Spring is a time of year when everyone can use a boost in energy. All around us, nature is blossoming and it’s time for us to do that as well!

One of the easiest and most effective home spa treatments for dissolving stress, purifying your system, stimulating renewal and helping to shed dry, dull winter skin is a bath. From the days of ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome, and throughout the Far East, the healing powers of bathing were legendary. In our busy modern world, it’s become easy to forget this simple and yet incredibly powerful ritual.

Simple Secrets of Rejuvenation

Here are some secrets that will help you turn your bathtub into a home spa and enhance the therapeutic power of a bath:

-Bathing in water that is rich in sea salt and minerals can do wonders in keeping your skin and body healthy. Since your body cannot make minerals, it needs to absorb them through diet and water. Mineral salts stimulate the skin and help purify the body by boosting circulation and aiding major organ functions. They also help make skin soft and smooth, and ease skin irritations.

-Run your bath water to 86-98.5F (30-37C) for a therapeutic and relaxing mineral salt bath. For a more stimulating effect, run a slightly cooler temperature of 77-88F (25-28C). Note – it’s best to avoid a very hot bath immediately before bed, as it can be overly stimulating.

-Specific essential oils can further assist with stress reduction, boosting energy, toning or helping the skin. At this time of year, we have a couple of favourite bathsalt blends which are particularly effective, because they contain a powerful combination of minerals and essential oils. Our ENERGY and MERMAID bathsalts contain essential oils that are specifically designed to increase energy levels, stimulate circulation and help overall renewal.

ENERGY bathsalts contain ginger, grapefruit, lemongrass, vetiver and coriander, to boost energy, uplift your spirit, and help tone skin. Ginger promotes circulation, and helps improve mental focus and combat physical fatigue. The citrusy fresh aroma of lemongrass is ultra uplifting and soothing to sore muscles.

MERMAID bathsalts contains rosemary, eucalyptus, petitgrain, niaouli, and lavender essential oils, plus seaweed and green tea to enhance slimming, and combat allergies. The invigorating benefits of rosemary essential oils help clear your head. Though calming, lavender is also uplifting through its ability to help relieve stress, headaches and congestion.

Essential oils evaporate quickly, so to ensure maximum aromatherapy benefits, add 3 tbsp. of ENERGY or MERMAID bathsalts immediately after running the water and before you enter your bath. Swish water to disperse bathsalts, and soak for 10 – 15 minutes.

Bathsalt Special Offer

Stock up to enjoy the invigorating and energizing benefits of both ENERGY and MERMAID Bathsalts. From now until Sunday May 13, 2012 purchase a 570g tub of ENERGY Bathsalts and receive 50% off a 570g tub of MERMAID Bathsalts when you mention this post. Pamper mom this Mother’s Day – it’s the perfect time to share with her the restorative benefits of bathsalts!

Tagged with: aromatherapy, bath, bathsalt, energize, essential oil, headaches, organic spa, skin care, sore muscles, stress relief, tone skin

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Tea Sodas – Enjoy your favourite teas with a little sparkle!

Imagine your favourite tea as a refreshing soda – the perfect spring-time pick-me-up. Tea Sodas are made by combining sparkling water with a tea flavoured syrup. If you have a sweet tooth, drinking home-made Tea Sodas is an easy way to reduce sugar consumption, while still getting the sweetness you love. They’re also a fantastic low-calorie treat for kids.

Tea flavoured syrup is made by combining a strongly brewed tea and a sweetener, such as sugar or honey. Traditional soda pop is made with white sugar, but when making your own Tea Sodas, there are many options to choose from, such as honey, maple syrup, palm sugar, agave nectar, and brown or raw sugar.

These days, there is a lot of hidden sugar in our diets that can have a negative affect on our health and over all well-being. Spring is in the air, and it’s about time to enjoy fun, refreshing, and uplifting drinks. Commercial soda pop, and even fruit juices, have high sugar contents. Consuming large quantities of sugar can also negatively impact your general mood. After a long, dreary winter, what better way to brighten your spirit than with naturally flavourful, and low-calorie Tea Sodas!

Classic Tea Cola

4 tbsp. Vanilla Plantation tea
2 cups boiling water
2 cups honey
Steep Vanilla Plantation tea in boiling water for 5 minutes.

Spring Blossom Soda

4 tbsp. Japanese Sour Cherry
2 cups water just before the boil
1 1/2 cups sugar
Steep Japanese Sour Cherry tea in water just before the boil for 3 minutes.

How to Make Tea Flavoured Syrup

Brew tea for suggested steeping time, and strain into saucepan. Add honey or sugar to saucepan containing your brewed tea. Stir mixture over medium heat until sweetener is completely melted. Do not overheat mixture or leave it unattended, to avoid burning.

Pour mixture into a stainless steel or heatproof glass jug, and refrigerate to cool completely. Store in glass bottles in your refrigerator to keep fresh, and use within about 1 week.

Also, try making Tea Sodas with Herbal Chai, Sublime and Mango Shade teas.

Serve & Enjoy

Tea Sodas are most delicious made by the glass, and served immediately after making, so that the bubbles in the sparkling water are preserved. Pour 1 tbsp. tea flavoured syrup into a glass over ice, and top with 1 cup sparkling water. Adjust to taste. Garnish with fresh lemon wedges and cherries.

Make it a sparkling tea cocktail! Add 1 oz. rum to each glass of Classic Tea Cola or Spring Blossom Soda.

Tea Soda Workshop

This Saturday, April 21/12, we’ve saved some seats for you at our Tea Sodas Workshop at 2pm! You’ll taste a variety of Tea Sodas, learn more great recipes and helpful tips . Each workshop attendee receives a FREE Tea Sodas workshop guide, packed with brewing information and delightful tea flavoured syrup recipe.

There is limited space, so be sure to call 250-704-2688 to register for FREE with code phrase “SUGAR BUSTER“.

We’ll see you there!

If you’re from out-of-town, contact our Mail Order Department to place an order by Friday, April 27/12, and we’ll email you a Tea Soda Workshop guide for FREE ($10 value).

Mail Order Department
by phone: 250 388 6815
by email: mailorder@silkroadtea.com

Tagged with: black tea, cocktails, green tea, herbal tea, Italian soda, low-calorie, low-sugar, spring, tea recipes, tea soda, tea syrup, tea workshops

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Explore the infinite variety of flavours that tea has to offer, and uncover the mysteries of the tea leaf. The method outlined here combines ancient techniques as well as modern ones. Tea tasting is first and foremost a practice that requires observation and patience. Through repeated practice and observation, the secrets of the leaf will begin to reveal themselves.

The appearance and aroma of the dry leaf and the brewed tea offer some intriguing clues regarding the flavour of your tea. There are almost as many ways to classify or group flavours, as there are types of tea. The best way to think of flavour, is as a series of overlapping elements. Journey through the art of tea appreciation and engage your senses with the following six techniques.

Step 1> Appearance and Aroma of the Dry Leaf

The appearance of the tea leaf will provide you with clues into the flavour of the tea, as well as its quality and freshness. The more you study leaf shapes and characteristics, the more your understanding of different teas will deepen.

Begin by observing the dry loose tea leaves. Take note of the colour, shape, size and aroma of the leaf. Are the leaves regular and uniform, or irregular and varied? Are they dry and brittle looking, or do they almost have a slightly oily and shiny appearance? Are they rolled tightly or unrolled? Dry tea leaves can display an astonishing array of colours and range from bright to dull sheen. Does the leaf contain downy white or golden coloured tips?

Now, inhale the aroma of the tea. Is it intense or subtle? The aroma of the leaf will also provide hints about the flavour that lies dormant within the leaf.

The method of manufacture, or how the leaf is dried, steamed and/or rolled, will impact the tea’s flavour. For example, the same tea leaf processed into a tightly rolled leaf, will have a different flavour than the same tea leaf which is rolled into a looser, less constricted shape. A small leaf will generally produce a tea which infuses more rapidly, and releases a richer coloured liquor. A larger leaf will generally take longer to release its flavour, but the resulting product may end up being much richer, fuller and more complex.

Step 2 > Liquor

Observe the colour of the brewed tea, known by tea professionals as the “liquor”. Look for a clear, translucent colour, which is indicative of higher quality tea. A cloudy colour, or a liquor that isn’t shiny, bright and jewel like may be lacking in freshness or quality.

Virtually all tea tasting techniques recommend that tea be served in white porcelain cups. This allows you to properly assess the true colour of the tea’s liquor. A colourful teacup can enhance the pleasure of drinking tea, but it may also detract from the natural colour of the tea. When you are tasting tea, it’s best to use a white teacup, which allows you to fully experience the colour of the tea itself.

When doing a Blind Tea Tasting, the colour of the brewed tea will help you discern what type of tea you are drinking. Even if you know what you are about to taste, the colour of the brewed tea can also provide you with some hints regarding the flavour of the tea.

Step 3> Aroma of the Brewed Tea

You now have your freshly brewed tea. Before tasting your tea, inhale and explore the aroma. It is said that 80% of taste is smell; so taking some time to fully experience the aroma of the tea is an important aspect of Tea Appreciation.

Now ask, what does it remind you of?  How would you describe the aromas and their intensity? Is it mild, mellow and delicate? Or is it intense, robust and lively? Would you say that the aromas that the tea release is simple or is it a complex bouquet of many scents? The aroma will prepare your palate and offer a preview of the flavour to come.

Step 4 > Taste

A tea’s flavour is dependent on an alchemical interplay of varying factors. Professional tasters slurp the tea into their mouths rapidly, and then swirl it around the mouth. This allows maximum coverage of the tea across the taste buds,  allows you to gain an impression of the texture of the tea and oxygenates the liquid which enhances flavour perception. Be careful of aggressive over-swirling, however! Tea is not wine, and too much swishing and interfere with the delicate notes that tea has. Hold a small quantity of tea in your mouth as you breathe in and out a few times to perceive some of the tea’s subtle aromas.

As you taste the tea, explore the following questions. Does the flavour of the tea deliver on the aroma you experienced? How would you describe the taste?  Is it bitter, sweet (sugar, honey, caramel), sour (bright, acidic), salty (oceanic flavours) or umami (savoury)? What is the texture of the tea? Is it light or heavy? Is it lively, soft, velvety, gritty or somewhat mouth puckering? What is the intensity of the flavour? Is it delicate, medium or full-bodied? What is the aftertaste? Is it clean and light, or intense and long lasting?

Step 5 > Observe the Appearance and Aroma of the Infused Leaf

Observe how the leaf has changed in shape, colour, and aroma through infusion. Some teas are completely transformed through exposure to water. A tightly rolled dry leaf may reveal a broad large leaf after infusion. A twisted shape may retain some of its wiry character, even after infusion.

When dry, the leaf might be a grayish colour, and end up as a vibrant emerald green upon infusion. The infused leaf will sometimes retain a stronger aroma than the resulting tea. Therefore, the aroma of the infused leaf can help you identify flavours and aromas that you may not fully perceive in the brewed tea. If you notice an aroma in the infused leaf, that you haven’t taken note of when tasting the tea, try again. You may find that you are now able to pick up this flavour. The appearance of the infused leaf can also reveal poor manufacturing methods, or a low quality leaf.

Step 6 > Overall Impression

At the end, take this time to contemplate any observations you made regarding the tea. Did you like it, love it, or was it NOT your cup of tea? To track your progress, try keeping a taster’s journal so you can keep track of your observations.  Try tasting the same tea a month apart, and see if your perception of the tea has changed at all.

Happy Sipping!

Tagged with: tea brewing, tea connoisseur, tea culture, tea festival, teacup, teapot

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SILK ROAD TEA has hit the streets of Victoria this holiday season – and we want your pictures! Win free tea for a year by snapping a shot of our Silk Road Gift Simplicitea ads which can be found on BC Transit buses.

Send us a tweet with your photo to @silkroadtea. We’ll tweet to tell you when to keep an eye out. Each time you tweet a Gift Simplicitea bus photo, you’ll be entered for a chance to win FREE TEA FOR A YEAR!

Tagged with: Christmas, contest, gifts, twitter, win

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Something major is brewing in the world of tea – the Magisso TipCup.

When it comes to brewing essentials, it seems like we have all the bases covered: from teapots to drinking vessels and from infusers to strainers, and as though everything there is to invent, has already been invented. But not so fast my little spicy mandarin – settle back, grab a steamy cup of tea and let me tell you about a new device that will change the way you think about your favourite beverage.

Arguably, one of the most important brewing inventions is the teapot. After coming on the scene in China during the Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644), the first recorded teapots were made from Chinese clay (also known as Yixing or zisha) and served as both a brewing and drinking vessel.

Another major tea milestone was the teaball – a British invention that became all the rage during the 19th century. The device became so popular during the reign of Queen Victoria that, as the story goes, she once said: “No respectable British household would be without one.”

Today, I’m delighted to announce that we have one more brewing essential in the world of tea inventions: the TipCup.

This ingenious Finnish design was invented by Laura Bougdanos who came up with the brilliant concept of a teacup that tips one way to brew tea (strainer positioned underwater), and then tips the other way to stop the leaves from continuing to infuse (strainer then gets positioned out of the water). Created in conjunction with Magisso, a production house for Nordic design and innovations, the TipCup has already garnered attention with a coveted reddot design award.

When the TipCup was in the early stages of development, I was approached to collaborate on the project and provide my expertise as a Tea Master. I was immediately captivated by the brilliance of the concept- it was so simple, yet completely revolutionary. I have devoted over twenty years to the study and practice of tea, and as someone who is well versed in all manner of tea vessels from around the world, I immediately recognized that this was an extraordinary design from the perspective of tea innovation. Tea has more than 4,000 years of recorded history, and in all this time, no one had come up with this clever idea!

For wine lovers, it’s well known that temperature and the vessel’s lip thickness and shape affects taste – the same is true for tea. The TipCup has a thin graduated lip which enhances the flavour of the tea, while the shape of the bowl is designed to highlight a tea’s heavenly aroma. The fine mesh strainer makes it ideal for brewing any type of tea – from the tiny needles of Rooibos to large leafed oolong teas. The ergonomic shape and double-walled construction allows you to hold TipCup comfortably in your hands, ensuring that it retains heat without being hot to the touch. Understanding how to enhance a tea’s flavour is a Tea Master’s art, and I was honoured to share my knowledge and love of tea, ensuring that TipCup was designed to brew a perfect cup of tea.

TipCup is also convenient and dishwasher safe- making it easy to enjoy a cup of tea at work, at home, and when travelling. Whether you’re a tea lover already, or new to the world of tea, I know you’ll find this cup a pleasure to use.

I’m delighted to announce that the TipCup is available for sale at Silk Road as of today. It is priced at $29.90 and comes in black or white. Stop by the shop to see it in person and test it out – we’ll be serving complimentary cups of tea in the TipCup throughout the week.

Contact our Mail Order Department for shipping out of town. (Are you a business owner that’s keen to carry the TipCup? Contact our Wholesale Department for distribution to retailers, hotels and spas across Canada.)

To watch a video of the TipCup in action – click here

So raise your glass (or mug) and let’s cheer for this revolutionary new teacup – I hope you enjoy it as much as the rest of us here at Silk Road!

Happy Sipping,

Daniela Cubelic

Tea Master & Owner, Silk Road

Silk Road is a premiere tea store and spa, and wholesaler located in Victoria, BC’s historic Chinatown. Specializing in premium, organic loose-leaf teas, Silk Road sells a host of brewing essentials, from teapots to kettles and specialty cups and features a tea-tasting bar and a tea-inspired natural spa. To plan a visit to Silk Road, call 250-704-2688 or email us.

Tagged with: tea brewer, tea culture, teacup, teapot

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