing a fine cup of tea the right way? You’ve spent the time to find and the money to buy a good product. It should be prepared as it, and you, deserve. But most don’t have time for a Japanese tea ceremony. A full ritual, with food and drink, can take up to five hours. So, for those with less time, but the desire for a good brew, here are some tips.

The first thing to examine is the water you use. Even the finest leaf can yield a less than stellar cup if the water is wrong.

It can be too heavily chlorinated, or full of minerals, or ‘stale’. Yes, water can get stale, in the sense that – since it absorbs odors from the air – it can contain chemicals that lessen the quality of your cup.

Water can contain heavy concentrations of calcium carbonate. That’s the white powder that builds up around the spout or on the tile in the kitchen or bathroom. It’s not harmful. In fact, a certain amount of it is healthy. But it darkens the brew. Pure H2O will leave a cup much lighter looking. Water can also have a large relative amount of iron. Again, that isn’t necessarily unhealthy, but it can alter the taste somewhat, giving it a metallic overtone.

Water temperature is important, too. Boiling hot water can be a little too ‘aggressive’ on a tea leaf. Water around 80°C/176°F, on average, is preferred. (Pure H2O at 1 atmosphere of pressure, around sea level, boils at 100°C/220°F.) The exact temperature varies a little bit with the type of tea, however.

Black teas do well with water that is nearer boiling. Oolongs are better at a slightly lower temperature. Green tea can become bitter if the water is too hot and white tea needs the lowest temperature of all. Some experimentation will be needed.

Adding the right amount of tea will take a little trial and error too. Start with one teaspoon per cup. Adjust to personal taste – some prefer a little stronger brew, others a lighter one. If you want a natural way of reducing caffeine, but don’t want to buy decaf, use the same tea for a second cup and discard the first. Most of the caffeine will get into the first one.

Steeping time varies a little, but 2-3 minutes is about right for most teas and tea drinkers. If you’re in a hurry and you use tea bags, you can speed up the process by dunking. But, beware. True aficionados will be horrified if they see you! Here again, personal preference will influence the time, since steeping longer brings out more flavor, color, tannins and caffeine.

If you add milk to your tea, and you should at least try it once, you’ll want to steep a little longer. Longer steeping times brings out more tannins and other compounds that will get ‘softened’ by the milk. But you’ll still want to drink something that tastes like tea, not like milk. It’s tea with milk, after all, not milk with tea flavoring. If you use loose leaf, invest in a good pot and/or tea strainer to keep the leaf parts from falling into the bottom of the cup.

Now for the most important step: drink. Oh, and there’s one final step… Enjoy!

This post is from: The Food Hamper a site dedicated to the tradition of giving food hampers to celebrate special occasions and events.

Tea – Making That Perfect Cuppa

You’ve gone to great lengths to find a great tea. You’ve spent two to five times or more what it would cost to get an ordinary tea from the grocery store. But even fine teas can go stale, like any agricultural product. In fact, finer teas often have fewer or no artificial preservatives and can decay the quickest. But keeping your tea stored properly can make it last as long as a year.

A proper tin or chest is your best defense against the aging effects of air and light. You can find them in different materials and hundreds of stylish designs. But the two chief characteristics they need to have are to be airtight and light-proof.

Ordinary sunlight and indoor lighting both have a UV component. That energetic light wave can break down the molecules in tea, stripping color and flavor over time. Keeping your teas in the dark may not allow you to enjoy a display of the multi-colored fine leaves from around the world. But it is preferred in order to preserve the flavor and appearance of the brew.

Air contains oxygen, which readily combines with a wide variety of organic molecules, altering them. The result is rarely an enhancement of the flavor of tea. That oxidation breaks apart molecules and changes their flavor profile.

But air has more than just oxygen. It also carries odors from foods, air pollutants like hydrogen sulfide (a component of smog) and other compounds. Those readily find their way into both the water and the tea leaf and bag. Keeping air out during storage keeps those chemical reactions to the minimum. Those will happen on a very small scale when the tin or chest is opened, but not enough to cause a change that most can detect.

Air also contains moisture, water molecules that float around. Higher humidity climates have more, desert climates have relatively less, but all but the most extreme environments have some. Moist air carries odors, enhances the effect of oxidation and can itself produce chemical changes. It can also form an environment that is friendly to the growth of mold and other organisms that can ruin your tea.

Keeping the interior of the tin or chest moisture tight and dry helps your tea retain the optimum flavor. Get an airtight tin or chest, then add a small desiccant to absorb water that gets within the container.

Since tea leaves themselves will evaporate a certain amount over time, it’s best to keep each one separated. The flavor profile of your favorite oolong can be altered if it’s exposed to the same air as a good rooiboos. Whether you use individual tins, or a type of container in which each cubical is closed off is a matter of convenience.

A good tea caddy is your first and best line of defense. But help it along by keeping teas away from spices, heat and other things in the kitchen that can rob your tea of flavor. Storing the tea in a cool, dry area away from pungent foods – and away from other teas – will reduce the chances of your fine leaf being exposed or degraded.

This post is from: The Food Hamper a site dedicated to the tradition of giving food hampers to celebrate special occasions and events.

Tea – How Tea Should be Stored

A modern dilemma. You’re busy. You don’t have time to perform a Japanese tea ceremony, carefully preparing each component, then drinking the result in a leisurely way. (A full ceremony, including food and drink can take five hours.) But you do enjoy a truly fine cup. What to do?

The dilemma may never be fully resolved, but the choice starts with exploring loose leaf versus tea in tea bags. Thomas Sullivan is reputed to have first introduced tea bags in the mid-19th century. He made samples of different teas carefully enclosed in a cloth bag for his customers, to help them select a tea. He intended them to open the bag and prepare the tea from its contents.

He soon discovered they were using the samples unopened in order to make their brew. The fine cloth mesh kept the tea leaf bits from making their way into the cup. That created the possibility of drinking it down to the last drop without having to ingest the leaves. The method was a hit.

More than a century has passed and bags and their contents have gone through much evolution, sometimes not for the better. Bags today are finer, stronger, and lighter weight. They’re manufactured and inspected to the highest health standards. But the contents are not always the best that can be had in the world of tea.

In the 1970s, ‘natural’ became the watchword of all food and beverage products, especially those made from plants. Tea certainly qualifies. As a result, loose leaf tea was looked on as a superior alternative. And, in many cases it is. There are hundreds of truly fine loose leaf teas imported from many parts of the globe.

Loose leaf teas from China, India, Japan, and elsewhere can be as pleasing to the connoisseur as a fine wine. The gentle jasmine from China stacks up well against a sweet orange tea from Turkey. Or, one may enjoy an outstanding mint tea from Africa.

By contrast, many bag teas are made essentially from left-overs, called fannings. Scraps of tea leaf that remain from processing are fed into a machine that fills thousands of bags per hour. The result is lined up into a box that contains a hundred or more which is shipped off to a grocery store. There it sits until someone takes it home. By the time it is actually consumed, a tea that was never very high quality to begin with may be stale.

But simply being in a bag isn’t an inevitable sign of low quality. Many vendors have evolved from the granola days to combine the high quality of a loose leaf tea with the convenience and other benefits of a bag. Though they often go by the more elegant name of “sachet,” it’s still tea in a bag. But the difference is that the tea is of the utmost quality and is sold fresh. That difference is important.

So, retain your busy lifestyle when you must. But take a few minutes on occasion to celebrate your efforts. Treat yourself to a truly fine cup of tea, and enjoy it without a dozen distractions. You’ve earned it.

This post is from: The Food Hamper a site dedicated to the tradition of giving food hampers to celebrate special occasions and events.

Tea — Loose Leaf vs Tea Bags

Tea – Grown in Asia, Enjoyed Around The World

For centuries the major tea producing countries have been in Asia, though Africa and even the U.S., on a small scale now grow the evergreen from which tea leaves come. China, Japan and India have long been known as the source of most tea products, with Taiwan and Ceylon contributing in the last two hundred years.

From China come several of the teas that grace tables around the globe, both green and black.

The green tea of China is grown at high elevations, from 2,500-4,500 feet (762m-1372m) above sea level. Climatic conditions provide for excellent growing conditions, though the labor intensive nature of tea growing makes them difficult to care for there. There are some varieties that are ready for harvesting for only a few weeks out of the year, making them all the more difficult to process.

Dragon Well is a delicious green tea that comes from China. Its flat, shiny leaves that hint of chestnuts have been enjoyed by the Chinese for centuries. Another popular green tea from China is the Jasmine Balls variety. Rolled into a ball by tea workers, the long leaves are prepared by surrounding them with Jasmine flowers.

Keemun tea, which has been consumed in Great Britain for 150 years, also has its origins in China. As a black tea, it’s actually more popular in Europe than its home country.

Most of the green tea shipped around the planet also originates in China, Japan and Taiwan.

Japan’s production is among the highest of any country, thanks to yields of 1,500 pounds per acre of this fine plant. Much of that comes from the Shizuoka region, south of Tokyo. The country consumes 98% of the home grown product, though, so it often seems as if they are one of the minor producers.

One of the most popular green teas in Japan is a variety known as Sencha. Served throughout the country, tea lovers will find it in any restaurant or store. Gyokuro is another very common tea in Japan, one with a caffeine content that is unusually high.

Matcha green tea is a type traditionally reserved for Japanese tea ceremonies, but now finds its way into many everyday circumstances where tea is consumed.

Hojicha, a kind of roasted tea, is also popular in Japan and has the advantage of having very little caffeine. Perfect for those who love tea, but are sensitive to the stimulant.

But by all accounts, India is and remains the world’s most important tea producer. Demand, both internally and throughout the world, is so high that even this giant of tea production can’t satisfy it all.

For the first time in years there are appearing shortages of Indian teas. The supply has become so tight that India now imports tea from Kenya, Indonesia and Vietnam to blend with native grown product. Kenya is among the world’s largest exporters of black tea leaf.

India has dozens of different teas. There is the world-famous Darjeeling, of course. But there is also the Assam black, the Puttabong green and the Iyerpadi Estate black, popular for over a hundred years.

Naturally, there are many others one could mention. Rooibos from South Africa is becoming increasingly popular in the U.S. and elsewhere. The Formosa Oolong from Taiwan has been on tables around the world for decades, if not centuries. The delightful teas of Ceylon have had a following for two hundred years.

No tea drinker would want to be restricted to a single country’s output, since – like coffee – there are so many delightful blends from around the world. Internationalism is the hallmark of any tea devoted drinker. Drink up!

This post is from: The Food Hamper a site dedicated to the tradition of giving food hampers to celebrate special occasions and events.

Tea – A Truly Global Drink

Tea – Introduction to the Ancient Beverage Moderns Enjoy

Tea, as a beverage, is older than coffee, older than wine and maybe even older than beer. Some may argue about the latter, since some types of beer may be as old as 10,000 years, while tea has been around for ‘only’ about 5,000. Fair enough, let’s not quibble. Tea is old.

Tea is also enormously popular. That much is obvious at a casual glance. But just how popular is it? Annual production today of tea leaves is in the neighborhood of 2 billion pounds. Yes, billion. Considering it only takes an ounce or so to make a cup, that’s a lot of tea. And that is the annual production. Annual, as in: ‘every year’.

Well, you say, at least tea has less caffeine than coffee. Yes and no. Tea leaves have about 1-3% caffeine by weight, more than twice as much as a similar weight of coffee beans. But, it’s true that a prepared cup of coffee will have about 100mg of caffeine and tea only about 60mg. And, after all, people drink tea and coffee much more often than they eat the leaves or beans.

Beer, wine, coffee and tea all have health benefits some of which are the result of the very same compounds present in the drink. Antioxidants are present in both wine and tea. Caffeine, in moderate amounts, has been shown to have healthy effects.

But, let’s face it. For most people it isn’t history or economics or science or medicine that creates the huge, centuries-old and present-day demand for tea. Tea is simply wonderful to drink.

Whether you want a robust pick me up in the morning, or a relaxing hot cup at night, tea is – dare we say it – perfect. It clears out the cobwebs and at the same time relaxes. Iced or hot, green or black (or Oolong, which is in between), or even red or white (yes, they exist), tea tastes great and makes you feel wonderful.

Throughout history and up to the present day, drinking tea has been both a delightful experience and a social ceremony. Yes, people will certainly sit down and enjoy a cup of coffee or a mug of beer or glass of wine together.

But in very few cultures is there anything like a ‘beer ceremony’. Ok, in a way there are, among college students. But, calling those ‘ceremonies’ is really stretching a point. Anyway, tea ceremonies aren’t exclusive to Japan. In England it’s practically an afternoon requirement. New York has clubs devoted to the fine art of tea.

East and west sometimes agree on very little. But all over the world – China, Turkey, Russia, Australia, the U.S. and the UK, and all the points on the map in between enjoy a cup of tea.

So wherever you are, you can now have a Wu Yi in a Yixing clay pot, or a Rooibos in a Danish glass cup. You can enjoy a lemon grass tisane or even a blueberry vanilla Ceylon. What you can’t do, if you are among the over one billion tea drinkers in the world, is resist a perfectly brewed cup of the world’s finest drink. Tea.

This post is from: The Food Hamper a site dedicated to the tradition of giving food hampers to celebrate special occasions and events.

Tea – What is it and Why Should I Care

Like beer and wine, tea is an ancient beverage. Yet in some countries that are strongly associated with it, such as Great Britain, it was introduced only recently on the historical time scale.

No one knows with certainty who first had the odd idea of taking leaves from the Camilla Sinensis plant and adding them to hot water to make a brew. It may have been an accident at first, with leaves from the bush floating into a heated kettle. But almost certainly, the practice began over 5,000 years ago in China.

However it began, the art spread quickly after the taste and health benefits were discovered by those early pioneers. Eventually, in 800 AD, an ex-monk named Lu Yu wrote the Ch’a Ching, containing all that was then known about the ways of preparing tea. The word spread to Japan by way of Buddhist monks, in particular one named Yeisei, where it quickly became a royal favorite.

The Portuguese and other western seamen later made contact with the Orient. They were introduced to a beverage unlike any other they knew in their native countries. From their travels in the early 17th century, they returned with many treasures, including the precious tea leaves. The importation of this then-expensive novelty rapidly made many of them wealthy.

In the mid-17th century, Britain finally got into the act and began to import tea from China and the East Indies. As is obvious now, it became so popular that afternoon tea is now strongly associated with that country.

With the merger of the John Company and the East India Company, both importers of tea with a near monopoly in the western world, tea spread everywhere. By the end of the 17th century tea imports were 40,000 pounds.

A few years later, though, the novelty had become a commodity. Over 240,000 pounds were imported into England in 1708 and the leaves were being sold in common food shops in Holland and France. Most of Europe doesn’t have the right climate to grow its own tea. The drink that had been imported and made popular by royalty was now consumed by nearly everyone.

At the same time, tea was spreading to other nations around the world. The Russian Tsar Alexis received several chests as a gift in the early 17th century. By the end of it the Russians were engaging in regular trade with China across their common border. The need to travel over a year across thousands of miles kept the price high. But eventually the practice spread throughout society and tea could be found in every samovar.

The United States, as some may remember, had a little ‘ceremony’ called the Boston Tea Party. As an act of protest against the heavy-handed British government, several Americans decided to dump large quantities of the good into the Boston harbor. In reaction, the British government closed the port and troops occupied the city. A revolution began. The results that followed changed the world forever.

Be a part of history and enjoy a fine cup of tea today.

This post is from: The Food Hamper a site dedicated to the tradition of giving food hampers to celebrate special occasions and events.

Tea – A Brief History of Tea

I can’t remember now who sent them to us but when I was a child we always received a food hamper. Like putting up the decorations it was part of our family holiday rituals to open the hamper that we had received. They felt like treasure chests to me as a child. It felt like an adventure discovering what treasure they might yield. Invariably they would contain things like:

• Port

• Wine

• Sherry

• Gentleman’s Relish

• Bendicks Chocolate Mints

• Scottish Petticoat Shortbread

• Christmas Cake

• Jars of Jam

• Jars of Brandy Butter

• Specialty Mustard

• Water Biscuits

• Stilton Cheese in a stoneware pot

What an amazing gift that over thirty years later I can still remember the feelings of excitement and pleasure that come back to me with the memories of those happy childhood days. Receiving a gift like that also ignited my curiosity for food ingredients and cooking. I used to watch and help my mother prepare the exotic ingredients that we had received in the food hamper.

Now as an adult I am equally excited when I receive a food hamper but I also enjoy giving them to friends and family. They are no longer restricted to gifts that are given in the holiday season but you can now find food hampers to suit nearly every occasion and if you can’t find exactly what you want from the stores you can put one together yourself or use one of the many custom food hamper services out there.

Today we have access to so much more produce that it is very easy to find food hampers for anyone to celebrate any occasion!

Some neat ideas that I use are:

• Sending anniversary gifts of food hampers that contain foods from the region that the couple went to on honeymoon. For example if the couple went to California I would choose a wine hamper or a wine and cheese gift basket from the area that they visited containing sparkling wine.

• Sending a gourmet gift basket to someone who is interested in cooking with specially selected ingredients for them to use to produce a meal from a specific region. Some of the regional baskets that I have sent are French, Italian, Irish, Scottish, British and for the first time last year I put together a basket of Japanese ingredients for a friend that adores the food and culture of Japan.

• If I know someone is interested in a particular celebrity chef then I will try and source food hampers that contain products from their range.

• If it is that barbecue time of year then for him I might send out specialty meat hampers with seasoning rubs and for her picnic hampers that contain light summery produce.

• The most extraordinary gift that I have come across is that of giving gift certificates enabling the enjoyment of a wine club or a series of meals over a period of time. For example for a couple who have just had a baby. They receive plenty of gifts for the child but what about giving them the gift of time and a little pampering by providing them with a service that will deliver them gourmet meals so that they can enjoy some quality time together. These are also nice anniversary gifts or gifts to give someone a special memorable occasion.

Well thanks for your time I hope you enjoy the collection that I have put together on this site!

Feel free to browse the selection and come back for future posts that I am going to make on subjects of regional baskets, organic hampers, vegetarian hampers, how to make your own hampers, putting together specialty ingredients and many many more……

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This post is from: The Food Hamper a site dedicated to the tradition of giving food hampers to celebrate special occasions and events.

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