Week 4: White tea tasting with Joshua

This week we were fortunate to have Joshua in the states and also have him lead our Friday morning staff tea tasting.  We finished off the series with Silver Needle, White Peony, White Buds and Moonlight White.

It's a treat to be able to learn so much about white tea from Joshua himself.  He prepared the tea in cupping sets and allowed us all to visually inspect, smell and taste all four teas. 

He talked about the history, processing and brewing methods of all of these teas.  
 
It also got us excited about the upcoming white tea harvest.  White tea is usually harvested the last few days of March and the beginning of April.  We are only weeks away from the highly anticipated spring tea harvest!

White tea originated in Fujian, China.  From there we offer the traditional and organic Silver Needle and White Peony.  However, we also offer two white teas from Yunnan, China, one of the oldest tea cultivation zones.  Those teas are organic and fair trade certified and hand harvested from ancient tea trees deep in the jungle. Through these teas we are able to blend together ancient tea history with a newer type of tea.   


Looking back at last year, 2010 was a difficult year for farmers.  The weather was not as cooperative as it has been in the past.  Young buds were shocked with a freeze as they emerged causing  farmers to summon farming wisdom.  Despite any challenges they might have faced they still provided us with tea we are proud to share with our customers.  We are fortunate to have such talented partners at origin and have Joshua creating relationships with those who grow and process our teas.  Through that direct contact he is able to relay information on specific teas such as he did at our tasting.  

Week 3: Three Rishi Original White Tea Blends

Week 3 of our Friday tastings brought us Peach Blossom, Mandarin Citrus and Plum Berry. These tastings are not only a chance for all of our Rishi Tea staffers to get to know all of the teas we offer but also to take a moment and enjoy what we do best, tea.
We are able to taste, learn and laugh.  We get to know the leaves and each other.  
 
What do you think about these 3 blends?  Do you have any questions about them?

Save on your order this Valentine's Day!

15% off any purchase through March 1, 2011!
Just enter VDAY11 at checkout.

This year for Valentine's Day, give a gift that tastes delicious and helps the environment- Cinnamon Plum .  We are once again teaming up with Clean Water Fund.  We are donating 25% of the profits of Cinnamon Plum to their effort of keeping America's waterways clean.  Jon Scott, of Clean Water Fund, tells us what he loves about Cinnamon Plum.

What I like (love) about Cinnamon Plum

by Jon Scott

If you’ve already tried it you know this herbal blend makes a fantastic winter warmer. (If you haven’t tried it yet, you should. This is definitely the kind of Winter when it will really sing for you.).

There’s something very happy about that nice deep plum red color, combined with a kind of a tangy snap and the extra-warming boost the cinnamon brings to the party. Half an hour after shoveling snow off the deck and settling back into my favorite chair with a steaming mug of Cinnamon Plum, I’m already feeling great and ready to get back to work!

But I was thinking…

For the past couple of years, I’ve given Cinnamon Plum as holiday gifts and really enjoyed being able to give something that makes you feel good, and that you can also feel good about. That’s one benefit of this herbal tea’s Organic and Fair Trade certifications. The fact that sales of this tea also benefit my organization, Clean Water Fund, makes it even more fun to give and to receive.

One other thing. Now we’re getting into February. This Cinnamon Plum herbal tea brews up nice and red. It makes anyone who drinks it warm and happy, and there’s the extra warming zip of that cinnamon. Organic and Fair Trade certified, and benefits Clean Water Fund. Sounds like a perfect alternative (or addition) to the traditional Valentines Day candy, flowers. Can good tea be romantic? Give Cinnamon Plum this Valentines Day and find out for yourself.

Jon Scott is Director of Corporate Relations for Clean Water Fund & Clean Water Action

Week 2: White Tea Rose Blends

White Tea Rose Melange
A blend of jasmine and wild rose scented white teas infused with rejuvenating peppermint and calming lavender. It’s floral with a fresh minty finish.

Brewing instructions:
Water: 190°F 
Leaves: 1 tbsp per 8 ounces
Infusion Time: 4 minutes
 
Story behind the tea:   
This tea has undergone many evolutions.  At one time it used to contain schizandra berries.  The peppermint in this blend is from a single farm in Washington State.
 
Origin: Milwaukee, WI - Rishi Tea original blend
 
Ingredients: Organic roses, Organic white tea, Organic Fair Trade Certified™ green tea, Organic peppermint, Organic lavender and Organic jasmine flowers

Interesting notes:  We made lemonade with this tea!  Simply infuse the tea leaves in cold lemonade for a few hours, strain and serve cold.

Our organic peppermint!

Wild Rose

White tea infused with aromatic wild harvested roses.

Brewing instructions:

Water: 190°F  
Leaves: 1 tbsp per 8 ounces 
Infusion Time: 4-6 minutes 

Origin: Milwaukee, WI - Rishi Tea original blend 

Ingredients: Organic white tea, Organic roses and natural essential rose oil

Interesting notes: You can make cookies with this tea!

Check out our recipe: Wild Rose Sugar Cookies

New Partnership with Becky's Blissful Bakery!

We've teamed up with local confectioners Becky's Blissful Bakery for an unbelievably delicious treat - Chai Tea Caramels! Becky's makes all organic, handmade desserts from scratch and for their latest creation, they've blended Rishi's organic Masala Chai Concentrate into the mix. The sweet, spicy and rich caramels are available on their site as well as in select Sendik's and Outpost stores in the Milwaukee area. 

Come by and taste our Chai Concentrate alongside Becky's Chai Tea Caramels on the following dates:  

January 29: Winter Farmers Market from 8am-12pm @ Tommy Thompson Youth Center, State Fair Park

January 30: Chai Sampling with Becky’s Blissful Bakery from 10am-1pm @ Sendiks in Elmbrook

February 12: Chai Sampling with Becky’s Blissful Bakery from 10am-1pm @ Sendiks in Brookfield

Week 1 Tea Tasting: White Tea

Osthmanthus Silver Needle

Yields a nectar-sweet infusion with notes of apricot and honey.

Brewing instructions:
Water: 180°F 
Leaves: 1 tbsp per 8 ounces
Infusion Time: 5 minutes

Story behind the tea:   
The small and brightly-pigmented orange blossoms of Osthmanthus are hand harvested in the fall throughout Southern China. Little known in the West, Osthmanthus blossoms are also called “Guay Hua” in China and are used in wines, pastries, teas and perfumes.

Origin: Fujian, China

Ingredients: Silver needle white tea and Osthmanthus flowers.  

• Silver Needle leaf buds from the Fuding Da Hao varietal
• Harvest in late March–April.  Last year's harvest began on March 28th, 2010 
• Osthmanthus flowers are a part of the olive family.  It's an evergreen tree or shrub native to China

Photo from Wikipedia 

Interesting cultivation notes: Silver Needle is harvested in late March-mid April and held for scenting in September when Osthmanthus flowers blossom.  The tea undergoes scenting in September and is exported in October, arriving in late November each year. 

Silver Needle Jasmine 
Refreshing, soft and subtle with sweet flavors, smooth white tea body and a lofty floral aroma.

 Brewing instructions:
Water: 185°F  
Leaves: 1 tbsp per 8 ounces 
Infusion Time: 4-5 minutes

Story behind the tea:  Jasmine scented tea is the most common scented tea in China.  The delicate and floral aroma of jasmine pairs great with the sublte sweetness of Silver Needle white tea. Most scented teas are green and blacks. 

Origin: Fujian, China

Ingredients: Silver needle white tea and Jasmine blossoms.  

• Silver Needle leaf buds from the Fuding Da Hao varietal
• Harvest in late March–April.  The 2010 harvest began on March 28th
• Jasmine blossoms bloom in the summer 

Photo from Wikipedia 

 Interesting cultivation notes:  There are many scented teas on the market but a distinguishing factor in our tea is that it is organic.  The jasmine blossoms in our tea are organically grown.  Sourcing the amount of organic jasmine blossoms we require to scent this tea is challenging due to pests.  Pests are attracted to the extremely sweet scent of jasmine blossoms.

 

Welcome to Rishi Tea tastings!

We are committed not only to providing great tea but also creating a culture of tea knowledge that we can share with you.  At Rishi Tea, tea knowledge extends from Joshua to our sales team, our production workers, our full staff, and from our staff to our customers. Every Friday morning we conduct staff tea tastings which gives us the opportunity to spend time drinking tea, learning about tea and enjoying tea with our one another.

We invite you to join our weekly staff tastings via our blog, Facebook and Twitter in our quest to link the leaf at origin to its end result: a revitalizing cup of tea. 

Each week we'll post tasting notes and information from the prior Friday tea tasting. Please share any questions and comments you may have for us! Our 2011 tasting series begins with white tea.  In the near future, we hope to offer our weekly tea tastings to the public as well. Until then, join us virtually!  

 Susana, our resident tea geek, and Kevin, our head tea blender prepare to lead our Friday tea tastings.

Susana and Kevin serving two white tea favorites - Osthmanthus Silver Needle and Silver Needle Jasmine.

12 New Teas in Stores!

Ten herbal teas and two new Japanese green teas with environmentally sensitive packaging join our expanding retail collection! Ten naturally caffeine-free, organic herbal blends comprise the new Herbal Retail Collection, each a unique combination of natural botanicals, spices and fruits blended for both flavor and effect. The full line includes award-winning Cinnamon Plum, Tangerine Ginger, Chamomile Medley, Bergamot Sage, Hibiscus Berry, Mystic Mint, White Ginseng Detox, Serene Dream, Turmeric Ginger, and Unity. 

Rishi Tea founder, Joshua shares “Our new Herbal teas are inspired by ancient herbal beverages and our constant travel and study of food cultures around the world. We’ve fused traditional remedies with epicurean creativity, premium ingredients and original blending techniques to offer distinctive flavors not available elsewhere."

Genmai Matcha and Matcha Super Green are the newest additions to Rishi’s Green Tea Line. Both teas are blended with Matcha, a powdered green tea known to promote creativity, focus and energy.

“We’ve worked on developing an organic Genmai Matcha for more than five years and couldn’t be more pleased with the results. Matcha Super Green is one of our most popular new teas. We are delighted to add these to our retail packaged line and expect they are really going to resonate. We see a growing interest in Japanese green tea in the North American market, and no signs of it abating,” explains Ben, co-owner of Rishi Tea.

Find these new teas and more of your favorite Rishi teas at Whole Foods Market nationwide and numerous health, specialty and natural food retailers. Can't find these teas at your neighborhood store? Ask them to place an order with our Wholesale Department!

Behind the Label - from Seed to Table

We are unbelievably thrilled to have Rishi Tea founder, Joshua join world renowned Chef Charlie Trotter and Tony Dreyfuss, co-owner of Metropolis Coffee for Behind the Label – from seed to table. Each will discuss the concepts of organic, fair trade, sustainable and local while sharing their personal journeys, and travels to select the world’s finest ingredients. The night will also feature an innovative menu from Chef Trotter, incorporating both Metropolis Coffee and Rishi Tea into the food, cocktails, wine and delicious desserts from Chef Keli Fayard of Vanille Patisserie.

Behind the Label takes place at 6pm on Monday, February 7^th at Charlie Trotter’s on 816 W. Armitage in Chicago. Tickets are available for purchase from Vanille Patisserie.