The Sweet Embrace Gift Basket makes for a really lovely Valentines Day gift. It includes Sweet Serenade White Tea, Finest Lady Grey, and Sweet Pomegranate Green Tea. The Inside Heart cup is a simple but striking detail that makes the presentation of this basket a sure-fire delight for anyone who receives it. It also comes with a simple infuser (for steeping loose tea leaves), and a delicious small chocolate to enjoy along with your tea.

The Big Hug Tea Gift Basket for Her is a great gift for any number of special ladies in your life. It’s especially great for ladies on the go. It contains a pink version of our very popular travel press, complete with a small compartment that can store an extra stash of tea leaves. This set includes samples of Finest Lady Grey, Sweet Serenade, and Subtle Strawberry White tea. It wouldn’t be Valentine’s Day without some chocolate treats thrown in there as well.

And for Him, there’s also a special Big Hug Gift Basket especially tailored towards tea-loving guys. As well as the requisite chocolates, this gift basket comes along with the popular travel press in Paprika, a bold red color that’s perfect for Valentine’s Day. This set includes samples of samples of Earl Grey, Blacksmith Blend black tea, and Dragon Well Green Tea.

The Pretty in Pink set is a great catch-all for friends, lovers, heck–even relatives that you might want to give a special surprise to on February 14th. Like our other baskets, it features a few different teas like Sweet Serenade and authentic White Tea kissed with peppermint. Real rosebuds sprinkled generously throughout make this a deliciously floral and aromatic delight, especially when served from out two-cup teapot in Pink. Hurry though, as there are only a few left in stock! Don’t forget, the best kind of tea is the kind you share! We hope these gift baskets help you have a memorable and Happy Valentine’s Day.

When you reach the end of your cup of tea, leave a tiny bit of water at the bottom to allow the leaves a bit of movement. The “consultant” is the person whose fortune is being told. The consultant should grasp the cup by the handle using his or her left hand and move it in a circle rapidly three times (left to right). Some of the leaves will cling to the side of the cup while others will stick to the bottom. Turn the cup over onto a saucer, draining out excess water.

After the last bits of water have been separated out, reveal its contents by flipping the cup back over. Different sections of the cup describe different areas of the consultant’s life. The rim represents the present, the side represents the near-future and the bottom contains predictions for the distant future. The handle of the cup represents the consultant, so the nearer to the handle certain images appear, the more likely they are to have an affect on the consultant in the not-too-distant future.

Using keen observation skills and a good dose of intuition and imagination, scour the tea leaves for meaningful symbols. Here’s a rundown on some of the most common omens.

ACORN—Continued health—improved health.

ANCHOR—Lucky symbol. Success in business or in love. If blurred or indistinct just the reverse.

HEART—A lover. If close to a ring, marriage to the present lover. If indistinct, the lover is fickle.

HEAVENLY BODIES—(Sun, Moon, Star)—Good luck—great happiness and success.

OWL—Indicates sickness or poverty. Warning against starting a new venture.

PALM TREE —Good omen. Success in any undertaking. Single people learn of marriage. MOON (crescent)—Prosperity, fame. If cloudy, difficulties will be solved.

ELEPHANT—Good Luck—good health—happiness.

TRIANGLES—Unexpected good fortune.

BIRDS—Good Luck. If flying, good news from the direction it comes. If at rest a fortunate journey.

In addition, it’s common for letters to appear in tea leaves. These may represent key persons like a loved one, or even an enemy. Using the position of symbols in the cup (their location in either the ‘past,’ ‘present ‘ or ‘future’ section of the cup as well as their distance or proximity to each other) you can start building a narrative about upcoming challenges or developments in the consultant’s life and even predict if they’ll happen sooner rather than later.

Bee House Kabuki Teapot 16 ounce
Sometimes, it’s hip to be square and the Bee House Kabuki Teapot is proof of that. Minimal and sleek, both short and stout, this streamlined design says “urban” with its no-frills approach. You’re probably stylish and not afraid to show it. Especially in bright red, it’s a bold, quirky statement piece.

Children’s Pinstripe Tea Set
If you’ve ever looked around the table only to discover that your tea party guests look like the cast of Toy Story 3, this is the set for you. With an emphasis on pastel colors, decorative patterns and floral flourishes, this set evokes a classic sense of sophistication perfect for an afternoon entertaining stuffed and invisible friends. If you’re still practicing the whole ‘keep-your-pinky-out-while-you-drink’ bit, you’ve found your set!

Gourd Tetsubin Teapot
This is a great teapot for someone who wants something truly unique, but also restrained. The interesting shape and texture add enough flair without being too over-the-top. Its rustic style and earthy clay color say “dependable” and “sturdy.”

Yi Xing Mother’s Lover Teapot
Whoever said tea service had to be boring? This teapot is an inspired choice for someone who is a true individual with eclectic taste. It’s a great piece for a traveler who enjoys styles from around the world and has a keen interest in learning about a variety cultures.

Recipe:
1 ounce of whiskey
1 tbsp honey
1/4 of a lemon
1 cup of hot water
1 t. of our Not So Plain Vanilla steeped in 6-8 of hot water

For the best mixture, drizzle the honey into the glass first, so that the bottom is completely coated. Add the whiskey and the lemon and mix well. Brew your tea separately and add on top. The standard hot toddy is served in an Irish Coffee Glass with a cinnamon stick for garnish.
There are lots of fun variations that you can experiment with, too–just don’ t try them all in one night.
One easy switch up you can try is using different types of tea and alcohol. Not So Plain Vanilla tea mixed with bourbon makes for a deliciously sweet Hot Toddy. For a drink with a bit more of a bite, try using spiced rum or ginger.

• Tea has almost no calories, and flavorful loose leaf teas do not need caloric sweeteners.
• Tea replaces other sugary beverages like soda.
• Tea is full of antioxidants, which have been linked to fighting a number of cancers, including prostate cancer, breast cancer, and other types of cancer.
• Tea is good for the cardiovascular system and dental health.
• Tea may fight the flu. A recent study on children in Japan showed “Green tea is known to contain antiviral components that prevent influenza infection.”
• Tea has some caffeine, which is released slowly for an extended level of alertness without a sudden crash.
• ECGC, the main antioxidant in green tea, may prevent Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. In 2007, at the Fourth International Scientific Symposium on Tea and Human Health in Washington D.C., Dr. Silvia Mandell presented the results of her study which showed the main antioxidant polyphenol of green tea extract, EGCG, when fed to mice induced with Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease, helped to protect brain cells from dying, as well as ‘rescuing’ already damaged neurons in the brain, a phenomenon called neurorescue or neurorestoration. The Michael J. Fox Foundation is holding tests in China on early Parkinson’s patients for further research.
• Due to the inclusion of both caffeine and l.theanine, tea induces a relaxed state of alertness; it keeps you energized without being jittery, so you’re better able to focus and study. It may even be an effective treatment for ADHD.
• Tea tastes good, and may even help suppress your appetite so you don’t overeat.

It seems no matter what your resolution is this year, tea can help you maintain a healthy lifestyle.

For a short while in 1887, the Hawaiian Coffee and Tea Company had a small plot in Kona but it was abandoned for financial reasons. In the 1960’s there was a small crop at the Lyon Arboretum on O’ahu but it was not considered commercially viable.

In the 1980’s, the sugar cane industry in Hawaii was at a decline and it was then that farmers began to turn to tea. Francis Zee of the US Department of Agriculture Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center (USDA PBARC) and Milton Yamasaki from the University of Hawaii began researching tea as an option.

From that point, it has been a world of exploration and discovery for everyone involved. It has been a journey to find areas of Hawaii that will produce tea, decide which of the many kinds of tea are most suited to grow and how to manufacture and develop a finished product that is sure to please.

There are many people who have been working diligently over the past several decades to cultivate not only some special teas but also Hawaii’s place within the tea industry.

Takahiro Ino is a certified Japanese Tea Instructor and co-owner of Mauna Kea Tea with his wife Kimberly. Their processing style is the traditional Aoyagi, or green willow. The style is well-suited to their organic farming practices that utilize the natural terrain of Hawaii and stray from the use of fertilizers and pesticides. The Ino’s also use weed growth to understand the soil’s suitability for certain types of tea.

In Volcano Village, at 1300 meters, Eva and Chiu Lee cultivate white teas from bushes grown on their shady property. They have also left native trees to assist in the growth of tea leaves which is not a typical practice in many areas of the world but provides a distinctive taste. Eva and Chiu have been also been exploring with green teas and utilizing a Japanese ‘jotan’ table and find it important to learn from world leaders in tea production.

The Hawaii Tea Society, founded in 2002, aims to assist new tea growers and promote the production of tea in Hawaii. With continued research and outreach to reknown manufacturers of tea worldwide, these dedicated individuals and many more are working to brew something special and exciting for Hawaii and for tea lovers everywhere.

The other day we received a wonderful note from a new customer about her purchase.  She searched the internet for a particular tea we happen to have, so she had us send her a bit.  She first had this tea while escaping from some tough times in her life along with dear friends at a seaside cabin.

As she sipped our tea it took her back to those warm and comforting memories and is a place of solace whenever life’s events begin to overwhelm her.  She shared with us how important and rejuvenating that experience is for her.  It was quite a touching story which we shared with our Tea Smithies here.

The same day, there were several people in the shop that had not seen one another for some time, as was evident by their greetings and embraces as they came to share tea and  friendship over a warm inviting pot of tea.

All of this can be lost in the day to day activities involved in working and building a place for those teas and experiences to be enjoyed.

So to all of our families, friends and supporters, Thank You for your inspiration and sharing your love of tea and life with us.

Be that as it may, this year when our winter blends were complete, I naturally sampled them for quality control.  As I sipped them, their flavor and aromas immediately reminded why they are so popular during the winter season.

The Winter Evening has a nice mix of fruits, a surprising sweetness from pink peppercorns as well as almonds and pistachios that make this a smooth beverage.

I am thinking of renaming the Holiday Gifts Black Tea Blend.  The citrus, cinnamon and cloves are comforting any cold day, or evening.  The balance of ingredients make their interplay quite interesting.
So I will make it a New Year’s resolution to be a bit more expansive in my daily consumption.

Also, if you have a creative suggestion for our Holiday Gifts tea, we would love to hear it.

It’s a Big World…Drink it Up!

What first struck me when I first received some of the Georgian tea is the size of the leaf and the care in which it had been plucked and handled.  Once I infused the teas, I was overwhelmed by the number of complete bud sets in tact.

But the real beauty is the flavor.  We named our tea Georgian Cultured Lady in honor of the women that carefully hand produce this tea, and in recognition of the multiple layers of refined tastes this treasure imparts.  It is an extremely smooth tea complemented with a pronounced honey like sweetness.

But the surprise to me is the Georgian Caravan.  This area has a history of tea and was a part of the Silk Tea Route, so one would expect an offering of a Russian Caravan.   But this is more than a mere nod to the past.  The smooth sweet tasting tea has just a thin layer of smokey flavor which just adds to the complexity and balance.  Once I sipped on this, I could envision the traders relaxing with large mugs of tea after a long day on the roads.

I hope we can continue to get this on a regular basis so that we can continue to share it with you and your friends.

It’s a Big World…Drink it Up!

Chief Leaf

This year I again met them at the Hong Kong International Tea Festival.  May Tsai carefully explained to me the choice of materials, which teas were best in them and showcased their handcrafted cups, pots, servers trays and warmers.

Over a shared pot of tea served from their Purion teapot, we discussed the possibility of bringing their art to the USA.  To make a long story short we are very excited to have just received our first order of their Pottery and Purion lines.

I have discovered that people that have discovered Lin’s Ceramics on their visits to Taiwan have been enthralled with the pieces they brought back with them.

If you would like to learn more about Lin’s, or see some of the items we have here, please visit our website.

We sold our first pieces even while we were putting them up on display in the store, so we look forward to sharing this discovery with you.

It’s a BIG World…Drink it Up!

Tim