I LOVE TEA! I mean I REALLY love it! I can’t stop thinking about it. I can’t stop talking about it. And I’ll NEVER stop drinking it! Why do I love tea? Let me count the ways…
Tea tastes amazing; it refreshes my soul. There are countless health benefits attributed to various types of tea. But most importantly, a pot of tea makes for a marvelous time of connecting and making memories with friends and loved ones.
Me and tea go way back. Some of my first and favorite childhood memories involved dressing up and having tea parties under a forsythia bush, in full bloom, in our yard with my little playmates. We’d spend hours playing, and drinking pretend tea out of little pink plastic tea cups. My mother, aunt, and grandma, served “real” tea in fancy porcelain tea cups with fresh baked goodies. Later, my friends and I would linger over tea sharing the ups and downs of our lives. We liked to think we were solving a lot of the world’s problems. It was a regular occasion to have tea parties while my children were growing up. Here, they could share their concerns or triumphs of the day, and we could just be “present” in one another’s company. How wonderful it is to carry this tradition on with my grandchildren now too! When I started holding in-home tea parties for groups of ladies, it was a new level of joy. To encounter friends connecting, smiling, laughing, and spending valuable time together fills my heart. Sharing tea with those you care about is truly a precious time of blessing. This, in my view, is something the world could use much more of!
My wish is that you will pull out your fancy tea cups and share some of our blends with your friends and loved ones. Make some memories of your own and be blessed!
This week we've been enjoying Sara Kate's Tea Party, Savannah Blend, Apple Mango & Orange, and Watermelon Oolong- iced & sweetened with strawberries...I can tell you this- it's been a very good week!
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We are thankful for many things this Autumn; family, friends, surviving Hurricane Matthew with minimal damage, pretty Autumn weather, being able to relax and enjoy a great cup of Bluffton Tea and that the never ending election is in the rear view mirror.
Bluffton Tea would like share our thanks with you by offering a pre-Thanksgivin 25% dscount on our Autumn Blends. Use CODE Turkey25 during check-out.
Play it forward and share some thanks and Bluffton Tea with your family and friends.Wishing all the best this Turkey Season!
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Though some food insiders insist the ubiquitous pumpkin spice trend has peaked, this favorite autumn flavor still has legs. Don't count on its demise anytime soon.
The days are getting shorter. Leaves are turning colors. There's a chill in the air. You break out your fall sweaters, jackets and boots. Your weekend consists of football, football, football; peewee, high school, college, NFL and visits to the local farmers' market for apples, pumpkins and squash. Your drink of choice - something pumpkin spice flavored.
Bluffton Tea offers version: Herbal Pumpkin Spice Tea, a non-caffeinated organic tea with ingredients of rooibos, ginger, cinnamon, licorice root, nutmeg, cloves, allspice & natural flavors.
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You can find us at the Bluffton Farmers Market on Thursdays in Old Town Bluffton and at the Sea Pines Plantation Market on Hilton Head Island on Tuesdays and various Holiday Markets. We are looking forward to the Junior League of Chicago’s Gazebo Holiday Market 11/12 NOV.
Of course, one of the best places to buy is online via our website www.blufftontea.com.
]]>Celebrate the last few hours of 10th of June's National Iced Tea Day with a 20% discount use code NationalIcedTeaDay upon check-out @ www.blufftonTea.com. Enjoy!
]]>Yesterday was Market Day at the Bluffton Farmers Market and we demo’ed one of our favorite iced teas: Hibiscus with mashed strawberries, all herbal (flower pieces), so no caffeine, yields a delightful refreshing beverage with an amazing crimson red color. It’s natural cranberry reminiscent taste combined with strawberries is simple delightful.
And our Customers reactions - their faces light up with a smile and request we post the directions on line, so here we go.
Hibiscus tea is what is often called an "herbal tea". It is produced from the calyx of the Hibiscus sabdariffa flower. It is not a true tea, but a tisane, however the beverage is referred to popularly as hibiscus tea. True teas come from the plant Camellia sinensis. The flavonoids in the calcyx, in particular delphinidin and cyanidin, are what gives the flower and the tea its crimson color. It has a semi sweet flavor that resembles the cranberry.
Bluffton Tea’s Hibiscus Blend:
Standard measurement: Approximately 1 heaping teaspoon Bluffton Tea’s Hibiscus Herbal Blend per 8 OZ boiling water, or 4 - 5 heaping teaspoons per quart or liter. If planning on making pitchers of hibiscus tea, we recommend buying our 2 OZ package of Bluffton tea Hibiscus. For an elegant presentation, we recommend serving with a spring of mint or basil in a tall glass.
Serve Hot or Iced:
Hot tea brewing method: Bring filtered or freshly drawn cold water to a boil.
Iced tea brewing method sweetened with strawberries: 2 options in adding the strawberries (1) without sugar and (2) with a sugar using a strawberry simple syrup - your choice and you control the sweetness.
Method 1 - No sugar, just strawberries:
We regularly read and hear about the health benefits of different herbs including Hibiscus. We viewed them all with a certain amount of skepticism. We aren’t doctors and don’t pretend to be, but will report on studies or cautions. We’ve found the benefits below as some of the purported health benefits of Hibiscus including:
- Reducing Blood Pressure: Tufts University’s Research Center on Aging conducted a study regarding the possible effect that hibiscus tea might have on blood pressure. The result was a significant lowering of blood pressure in both the systolic and diastolic measurements for people given the hibiscus tea.
- Cholesteral reduction: Studies from 2009, 2010 and 2011 have mixed results, so this is not definitive.
Hibiscus tea has a high concentration of organic acids. The three organic acids that have been identified are citric, malic, and tartaric. These have been known to give an overall boost to the immune system.
And Hibiscus Tea consumption words of caution:
Hibiscus, despite its wide variety of positive uses and characteristics, should be avoided by pregnant women. It is classified as an emmenagogue, or stimulant for menstruation. It causes a drop in progesterone levels, which are most important in the first stages of pregnancy. Drinking hibiscus tea during this time can result in a miscarriage. Women who are trying to conceive should also not consume hibiscus. It can interfere with the implantation process.
Finally, due to the fact that hibiscus has the ability to lower blood pressure, people who have hypotension - excessively low blood pressure, should not consume hibiscus.
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And to help you with this decision, we are offering a Mother's Day Discount of 15%, use code MomsDay15 upon check-out. Offer not good with other discounts and is redeemable once per Customer.
]]>And in honor of the day, Bluffton Tea is offering a discount of 20% off our Scottish Breakfast Tea, use discount code TARTANDAY20 upon check-out, valid today the 6th of April.
Slainte!
Background:
In 1998 the US Senate designated 6 April each year as Tartan Day "in recognition of the monumental achievements and invaluable contributions made by Scottish Americans." Previously, in some parts of the US, and in other parts of the world (notably Canada where a Tartan Day was already in place) special events had been held to celebrate this day.
Check out the link Tartan Day function in your area, come along and join the other folk who have a pride in Scotland who will be there! http://www.rampantscotland.com/features/tartanday.htm
You can never have too much plaid.
Oolong tea benefits have been known for centuries in the Orient. The tea has been cultivated and refined in Taiwan, China and Japan. Oolong, sometimes called WuLong, is taken from the camellia sinensis sinensis, which is the base for all true tea. The difference between Oolong versus Green and Black Tea is its oxidation process. Its taste and properties such as caffeine levels lie somewhere between green and black tea.
Oolong Tea benefits are similar to those of green tea, though most oolong is oxidized longer than green tea. It has less of the raw grassy taste of green tea and tends to be a darker brown color with earthier, woody flavors. Some oolongs when less oxidized can tend towards the green tea taste attributes. Either way, the benefits of drinking this tea can be huge.
Oolong’s Complex Powerhouse of Polyphenols
Oolong tea benefits are as varied and nuanced as the many varieties of oolong teas. For centuries oolong has been used—studied and judged in competitions and festivals like fine wine for all its subtle qualities. The Western world is just beginning to realize what the Asian world has been appreciating for ages. Taste the distinctive tannin in oolong tea, which are evidence of the complex variety of molecules called polyphenols that come from oxidizing oolong.
A Short List of the Long List of Oolong Tea Benefits
• High in polyphenols.
• Oolong is known for cleansing and digestive properties.
• The tea has long been used in Chinese medicine for spleen and kidney energy.
• The leaves can be brewed many times, improving with each new brewing, unlike other teas.
In addition to the benefits presented by Oolong Tea, you are sure to enjoy the taste. Try some of Bluffton Tea’s portfolio of Oolong Teas.
]]>And may the luck of the Irish be with you this March.
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March 1st marks St Davids Day, which celebrates the patron saint of Wales.
If you live in Wales it's probably marked on your calendar - but if not here's some top ten items you might not know about the annual celebration, courtesy of the Mirror http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/st-davids-day-2016-10-7467559.
1. St David’s Day falls every year on March 1. This was the date patron saint of Wales, St. David died in 589.
2. It wasn’t until the 18th century, though, that St David’s Day was declared a national day of celebration in Wales.
3. Saint David is typically depicted holding a dove, and often standing on a hillock. His symbol is the leek.
4. In 2007 Tony Blair rejected calls for St. David’s Day to become a Welsh national holiday, despite a poll saying that 87% of Welsh people wanted a March 1 holiday.
5. A Welsh stew, named Cawl and containing lamb and leeks, is traditionally consumed on St David’s Day.
6. Across Wales on March 1 St David’s Day parades take place, and in bigger cities food festivals, concerts and street parties also occur.
7. The year 2009 saw the inaugural St David’s Week festival in Swansea, a week-long event featuring music, sporting and cultural events.
8. Disney's Mickey and Minnie were turned Welsh in 2014 for the Disneyland Paris St David's Welsh Festival.
9. St David's Day in Welsh is Dydd Gwyl Dewi Sant.
10. Despite the fact that Saint David abstained from drinking and advised others to do the same, a number of Welsh breweries make special St David’s Day ales.
Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus! means ‘Happy St David’s Day’ in Welsh.
But if Welsh isn't your mother tongue, you'll be sure to impress your friends with these handy phrases...
1. Cawl a bara lawr i swper heno, ie? means 'Cawl and laverbread for tea tonight then?'
2. Cymru am Byth means 'Wales Forever'
3. Ife Tom Jones sydd draw fan'na? means 'Is that Tom Jones over there?'
4. Pryd mae’r dawnsio gwerin yn dechrau? means 'What time does the folk dancing start?'
5. Cymro/Cymraes i’r carn means 'Welshman/Welsh woman through and through'
]]>Lavender -- Lavandula angustifolia or Lavandula officinalis is a shrub known for its pleasant aroma and bright purple flowers. It is native to the mountainous regions of the Mediterranean, but is now cultivated throughout the world, particularly in the United States, Australia and southern Europe.
The floral flavor and bluish purple color of lavender tea sooth your senses while its plant compounds may provide additional health benefits.
Drinking lavender tea is calming. Drinking tea with lavender may relieve symptoms of both anxiety and depression, such as restlessness, insomnia and irritability. Its calming effect also extends to your digestive tract, where it may reduce intestinal gas. Try Bluffton Tea’s Earl Grey and Lavender blend, organic black tea, bergamot oil and lavender or our new blend, Lavender, Chamomile & Mint .
Some of the lavender’s purported health benefits include:
Anxiety Relief
Drinking lavender tea may help calm your nerves and leave you feeling more relaxed alleviating anxiety. The University of Maryland Medical Center notes that even the smell of lavender may relieve agitation. According to a study published in February of 2010 in the journal "Phytomedicine," ingesting lavender oil relieves the symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder, which include constant worrying, fatigue, irritability, tension, trembling and trouble sleeping. Note: lavender oil is more potent than lavender tea and no scientific studies have been conducted specifically on the effectiveness of drinking lavender tea for anxiety. (1)
Treatment of Indigestion
Drinking lavender tea may relieve annoying and uncomfortable intestinal gas, according to the University of Michigan Health System. Lavender is a type of carminative herb, also called a digestive tonic or bitter. Ingesting carminatives may lessen spasms that occur in the muscles of your intestinal tract, which contribute to indigestion and gas. (2)
Antidepressant
Consuming lavender regularly may help relieve mild feelings of sadness, frustration, lack of energy and insomnia, but more research is needed to fully understand lavender's potential role in treating depression. The journal "Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry" published results of a study on tincture of lavender and depression in February 2003. However, it should be noted that tincture of lavender is stronger than that of a lavender tea. (3)
Consuming Lavender Tea
Steep your Bluffton Tea Earl Grey & Lavender or Lavender, Chamomile & Mint for 3 to 5 minutes using boiling water. Adding a small amount of sweeter such as raw honey will enhance the floral lavender notes.
However, all good things should be used in moderations. The University of Michigan Health System recommends to limit your daily lavender tea ingestion to 3 cups of lavender tea or less. One possible lavender side effect may be nausea if large amounts of lavender oil are ingested.
Data sources: (1,2,3) Erica Kannall, Demand Media published on azcentral.com http://www.livestrong.com/article/252384-what-are-the-benefits-of-lavender-tea/#sthash.MEuT7PF3.dpuf
]]>Introducing our newest product: DeCaf Earl Grey. It's in response to our Customers requested more decaffeinated options. Earl Grey is the quintessential breakfast blend. This blend is without caffeine and is the perfect choice for those of you that are caffeine sensitive.
Bluffton Tea's new DeCaf Earl Grey, a loose leaf organic decaffeinated black tea with natural oil of bergamot.
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/10734236/What-does-your-cup-of-tea-say-about-you.html
British Humor. Some of it we get and some it we don't.
However, the article raises some interesting questions and relevant observations. What's your tea preference? Do you like loose tea or the convenience of bags and what does that say about you?
Lapsang Soughong, sounds sophisticated, but who likes to drink what tastes like a campfire? (Apparently, a lot of our Bluffton Tea Customers do like the smoky taste)
Are Earl Grey drinkers snobby or do they simply have self-proclaimed high standards? (We vote for the high standards) Who else would flavor their mid-morning drink with Bergamot with hints of Parma violets?
And the Greens….The Greens are currently uber cool and may lower your cholesterol, but will they still have the cool factor when they are available everywhere?
All of the above tea varieties are available at BlufftonTea.com
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Dragon Well (Lung Ching in local parlance) is one of China's most famous green teas. Picked early in the spring "before the rains" of mid-April, the leaves are tender, vibrant with flavor, a basic Lung Ching offering a subtle chestnut flavor.
Grown organically on an island on the coast of Zhejiang Province, these fresh leaf buds are pan-roasted in woks to give the leaves their characteristic shape and bring out the natural, sweet qualities of the tea. The leaves are firmly pressed and shaped against the surface of the roasting wok. Hand-working the leaf gives this tea its distinctive feather-like shape. The result is a rich-green leaf color tinged with a yellow-gold color. The wok-firing process heightens the sweet flavors of this varietal and infuses it with nutty notes and a clean, lingering dry finish.
A truly satisfying cup of tea.
Label Art by local Bluffton artist, Murray Sease.
]]>This year's Golden Monkey lot offers an elegant, thin leaf and golden-brown buds. The malty flavors of this Fujianese black are lively and quick to the palate. This Golden Monkey has everything a traditionally made, high-grade black tea should. Timely plucking in the early flush of spring, followed with a delicate oxidizing and artful processing has created a blend of elegant aromas and flavors.
Golden Monkey offers a full-bodied cup, rich with flavors of malt, hints of chocolate and a wonderful leaf fragrance that linger as you sip. Like most well-made Chinese black teas, the taste of this tea, while evident on the palate, will grow in the finish. Golden Monkey is a complex black tea and can be enjoyed in multiple infusions, a real treat for black tea lovers. Cup liquor is a bright red. A true self-drinker but this tea can take milk and sweetener.
]]>Green Tea …. It’s good for you. And just don’t take our word for it. Consider this article from University of Maryland Medical Center. https://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/green-tea; a summary extract is below.
Tea has been cultivated for centuries, beginning in India and China. It is the most widely-consumed beverage in the world, second only to water. Hundreds of millions of people drink tea, and studies suggest that green tea (Camellia sinesis sinesis) in particular has many health benefits.
Green tea is made from unfermented leaves and reportedly contains the highest concentration of powerful antioxidants called polyphenols. Antioxidants are substances that fight free radicals -- damaging compounds in the body that change cells, damage DNA, and even cause cell death. Many scientists believe that free radicals contribute to the aging process, as well as the development of a number of health problems, including cancer and heart disease. Antioxidants, such as polyphenols in green tea, can neutralize free radicals and may reduce or even help prevent some of the damage they cause.
In traditional Chinese and Indian medicine, practitioners used green tea as a stimulant, a diuretic (to help rid the body of excess fluid), an astringent (to control bleeding and help heal wounds), and to improve heart health. Other traditional uses of green tea include treating gas, regulating body temperature and blood sugar, promoting digestion, and improving mental processes.
Green tea has been extensively studied in people, animals, and laboratory experiments. Results from these studies suggest that green tea may help treat the following health conditions:
Of course, you should always consult your doctor in advance about the best way to incorporate green tea into your treatment or regiments..
Bluffton Tea offer several varieties of Green Tea..see our collection
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Introducing our newest product ..... Darjeeling, Autumn Crescendo, a single sourced Darjeeling from the Glenburn Estate in India. Darjeeling is considered the Champagne of Tea. This Glenburn Estate blend is a third place finisher of the 2014 North American Tea Championship.
Harvest Date - December 2014 Made in early November from select fields, the autumn cup has a gentle copper glow, mirroring the evening sun on the snow peaks of Mount Kanchenjunga the 3rd highest mountain in the world. The Darjeeling District is the northernmost district of the state of West Bengal in eastern India in the foothills of the Himalayas.
The tea is full bodied and mellow, has a delicate flowery bouquet and a great way to start the day or for afternoon tea time.
Ingredients: Darjeeling Black Tea
Brewing Instructions, serve Hot.
Hot Tea: 1 slightly heaping teaspoons of loose tea for each 8 oz of boiling water (212 degrees or warmer), steep 3- 7 minutes. Garnish & sweeten to taste.
Contains Caffeine
Label Art by Murray Sease
]]>If you’re looking for a simple and delicious way to enhance your mind-body health, the beautiful yellow spice known as turmeric is a pharmacy unto itself. A wealth of scientific studies has demonstrated the health benefits of turmeric on the digestive,cardiovascular, rheumatic, and immune systems.
http://www.chopra.com/ccl/the-healing-benefits-of-turmeric#sthash.Z00rJTPR
Try Bluffton Tea's Turmeric Ginger Herbal Blend, a delicious blend of warming ginger, turmeric and licorice. Turmeric and ginger are touted for their amazing healing powers and relieving inflammation
Ingredients: (Organic*) Ginger*, turmeric*, licorice root*, lemon grass*, orange peel*, essential lemon oil*
]]>It’s a clean refreshing incredibly flavorful tea with a hint of sweetness and full of green tea antioxidants. We’ve discovered when doing taste testings, a recurring question is What exactly is a Quince?
A Quince is a autumn fruit of the pomme family. It is a hard, yellow, fragrant fruit that looks like a cross between an apple and a pear. In full disclosure, it is definitely not a beauty queen in its appearance and tastes terrible raw, while confusingly emitting a unique fragrance with hints of pineapple, guava and Bartlett pear. It is irregularly shaped, knobbly and kind of ugly. However, quince’s taste attributes change once cooked or steeped in tea. When cooked, the fruit transforms into a soft, sweet, pink, incredibly flavorful food packed with vitamins and nutrients. Quince are an excellent source of vitamins A and C, as well as iron and potassium.
The quince is native to southwestern Asia, the Caucasus and northern Persia and its cultivation spread to the eastern Mediterranean basin. It is now grown throughout the world, including Europe and North America, though in the United States, it grows primarily in New England and the Mid-Atlantic region and pockets in California and in some areas of Latin America.
How used in cooking: The persistent tart flavor of quinces counteracts the greasiness in heavy rich meat and fowl dishes found in Germany, Latin America and the Middle East cuisines. In traditional Persian cooking meats and sour fruits are cooked together. In Britain a traditional accompaniment to partridge is a quince sauce and the French will add slices of the fruit to roast quail. In the US quince have been popular since Colonial times for making jams and jelly or wines, since they're very high in pectin. The word “marmalade” comes from the Portuguese word for quince.
Medieval cooks regarded the quince as the most useful of fruits and spiced it with pepper, ginger, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg. In French, Italian and Spanish medieval courts and banquets, nobles enjoyed quince jelly for dessert which remain popular today. In British Tudor and Stuart periods, quince marmalade was regarded as an aphrodisiac.
And the legends of quince? Did it really help start the Trojan War? In Greek legend Helen of Troy bribed Paris to award a quince to Aphrodite as the prize in a beauty contest, starting the Trojan War. Quince have been around a long time and are from the same geographic region - so who knows?
After tasting Bluffton Tea’s Savannah Blend of Green Tea and Quince, you decide if the legends have any merit?
Jasmine Green Tea Latte
Steep your tea in 1 cup of boiling water.
Heat your milk either on the stove top or in the microwave. Pour into your blender, add sweetener as desired, and blend on high for 1 minute, or until frothy.
Combine tea and milk into your favorite mug, thermos or mason jar.
Top with a sprinkle of either the matcha or vanilla powder
Enjoy!
]]>Benefits of Turmeric & Ginger: http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/benefits-ginger-tumeric-4701.html
Ginger is a traditional remedy for gastrointestinal upset. Turmeric, from the Curcuma longa plant, and ginger, from the Zingiber officinale plant, are botanically related to each other and have both been used for centuries as spices in cooking. Practitioners of traditional medicine also recommend turmeric and ginger as remedies for gastrointestinal problems, inflammatory conditions and several other disorders.
]]>http://www.healthline.com/health/ways-dandelion-tea-could-be-good-for-your#
Dandelions may be a deterrent to homeowners desiring pristine lawn, but the plant isn't without redeeming qualities. These “weeds” are commonly used in folk medicine, and have been for quite some time.
White tea packs antioxidant punch against colon cancer: Study
By Kacey Culliney+, 16-Dec-2014
White tea could slow the spread of colon cancer cells thanks to its antioxidant properties, claim researchers. http://www.beveragedaily.com/R-D/White-tea-Antioxidant-anticancer-properties
Introducing our signature Bluffton Blend, black tea, peach and ginger. Great for an afternoon of porching, yes, it's a southern thing. Serve hot or iced with fresh peach slices.
Drop us a line and let us know what you think?
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