23rd July, 2008: Have a Cup of Bigelow Tea with Wally The Green Monster from the Red Sox
Tea drinkers and baseball fans can have a laugh when Cindi Bigelow of Bigelow Tea meets Wally, the Red Sox mascot, for the first time and treats him to a lesson about tea on top of The Green Monster.
Posted by Valorie at 6:00 am | Comment (0)
22nd July, 2008: Tea Tasting: What to Taste For
In an earlier post, we introduced you to Bill Hall, the Charleston Tea Plantation tea taster. But we saved what may be the most important question until now: what does a tea taster look for in a cup of tea?
Bill says that there is “a whole set of terminology in tea tasting: whether or not tea has “good character,” is “out of condition,” is “over or under withered.” But basically, what you’re looking for is a very fresh, smooth mellow taste. Not really harsh and bitter like coffee.”
Bill also points out that it is his job to maintain a constant quality all the time. “Because the quality and flavor of the leaves is changing all the time, it’s the taster’s job to keep the quality the same. That’s why many teas, like English Breakfast, are actually blends of a number of different leaves. One of the things Bigelow really excels at is creating blends. They will take the basic tea and add flavors to it.”
There’s still more to learn about the art of tea tasting! So stop back for the last in this series of posts when we’ll explore the importance of tea freshness.
Posted by LizG at 6:00 am | Comment (0)
21st July, 2008: George Orwell’s Nice Cup of Tea
There is a method to brewing your favorite tea as described in this previous Bigelow article and video by Cindi Bigelow but did you know that, on January 12, 1946 George Orwell outlined his own steps for making a “Nice Cup of Tea” in the Evening Standard. “…not only because tea is one of the main stays of civilization in this country, as well as in Eire, Australia and New Zealand, but because the best manner of making it is the subject of violent disputes…” If you would like to read more of this article it can be found re-produced in full at Essays and Journalism or, if you would like to view another quote from George Orwell, among others, you may refer to this previous Bigelow Blog article regarding quotes about tea.
Our appreciation goes out to It Happened in History for providing this image
Posted by Ruth at 6:00 am | Comment (0)
18th July, 2008: Super Recipe Ideas Incorporating Superfoods and Flavors: Try them at your Family Reunion this summer!
I Love Lemon™ Asparagus Wrapped in Smoked Salmon
Ingredients:
8 Bigelow® I Love Lemon™ Herbal tea bags
4 cups water
1 lb fresh asparagus (approx. 30 stalks), peeled, an
d tough ends trimmed away
4 oz. light cream cheese, at room temperature
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
2 teaspoons salt
8 oz. thinly sliced smoked salmon
Yield: Serves 10
Instructions:
In a medium saucepan, bring 4 cups of water to a gentle boil. Remove from heat, add tea bags and allow to steep for 5 minutes.
Remove tea bags, return saucepan to the heat and bring to a boil. Add asparagus and 1½ teaspoons of salt to the pan.
Parboil for 2-3 minutes, or until crisp-tender. Remove asparagus and immediately transfer to a bowl of ice water (to stop the cooking).
Drain and pay dry. Set aside.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, fresh herbs and remaining ½ teaspoon of salt. Stir to combine.
Spread a thin layer of the cream cheese mixture (about ½ teaspoon) on each slice of smoked salmon.
Roll up one stalk of asparagus in each piece of smoked salmon, leaving the tips of the asparagus exposed (making it easier to pick up).
Arrange on a platter and serve at room temperature.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup white wine vinegar (125mL)
6 Bigelow Blueberry Harvest Herb Tea tea bags
1 tablespoon honey (15mL)
2 tablespoon Dijon Mustard (30mL)
1 small clove garlic
1 cup vegetable oil (250mL)
1 teaspoon salt (5mL)
A pinch of black pepper
*Optional - tarragon, fresh, chopped or dried
Yield: 1 1/3 cups of dressing
Instructions:
Blueberry Harvest Vinaigrette Pour the vinegar into a small microwave-safe bowl, and cook on high for 1 minute, or cook in a saucepan on medium heat, until bubbles are visible. Remove, add the teabags, and steep for 5 minutes. Remove the teabags to a small strainer and, using the back of a spoon, press as much liquid as possible back into the bowl. Stir in the honey and mustard, then pour the mixture into an electric blender or a food processor. Add garlic and salt. Slowly drizzle the oil while the machine is running until it is smooth and creamy. Cover and refrigerate if not using right away.
Ingredients:
6 medium sweet potatoes
4 Bigelow® Ginger Snappish or Bigelow® Constant Comment
½ cup (125mL) whipping cream or half & half
½ teaspoon (2.5mL) salt
2 tablespoons (30mL) unsalted butter
1 egg beaten
*Optional - 1 cup (250mL) miniature marshmallows
Yield: Serves 8 - Prep Time: 10 minutes - Cook Time: 1 hour
Instructions:
Ginger Sweet Potato Casserole Boil sweet potatoes with skins on until tender, 15-18 minutes. Peel and mash.
While potatoes are cooking, heat cream, add tea bags and remove from heat. Let steep for 5 minutes.
To the mashed potatoes, add salt, butter, egg, tea infused cream. Beat until smooth.
Place in 2 quart buttered baking dish, (sprinkle with marshmallows if desired) and bake in oven at 375º for 15-20 minutes or until heated through (and marshmallows are browned*).
Serve hot.
* If made ahead, bring to room temperature, heat for 25 minutes, Top with marshmallows, if desired, and bake another 10 minutes or until marshmallows are browned.
For more great recipes, go to http://www.bigelowtea.com/entertaining/recipes/
Posted by Julie at 6:00 am | Comment (0)
16th July, 2008: Like Popeye’s Spinach…Green Tea is “Power-Packed”
Perhaps Popeye should have turned to green tea instead of spinach for his super strength. As reported in AARP, tea (green and white) is considered a Superfood. What this means, according to Toni Bark, M.D., medical director at the Center for Disease Prevention and Reversal in Evanston, IL, is that it is “power-packed” with nutrients that will help your body ward off infections. He goes on to add “Your body will absorb vitamins better through food than through supplements.”
In addition to green and white tea, Dr. Bark’s list of Superfoods includes Asian mushrooms (shitake and maitake), dark chocolate, garlic, red meat, sweet potatoes, salmon, red and blue berries, and soybeans.
What would Olive Oyl say? More “super” news for tea fans…
Posted by Julie at 6:00 am | Comment (0)
15th July, 2008: Family Reunion Month
“Family reunions are occasions that renew the feelings of love, pride, and support that nurture our lives” ~ Source ~ Proclamation 5351 — Family Reunion Month, 1985.
June has rolled on by, school is finally out for the summer and Family Reunion Month is here. It’s time to re-connect, re-unite and re-discover one another. Perhaps you will be celebrating family with an old-fashioned potluck picnic or more formally to incorporate a milestone birthday or anniversary. Maybe this is your first reunion or another in a long tradition of reunions, but no matter what, you will want to have a good variety of food and beverages on hand to help keep the fun, conversation and “constant comments” going.
The cornerstone of Bigelow ® Tea is family and true pride is taken, not only in Constant Comment ® Tea but in all of the products and recipes offered. Make Bigelow part of your family reunion this year.
Posted by Ruth at 6:00 am | Comment (0)
14th July, 2008: Life Is Just a Tea Party for Chris Noth
Imagine having the opportunity to sit down and have a conversation with Chris Noth; for one maclean’s magazine interviewer no imagination was required. She was given the chance to meet Mr. Big himself on the Sunday following the premiere of the movie ‘Sex and the City.’
The interview took place in Windsor, Canada at the child-friendly tea house ‘Once Upon a Teacup’ that he co-owns with real-life partner Tara Wilson, her sister Stephanie Cence and Tina Pavicic.
Noth, with son baby Orion in tow, took the time to discuss his role as Mr. Big, his on-screen relationship with Carrie, shoes, purses and of course, ‘Once Upon a Teacup.’ A place where children can enjoy playing dress- up while sampling ‘Tutti Frutti Tea.’ A second location to be opened in Montreal, Canada is currently in the works; but if visiting Windsor or Montreal are not options for you, then check out the Bigelow 2008 Spring Catalog for a sweet selection of items to create the perfect child’s tea party at home.
If this leaves you wanting more Chris Noth and a peek into ‘Once Upon a Teacup,’ then the following video from ‘How Many Days’ just might be your cup of tea.
Posted by Ruth at 6:00 am | Comment (0)
11th July, 2008: Celebrate National Ice Cream Month the Bigelow Way
Ingredients:
Posted by Ruth at 6:00 am | Comments (2)
9th July, 2008: Black Tea a Defense Against Anthrax?
A reputable source for health-related information says that black tea may serve as an antidote to the biological threat of anthrax, a deadly disease that was largely eradicated over the course of the past century, only to re-emerge as a biological weapon in 2001.
A recent article in Science Daily goes as far as to speculate that a cup of the beverage “could be the next line of defense in the threat of bio-terrorism,” an assertion seemingly backed by emerging international research.
The recent study was conducted at Cardiff University (in Wales) in a joint venture with University of Maryland. At these institutions, scientists within the schools of pharmacy and medical biotechnology performed trials which found that the “widely-available English Breakfast tea has the potential to inhibit the activity of anthrax, as long as it is black tea.”
In the March issue of scientific journal Microbiologist, one of the study’s leaders, Professor Baillie, noted, “We found that special components in tea such as polyphenols have the ability to inhibit the activity of anthrax quite considerably.” But Science Daily went on to caution that there is a caveat. “The research also shows that the addition of whole milk to a standard cup of tea completely inhibited its antibacterial activity against anthrax.”
To review additional resources related to the study, click here to read the Cardiff University Media Release or here to access a summary of the research from the Society for Applied Microbiology.
Posted by Brenda at 6:00 am | Comment (0)
8th July, 2008: Bill Hall: A Tradition of Tea Tasting
Like wine, tea is a complex beverage full of scents, colors and tastes that are often hard to define. That’s where tea tasters come in. At the Charleston Tea Plantation, Bigelow is lucky enough to have a third-generation tea taster on hand, Bill Hall.
In describing the job of a tea taster, Bill explained that “tea is one of the few commodities in the world that is sold strictly on the basis of taste alone. In order to put a value on it, you have to taste it.” But here’s where tea differs from wine: the taste of tea can change every week.
“Unlike wine, which is grown and harvested once a year,” Bill says that “tea is harvested every 15 to 18 days.” During this time many factors can influence the flavor, including the temperature and humidity level. Bill notes that tea tasters can tell if something had gone wrong in the process, “if it’s burnt, musty, old or out of condition, a tea taster can tell you all that.”
How does one receive an education in tea tasting? Bill went through a four-year apprenticeship during which he tasted between 800 and 1,000 cups of tea a day! During this time he worked with the world’s largest tea packer (Brooke Bond Ltd.) and the world’s largest tea dealer (Van Reese).
Tea-tasting also runs in Bill’s blood. His grandfather and father were in the business as well.
But what is Bill’s favorite part of being in the tea business? He responds, “What is really exciting about this plantation is that we’re going from the ground right through to the cup. What we do here in Charleston is unique. It’s a one stop shop that is vertically integrated.”
Hear more from Bill Hall and get some tea tasting tips in our next featured post!
Posted by LizG at 7:15 am | Comment (0)
