June 18, 2015
by Connor Lofink A heat wave burned across the midwest on the morning when the India Tea Commissioner Richard Blechynden and his staffers set up the East Indian Pavilion for the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition. Blechynden hoped that free cups of tea would convince people more familiar with the Chinese variety that his Indian tea had potential. But when the fair got underway, the temperatures did not subside. Instead, they rose and rose as more and more people gathered to see exhibits from 62 different countries. Women wandered the fair in full-length dresses and wore wide-brimmed hats to protect them from the sun while the men wore three-piece suits. The fashion of the day meant that everyone was suffering from the high temperatures. 20 million people visited the […]
January 13, 2015
Chai Masala originated in the areas in and around India and Tibet thousands of years ago. There are a few legends surrounding the invention of masala tea. One is that an Indian king was made this tea by his chef and so loved the drink that he banned the chef from revealing the recipe to anyone else. After his death, the secret recipe was given out, whereupon it was changed based on the ingredients people had available to them. Another legend claims that the Tibetans were the originators of this recipe, using it as an offering and as a sign of hospitality. Their recipe used spices with salt and whatever dairy products were available (goat’s milk, yak butter, etc …). Whoever was the originator of chai and masala […]
November 14, 2014
Bring the aroma of Spring and Summer into your house this winter with some of our floral teas. Are you new to floral teas and how they are made? Here’s a little introduction. Our floral tea blends are a combination of either teas that are just blended with herbs or teas that are blended with herbs and flavorings. Jasmine Teas All of our Jasmine teas are produced by infusing the tea leaves with fresh picked Jasmine blossoms. The process of producing Jasmine tea started in China sometime during the Song Dynasty (960-1279) using tea blended with Jasmine blossoms. Jasmine teas are created using different types of tea: white, oolong and green predominantly. The base teas used are picked, depending on the type of tea, from March to June, […]
September 2, 2014
September 3rd is the anniversary of the birth of Anna Russell, the Duchess of Bedford, and the woman credited with creating the tradition of afternoon tea. While tea drinking in England, and meals with tea, certainly existed before Anna was born, she has been credited as the inventor of this pastime for a few reasons. Anna Russell was born into a prominent family, both in terms of wealth and their position in society. She was a great friend to Queen Victoria and as such held an influential position in society herself. The ritual of afternoon tea began when the dinner meal in England started to be served later in the evening (around 8 pm). The time between lunch and dinner was so long that people began having a […]
August 6, 2014
We all know that the best cup of tea starts with good water. If your water contains chlorine or heavy minerals, it’ll be impossible to achieve the tastiest tea brew. I am fortunate that I have access to clean, delicious water at home and at work. Most of the time I take it for granted. When I turn on the tap, I expect that I’ll receive decent, healthy water. Every once and awhile though we need to step back and look at these things we take for granted. Imagine if when I turned on the water I did not enjoy good water. Imagine that when I turned on the taps brown water came out, or water with harmful chemicals, or bad tasting water . Imagine if I turned […]
July 3, 2014
Well it’s the heat of Summer again, which means my garden is going crazy and my herbs are ready to pick. I’m sure I’m not alone in my love of fresh dried herbs during the winter months. I don’t know where I read this but I found a great article last year on a homesteading website about drying herbs. It worked so well I thought I should pass it along. Pick your herbs in the morning when the flavor is at its maximum. I like to cut long stems of herbs so they hold together better when drying. Place the herbs on a mesh screen. If I’m drying a small leafed herb (like dill) I place a broiler pan or cookie sheet under the screen. Then place the […]
March 28, 2014
We’re excited to be launching our latest beautifully packaged line of herbal tisanes …. Our Herbal Wellness line. This line of 12 tisanes contains 6 of our most popular Wellness blends along with 6 new concoctions. Our line of Herbal Benefits blends are: Detox Pomegranate Detox Echinacea Blend Energy Moonlight Snooze Men’s Herbal Tonic Women’s Herbal Tonic Sniffle Slayer Tonsil Tamer Lemon Tonsil Tamer Calm Turmeric Ginger Citrus As with all herbal tisanes that we sell, we recommend that everyone research the herbs themselves and definitely check with your doctor prior to drinking, especially if you have a specific health concern or are taking medication. It’s easy to think that because it’s “just a plant” it is safe for use all the time regardless of one’s medical history. […]
February 3, 2014
TEA BASICS Everything you need to know to begin your journey into the wonderful world of tea! The word tea comes from the Chinese local Amoy dialect word t’e (pronounced “tay”). In Cantonese it became ch’a (pronounced “chah”) Legend places the introduction of tea drinking to the reign of Emperor Shen Nung about 2737 BC. The first history book (and handbook) of tea was written in 780 AD, called The Ch’a Ching, by Lu Yu. The most widely consumed beverage in the world next to water, tea can be served hot or iced at any time and for any occasion. In the late 1700’s the United States protested high taxes and staged many protests (like the Boston Tea Party). This resulted in tea losing popularity in the US […]
January 21, 2014
January is National Hot Tea Month but maybe it’s also procrastinator month too because I’m posting this so close to the end of the month! Sometimes it just takes a little time to get through all the aftermath of the holiday season and this year was no exception. So what is National Hot Tea Month? It’s supposed to be a month where you broaden your horizons and try new teas and tisanes. I’ve been working on a new line of herbal tisanes – so I guess I can honestly say I’ve been keeping in the spirit of trying new tisanes. But let’s not forget that this can also be a time of revisiting old tea friends. It seems my tea drinking habits (at my home) seem to tend […]
August 6, 2013
What is the History of Earl Grey tea? Earl Grey teas, traditionally, were blends comprised of varying black teas with Bergamot oil added to them. Today, any tea (green, white, herbal) that is sprayed with Bergamot oil is known as Earl Grey (such as our Emerald Green Earl Grey, Rooibos Earl Grey, etc). Every tea merchant carries an Earl Grey black tea blend, but they are all very different due to the variations in black teas used for the blend and the quality of the bergamot oil. Here at Simpson & Vail we use high quality bergamot oil. What is bergamot oil? Bergamot oil comes from the rind of the bergamot orange, which grows on the citrus tree Citrus bergamia. These trees are mainly grown for commercial use […]