Thursday, September 24, 2009

Tea Time

Bleh. This week has, so far, been a tough one. I've come down with (and now fought off, hurray!) an unpleasant strain of something: the flu, a bug, some virus, who knows. But spending a good part of the past two days camped out on the couch has done one good thing: it's reinvigorated my love of hot teas.
Coffee is great, don't get me wrong, but when I've got a sore throat or a stomachache or sometimes just because I'm craving the taste, tea is the drink of choice. There's something soothing, comforting, even healing about a hot cup of tea.
With that in mind, I thought this was the perfect opportunity to feature a few of the fair trade teas we sell at our store. We stock teas made by Equal Exchange, a company that is committed to supporting a fair and sustainable way of life for its growers. Here are a few favorites:
Wild Rooibos: I fell in love with Rooibos tea last year after a friend who had lived in Africa introduced me to the herbal drink. It is, without question, my new favorite. Accordng to Equal Exchange, the red tea "has a fruity character with vanilla overtones and is naturally caffeine free. Rooibos contains antioxidants, which are known to promote good health." It is sooo good!
Earl Grey Tea: This tea is a traditional favorite, made of certified organic Darjeeling tea. I love drinking Earl Grey all day long--it's great with breakfast, for a midafternoon break (it's the definition of traditional teatime to me), after dinner.
Green Magic Tea: The health benefits of green tea are well-known, so get on board! This tea is grown in Sri Lanka by members of the Small Organic Farmers Association.

3 comments:

yodasmith said...

Have you ever tried any teas from Wisdom of the Ancients? I've had their yerba mate royale, which is yerba mate with SweetLeaf stevia, and I drink their Symfre repeatedly whenever I have a cold (and it ALWAYS works), but have never tried their rooibos tea. I have been considering it.

Beth said...

I actually haven't even heard of Wisodom of the Ancients--will have to look them up. I've heard good things about yerba mate in general but also haven't ever had it myself. Adding it to my to-buy list for sure on your recommendation. As I said, rooibos is my current favorite, but I am constantly amazed at how tea in general fights colds. It's amazing!

yodasmith said...

The parent company of Wisdom of the Ancients is Wisdom Natural Brands. You can check them out at www.wisdomnaturalbrands.com I think they should also be at health food stores, (like Hi-Health?) and maybe Whole Foods.