Some Like it Iced

Baby, it's hot outside! Though many people drink hot tea year round, some prefer only iced tea in the summer. Luckily, iced tea is surprisingly simple to make. An important tip to keep in mind: don't over-steep your tea! Some people steep their tea too long in order to produce a tea liqueur that stands up to melting ice. However, over-steeping simply produces bitter tea.

Try this technique for a wonderful summer iced tea:
1. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil, and then turn off the heat.
2. Add 3 or 4 tea sachets to the boiled water and allow to steep for 5 minutes only!
3. After this decoction cools, pour the it into a large pitcher and add 2 quarts water.
4. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours.

Or, for a quicker cup, steep 2 tea sachets in one cup of boiling water for 3-4 minutes. Then, pour the tea over a tall glass of ice. Stay cool, baby!

Bai, Bai, Baby! revisited

Coincidentally, our White Tea & Lemon Myrtle blend was reviewed by The Tea Review blog soon after our last post. Check it out, baby! http://www.teareviewblog.com/?p=4008.

Bai, Bai, Baby! A profile on Bai Mudan tea

Many of you have asked about the type of White Tea used in Chai, Baby!’s White Tea & Lemon Myrtle. Well, we use tender Bai Mudan white tea, from the Fujian region of China. It’s picked as a tightly curled bud with 2-3 young leaves, and then steamed and dried. At that point, it looks like a little silvery bud surrounded by curled green leaves.

Bai Mudan tea produces a pale yellow infusion and a smooth, mild flavor. We’ve added lemon myrtle and lemongrass to our Bai Mudan blend for some lovely citrus notes and a truly unique taste. To prepare, pour very hot water (just about to boil) over the tea and steep for 2-3 minutes. Sip and be refreshed, baby!

Are you a Pod Person? A spotlight on green cardamom

This intriguing little spice, found in tiny greenish-brown triangular pods filled with small black seeds, has a lovely, aromatic fragrance and unique taste. This particularly expensive spice is used to flavor food and drink, and always adds wonderfully subtle and complex layers of taste.

Growing up, cardamom (we always called it elaichi) figured largely in my home kitchen. It was used daily to make sauces, rice, desserts and, of course, tea. I guess it makes sense that its distinctive smell and taste always take me back!

Cardamom is also commonly used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine to treat conditions such as bronchitis, asthma and digestive disorders.

(Would you like to sample the unique, natural taste of cardamom in your tea? Give Chai, Baby!’s Masala Chai and Relaxation Blend a try!)

Tea Drinking and Stroke Defense

Body + Soul Magazine’s June 2009 issue reported a recent review of nine research studies connecting tea drinking and stroke defense. Researchers found that drinking three cups of green tea or black tea per day could reduce the risk of stroke by 21%. In the magazine article, Dr. Arpita Basu of Oklahoma State University said that tea’s antioxidants appear to reduce this risk in the following ways:
1. Fighting oxidative stress and inflammation
2. Maintaining normal blood pressure
3. Preventing plaque buildup in arteries
4. Promoting healthy blood vessel function

You know Chai, Baby!’s stand: tea drinking is a habit that has tremendous long-term benefits for your health and wellness. So, keep sipping, baby!

Thanks for listening, baby!

For those of you who had a chance to listen in to the Chai, Baby! story on BlogTalkRadio earlier today, thanks for your support and all your wonderfully positive responses!

And if you didn’t have a chance, then you can play back the recorded interview:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/AlphaWomen/2009/05/26/Dheepta-Maturi-Chai-Baby-Specialty-Teas.

Catch us on BlogTalkRadio!

If you're a fan of interesting business ventures, then tune in to hear the
Chai, Baby! story -- and a great discussion of tea and entrepreneurship -- on Tuesday, May 26 at 2:00 pm Eastern Time. The host, Freda Mooncotch, is the founder of the website www.alphawomen.com. Her corresponding weekly radio program covers a range of topics from business to culture to politics.

Be sure to listen in! http://www.blogtalkradio.com/search/alphawomen.