Rishi Tea & Clean Water Fund Team Up

Tea will only be as good as the water used to prepare it.

Recognizing the fundamental importance of clean water, not only for tea, but for our health and the well-being of our environment, we teamed up with Clean Water Fund in 2008 for the launch of our seasonal blend, Organic Cinnamon Plum. Thanks to its popularity and success (it won First Place for the herbal tea category at the 2009 World Tea Championship), we brought it back this year along with our partnership with Clean Water Fund.

For the second year, 25% of the profits of each sale will benefit Clean Water Fund’s efforts to protect and restore America’s waters.

With the help of all those who purchased, gifted and drank our delicious limited seasonal blend in 2008, we were able to donate over $4,200 to Clean Water Fund! We hope to double that amount this year!

Cinnamon Plum is available in a tin (3.7 oz), a pound, and gift set.

Video: Ancient Tree Teas & Fair Trade in Yunnan

Thanks to the wonderful people at TransFair USA for shooting this video and for all of their great work supporting Fair Trade around the world!

Wine & Dine WI

Many thanks to Anthony and Jon at High Frequency Media for putting this great video together!

Rishi Tea at Wine & Dine Wisconsin from High Frequency Media on Vimeo.

31 Days, 31 Fair Trade Giveaways

We’ve launched 31 Days, 31 Giveaways! in support of TransFair USA’s Fair Trade Month campaign, “31 Days, 31 Ways”!

Each day throughout the month of October, we’ll give away Fair Trade Certified tea via Twitter.

To participate, simply check our Twitter account each morning by 10am CST and re-tweet our post for that day. One winner will be randomly chosen by 5pm CST and announced on Twitter.

Win organic Fair Trade tea, help support a fair life for farmers and artisans around the world and make a difference this October!

Fair Trade the White House!

Rishi Tea is an Official Supporter of Fair Trade the White House. Help us spread the word on fair trade and make the White House a Fair Trade Home. Invite Mrs. Obama to join the fair trade movement at www.fairtradewhitehouse.com.

Fair Trade the White House is a coalition of fair trade vendors and organizations that are inviting the First Lady to join the fair trade movement and make the White House a “Fair Trade Home.” The purpose of the outreach is to raise greater awareness of fair trade to the American consumer so each person will choose to “join the Fair Party,” and integrate more fair trade purchases into their regular buying habits so that poverty is reduced in America and around the world.

2009 WMSE FOOD SLAM!

Flyer by the wonderful Dwellephant.

It's almost here, the 8th annual WMSE Food Slam, a mouth-watering food and auction event set to rock your taste buds on Friday, October 2, 2009 at the Eisner American Museum of Advertising and Design!

This year, Rishi Tea will have a tasting of some of our favorite coldbrewed teas including Jade Oolong, Orange Blossom, Sencha (2008 World Tea Champion) and a 2009 World Tea Champion, Cinnamon Plum.

What's coldbrew you ask? The coldbrew method involves double the amount of tea you'd normally use, topped with cold water, set aside in the fridge for 2-4 hours, and presto, amazing tea! For a step-by-step guide, see our coldbrew instructions.

Receive $5 off the admission price when you order tickets online. Make sure to enter "yummy" into the code section to for the discount!

For more info, visit http://foodslam.wordpress.com/

Unity: Official Beverage of Global Union World Music Festival!

What do tea and music have in common? Global Union World Music Festival for starters! Rishi Tea's Unity, an immunity enhancing organic herbal blend was chosen as the official beverage of Milwaukee's diverse Global Union festival!

$1 from each purchase of Unity supports diverse music, arts & culture in Milwaukee!

Unity is available for a limited time locally (Milwaukee area) or direct from us. The 2 oz resealable pouch features special packaging promoting Global Union. Try Unity as a refreshing iced tea or serve hot for a soothing experience.

Join us on September 19-20, from 12 p.m. - 5 p.m. in Bay View’s beautiful Humboldt Park. Enjoy international music, diverse cultures, delicious food and iced Unity from Rishi Tea!

NessAlla Kombucha

The first time I drank kombucha, my immediate reaction was to spit it back out as the fizzyness and sour taste took me by surprise. Now I've come to appreciate the carbonated, complex sweet and sour tastes of kombucha that can be made with endless varieties of tea. The numerous health benefits associated with it are also a big plus!

Some of the best kombucha I've tasted is made right here in Wisconsin by our friends at NessAlla Kombucha. The two wonderful ladies who created NessAlla are based in Madison and use only Organic and Fair Trade teas from Rishi Tea to brew their unbelievable kombuchas.

Stop by the East Side Green Market this Saturday from 10-2pm and taste some of their great brews.

You can also find the NessAlla ladies at the East Side Farmers Market in Madison every Tuesday from 4-7pm.

Some great NessAlla brews include Peach Blossom made with Rishi's Peach Blossom white tea, Jasmine made with Jasmine Green Tea, Mulberry Blueberry made with Blueberry Rooibos and Fresh Mulberries, Elder Flower Red Clover brewed with White Peony, Passion Fruit made with Passion Fruit Rooibos and White Peony.

Visit NessAlla's Facebook Page and drink up!

Strong & Sturdy like an Old Redwood Tree

Favorite teas come and go like the sun and moon rise and fall, but Feng Huang Dancong Ba Xian is my one tea that I can always come back to, strong and sturdy like an old redwood tree.

I still have a vivid memory of trying this tea for the first time. Sean and I had the privilege of cupping it as soon as it came in. I still remember that small little guywan so packed full of leaves. The small and dainty little lid trying so hard to contain the wonder of this tea, its unique strength and patience lasting through many complex and highly aromatic infusions. I felt like I was floating and glowing fire from the unbelievable chi this tea so willingly gives to all. I have gotten to know this tea over the past few months. Getting to know so many of its facets through my own personal manipulation. You and I can both love this tea and love something completely different about it. Recently, Sean and I revisited this tea again.

GLASS: half full of tealeaves, 180 degree water, rinse, 1st infusion 2 minutes, 2nd infusion 1 minute with the rest going up by 15 seconds.

The first infusion had the fruity and delicate floral aromas I remembered but I craved the bold astringency that I feel gives such great chi.

The second infusion started bringing out that astringency that balances out the delicate notes.

Then it happened, the third infusion gave me a combination of the first two with one of the nicest lingering aromas I have tasted in a while. It was as if fragrant blossoms danced on my tongue and filled my senses as I exhaled.

Mondays at work can be pretty stressful with the work of the weekend weighing down on you and the tasks of the week slowly piling up, but we do work at a tea company. My biggest perk is being able to stop and enjoy my water and leaves; taking the time to slow down and forget about the paperwork and voicemails and remember why we are here. My passion is tea and tea is good to me.

Susana Mojica

Student of the leaf and passionate aficionado.

FUN FACT:

The story of these oolongs begin with Zhao Bing, the last emperor of Southern Song Dynasties who fled to Chaozhou, Guangdong in 1278 A.D. As his group marched through the Feng Huang Mountains, they picked fresh leaves from old tea trees and discovered that by chewing the leaves, their thirst was miraculously quenched. The leaves had sweet, floral and savory notes with an uplifting energy that helped them through their journey. Varietals and seeds from original trees such as this one were spread through the region, selected and cultivated, resulting in what we like to refer as an extended family with many generations.

Garfield Street Days!

Photo from Express Milwaukee.
Read their article on Garfield Days 2008!

Rishi Tea is teaming up with Walnut Way Conservation Corp this Saturday, July 18th from 12-7pm at the Garfield Avenue Blues, Jazz, Gospel & Arts Festival (also known as Garfield Street Days) in Milwaukee!

Garfield Street Days takes place on Garfield Street between 3rd & 7th and features 4 musical stages of blues, jazz and gospel music along with great food, street performers and entertainment for the children.

Rishi Tea and friends will be selling 16 ounce cups of award-winning Summer Lemon and Tropical Crimson iced teas for $2. All proceeds will benefit Walnut Way in support of their educational initiatives that reform and engage youth and adult residents in civic and community leadership, environmental stewardship, housing construction and restoration as well as economic development.

To learn more abouve Walnut Way's resident driven programs, visit them at www.walnutway.org.

The World Tea Market Arrives in Milwaukee!

Summer is here and so is the East Side Green Market! Stop by the Beans & Barley parking lot from 10 am to 2pm this Saturday (and every other Sat until October) for refreshing cups of organic iced tea and your favorite loose leaf teas from Rishi Tea!

Spring Harvest Celebration Video

Our talented friends at High Frequency Media put together a great video for us, highlighting our recent Spring Harvest Celebration at the beautiful Anaba Tea Room.

Via Dwellephant

Click on image for enlargement

Many thanks to Milan/Dwellephant for designing this beautiful poster for our upcoming spring event!

Rishi Tea & Anaba Tea Room Celebrate Spring!

Our 2009 teas have arrived, fresh from origin! Come celebrate this year's Spring Harvest with Rishi Tea at the beautiful Anaba Tea Room in Shorewood, WI.

On Saturday May 30th, we've got the whole place to ourselves! Bring your friends and family, share award-winning organic teas, delicious hors d'oeuvres courtesy of Anaba, great music provided by WMSE and boost your knowledge of tea with hourly tea talks by Rishi staff. Free to all!

Schedule of Events:

1pm: Rishi and Anaba:Organic and Local

2pm: Journey to Mannong: the rise of a Fair Trade

3pm: Brewing Tea for Life: tea basics to live by

Saturday May 30, 2009
12pm - 4pm
Anaba Tea Room
2107 East Capitol Drive
Phone: 414-963-9510

Many thanks to Anaba Tea Room and WMSE Radio for their support!

Rishi Tea <3 WMSE

Rishi Tea and 91.7 WMSE Radio team up to spread tea and love!

The Rishi Tea/WMSE relationship naturally developed over tea infused drinks (Orange Blossom vodka, anyone?), a great music set courtesy of DJ Dori Zori at WMSE and mutual love for Milwaukee.

As huge WMSE fans, we thought it nice to send their hardworking, free-form radio slinging DJs great tea to push them through the wee small hours. We threw in our Natural Tealeaf Powders for those times when hot water isn’t accessible and a quick charge was crucial.

The WMSE staff enjoyed the antioxidant-rich teapowders so much they decided to tell all their friends. In turn, we gave them all the teapowders they could guzzle up. But the love fest didn’t end there. Starting Wednesday, April 22nd and lasting through the glorious summer months, Rishi Tea is donating to WMSE $1 for each box of Natural Tealeaf Powder sold in the Milwaukee area.

Visit your favorite Milwaukee markets including Outpost Natural Foods, Beans & Barley, Whole Foods Market, Sendik’s and Good Harvest to purchase any of the 4 teapowder varieties including Genmai, Sencha, Green Oolong and Matcha.

Rishi’s Natural Tealeaf Powders combine the great flavor and health benefits of real tea with the ease and convenience of instant tea. But unlike instant tea, Rishi’s tealeaf powders are made from 100% pure tealeaves cold milled into a fine powder; no added colorants, sweeteners, sugars or flavors—just the antioxidant, vitamin and mineral richness of real tea, on the go.

For additional information, contact:
Ghazal Sheei
Marketing Coordinator
414-727-3945
Ghazal.sheei@rishi-tea.com
www.rishi-tea.com

Ryan Schleicher
Promotional Director
414-277-2217
Schleicher@msoe.edu
www.wmse.org

Rishi Tea on Wisconson Foodie

Wisconsin Foodie visits our Milwaukee headquarters for a professional tea cupping with Assistant Tea Buyer, Sean O'Leary. Click image below or here for video.

Travels to the Birthplace of Tea

Joshua (Rishi Tea founder and Tea Buyer) and Sean (Art Director and Assistant Tea Buyer) arrived in Yunnan, China April 8th and have been tweeting and updating us with beautiful photos of their travels to the birthplace of tea.

Throughout their travels, Joshua and Sean will be documenting the spring harvest and picking of the Ancient Tree teas in the Hekai village of Menghun Town, Yunnan as well as documenting for the first time the use of the fair trade funds generated by the Mannong Manmai Ancient Tree Tea Fair Trade Project.

Rishi Tea partnered with the Mannong Ancient Tea Association in 2007 and the Mannong Manmai Ancient Tree Forest received Fair Trade Certification in February of 2007. As a company that buys direct from tea growers at origin, it's critical that we witness firsthand the use of the fair trade funds. Experiencing the positive improvements in tea producing areas reinforces the importance and necessity of social, economic and environmental responsibility.

Hekai Tea Mountain is divided into Manmai (old) and Mannong (new) Villages. These villages are among the oldest tea-producing areas in the entire world, and they contain Xishuangbanna’s best preserved, largest range of ancient tea gardens.

According to records and living tea trees, the area was first planted by ancient tea farmers about 1,500 years ago. The old tea trees of Mannong produce spectacular pu-erh, Dian Hong, green and white teas. Rishi teas from the Mannong Project include: Ancient Emerald Lily, Ancient Moonlight White, Snow Sprout (Bai Ya), Yunnan black tea (Dian Hong), Sheng Pu-erh Tuo Cha, Shu Pu-erh, Wild Berry Black, Earl Grey, Vanilla Black, Lemongrass Black, Classic Iced Tea, Summer Lemon Iced, Rishi’s blended Chai, and several other blends that contain black teas originating from the Mannong Project.

Joshua (right) and Mannong friend proudly holding "Yunnan Da Ye" broad tealeaf varietals.

Sean (right) and Mannong Manmai villager surrounded by 1500 year old tea trees.

The Lahu and Hani are the main ethnic groups living in the Hekai Tea Mountains. Their economic well-being and cultural traditions are intertwined with the ancient tea trees.

Lahu villagers picking tea. The average height of the tea trees is between 10–23 feet. Nearly 1,650 acres of ancient tea gardens exist in the Mannong and Manmai tea growing area, which produce approximately 250,000 kg of high quality tea each year.

All photos copyright of Rishi Tea. Do not use without permission. Photos by Sean O'Leary.

Fountain of Youth at the Milwaukee Art Museum

We had the pleasure of welcoming spring at the wonderful Milwaukee Art Museum's "Fountain of Youth" After Dark event where we shared with the great Milwaukee community some of our favorite teas. Rishi Tea staff proudly served our new Japanese green tea - Sakura Sencha (Sencha blended with Cherry Blossoms), Organic Sencha and two Chinese white teas - Silver Needle and Silver Needle Jasmine. Watch the video for a glimpse into this magical night.

Many thanks to Anthony and High Frequency Media for the amazing video of the MAM event!

Rishi Tea at MAM After Dark from High Frequency Media on Vimeo.

Recycle Brita Filters and #5 plastics!

Preserve has partnered with Whole Foods Market, Organic Valley and Stonyfield Farms to bring you items made from recycled #5 plastics and Brita Filters! We thought we would pass along this vital piece of information since we know many of our customers are using brita filters for their tea!

You can now visit select Whole Foods Market with #5 plastics donation stations or you can send them right to Preserve.

Check out the following link for details on helping minimize land fills! http://www.preserveproducts.com/gimme5/index.html

PS: I have tried the toothbrushes and I can assure you they do not taste like brita filters!

Sencha Sakura (Cherry Blossom Sencha)

Living in Milwaukee, WI and enjoying six months of brutal Winter makes all of us yearn for the first signs of Spring. The smell of wet earth taking in rays of sun, seeing swollen buds on bare limbs and most of all, most of all, hearing birds chirp their sweet little songs.

We dreamily gaze out the window in our office and think of what our dear friends in Japan are experiencing right now. I can see it now, strolling under clear blue skies, amazing green tea in hand, and those sweet little sakura blossoms starting to push their way through the thick skin of their buds. No longer will they be dormant, they will flourish for weeks and fill the skyline with white and many variations of pink.

This Friday brings us the FIRST day of Spring, the Milwuakee Art Museum After Dark evet AND the launch of Sencha Sakura! This is the first time we've offered Sencha Sakura and we are thrilled to do so.

Sencha Sakura is a blend of Sakura cherry flowers and the specially cured leaves of Sakura cherry trees, which accentuate the smooth, sweet and refreshing character of our deep-steamed Sencha.
We excitedly cupped the tea at our office and were unbelievably impressed. A unique aspect to this tea is that our dear friends who harvested and blended it in Japan used real cherry flowers and specially cured leaves. Unlike other cherry blossom teas we've previously tried, this one contains no oils or flavorings.

The green tea base for this blend is fukamushi, or deep steamed sencha. The small tender leaves are brittle and break through the deep steam process. This aids in the release of flavors and ultimately adds to the rich and creamy mouthfeel this tea is known for. Due to the small size of the leaf, it's important to use a teapot with a fine mesh screen. Here at the office we use the Tea Flower Kyusu and Plum Blossom Kyusu. They both work wonderfully!

Brewed Sencha Sakura after first infusion

We brewed one tablespoon (7 grams) per 8 oz of water at 160 degrees for 1 minute. This was the perfect temperature to release enough of the floral aroma without making the tea too strong. (We also cupped it at 150 but the water was not hot enough to release the floral aroma.)

This tea has a really nice balance of floral aroma and green character. It is not overpowering at all. I would even recommend it to those who are not regular floral tea drinkers.

The vivid green infusion of Sencha Sakura

We cannot wait to launch it this Friday and make it available to our wonderful customers! If you haven't already done so, sign up for our newsletter as we just may include a discount in it...

Tasting Green and Red Rooibos

The locals of Cedarberg first discovered that the fine, needle-like leaves of the Aspalathus linearis plant made for a sweet and aromatic tea. They harvested the wild-growing plants, chopped them with axes and then bruised them with hammers, leaving them to ferment in heaps, before drying them in the sun. Today Rooibos is still processed much the same way it originally was.

After proper airing the Rooibos is left in low heaps to ferment. A process of enzymatic oxidation takes place during which the product changes from green to the characteristic amber colour and develops the distinctive flavour and sweet aroma of Rooibos.

We offer both Green Rooibos which is rooibos before the oxidation process and also Red Rooibos which is post oxidation.

Pictured left: Red Rooibos, Pictured right: Green Rooibos

Featuring Rooibos on our home page this month has found me answering the following question on a daily basis...

"What is the flavor difference between green and red rooibos?"

Instead of relying on my taste buds alone, I decided to recruit my colleagues.

Teas:

Green Rooibos
Glass Tea Pitcher with Brew Basket
Boiling Water
5 minutes

Red Rooibos
Glass Tea Pitcher with Brew Basket
195*F
6 minutes.



Here is what they had to say...

Green Rooibos:
"Full flavor, slightly nutty and carmel notes"
"Ripe Fruit, Hint of moss, cherry note"
"Little citrus at the end, bush, sweet"
"Light, vanilla, refreshing"
"Slight grassiness,light and thin body"
"Smoky, fruity, sweet"

Red Rooibos:
"Rich Nectar, Caramel Sweet and nougat wafer"
"Nice body, warming, sweet nectar"
"Sweet, green woody and tangy"
"Lighter taste, not as full mouth feel, slightly sweet & fruity"
"Soothing and smooth, full body, little citrus note at the end"
"Thick liquor, grassy, sweet and rich"

Left: Red Rooibos infusion, Right: Green Rooibos infusion

GyoKuro!

GyoKuro! Precious Jade Dew Drop! Umami!

Thanks to Joshua, we had the pleasure of tasting four different GyoKuro samples today. For this purposes of this blog entry, I've written only about the Secret Garden that we carry.

One of the greatest aspects of loose leaf tea is having the ability to experiment and explore the many different nuances that each tea offers. With that in mind, my main goal was to use two different brewing methods to taste our current offering, Gyokuro Secret Garden. Gyokuro Secret Garden is a Kyotonabe Gyokuro made from a single Aracha batch which is matured for one year. Most Gyokuro connoisseurs will make their Gyokuro at very low temperatures and steep for short amounts of time. Since this is a matured Gyokuro, we want to extract all of the complex flavors including the creamy sweetness that many look for. The rich and creamy sweetness stems from high amino acids counts including L-Theanine being produced in early spring which is heightened by shading techniques and the unique composting and fertilization techniques developed by artisan farmers. The secret composting and fertilizing recipes are passed on from generation to generation and offer adequate nitrogen for this highly revered and purposely stressed plant.

For the cupping I used 5 grams of loose tea as suggested on our website. I know many use about 10 grams and will steep at lower temperatures, but I wanted to start with our own cupping guidelines to show how this tea would perform.


Brew one: 175° F, 5 grams, 3 minutes.

I found that the matured tea had amazing complexity when brewed at the 175° F temperature. There was an intense flavor of umami but along with the initial sweet and smooth creaminess were fresh green notes that lingered on the palate. I dreamily tasted pine with a consistency one of my colleagues called 'brothy'. There is a sweet and almost salty note that reminds me of the mist of the sea. The aroma and flavor changed and had a very strong lingering note of green bean. My final thought was that this cup was incredibly complex and it left me wanting a second infusion.

Brew two: 130° F, 5 grams, 3 minutes.

I then brewed the same tea at 130° F for three minutes. This cup was also quite nice BUT was very one dimensional. It was full of rich umami but the more complex notes of pine were lost.

I can understand that people love the delicate infusion and the creaminess that a lower water temperature will yield. I personally want complexity, I want the flavors to dance in my mouth and linger thereafter. I love that we all expect something different from our tea and it never seizes to amaze me how different teas prepared in various ways can please so many of us.

Water, tea and magic.

I thank Jenny for taking the pictures and I thank Ghazal for cupping the teas with us but most importantly, we all thank the dedicated and talented farmers who have given us this amazing gift of GyoKuro!

Tea with Loved Ones

Tea has the power to bring together generations in a ceremony that helps us slow down and appreciate what is right before us, the present moment. Having family all across the country makes it difficult to enjoy a cup of tea together. My family ALWAYS receives tea as gifts but sending tea in a box to them always leaves me with the desire to prepare it for them and enjoy it with them.

This weekend, an impromptu flight to meet my first ever nephew in Newark allowed me to finally fulfill my desire. Not surprisingly, I would make my family one of my favorite teas, Silver Needle. Magic happens when water is poured over the delicate and fuzzy buds and bai hao fills the water! What floats in my cup? Misty mountains and bits of Chinese Spring.
It brought me great joy to watch them as my family looked in awe as the leaves unfurled and slowly released their enchanting and intoxicating aromas.

For three consecutive days we began our mornings with multiple infusions. We ate breakfast and sat around the table for hours watching and tasting the different nuances each subsequent infusion presented us. I was finally able to make my family tea, to make them a beverage that has consumed me for the past three years, a beverage and experience I feel so proud to share with my family. Hours later we were still giddy from the effect of L-Theanine. We were rosy in the face, experienced warmth in Winter and most importantly, enjoyed the power of the needle.

Drinking tea all day

My list:

Two botanicals
One pu-erh
Three pu-erh blends
Silver Needle
Osthmanthus Huang Guan Yin

I never really count the different teas I consume in one day. I think about specific experiences such as my favorite fifth infusion of Ba Xian. It is my reoccurring favorite infusion. There is something magical that happens once those leaves open and release the intoxicating floral notes that dance their way to fruity notes. For me, it is at that fifth infusion that the ballerina is thrown into the air and the crowd collectively gasps. Together they dance from the first infusion to the thirteenth infusion. Twirling together like well rehearsed ballroom veterans.

Back to reality and my original list....

Yesterday I drank eight different teas. Since my beginnings here at Rishi Tea I have tried to immerse myself in as much tea as possible. It is my job to be able to have tried all teas in different ways. I dabble with the website but my passion is the end consumer and the knowledge I can share with them.

I find myself rambling about processing styles, origin and mouthfeel all the time. At the dinner table I can talk through a whole meal about the tea we paired with dinner or about the tea that I happened to have infused in that night's dinner.

More and more tea is becoming a passion for me, it is no longer just my job. I find myself infusing food, making kombucha and now there is talk of some candle making! I compost it, I make iced tea, I send it across the country to my family and most importantly, I enjoy it.

I enjoy every aspect of it. I have a passion for people, plants and food. Tea ties in all three. I consider it a food because of the nourishment it brings my body and soul. I feel the ancient connection in the care our partners have taken in preserving ancient varietals and ancient techniques. I can taste the care and the love they have and I love sharing it with others.

Tea 102 @ Whole Foods Bowery Culinary Center

Join Rishi Tea at the Whole Foods Bowery Culinary Center in New York on Saturday March 7th!

While all tea comes from the Camellia sinensis plant, each tea possesses a unique flavor and style that reflects its particular origin, varietal, vintage and artisanal method of processing.

Travel the world of tea through a tasting and photo presentation led by tea buyer and photojournalist for Rishi Tea, Sean O'Leary.

Tea 102: The Taste of Origin with Rishi Tea @ Whole Foods Bowery Culinary Center, New York. Saturday March 7th from 2:00 pm - 3:30, lecture and tasting $15.

Go! Organic for Earth Day Rishi Giveaway!

For centuries, traditional teas were produced using completely organic farming methods. Rishi Tea upholds traditional processing techniques by offering Certified Organic loose-leaf teas, direct from tea gardens around the world. Rishi’s Organic Tea Sets include two of our best selling Fair Trade Certified green or black teas, artisan teaware, beautifully presented in a sustainable hand-woven bamboo box. Go organic and enjoy truly natural tea today and for generations to come.

Sign up for the Go! Organic Monthly Newsletter to be entered into the giveaway.

Clean Water Fund Donation a Success!

Clean water is vital to our health. Recognizing the dire need for stricter water quality, Rishi Tea teamed up with Clean Water Fund, a grass roots organization working to protect and restore America's waters. With giving season in mind, we thought it'd be nice to donate 25% of the profits of each sale of our limited winter seasonal blend to their wonderful efforts.

We're thrilled to report that the sales of Organic Cinnamon Plum raised over $4,200 for Clean Water Fund! Thanks to everyone who purchased, gifted, sold, drank, spread the word and came back for more!

It was a pleasure working with Clean Water Fund and taking action towards a cleaner future for all.

Walker Tea Review on Rishi's Organic Silver Needle

Rishi Tea - new members of Green America!

Our teas are certified Fair Trade whenever possible. Green America, like Rishi Tea, believes in empowering individuals to make purchasing and investing choices that promote social justice and environmental sustainability. As members of Green America, our support promotes corporate responsibility through collective economic action, educates on green and fair trade business principles, and helps build sustainable communities in the US and abroad. Help us promote economic, environmental and social justice around the world!

Learn about the benefits of Fair Trade - download Green America's Guide to Fair Trade!

Rishi Tea on Wisconsin Foodie!

We love food, we love Wisconsin, Wisconsin Foodie on WISN Channel 12 brings you the best of both. Tune in this Saturday at 12:30pm to see Rishi Tea's secret headquarters, learn what goes into professional tea cupping and meet a few of the people bringing you the best organic loose leaf tea direct from the source!


WISN Channel 12 @ 12:30pm! You can watch the show online once its posted.

New study shows tea may reduce cancer risk

A US study reveals that 3 cups of tea each day could help reduce the risk of breast cancer among young women. Read the full article here.

Rishi Tea at the 2009 Fancy Food Show!

Photo and review from Snag Wire Media:

Rishi Tea is pretty. In my book, half of the fun of making tea is enjoying the beauty of the tea leaf as I put it in the pot. Rishi Tea seems to be designed for people who really enjoy beauty and flavor in tea. They’re also fair trade and organic. The most lovely tea I tried was the Tropical Crimson Oranic Iced Tea. Full article here.

IronCupcake:Milwaukee welcomes RISHI TEA!!!!

The upcoming Iron Cupcake Milwaukee challenge features Rishi Tea! The challenge is open to all!

Stop by Fratello's Waterfront (102 N. Water Street, Milwaukee, WI) on Monday February 9th @ 6pm to enter your cupcake or participate as a judge (no fees applied).

From mkecupcakequeen.blogspot.com:

I am so pleased to announce to all Milwaukee IronCupcakers that RISHI TEA is joining us for the February 9th TEA challenge! In addition to attending our event and providing a prize pack for our winner - yes, I said PRIZE PACK - RISHI is also generously offering free tea for your cupcake baking. For a limited time, IronCupcake:Milwaukee bakers can email me a request for one of the teas listed on the menu (pasted below) or on my blog.

• I MUST receive your tea request no later than 12 noon on THURSDAY, JANUARY 29th.
• Send your request to IronCupcakeMilwaukee[at]wi.rr.com
  
• Include your name, address and phone number.
  
• I will then submit our order to Rishi, and then pick up the teas that afternoon.
• You will then need to pick your tea up from me on:

  Sunday 2/1 from 2-4 p.m. at the Riverwest Alterra Coffee, 2999 N Humboldt Blvd.
  

  or Wednesday 2/4 from 5-6 p.m at Fratellos

• Please note which time you would like to pick up your tea from me when you email your request.
• If you would like to pay for postage to have your tea mailed, that can also be arranged.
• You are not required to use RISHI teas for your cupcake, but they are available for our bakers at no cost.

This will be yet another fun and exciting night for the IronCupcake:Milwaukee group!

New Rishi Tea Media Page!

For the latest reviews, articles and interviews on Rishi Tea, visit our new Media Page!

Rishi Tea gets Fancy!

The Winter Fancy Food Show, North America's largest specialty food and beverage marketplace produced by the NASFT, is taking place this weekend at the Moscone Center in San Francisco.

Join Rishi Tea at booth 1259 from January 18^th – 20^th and take a moment to relax with our award-winning organic loose-leaf teas. Enrich yourself with the history and culture of the growing loose-leaf movement!

Tea is a Marathon

Read about the growing tea culture in Madison, WI and why Rishi Tea's Todd Nixdorf believes tea is a marathon you want to run.

"Fit to a Tea: Genteel beverage is Carving out a niche in Madison."

One Day Web Sales!

Rishi Tea's One Day Web Sales are only available through the New Year! Check www.rishi-tea.com daily for deep discounts on premium teas and artisan teaware.

Featured Today Only:
100% Premium Tealeaf Powder Set

This set includes 1 box (12 packets per box) of each 100% Premium Tealeaf Powder flavor:

Genmai Green Tea
Green Oolong Tea
Sencha Green Tea

Rishi tealeaf powders are all natural, antioxidant rich, low in caffeine and easy to prepare. Just mix with cold or hot water and drink up!

Big Changes at Rishi-Tea.com

A letter from Rishi Tea founder, Joshua Kaiser, announcing our new website price restructuring. We hope it encourages more to taste premium organic loose-leaf teas!

Dear Friends,

I’m writing to announce Rishi Tea’s website price restructuring, effective today. We strive to offer the best price-to-quality ratio in the premium loose-leaf tea market by working directly at origin and dealing directly with our customers. As technology has advanced, our website has expanded, offering an extensive amount of information on tea origin and varietal as well as our own travels to origin. As such, our loyal customer base has grown beyond our expectations.

In 2001, we developed our online pricing to encourage the purchase of larger bulk bags. There are many advantages to buying in bulk, in particular the environmental impact of using less energy and fewer materials. Our new pricing keeps the cost incentive for purchasing larger bulk portions (a 10% savings for each size upgrade in most cases), but offers a significantly reduced price on smaller portions.

With over 200 teas and botanicals to choose from, I hope that our pricing restructure will encourage you to expand your palate and travel the world vicariously through the taste of Rishi’s origin direct teas. Each tea offers a unique flavor and style that reflects its origin, varietal, vintage and artisan method of production. As tea lovers, we urge you to appreciate loose-leaf tea in the same way you would appreciate a fine wine. Brew it properly using appropriate teaware, savor its nuance and complexity, and most of all enjoy the experience.

Sincerely,

Joshua Kaiser
Founder, Rishi Tea

Cooking with Organic Cinnamon Plum

Our lovely friend Dawnya at Teaevents.com and Tearadio.com used Rishi's limited seasonal blend- Organic Cinnamon Plum as the base for a delicious holiday jam/syrup. You can follow the step-by-step instructions for her recipe in the video below. Enjoy!

More green tea, less colds please

In an article entitled "Preventing and Treating Winter Colds" published by The Herb Companion, green tea was listed as an herbal and natural approach to preventing colds.

From The Herb Companion:

"Green tea (Camellia sinensis). University of Florida researchers gave healthy adults either a placebo or green tea capsules twice a day. Three months later, the tea group reported significantly fewer colds.

No other herbs have been shown to prevent colds. However, several boost immune function against viruses, so it’s a good bet they help prevent colds."

That's great news for us, we love our green tea!

No to GMOs! Yes to Organic!

Grist reports on the Austrian government's recent results of a long-term study showing that mice fed genetically modified corn had lower birth rates and fewer offspring than their control-group peers.

According to the article, as much as 80 percent of processed food available in the United States contain GMO ingredients.

Support organic agriculture to ensure no genetically modified organisms in your food or your offspring!

Rishi Tea interview on MPTV!

This Saturday November 15th at 6:12 pm cnt, Susana Mojica of Rishi Tea will appear live on MPTV's Holiday Auction. Tune in to Channel 10 for a chance to win a year long Tea of the Month membership and support your local community!

On buying Local, Organic and Fair-Trade

UW Milwaukee Green Fair

Tue, Dec 6th from 10-2pm @ UWM Student Union, Milwaukee, WI

The UW Milwaukee Green Fair provides a wonderful opportunity for local green businesses to come together, interact with the younger community, provide eco-friendly, hand-made, and fair trade gifts that are made with compassion for the artisans as well as the environment.

It’s imperative to build awareness of this dire movement as large corporations continue to increase their ecological footprint for the sake of profit, as our country continues to drill for oil, as mountaintop removal continues to destroy our country's biological diversity.

The green movement resonates deeply with Rishi Tea. As a local Milwaukee business that prides itself on offering high-quality organic and Fair Trade loose-leaf tea direct from origin, sustainability is a core company philosophy that stems from the organic tea gardens in which our tea is harvested.

While many of our teas are harvested in Asia, South Africa and India, we understand the importance of supporting our local Milwaukee community. Buying local, organic and Fair Trade are increasingly becoming more important. More and more people are conscious of the choices they have as a consumer and are compelled to learn where their products are coming from, under what conditions they are made, and what environmental consequences they may have.

It’s rather simple when you break it down. Buying local helps keep more money in our community. It’s something like .67 cents for every $1 spent locally, stays locally. Organizations like Our Milwaukee are helping build awareness on the importance of buying local. Many local shops and restaurants are adding more and more organic and fair trade products and foods to their menus. Organic is better for the environment, for the people working on the farms and for those consuming the goods. Fair Trade products directly support a better life for the workers and their communities through fair prices, fair wages, direct trade, safe working conditions, environmental sustainability, education and community development. Buying Fair Trade enables and empowers the artisans and farmers in the world’s most economically disadvantaged countries to compete in the global market.

We have to understand that our choices as consumers directly impact other lives. We have the opportunity to better the living and working conditions of artisans around the world, help preserve our environment and build a healthier world for all. Why not make a difference?

-Ghazal Sheei

Marketing Coordinator

Rishi Tea

Fair Trade Holiday Festival in Madison, WI

Join Rishi Tea and other fair trade vendors at the 12th Annual Fair Trade Holiday Festival in the beautiful Monona Terrace in Madison, Wisconsin on Saturday December 6th. Sample various fairly traded items, do some ethical holiday shopping and learn about this critical movement!

For more information and for a detailed list of vendors, please click the image below.

To learn more about Fair Trade, visit our Fair Trade FAQs.

From Farmer in Chief: Dear President Elect

Michael Pollan's recent article in the New York Times, "Farmer in Chief" is a compelling and thorough summary of food policy and America's food system. Well worth the read.

Open Letter to the President Elect by Farmer in Chief

Organic Cinnamon Plum - Cold Brewed

Cold-brew champion, Susana at Rishi, is often a go-to for all things tea related. With an ever-growing knowledge of tea coupled with her undeniable passion for it, she's never at a loss for an original or creative idea, but this time, she managed to out do herself.

Part Cinnamon Plum (Rishi's new holiday blend), part apple cider, some fridge time, all deliciousness.

Organic Cinnamon Plum Cider Cold Brew. BEST COLD BREW EVER.

Rishi Gets Out the Vote!

Who's that strikingly mysterious man in the dark sunnies below? Why that's Rishi Tea's very own Todd Nixdorf! The photo was snapped while Todd patiently waited for his democratic right to vote at the Bay View Public Library in Milwaukee this morning. Rishi encourages you to get out your vote too!

Photo from jsonline.com

Cold Brew Championship!

Today we had the first ever Rishi Tea cold brew championship! Cold brew is tea and water in a glass pitcher with a lid that sits in the fridge for a couple of hours. It really does give you a different flavor. To me it seems like it is more delicate.

Our two contestants were Osthmanthus Huang Guan Yin vs White Peony.

We love to make tea for each other at the Rishi offices. There are some of us who are obsessed with white tea (ME!), others with oolong, and others with Japanese green tea. It is quite nice because we all become experts in making the teas we love and we share that info with each other. First thing after I walked in I was challenged to a cold brew off. I am always up for a challenge and I feel that I lived up to that challenge.

I brewed Osthmanthus Huang Guan Yin and my colleague Todd choose one of his favorite cold brews, White Peony.

Osthmanthus Huang Guan Yin was officially declared the winner! The sweet nectar of osthmanthus flowers is so incredibly intoxicating. They infused beautifully into the sweet nectar of the oolong leaves.

Here is the secret to my winning cold brew:

Pour about 185 degree water over the leaves and let steep for about two or three minutes, this will help the leaves release their flavor. Then pour cold water into the pitcher and refrigerate for about three to four hours.

Now take my challenge to submit your favorite cold brew and cold brew secrets!

Right now I have Snow Sprout infusing with Chrysanthemum flowers. It will be ready in three hours. I will keep you updated!

-Susana Mojica

An Oolong Obsession Part I

I'll just come out and say it: I'm addicted to Organic Osthmanthus Huang Guan Yin. I can't get enough. I keep telling myself, I should try something new, but this osthmanthus oolong 3 day bender continues and I see no foreseeable end! The sweet nectar-like delight of the osthmanthus flowers perpetuates the fresh floral taste of the oolong, and with that beautiful golden infusion, makes me oh-so-weak in the knees.

Photo featuring Rishi's new two-person glass teapot with infuser.

xoxo,
Ghazal

Fair Trade Talk & Tea Tasting

Celebrate Fair Trade Month in Milwaukee - the First Fair Trade City in the US!

Join Rishi Tea and Four Corners of the World on Thursday, October 23 from 7-8:30 pm at 5407 West Vilet Street in Milwaukee, WI for a Fair Trade tea tasting and presentation by Sean O'Leary, Art Director and Tea Buyer for Rishi Tea. Sean has traveled as a photojournalist and tea buyer to many tea producing countries and witnessed first hand the benefits of Fair Trade.


Students attend class at a new school funded by Fair Trade premiums from the sales of Rishi Tea's Ancient Tree teas. Yunnan, China.

In July of 2007, Mayor Tom Barrett signed a resolution introduced by Alderman Tony Zielinski establishing Milwaukee as the first Fair Trade city in the United States.

Fair Trade is making a huge impact in the world by empowering farmers and artisans with the business capacity necessary to compete in the global market. Fair Trade promotes economic justice by honoring a fair price for products, fair wages, safe working conditions, direct trade, environmental sustainability and community investment in developing countries worldwide.

Learn more about Fair Trade.

For a list of national Fair Trade events, visit TransFair USA.