If you like tea, appreciate tea, or just want to have more tea in your life, then becoming a member of a‘tea of the month club’ is a wonderful way to do this.  There are many tea websites or tea shops that run such a program. Indeed it is the perfect way to get to know a whole variety of teas. Each month, as a member, you are sent a number of teas – usually loose leaf and of high quality. Every month the selection is different. This way you become familiar with lots of teas, certainly some you would never have thought to buy yourself. It’s like a fantastic tea surprise package that comes to your door every month.  Not only can you delight in the teas yourself, but you will learn the wonderful world of tea. Oftentimes, you will learn a certain tea becoming a favorite. In fact it’s a excellent thought to always take notes about the teas you drink. This way you will be able to find that certain tea for a special occasion.  Of course, you can also combine this with a once a month tea party. This is a fantastic way to invite friends and neighbors to delight in different sorts of teas. You can prepare small tea sandwiches  and/or small pieces of cake to go with the teas. Everyone will have a fantastic time and it will become a firm date in your calendar every month. It’s so much fun to share your different teas with others and find out who prefers which variety.  Also many of the tea of the month clubs ship seasonal tea. So in the summer, you would probably receive some ‘refreshing’ teas such as rooibos, Earl Grey or fruit teas. Fruit teas are especially welcome on  hot summer days served cold with ice and lemon. In the winter months some spiced teas will be on the menu to add their warmth to the cold season.  You can also make gifts of teas to your friends and family and once you have converted them to avid tea drinkers, you can even give them a tea of the month gift card, which some tea supplier’s offer.  The subscription time is up to you but it’s usually six or twelve months which is excellent time frame to get to know quite a variety of teas.  Go online and do some research into the many teasites that offer such a tea of the month club service. This way you will have a excellent overall view of which site would best suit your needs.  

Everybody has heard about the fantastic benefits of green tea, but still we drink beer! Green tea has a lot of fantastic benefits and contains a lot of medicinal and nutritional properties. These really deserve to be known because it can save your life one day! For thousands of years, the Chinese have been drinking green tea and enjoying brilliant health benefits. They even used to drink green tea for its medicinal properties, as the Chinese were able to avoid and even treat different kinds of illnesses. It is also linked to the long life that the Chinese have loved and became renown for. They have the highest rate for people living over the age of a hundred. That should be enough proof! Although the Chinese have been drinking this kind of tea for centuries, it was only recently that green tea has been introduced and became well loved throughout the planet. I have to through the blame on Coke on this one! Scientists and nutritionists have found that this incredible drink does indeed have medicinal properties that can help prevent several types of illnesses including this age’s plague, cancer. In fact, there are even doctors who recommend green tea for any kind of illness and insist that drinking it regularly plays a fantastic role in maintaining excellent health. What is it exactly that makes this magical drink such a miracle that it even perplexed health professionals from all over the world? First, this tea contains high levels of antioxidants, which are called Polyphenols or Flavonoids. Why do we need antioxidants anyway? We need to know that the body does millions of processes that are happening at all times. Even when you are asleep, the brain, cells, organs and every part of our body is active building and repairing. This magnificent building operation requires oxygen in order to be done properly. Somebody might question, what’s incorrect with Oxygen? The oxygen that we breathe isn’t hundred percent pure and clean and can contain a lot of oxidants like dust particles, smoke, pollutions, germs, viruses and all kind of harmful micro particles. These oxidants or commonly known as free radicals and are penetrating our system every single day. These free radicals are known to be one of the main stimuli in the growth of cancer cells. So, in order to fight or reduce the effect of oxidants or free radicals, we will need to introduce antioxidants in our body, very powerful ones in the case of some people! And guess what, green tea has a lot of them. Although some other natural herbs and fruits do have antioxidants, you will see that green tea has a lot more. In fact, the antioxidants found on green tea are much higher than that found in grape juice and red wine. Second, this incredible drink also contains vitamins, such as vitamin B6, which plays a vital role in the metabolism of the body. That’s why everybody drinks green tea to lose stout and weight. Additionally, vitamins B1 and B2, which are essential for releasing energy from food, which is really excellent because it converts directly into energy that you can use in your daily exercises and your work. Another fantastic thing about this tea is that it has key minerals such as magnesium, which is essential for bone growth and body development as well as potassium, which helps in keeping the heart pumping normally and maintain the body’s fluid levels. I thought only milk has such minerals and bone supporting nutrition! Green tea has caffeine though just like coffee. You may place it as a “disadvantage” but compared to coffee and other teas, it is the best caffeine you can place into your body system! Let me clarify, the caffeine that we get from coffee and regular teas has immediate effects on our nervous system. It can raise blood pressure and make our heart beats quicker than normal due to its instant stimulating effects. Surprisingly, caffeine in green tea is more beneficial than the caffeine taken from coffee. It works through the body in a different mechanism. It alerts our system, but in a prolonged kind of and effect so we don’t experience sudden spikes in blood pressure, heart beat rate and nervousness. And again, it helps you lose that extra stout in your body, without the harmful caffeine effects! To experience the utmost health benefits, green tea is preferably brewed rather than fermented. Fermentation is most likely used in black tea but never in green tea. There are basically three vital reasons why brewing is used in green tea. Reason # 1 – Brewing doesn’t eliminate the vital nutrients, vitamins and components that comprise green tea. On the other hand, fermentation wastes a lot of the nutritional tea components leaving more and less an enjoyable beverage. Reason # 2 – Brewing can bring out the best in Catechin and Theanin, the two elements that contribute to a lower level of caffeine in your green tea. Reason # 3 – Brewing enhances taste and aroma. Indeed, brewing has a very enticing smell that can’t be found in fermented beverages. Brewing green tea is simpler contrary to what people might reckon. Here are the tips for the best brewed green tea:- Tip 1 – The type of water Choosing what kind of water to use is a very vital detail that you have to take note of. Ideally, manufacturers would prefer brewing green tea using soft mineral water or natural water. If you can’t afford purchasing bottled water daily, you can take into consideration tap water. If you’re plotting to use European bottled water, don’t. It’s because this kind of water is considered hard water that is not suitable for brewing green tea. Tip 2 – Chlorine free water Chlorine must not be mixed with the process. To remove it, just leave your water in your pot for a couple of hours before finally boiling it. Tip 3 – The boiling process Depending on how much water you have place, it will be the time that you have to boil. Whenever the water starts to boil, take off the lid of the pot and let it boil continuously for a few more minutes. Tip 4 – Temperature It is said that right temperature of boiling water will vary on the kind of tea that you are about to use. This is the moment when the extraction of Polyphenols takes place. When you buy green tea, usually there will be there some instructions on the temperature to use. Tip 5 – Steep Let your tea steep for about three to five minutes. With longer steeping time, the Polyphenol level increases while if steeping time takes only a couple of seconds, it will result in more caffeine content in the tea. Tip 6 – Tea leaves Research shows that it is better to brew green tea leaves that are smaller because of the quick infusion. Choosing large leaves or ones that are tightly curved can have a longer infusion time. Tip 7 – Teabags or loose leaves? It is more advisable to use loose green tea than green tea teabags. Loose green tea enables Polyphenols to freely float inside your cup of green tea instead of locking them inside teabags.

I drink loose-leaf green Sencha tea everyday. I usually let the leaves steep for 30-90 seconds before removing them from the water and tossing them. I’m wondering, though, if I could steep them a second (or even third) time to get another cup or two or tea out of it. . . ? In this case, how long would I steep them?

bulk tea is the most economical way to buy this beverage, which is a favorite in much of the world ? and in many places, has a lot of tradition associated with it. The Japanese tea ceremony goes back centuries; in much of Asia, it is said that the sky rained tea on the day Buddha was born. Afternoon tea, complete with a wide array of tea accessories, dates back 300 years in Britain, and rage over taxes on bulk tea led to a raid on cargo ships anchored in Boston Harbor one November night in 1775 ? and this changed the course of history. organic teasThe laws that determine which bulk teas can be sold as organic teas vary from one country to the next. In the U. S. , organic loose teas and other products are certified at the state level by local agencies approved by the USDA. Those seeking as hot beverage to get them started in the morning will be glad to know that many black organic teas such as jasmine, oolong, asman and pekoe and pekoe pack as much of a ?wallop? as many varieties of coffee ? at a lower cost and with substantially less caffeine. Exotic TeasFor those looking for a different taste, try black or green organic teas that have been flavored with spearmint and peppermint for a North African or Middle Eastern twist. Chai tea (which is a somewhat redundant term, being as ?chai? is the word for ?tea? in Hindi, Russian and several other languages) is a taste treat from India. Flavored with traditional Indian spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves and ginger, it is traditionally served hot with milk and sugar. But, the added spices give this beverage a natural sweetness, and it is also an brilliant thirst quencher on those hot summer days!Organic Herbal TeasIf you are trying to avoid caffeine altogether, you?ll be glad to know that many organic loose teas are herbal. Many of these are therapeutic and even medicinal in nature. Chamomile is acknowledged by herbalists as a natural relaxant and sleep aid; younger women who suffer from cramps during their menstrual period find it useful in the relief of such symptoms. Licorice and ginseng are thought to have a positive effect on energy levels and sexual function in men. organic loose teaWhile bulk tea is economical to buy, there?s a catch ? it comes as loose leaves. This means there is no tea bag; therefore, you?ll need tea accessories such as tea balls. It?s a bit of extra distress, but well worth it in order to delight in the superior quality and taste of organic bulk tea.