Have you heard of William E. Gladstone? He was Prime Minister of England in the late nineteenth century. You Americans were off on your own by then, doing your own thing, but I’m sure you kept tabs on your Homeland. Gladstone, known as the “Grand Old Man,” was known for championing the Home Rule Bill, which would have given Ireland self-rule, and has been cited by such great statesmen as Winston Chruchill as an inspiration. But I tell you about WIlliam Gladstone because of another reason. 

These words he spoke in 1865, and with them I could not possibly agree more:

If you are cold, tea will warm you. If you are too heated, it will cool you.  If you are depressed, it will cheer you.  If you are excited, it will calm you.

This, dear commoners, is how I feel about tea. I hope you do as well. It soothes the soul. It warms the heart. It is everything you need. Liquid wisdom, the Chinese call it. And as you continue your walk though life, I hope you have a cup of tea by your side. Because the answers you are always seeking — to the questions you don’t even know to ask — are at the bottom of that cup.

A traditional Japanese teahouse

As my young tea students edge closer in their tea education to an actual graduation from my tea shrine, the time draws near for me to prepare that most holy of time honored traditions — the Tea Ceremony.

Perhaps you have heard of this great tradition. But it is time you knew a bit more of it. Sit down and I shall enlighten you.

As you know, tea has been around for many centuries. It was initially an indulgence enjoyed only by nobility and the upper class. But in time, it became more popular and easier to make, and the masses began to enjoy it as well. With the lower class’ introduction to tea came the tea ceremony as well.

A merchant by the name of Sen no Rikyû, who had been trained in the art of tea, adapted the ceremony in order to make it more accessible to those that were less than royal, and to ensure that all were treated equally. He even rejected ornate teahouses for small grass huts with tiny doors through which all participants had to crawl, so no egos were brought to the ritual.

The tea ceremony is an almost meditative tradition, and it is considered impolite to speak of anything other than the tea ritual itself. Aside from polite greetings, gratitude for the honor of the invitation, and a compliment to your host, talking should be kept to a minimum. This is a time for contemplation, not idle chatter.

Upon entering the tearoom, the host places a scroll with some small bit of wisdom. This sets the tone for the ritual, and should be honored and complimented. Next comes a light meal that will look as good as it will taste; this is not an accident. With the meal comes a small serving of sake and a piece of fruit or some other light dessert.

After the meal, the guest exits and the host prepares the room for tea. The scroll is replaced by a flower. Once the guest returns, the host begins to make the tea, boiling water in an iron kettle and washing the bowl and tea utensils. He then combines the green tea powder, called Koicha, with the water and stirs it with a whisk until it is frothy. Everyone shares the Koicha, drinking from this bowl. The host later serves a second type of tea, called Usucha. This is served in individual bowls.

The traditions have changed over time, and there are of course many different ways of conducting the tea ceremony. This is simply mine. Perhaps you could come to the tea shrine and take it someday. When you are a tea master of course.

I have a funny story to tell about something that happened to me the other day. I was just doing some finishing touches on a paper about Yerba Mates (I’ve titled it “Have ya Heard About Yerba? - A Natural Pick-me-up”) when I got a nasty paper cut on my thumb. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you how much those hurt!

While I was digging around my medicine drawer, I came across this bottle of tea tree oil that My folks gave me when they came back from Australia. They told me it was good for this kind of thing, so as I swabbed my thumb, I got to wondering–what is tea tree oil, and does it have any real tea in it?

Now, I’ve heard about tea tree oil my whole life…but I had always thorught it was spelled “Tetri Oil.” So it had never occurred to me to think of actual tea, which as you know is just about my favorite thing in the whole wide world.

This is what I learned with a little research, and maybe it will help you too!

Tea tree oil is a salve produced by the leaves of the melaleuca plant. This plant is found on the northeast coast of New South Wales, Australia. The oil has beneficial medical properties, and is used to fight fungus (ew!) and other bacteria.

I know what you’re thinking — Jasmine, that’s good to know, but what about the original question? Does it have anything to do with good old fashioned delicious tea?

The truth is it has nothing to do at all with Camellia Sinensis, which is the plant tea comes from (not actually a tree at all. More of a bush, but it does grow tall sometimes!) There is an oil called tea oil that does come from tea leaves, bit that’s used for cooking, not fighting infection!

So next time you hear about tea tree oil, you can be the know-it-all that tells everyone all about it! I’m glad I could help!

The Earl of Grey has something to share with you.

It seems everyone is always talking about coffee. In the movies, everyone is carrying a brown paper cup, jokes are made about how they take coffee; on television boys ask girls out for “a drink or a cup of coffee.” It’s as if tea doesn’t even exist! well, I am here to tell you that it does! And here’s proof:

After taking tea in a mountain hut during a day of alpine skiing at the Krasnaya Polyana resort outside the southern city of Sochi — the site of the 2014 Winter Olympics — it was Medvedev who paid the bill.

“The president pays for everything,” Russian news agencies quoted Putin as saying.

“That’s my job,” replied Medvedev.

Now in case you are not up on foreign affairs, that is the President and Prime Minister of Russia taking TEA. That’s right, they had TEA.

It just felt like it was time for a wake up call. I mean, even your new President-to-be drinks tea. So perhaps soon you American will remember just how important tea really is.

When national affairs are being discussed by two powerful politicians; they drink tea. It is the oldest beverage (next to water, I suppose, but that shouldn’t really count, should it?) It’s been here as long as we have, and it will probably outlast us all. 

So have a little bit of respect for tea and for those who invented it. And by that, I mean ME. Obviously.

I am sure I am not the first person to say that to you, though perhaps I am the first to not be drunkenly shouting it at your face. (If your night was as hard as I imagine it, perhaps you should read about how tea helps with a hangover). But I say it nonetheless.

I am not young. You have no doubt realized this by my extreme tea knowledge and wisdom (if not by incredibly wrinkled face and beard that stretches almost to my knees these days). So I cannot say that it delights me to see that another year has passed. But the future does indeed look bright, and I look forward to sharing it with you.

As I have told you before, tea helps fight aging. And while I may not look as young as I once did, I still feel young and healthy. And so I raise my teacup to you and your tea-seeking friends, and hope that you will find your way to the Perfect Pot of Tea this year.

Now, as I sip my rooibos tea (I need help in the digestion department. I did not drink to celebrate, but I perhaps ate more fudge than I should have, and my tummy is shall we say unhappy with me), please give me a bit of peace and quiet. I need a bit more rest before I start my year.

Just got back from an extended holiday with the folks. and it’s glad to be drinking a big cuppa English Breakfast Tea from my favorite mug, with my itty bitty kitty cat lying on my feet, purring. warm and comfy and done with the stress of holiday shopping pressures. I’m sure you know what I mean!

The ‘rents made fun when they saw that I had an entire bag full of Amanzi Teas, but as I explained, I need different kinds of tea for different things, and no one can predict the future! Best to be prepared! And sure enough, I used every type of tea I brought!

The first day I arrived, I felt like I was coming down with a cold. I’m sure it had to do with all the mall time I had to spend shopping for the perfect gift for all my friends and family. (And I ended up getting everyone stuff from AmanziTea.com anyway — ha!) So of course, it was good that I had brought along my favorite kind of green tea. I had a couple of cups of Gojiberry Infusion Green Tea. The antioxidants found in green tea helped me kick that virus to the curb before it could really get a foothold.

On Christmas Eve, I needed a little help getting to sleep so Santa could come. A big cup of Sweet Dreams Tea was just the thing — since it’s herbal tea, there’s no caffeine to keep me up. Perfect! 

And of course, after the big meal, I really (REALLY!) needed some rooibos tea to help with the digestion. (Too….much…turkey!) Tiramisu Rooibos Tea was just the ticket, since it was time for dessert (and I didn’t stay away from the pecan pie, I admit it!)

But now I’m home, and I have to get back to work. I need a little caffeine jolt to help me get going, so it’s time for the aforementioned English Breakfast Tea. Black Tea is just what I need in the mornings.

Speaking of which, I think my tea has cooled sufficiently. Now it’s time to get to work. Hope you have a happy new year, tea drinkers!

now back to work, so a strong black tea

Making tea in a coffee press

Season’s greetings, lovers of tea!

The Season of Giving is over. Teato has given many beautiful gifts to many beautiful women this Christmas, but he has also received some wonderful presents. And while some lovely and generous ladies know my tastes extremely well (I love delicious tea; this is no surprise to loyal readers) others seem to know very little about me.

One lovely girl actually gave me a coffee press for Christmas. A coffee press! It’s as if we are total strangers! But all is not lost. I will make the best of it, and pass on this important tea lesson to you. You can make tea with a coffee press — in fact, it’s a great way to brew loose leaf tea, which as you know, is far superior to teabags.

It’s easy to make tea with a coffee press. Just follow these easy steps:

1. Put the tea leaves in the carafe.

2. Pour hot water into the carafe.

3. After allotted steeping time is up, slowly press the plunger to the bottom.

4. Pour the tea into a teapot or cup.

This last step is very important. If you know much about brewing a perfect cup of tea, then you will know that tea can only steep a certain amount of time without starting to taste bitter.

It is not hard to make tea, but it is hard to make GOOD tea.I hope this will help you to brew a better cup of tea. And when someone gives you a coffee press, do not think it requires you to drink coffee. A tea lover’s heart cannot be tamed.

I know Christmas is almost here and everything, so I was just thinking that maybe some people are still trying to think about what to get that special someone that they just never know what to get, you know? I know, I’ve been there!

Well as I swirled a cinnamon stick around my steaming cup of Ginger Peach Tea (my very favorite kind of tea…at least for today, lol!) it occurred to me that i could totally help those people still trying to think of what last minute gift they should buy. And in case you couldn’t guess, it has to do with tea, of course!

My idea is that everyone loves tea. And why shouldn’t they? It’s good for you, has tons of health benefits, and in the winter, it’s just about your best friend in the world.( A thick blanket around my shoulders and a cup of hot tea in my hands, and I think I could survive ANYTHING!) So I think you should get them a new teapot!

Seriously. Check this link here for great teapots, tea kettles, and everything you could need to brew the perfect pot of tea. Or if they’re the expert tea lover like me, and they already have all the great tea tools, then get them some more tea! You can never have too much! And Amanzi has some delicious blends of teas you just can’t get anywhere else!

It’s not brain surgery, but hopefully I have provided a “Eureka moment” for one or two of you out there. And if you’re not in Greenville, South Carolina, where you can just hop over for a quick last minute tea present, get them something from their Online Tea Store, and let them know they’re going to have a great surprise coming!

Hope your holidays are filled with hot cups of tea and delicious gingerbread cookies!

Oh how you have missed me, no doubt. I pity you all. stirring your big cups of tea, scanning this tea blog in the hopes of seeing my cartooned face smiling back at you with a bit of good information about the best type of tea. How disappointed you must have been!

I’m afraid I have been a bit busy this past month with some sort of labour dispute among my serfs. Nothing I can’t handle–or rather, that my men can’t handle. (I try not to dirty my hands with even knowing the details of such distasteful matters). But it has resulted me in having to hole up in my fortified tower here in there with just a few barrels of my favorite loose leaf teas and couple of thick volumes of my life story.

But now that you’re boringly American holiday has passed, like my little uprising, we can focus on my favorite holiday — Christmas.

Yes, I so love sitting up late on Christmas Eve with a delicious cup of Amanzi Black Tea. It gives me a bit of a caffeine boost to help me stay up, waiting to catch Santa’s arrival. Somehow I always seem to miss him, but I think this year I shall see what he is bringing me. I do so need a new riding crop!

So as the weather gets cold, and you find yourself drinking even more hot tea than usual, wrapping your hands around the teacup for warmth, I hope you’ll think of the long journey that tea took to get there to you, and how special a good cup of tea is on a cold night. And perhaps you’ll leave a cup of tea out for old Saint Nick himself. He surely must be cold up there!

I will offer him one myself, But I have to catch him first…

I received a notice from one of my amore loyal subjects that there was a wonderful video about tea that I should see, and now I shall share it with you.

This fun little ditty is well-animated, reminding me of the animation of my countrymen the Monty Python gang or something like that. On top of that, there are many references to my beloved country (and your less beloved homeland), both visual and otherwise. And of course, it is about my favorite subject: tea.

So enjoy this wonderful video. I know I did. And have a cup of tea. For the love of God.