Teajo Blog and Articles

A savory and naturally sweet iced tea recipe that's simple, flavorful and healthy- May 4, 2013

There's nothing complex about this iced tea recipe I discovered while browsing for something unique and refreshing. That said, this recipe has refreshing and flavor written all over it! Cucumber, fresh berries, mint and your favorite tea. What I like about it is the combination of savory and sweet (naturally, of course). Rachel (the blogger) uses mate, but I would recommend trying black tea, green tea or even rooibos. Here's the full recipe...enjoy!

Important info about Silky Earl Grey and Lemon Ginger Sencha teas- February 13, 2013

If you've been trying to order samples of either our Silky Earl Grey or Lemon Ginger Sencha teas, you've probably noticed that we're out of stock. The good news is that we're getting a shipment of a bunch of teas, including these two, by the end of this week! By next week, all loose tea samples will be stocked and available.

Thanks for your patience.

What is biodynamic tea farming and how does it help our planet?- December 29, 2012

Biodynamic farming is a natural farming method that has been practiced for decades and is a spiritual-ethical-ecological approach to agriculture, food production and nutrition. In fact, our Assam tea comes directly from a biodynamic tea farm. What does it have to do with tea? A tea farmer who practices biodynamic farming would also harvest other crops in addition to tea. Biodynamic farmers strive to create a diversified, balanced farm ecosystem that generates health and fertility as much as possible from within the farm itself. Want to learn more about biodynamic farming?

Can you believe what this food vendor did at a local farmer's market?- December 2, 2012

I went to a local farmer's market today with my family and saw a mother buy a handmade popsicle for her toddler from a local vendor. Of course the minute she gave it to her son, he dropped it. What do you suppose the vendor did? He charged her for another popsicle. I was shocked and couldn't believe that he was so short sighted. I felt so bad for the mother. This guy totally missed the boat and missed out on a chance to go above and beyond in terms of customer service. All he had to do was give her another one without charging her for it, and she would have remembered him for it. Instead, he was too caught up in losing out on one more sale that he lost sight of the big picture.

Have you ever had something like this happen to you, where a company lost an opportunity to provide you with amazing customer service? I would love to hear your stories.

Wanna know how tea helped me stop a cold?- November 14, 2012

Last week, I was on the verge of another cold thanks to my twin toddlers. You know that feeling you get when your throat gets real scratchy, you start coughing and your whole body generally feels yucky?

Instead of spending $40 at the local Walgreens on a bunch of cold medicine, cough drops, etc. that never seem to work anyway, I decided to try something different. Someone had told me about Echinacea and other herbs that are great for stopping colds before they get out of control. I picked up the Echinacea at a local natural foods store and happened to have some Peppermint tea in my cupboard. Why not try both? By the way, make sure you get the Echinacea in liquid form. It doesn't taste great, but it works much better than pills. Just mix it with juice to kill the taste.

Anyway, I had 2 cups of Peppermint tea and 3 doses of Echinacea every day for about 3-4 days. On day 4, I felt so much better and had virtually no symptoms. I have to admit that I was skeptical at first, but I was blown away by the results. This natural stuff really works!

The key is to start early at the first sign of symptoms. I'm sure there are other herbs and natural remedies out there that work just as well. My advice is to pick what you like and see what works. For me, I love Peppermint, so that was a no brainer.

How would you like to wake up to this in the morning?- October 21, 2012

There is nothing better than homemade indian chai in the morning. All the cafes have tried to imitate traditional recipes, but they all add syrups, mixes or too much sugar. Here's our favorite family recipe, which I'm sure you'll love. It's spicy, delicious and a great pick me up:

Boil 4 cups water in a pot. Add 3 teaspoons of black tea (CTC is the best, the stronger the better), a few teaspoons of freshly grated ginger, and 1/2 teaspoon of tea masala (a blend of spices which you can pick it up at any local indian food store). If you don't have an indian store nearby, just use dry spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, cloves or star anise.

Boil for 2 minutes and then add lowfat milk. If you don't like or can't have dairy, skip the milk. Boil for a few more minutes. Warning...don't leave the pot unattended while the tea with the milk is boiling. Trust me, you'll have a huge mess on your hands! Avoid this by immediately reducing the temp once the chai begins to boil and moving the pot so that it's not sitting directly on the burner. Let the chai simmer for a couple of minutes and then strain and serve.

All of this may sound like a lot of work for a cup of tea, but believe me it's more than just any old tea, and it's definitely worth it!!!

Drinking tea may help prevent chronic illnesses- September 22, 2012

Just when you think you have been made aware of all the benefits to drinking tea, another one comes along. Researchers at Texas Tech University have discovered a correlation between drinking tea on a daily basis and prevention of osteoperosis among a group of women with low bone mass. Specifically, those in the study of who drank the equivalent of 4 cups of green tea per day, showed a significant improvement in bone formation.

8 Ways Your Body Can Benefit from Tea- September 4, 2012

Did you know that drinking tea can actually help you rehydrate? Or did you know that one study showed that just drinking 3 cups of tea a day is linked to a lower risk of coronary disease? Would you like to see the other 6 health benefits of drinking tea?

The Perfect Cappucino - We feel the same way about tea- August 8, 2012

Just watched the Perfect Cappucino yesterday and have to admit that, initially, I wasn't really excited about a coffee documentary, since I don't drink coffee. I could not have been more wrong about the movie. Amy Ferraris, the filmmaker, does a fantastic job of describing her search for the perfect cappucino. What does this have to with tea? Watch the movie and pay particular attention to an independent coffee shop called the Double Shot Coffee Company in Tulsa, Oklahoma. We feel the same way about tea as Brian, the owner feels about coffee. Much of the movie is focused on Starbucks and why Americans are so obsessed with the global coffee conglomerate. The movie is just as much about culture as it is about coffee. Whether you drink coffee, tea or both, I highly recommend the Perfect Cappucino.

Black tea cuts blood pressure- July 8, 2012

As I have always said in previous blog posts, black tea does not get enough credit these days with all the press surrounding green tea. Drinking black tea has numerous health benefits, and a recent study demonstrates just how healthy black tea can be...click here for full article.