Good morning, tea friends! We hope that you are doing well on this fine morning! Today, I come to you to talk about one of the often overlooked, but best, qualities about loose leaf tea as a beverage. Today I want to talk about it's versatility (or versatili-tea, if you will! haha!).
Loose-leaf tea embodies this quality in many ways, but, let's start with the obvious quality that we talk about often with you. You can mix the flavors! While we already have over 120 different beautiful tea blends, if we happen not to have exactly what you are looking for already pre-made, we are happy to work with you to mix our teas and create just the flavor profile that you are seeking! For instance, just the other day, a woman came into the shop to speak with me about how she absolutely adores a green tea that she once had in California that embodied flavors of citrus, peach, and blueberry. After finishing her cup and returning home, she hasn't been able to stop longing for these flavors again, but can't seem to find them together anywhere! Because we sell loose leaf teas that incorporate all of these flavors, I was able to work with her to show her our delicious Citron Green tea, our White Peach, and our White Blueberry which she purchased and now mixes together at home to create her own blend of her long awaited California tea! One more perk to this way of utilizing our teas proves that, while I gave her my own recommendations on how much of each tea to use as she made her coveted cup, should she be looking for a little more of a peach punch on any particular day, all she needs to do is adjusted her proportions to incorporate a bit more White Peach that day. This allows you too, while still enjoying all of the flavors you love together, make each cup unique and its own.
Another feature of tea that contributes to its versatility proves its ability to be consumed enjoyably both hot or cold. Customers often ask us which teas are for hot teas and which are for iced teas when they come into the shop and see our selection. The great news is that each and every one of our teas can be brewed both hot and cold! Should you love a hot cup of tea in the morning - great - brew your favorite teas hot. But in the event that you find yourself in one of our inevitable hot and humid summer mornings and need something to cool down, why not try brewing yourself a cup of your favorite tea iced instead this morning? It is interesting to see the way that different components become more evident when you switch which temperature you drink your tea. If you are a fan of our fruit and herbal teas, trying your tea hot vs. iced or vice versa is something that I often recommend. For example, my favorite tisane tea, our Angel Falls Mist, is a blend that incorporates the flavors of strawberry and citrus and is highlighted by floral notes of rosehips, calendula, and hibiscus. Not only is it beautiful to look at, and does it brew into a stunning pinkish color, but when brewed hot, I notice the floral notes to be more prominent and evident. Conversely, when brewed cold, the fruiter side presents itself more so. Try this with one of your favorite teas and let us know if you start to notice flavors become more palpable depending on the temperature that you drink your tea at!
** P.S. Don't forget about our Mist pitchers which are the absolute easiest way to make iced tea! Check them out here now! They are our best selling product so make sure to grab yours fast!
Another quality of tea that we have discussed but is again, often overlooked, is that your loose tea leaves are not confined to your cup. We mean that in the sense of you are able to use our teas in your cooking, baking, crafting, etc as well! Many of our teas are phenomenal used as meat rubs or in marinades. For our recommendations on this, check out this previous blog post. Teas can be used in your baked goods to add subtle hints of flavor. Check out our blog on our Earl Grey Cookies for more on this. If you are looking to incorporate some of our teas into your life elsewhere, we highly recommend lavender in particular and here is another blog we have done on this. If you use our teas in a unconventional, or versatile, way, let us know! We would love to publish your comment and update the blog to reflect this!
We hope you all have a wonderful start to the week and that you find versatili-tea in all areas of your life! Stay safe, cool, and hydrated, friends! - Kaytea :)
P.S. Thank you to everyone who came out this weekend to the Sidewalk Sale! We had so much fun with you all and loved meeting new faces!