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April’s Tea Box – 2012

Growing up in a family of creative foodies,  experimenting with tea came naturally to me. With jars of tea stacked on top of jars of spices, I love spending time blending and creating new tea flavour sensations. This month, I took our Yebo Mate and added Cardamom and Cinnamon sticks to create incredible aromas and a slightly sweet spice. Next month we are releasing a series of videos on blending tea. Check them out and have some fun with your tea and let us know what you create.

Zeta Newis – Tea Sparrow Family

Tiesta Tea’s Blueberry Wildchild

The popular pomegranate superfruit demonstrates its best attributes in a tag-team duo with the fruity blueberry. This delicate twosome will invigorate your taste buds with a very fruity taste experience.

Ingredients: Apple pieces, hibiscus, elderberries, apple bits, pomegranate arils, blueberries.

Zeta Newis, Tea Sparrow Family – “Bright and playful like a fruit salad. Great with a touch of honey and would be lovely iced as well.”

Herbal Republic’s Creme Caramel

This is so rich and creamy… Why bother having coffee?

Ingredients: Rooibos and caramel pieces.

Darcy McMurray, Tea Enthusiast – “Pretty sugar bits, vanilla smoky goodness.”

Aromatica’s Freedom Tea

Intense lemon taste in a caffeine free, high antioxidant base. What could be better? Only that proceeds from this tea are donated to International Justice Mission Canada to fight human trafficking internationally.

Ingredients: Green rooibos, red rooibos, lemon myrtle, lemon verbena, and lemongrass, with just a hint of vanilla.

Michael Menashy, Tea Sparrow Family- “Nice variety of lemon used. Very relaxing, yet invigorating, blend. Makes a great iced tea as well.”

Rishi Tea’s Lavender Earl Grey

The floral aroma of lavender is perhaps the perfect complement to the sweet citrus and full-bodied flavour of Earl Grey.

Ingredients: Organic Fair Trade Certified™ black tea, Organic lavender flowers, natural essential oils of bergamot and lavender.

Michael Menashy, Tea Sparrow Family –  “A  bold, strong and fragrant tea that can hold its own. Lavender smooth, a new favourite for me.”

The Tea Spot’s Meditative Mind

Our beloved blend of pure Chinese white tea, rosebuds and jasmine pearls creates an experience of aromatherapy that sharpens the mind and arouses the senses.

Ingredients: White Peony, Jasmine Pearls and Moroccan Rosebuds.

Michael Menashy, Tea Sparrow Family –  “Textured toasted tea salad. So light and gentle but full of fragrance for taste.”

The Gathering Place’s Yebo Mate

This unique tea, a 50/50 blend of organic Yerba Mate and organic Rooibos, was created by The Gathering Place. The naturally sweet Rooibos mellows the slightly bitter taste of Yerba Mate and working together, these two teas create a powerful combination.

Ingredients: Organic Yerba Mate and Organic Rooibos.

Michael Menashy, Tea Sparrow Family –  “The tastiest Yerba Mate we have ever tried. The rooibos blend works perfectly for my health addiction!”

Freedom Tea

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The blog post below is from our friend Lizz who is an active writer and true tea enthusiast.  Between her blog ‘The Tea Addicts Confessional’ and her community-based tea website ‘Stylin’ Tea’, she stays quite involved in the industry. In this article, Lizz does a feature on a Canadian tea blender Aromatica and lavishes them with the complements they deserve.

Go Lizz,
Mike

Freedom Tea

Today was a busy day at work and I needed a nice cup of rooibos. I decided to try the Freedom Tea from my latest Tea Sparrow shipment. The minute I put the “tea” in the infuser I knew it was a winner. It is amazing.
 
This rooibos blend has a lovely lemony taste. The ingredients are green rooibos, red rooibos, lemon myrtle, lemon verbena, and lemongrass with just a hint of vanilla. Tea Sparrow describes it as:
“intense lemon taste in a caffeine free, high antioxidant base.”

The blend originates from MyAromatica.com which is a tea blender based in Chilliwack, British Columbia. This is the second tea from them that I have really enjoyed. I am so glad Tea Sparrow introduced me to their blends. I think one day my mother and I are going to have to take a road trip back to Canada and find them next time I am on the West coast!

What makes this tea even more special is that proceeds from the sale of the tea benefit International Justice Mission Canada. They are an organization that fights human trafficking internationally. All the more reason to order more.

Happy sipping!

Lizz Taylor
http://dplizz.tumblr.com/
http://stylintea.com/store/

I Love Tea Shamelessly

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The blog post below is from our friend Lizz who is an active writer and true tea enthusiast.  Between her blog ‘The Tea Addicts Confessional’ and her community-based tea website ‘Stylin’ Tea’, she stays quite involved in the industry. Her review below on April’s tea, Meditative Mind, goes beyond recognizing our tea selection and gives you a great snapshot of the blender, The Tea Spot, who created it. Giving our members exposure to great blenders and their products is our company’s primary goal, so we particularly liked this review.

Thanks Lizz,
Mike

I Love Tea Shamelessly

Tea Sparrow included this tea as one of their monthly selections and it is clear after one sip why it was chosen. This is a wonderful tea. It is great hot or iced.
 
They describe this tea as:
 
‘A beloved blend of pure Chinese white tea, rosebuds and jasmine pearls, this tea creates an experience of aromatherapy that sharpens the mind and arouses the senses. The exotic floral scent of night–blooming Jasmine is uplifting and soothing, and is used as an anti-depressant in herbal medicine. Rosebuds are used to ease nervous tension and stress, and have a calming effect on the mind. This combination works together to enhance the light, subtle flavor of the white tea leaves. This tea brews into a golden liquor with a very soothing fragrance, and is perfect before, during, or after a stressful day.’
 
The tea not only has a lovely fragrance and flavor but it looks beautiful in the tea press. This is one of The Tea Spot’s signature blends and is a top seller for a good reason.
 
They also have a wonderful mission statement:
 
Our vision for a profitable, sustainable and philanthropic business has a singular focus – to help people live longer, healthier lives by making loose leaf tea an everyday luxury. We’re inspired by medical research suggesting that full leaf teas boast many health and nutritional benefits – from helping prevent cancer and heart disease, to stress management and weight loss.
 
That sounds good to me!  Thank you, Tea Sparrow, for introducing me to another great tea blender and awesome company!
 
Happy sipping!
 
http://theteaspot.com/meditative-mind-loose-white-tea.html

Lizz Taylor
http://dplizz.tumblr.com/
http://stylintea.com/store/

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Our 5th Tea Party

01  The 5th Party got us to officially fall in love with Sonnentor, remind us that Rishi is on top, recognize why Joy’s Teaspoon is the new star of the industry and welcome new blender to the party, Murchie’s Teas.

02  We get our tea rounds sorted and I’m on set-up duty.

03  In the first round, we try a new set of teas from Sonnentor, Harmony Tea and Cherry Organic.

04  Darcy and Tina compare the different blending techniques between Murchie’s and Sonnentor’s herbal teas.

05  After sampling the teas…

06  Sonnentor’s Cheery Organic takes the grade and…

07  The Happy Dance.

08  Round two is all about Joy’s Teaspoon . Their almond cookie herbal tea is so good I eat it right out of the tin.

09  Jenny gives it a go and finds it equally delectable.

10  Joy’s Teaspoon certain sweeps the score board for me, but it’s Rishi’s Lavender Earl Grey that takes top marks.

Getting Introductions Aside…

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Tea Sparrow was born of our family’s love for tea. Tasting it, smelling it, sharing it…Yum!

To us, Tea Sparrow is a fun flight of fancy in a box, with some of our most playful and passionate conversations taking place over these blends. We have quested and befriended tea sommeliers, blenders and farmers in the pursuit of truly great tea experiences. With no affiliation to blenders, we have tasted hundreds of teas, chosen the blends that inspire us, and shared them with you.

We do this by having our team of tea connoisseurs and sommeliers sample and score the teas for look, region, aroma and of course, taste. We take pride in delivering a variety of world-class blends to your door every month.
We have created this blog to share our journey through the beautifully complex international tea industry. We started our project back in January of this year. So we’re going to start our blog post retroactive to that date and then quickly bring us to speed.

So, welcome to the Tea Sparrow family! We would love to hear about your favourite teas and tea experiences, and would be tickled if you shared with us here or at www.teasparrow.com

Michael Menashy and the Tea Sparrow Team

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01 JD in Action – Jordan gets the tea tasting off and running. Confirming Zeta’s tea pairing, making sure we’ve got our score cards on, and giving me the signal to start the first brew.

02 Ok, Zeta looks excited and ready to go.

03 We start with a company out of Toronto, T-Buds. And it is just constant tea hits. Little did we know the first company we tried would end up being one of top three companies we have met to date. The day’s hits were Royal Blend, Midsummer Night, and Lychee Rose. Yeah, enough said, right?

04 The Midsummer Night is so good I think I can try and eat some. Not recommended to try at home.

05 The Earl Grey Supreme by Rishi. Jenny and I explode on this one, 10s right across the board. Zeta and Darcy reflect, probably just enough to compensate for our instant reaction.

06 Darcy gets lost in Florapharm’s Chai American. Cinnamon aroma could be best described as sweet soulful bliss.

07 Jenny shares the love and she is generally not a cinnamon girl.

08 Zeta cools her tea down. The full flavour of the tea cannot be achieved until it cools to above room temperature.

09 Lily is the tea party photographer and active food blogger, “CorianderKitchen.ca”.

10 The first tea party is over and the table clears. We successfully sampled 25 teas over a sunny late fall afternoon.

Tea Sparrow! It’s All You Need

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The blog post below is from our friend Lizz who is an active writer and true tea enthusiast.  Between her blog ‘The Tea Addicts Confessional’ and her community-based tea website ‘Stylin Tea’, she stays quite involved in the industry. We would like to share with you her Tea Sparrow tea reviews, articles, and our all shared daily dramas. This is one of Lizz’s first blogs about us and one of our first company reviews!

Thanks again Lizz, Michael

Tea Sparrow! It’s All You Need

I love Tea Sparrow. It is so worth it. Last year I took my Christmas bonus and bought myself a six-month subscription to their herbal and regular monthly tea sampling packages. They do all the taste testing and send out the very best blends from a variety of tea vendors. Through them I have discovered brands of tea I didn’t know existed and blends of tea I never would have purchased. And so far they have filled my cupboard with some really good tea.

I mention it because every now and again I come across tea companies that have their own monthly subscription service. The choices are overwhelming. And you really have to decide what type of tea to subscribe to and they don’t seem to offer as much tea at such a decent price.

For $40 a month I am sent two boxes of tea. The first box contains four different herbal blends. The second box contains four assorted types of tea. There has been one crossover between the herbal and assortment per month. So essentially each month I get seven different tea blends to try from different tea companies.

And the quantity of the tea I receive is perfect. They send one ounce of each tea blend. They package it in self-sealing bags which are labeled with the tea company’s names. This means you can reorder the tea from the blender if it is one you really like. There is enough to share with my mom and co-worker, Jane.

The only downside is that it is shipped from Canada, so at least one box takes longer than the other. But they offer free shipping in North America so I can’t complain. I just have to be patient. Not something I have ever been known for.

I have not received this month’s (technically last months) mixed sampler yet. However, January’s box contained a sample of Chai Americaine. It was a blend from Florapharm who is a German vendor I had never heard of before. It contains black tea, cloves, cardamom, orange peel, and cinnamon. It is very reminiscent of Harney & Sons’ Hot Cinnamon Spice Tea (from the pyramid bags, not the tea bags!)

The best feature of Tea Sparrow is they have all of the information about the tea company each tea is from on their website so you can check out other available blends. So I discovered Florapharm is available at myaromatica.com which is in British Columbia and shipping is ridiculous (not their fault of course) but they do take PayPal and VISA since you have to pay in Canadian funds. Would I ever have placed an order to try a tea from them? Nope. But Tea Sparrow has given them a seal of approval and I now know they make quality blends so in the future it is feasible. They have lots of lovely teas to choose from on their website.

And that is what Tea Sparrow is all about. They connect consumers and vendors and spread their love of tea throughout North America and beyond. I really appreciate the staff and their vast knowledge of tea, not to mention their golden taste buds which seem to pick up the most subtle of flavors.

With so many tea companies out there from my beloved Harney & Sons and Kusmi to places I have never actually ordered from like Upton, it is good to know there is a group of people that will try to find the best and most unique tea blends for me to discover. And so far, every single sample has been a winner. Even the ones I wasn’t really interested in, like the peppermint blend.

Happy sipping!

Lizz Taylor

http://dplizz.tumblr.com/

http://stylintea.com/store/

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January’s Tea Box – 2012

Part of the fun with Tea Sparrow is that I get to try all the teas that make it into our Tea Box. It’s an incredible experience seeing how similar ingredients can produce completely different flavour and aroma profiles, much like wine. It’s been a wonderful and delicious experience, one I cannot wait to share with the tea community.

Florapharm’s Chai American

Delightful and exotic blend from German tea blender Florapharm. Offers an intoxicating aroma from the moment you open the tea till the last drop in your cup.

Ingredients: black tea, cloves, cardamom, orange peels, flavor, cinnamon.

Jenny Dent, Tea Enthusiast – “Sweet cinnamon soulfulness. Lightly steeped, it warms the body, or brew it strong, adding honey and warm milk to make a great dessert tea.”

Rishi Tea’s Earl Grey Supreme

A special reserve for Earl Grey lovers, we infuse a smooth liquoring Keemun and a bold flavored Yunnan with 100% natural essential oil pressed from real bergamot citrus fruits. This oddly shaped citrus fruit from Southern Italy is what gives traditional Earl Grey its flowery and sweet citrus aroma. One of our British customers claims this is the best Earl Grey blend ever. What a compliment!

Ingredients: Organic Fair Trade Certified™ black tea and natural essential bergamot oil.

Michael Menashy, Tea Sparrow Family – “The bergamot scent is intoxicating. After steeping, the taste 100% delivers. With a bit of honey and a spot of milk I can’t wake up to anything else.”

T-Bud’s Midsummer Night

A wonderful blend of green and oolong tea with a dramatic and whimsical play of jasmine, rose and lotus notes to bring out a true theatrical joy.

Ingredients: Green tea, oolong tea, jasmine, rose, lotus.

Jenny Dent, Tea Enthusiast  – “This set the mood for our sweet summer solstice party. Wonderful whimsical aroma.”

T-Bud’s Royal Blend

This blend is a traditional English black tea blend scented with bergamot and high notes of caramel, finished with delicate rose-petal accents. This fragrant blend is evocative of English romance and heritage that will awaken the passion of tea lovers.

Ingredients: English black tea, bergamot, caramel, and rose-petals.

Jane Pettigrew, International Tea Sommelier  – “This has a very appealing and balanced aroma. Very pleasant. The caramel comes through well but subtly, softened by the roses with a whisper of bergamot.”

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We All Get By With A Little Help From Our Friends

We have a family friend Lexi who has built up a considerable following in the Health and Yoga blogging community. She is great at developing daily routines that help target people’s goals. When we spoke to her about our project, she was more than excited to help. She has a long love for herbal teas, and in particular the perfect chamomile blend. When we proved we could give her that and so much more, she wanted to do a product review and instructional video.

So on a rare sunny day for Vancouver in January,  Lexi came over to make our first product review and brewing videos. She went into the kitchen and set up her Nikon camera which can shoot HD video. Then instructed me to move around a bunch of furniture. After going through my cupboards to find props, she calmly sat behind the table and told me to hit the record button. In one take she did the review of the product and then explained how to brews
her favourite herbal tea.

At this point she calmly turned to me and said, “See, that’s how it’s done. Your turn.” Awkward, but reward only comes for the brave, so with total confidence I sat behind the table.  And she said “record” and then I saw the red blinking light. Not so confident anymore. If you want to see 7 minutes of funny awkward video http://bit.ly/OF4q8X. I’m pretty sure the only like I have is from my Mom on Facebook.

We would like to thank Lexi for her review and her help that day. It broke the ice for me and has since gotten me comfortable in front of the camera. We hope you enjoy her video.

Lexi Yoga

http://www.lexiyoga.com/

(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)

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Our Second Tea Party

01 Our Tea Selection: Adagio, Bissel, Glenburn Tea, Kusmi Tea, and Tiesta Tea.

02 Jordan selects our soundtrack as Zeta sets up the first rounds of tea.

03 Jenny enjoys the beautiful fragrance from Bissel’s Pomegranate Crisp.

04 Zeta prepares Adagio’s Fujian Rain for our enjoyment.

05 Admiring the naturally cloudy pour of Glenburn’s Second Flush Summer Tea.

06 Admiring the pour is one thing, the joy from tasting it is another.

07 Fascinated by Glenburn’s Second Flush Assam Tea, Jordan takes a closer look.

08 Harvey Keitel in the Zombie Apocalypse.

09 Zeta measures out the hot water to give us the perfect pour.

10 Baked Brie covered in a fig walnut reduction to complete the day.

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February’s Tea Box – 2012

To us, Tea Sparrow is a fun flight of fancy in a box, with some of our most playful and passionate conversations taking place over these loose-leaf blends.

Herbal Republic’s Holy Tulsi

A unique blend of tulsi leaves, linden blossoms and rose hips. This blend of ancient medicinal herbs and berries provides a host of antioxidants and health benefits. One of Herbal Republic’s finest blends.

Ingredients: Tulsi (sweet basil), spearmint, rosehips, lemon myrtle, linden blossoms, flavour.

Zeta Newis, Tea Sparrow Family – “It really blossoms with some honey. I could drink this all day and feel good.”

T-Bud’s Lychee Rose

A deliciously sweet tea. Smooth and cooling with the floral hint of rose to create a refreshing brew and the sweetness of lychees to awaken your taste! May be served iced for a truly satisfying quencher in summer.

Ingredients: Chinese black tea, rose petals and natural flavours.

Michael Menashy, Tea Sparrow Family – “Exotic and floral. This tea made me feel decadent.”

Tiesta’s Gojiberry Superfruit

Summer fun-filled, bright, red gojiberries, with a bed of green Sencha, a spritz of lemon grass, and a splash of pomegranate and blueberries. Allow yourself to be thrilled to the last sip!

Ingredients: Green tea, gojiberries, lemongrass, pomegranate seeds.

Jordan Menashy, Tea Sparrow Family – “Fresh, fruity, green, lightly spiced and naturally sweet. Would be gorgeous iced.”

Sonnentor’s Organic Cheery Fruit Tea

Honey brings out the flavours of this original blend. Lovely natural sweetness with a hint of orange.

Ingredients: Rose hips, orange peels, rooibos, pears, quince fruit, fennel, dark bitters, organic vanilla bourbon flavour.

Jenny Dent, Tea Enthusiast- “A definite YES! A touch of honey, happiness guaranteed.”

Tiesta’s Nutty Almond Cream

Sweet almond with apple and cinnamon provide a nutty finish to the soothing blend. The unique nuttiness is unobtainable anywhere else.

Ingredients: Apple pieces, crushed almonds, cinnamon pieces, beetroot pieces.

Zeta Newis, Tea Sparrow Family – “What a pleasure. Waves and waves of yumminess! Have it for dessert with a touch of honey or with milk as well.”

Tea Sparrow
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