Many people say there’s nothing more American than apple pie. However there is another sweet treat that’s one hundred percent red, white, and blue. From coast to coast, Americans are wild about iced tea. What many don’t realize is that although it’s based on an Asian brew, iced tea is an American innovation. Iced tea’s popularity can be traced to the heat wave of 1904 when tea merchant Richard Blechynden decided to serve tea over ice at an exposition in St. Louis. Americans have since perfected different methods of making iced tea, along with several innovate recipes. Black teas from Ceylon, China and Java are most commonly used to make iced tea. Flavored teas such as lemon green tea, peach black tea, Formosa oolong,... »View More
Many people say there’s nothing more American than apple pie. However there is another sweet treat that’s one hundred percent red, white, and blue. From coast to coast, Americans are wild about iced tea. What many don’t realize is that although it’s based on an Asian brew, iced tea is an American innovation. Iced tea’s popularity can be traced to the heat wave of 1904 when tea merchant Richard Blechynden decided to serve tea over ice at an exposition in St. Louis. Americans have since perfected different methods of making iced tea, along with several innovate recipes. Black teas from Ceylon, China and Java are most commonly used to make iced tea. Flavored teas such as lemon green tea, peach black tea, Formosa oolong,... »View More
Jasmine tea is the most popular variety of flavored tea. This is, in part because Jasmine has been used to scent and flavor every variety of tea: white, black, green and oolong. So, no matter your preference in tea, there is a Jasmine tea for you. Jasmine tea dates back to the Sung Dynasty. To make this delicious blend, tea artisans plucked jasmine blossoms just as they were beginning to open. Then the petals were stored in a cool place until nightfall, when the blossoms began to release their fragrance. They were then added to dry green tea leaves, to allow the dry tea leaves to absorb the fragrance. Ordinary grades of tea were scented two or three times; the special grades even more. Today, most jasmine tea is still made with green tea, though... »View More
If you’re a tea drinker, it’s likely that you’ve tried jasmine tea. Jasmine tea is the most popular blend of Chinese tea, and has been produced for more than 700 years. It was first produced during the Sung dynasty, by plucking the jasmine leaves as soon as they begin to bloom. The freshly plucked jasmine leaves were stored in a cool place until nightfall, when the blossoms began to release their fragrance. Then the jasmine petals were added to dry heaps of tea leaves, to allow the dry tea leaves to absorb the fragrance. Ordinary grades were scented two or three times; the special grades even more. Today, the process is much the same, though it may not be carried out by hand these days. The best jasmine tea is said to come from the Fujian... »View More