Rishi Tea

Week 4: White tea tasting with Joshua

2011-02-13T20:11:00.004-06:00

This week we were fortunate to have Joshua in the states and also have him lead our Friday morning staff tea tasting. We finished off the series with Silver Needle, White Peony, White Buds and Moonlight White.

It's a treat to be able to learn so much about white tea from Joshua himself. He prepared the tea in cupping sets and allowed us all to visually inspect, smell and taste all four teas.

He talked about the history, processing and brewing methods of all of these teas.

It also got us excited about the upcoming white tea harvest. White tea is usually harvested the last few days of March and the beginning of April. We are only weeks away from the highly anticipated spring tea harvest!

White tea originated in Fujian, China. From there we offer the traditional and organic Silver Needle and White Peony. However, we also offer two white teas from Yunnan, China, one of the oldest tea cultivation zones. Those teas are organic and fair trade certified and hand harvested from ancient tea trees deep in the jungle. Through these teas we are able to blend together ancient tea history with a newer type of tea.

Looking back at last year, 2010 was a difficult year for farmers. The weather was not as cooperative as it has been in the past. Young buds were shocked with a freeze as they emerged causing farmers to summon farming wisdom. Despite any challenges they might have faced they still provided us with tea we are proud to share with our customers. We are fortunate to have such talented partners at origin and have Joshua creating relationships with those who grow and process our teas. Through that direct contact he is able to relay information on specific teas such as he did at our tasting.

Week 3: Three Rishi Original White Tea Blends

2011-02-08T13:10:00.002-06:00

Week 3 of our Friday tastings brought us Peach Blossom, Mandarin Citrus and Plum Berry. These tastings are not only a chance for all of our Rishi Tea staffers to get to know all of the teas we offer but also to take a moment and enjoy what we do best, tea.
We are able to taste, learn and laugh. We get to know the leaves and each other.

What do you think about these 3 blends? Do you have any questions about them?

Save on your order this Valentine's Day!

2011-02-07T09:25:00.000-06:00

15% off any purchase through March 1, 2011!
Just enter VDAY11 at checkout.

This year for Valentine's Day, give a gift that tastes delicious and helps the environment- Cinnamon Plum . We are once again teaming up with Clean Water Fund. We are donating 25% of the profits of Cinnamon Plum to their effort of keeping America's waterways clean. Jon Scott, of Clean Water Fund, tells us what he loves about Cinnamon Plum.

What I like (love) about Cinnamon Plum

by Jon Scott

If you’ve already tried it you know this herbal blend makes a fantastic winter warmer. (If you haven’t tried it yet, you should. This is definitely the kind of Winter when it will really sing for you.).

There’s something very happy about that nice deep plum red color, combined with a kind of a tangy snap and the extra-warming boost the cinnamon brings to the party. Half an hour after shoveling snow off the deck and settling back into my favorite chair with a steaming mug of Cinnamon Plum, I’m already feeling great and ready to get back to work!

But I was thinking…

For the past couple of years, I’ve given Cinnamon Plum as holiday gifts and really enjoyed being able to give something that makes you feel good, and that you can also feel good about. That’s one benefit of this herbal tea’s Organic and Fair Trade certifications. The fact that sales of this tea also benefit my organization, Clean Water Fund, makes it even more fun to give and to receive.

One other thing. Now we’re getting into February. This Cinnamon Plum herbal tea brews up nice and red. It makes anyone who drinks it warm and happy, and there’s the extra warming zip of that cinnamon. Organic and Fair Trade certified, and benefits Clean Water Fund. Sounds like a perfect alternative (or addition) to the traditional Valentines Day candy, flowers. Can good tea be romantic? Give Cinnamon Plum this Valentines Day and find out for yourself.

Jon Scott is Director of Corporate Relations for Clean Water Fund & Clean Water Action

Week 2: White Tea Rose Blends

2011-02-01T15:06:00.021-06:00

White Tea Rose Melange
A blend of jasmine and wild rose scented white teas infused with rejuvenating peppermint and calming lavender. It’s floral with a fresh minty finish.

Brewing instructions:
Water: 190°F
Leaves: 1 tbsp per 8 ounces
Infusion Time: 4 minutes

Story behind the tea:
This tea has undergone many evolutions. At one time it used to contain schizandra berries. The peppermint in this blend is from a single farm in Washington State.

Origin: Milwaukee, WI - Rishi Tea original blend

Ingredients: Organic roses, Organic white tea, Organic Fair Trade Certified™ green tea, Organic peppermint, Organic lavender and Organic jasmine flowers

Interesting notes: We made lemonade with this tea! Simply infuse the tea leaves in cold lemonade for a few hours, strain and serve cold.

Our organic peppermint!

Wild Rose

White tea infused with aromatic wild harvested roses.

Brewing instructions:

Water: 190°F
Leaves: 1 tbsp per 8 ounces
Infusion Time: 4-6 minutes

Origin: Milwaukee, WI - Rishi Tea original blend

Ingredients: Organic white tea, Organic roses and natural essential rose oil

Interesting notes: You can make cookies with this tea!

Check out our recipe: Wild Rose Sugar Cookies

New Partnership with Becky's Blissful Bakery!

2011-01-27T12:38:00.003-06:00

We've teamed up with local confectioners Becky's Blissful Bakery for an unbelievably delicious treat - Chai Tea Caramels! Becky's makes all organic, handmade desserts from scratch and for their latest creation, they've blended Rishi's organic Masala Chai Concentrate into the mix. The sweet, spicy and rich caramels are available on their site as well as in select Sendik's and Outpost stores in the Milwaukee area.

Come by and taste our Chai Concentrate alongside Becky's Chai Tea Caramels on the following dates:

January 29: Winter Farmers Market from 8am-12pm @ Tommy Thompson Youth Center, State Fair Park

January 30: Chai Sampling with Becky’s Blissful Bakery from 10am-1pm @ Sendiks in Elmbrook

February 12: Chai Sampling with Becky’s Blissful Bakery from 10am-1pm @ Sendiks in Brookfield

Week 1 Tea Tasting: White Tea

2011-01-24T18:01:00.006-06:00

Osthmanthus Silver Needle

Yields a nectar-sweet infusion with notes of apricot and honey.

Brewing instructions:
Water: 180°F
Leaves: 1 tbsp per 8 ounces
Infusion Time: 5 minutes

Story behind the tea:
The small and brightly-pigmented orange blossoms of Osthmanthus are hand harvested in the fall throughout Southern China. Little known in the West, Osthmanthus blossoms are also called “Guay Hua” in China and are used in wines, pastries, teas and perfumes.

Origin: Fujian, China

Ingredients: Silver needle white tea and Osthmanthus flowers.

Silver Needle leaf buds from the Fuding Da Hao varietal
Harvest in late March–April. Last year's harvest began on March 28th, 2010
Osthmanthus flowers are a part of the olive family. It's an evergreen tree or shrub native to China

Photo from Wikipedia

Interesting cultivation notes: Silver Needle is harvested in late March-mid April and held for scenting in September when Osthmanthus flowers blossom. The tea undergoes scenting in September and is exported in October, arriving in late November each year.

Silver Needle Jasmine
Refreshing, soft and subtle with sweet flavors, smooth white tea body and a lofty floral aroma.

Brewing instructions:
Water: 185°F
Leaves: 1 tbsp per 8 ounces
Infusion Time: 4-5 minutes

Story behind the tea: Jasmine scented tea is the most common scented tea in China. The delicate and floral aroma of jasmine pairs great with the sublte sweetness of Silver Needle white tea. Most scented teas are green and blacks.

Origin: Fujian, China

Ingredients: Silver needle white tea and Jasmine blossoms.

Silver Needle leaf buds from the Fuding Da Hao varietal
Harvest in late March–April. The 2010 harvest began on March 28th
Jasmine blossoms bloom in the summer

Photo from Wikipedia

Interesting cultivation notes: There are many scented teas on the market but a distinguishing factor in our tea is that it is organic. The jasmine blossoms in our tea are organically grown. Sourcing the amount of organic jasmine blossoms we require to scent this tea is challenging due to pests. Pests are attracted to the extremely sweet scent of jasmine blossoms.

Welcome to Rishi Tea tastings!

2011-01-24T17:30:00.004-06:00

We are committed not only to providing great tea but also creating a culture of tea knowledge that we can share with you. At Rishi Tea, tea knowledge extends from Joshua to our sales team, our production workers, our full staff, and from our staff to our customers. Every Friday morning we conduct staff tea tastings which gives us the opportunity to spend time drinking tea, learning about tea and enjoying tea with our one another.

We invite you to join our weekly staff tastings via our blog, Facebook and Twitter in our quest to link the leaf at origin to its end result: a revitalizing cup of tea.

Each week we'll post tasting notes and information from the prior Friday tea tasting. Please share any questions and comments you may have for us! Our 2011 tasting series begins with white tea. In the near future, we hope to offer our weekly tea tastings to the public as well. Until then, join us virtually!

Susana, our resident tea geek, and Kevin, our head tea blender prepare to lead our Friday tea tastings.

Susana and Kevin serving two white tea favorites - Osthmanthus Silver Needle and Silver Needle Jasmine.

12 New Teas in Stores!

2011-01-18T16:54:00.004-06:00

Ten herbal teas and two new Japanese green teas with environmentally sensitive packaging join our expanding retail collection! Ten naturally caffeine-free, organic herbal blends comprise the new Herbal Retail Collection, each a unique combination of natural botanicals, spices and fruits blended for both flavor and effect. The full line includes award-winning Cinnamon Plum, Tangerine Ginger, Chamomile Medley, Bergamot Sage, Hibiscus Berry, Mystic Mint, White Ginseng Detox, Serene Dream, Turmeric Ginger, and Unity.

Rishi Tea founder, Joshua shares “Our new Herbal teas are inspired by ancient herbal beverages and our constant travel and study of food cultures around the world. We’ve fused traditional remedies with epicurean creativity, premium ingredients and original blending techniques to offer distinctive flavors not available elsewhere."

Genmai Matcha and Matcha Super Green are the newest additions to Rishi’s Green Tea Line. Both teas are blended with Matcha, a powdered green tea known to promote creativity, focus and energy.

“We’ve worked on developing an organic Genmai Matcha for more than five years and couldn’t be more pleased with the results. Matcha Super Green is one of our most popular new teas. We are delighted to add these to our retail packaged line and expect they are really going to resonate. We see a growing interest in Japanese green tea in the North American market, and no signs of it abating,” explains Ben, co-owner of Rishi Tea.

Find these new teas and more of your favorite Rishi teas at Whole Foods Market nationwide and numerous health, specialty and natural food retailers. Can't find these teas at your neighborhood store? Ask them to place an order with our Wholesale Department!

Behind the Label - from Seed to Table

2011-01-18T16:16:00.003-06:00

We are unbelievably thrilled to have Rishi Tea founder, Joshua join world renowned Chef Charlie Trotter and Tony Dreyfuss, co-owner of Metropolis Coffee for Behind the Label – from seed to table. Each will discuss the concepts of organic, fair trade, sustainable and local while sharing their personal journeys, and travels to select the world’s finest ingredients. The night will also feature an innovative menu from Chef Trotter, incorporating both Metropolis Coffee and Rishi Tea into the food, cocktails, wine and delicious desserts from Chef Keli Fayard of Vanille Patisserie.

Behind the Label takes place at 6pm on Monday, February 7^th at Charlie Trotter’s on 816 W. Armitage in Chicago. Tickets are available for purchase from Vanille Patisserie.

Hong Yue - NEW Black tea from Taiwan!

2010-11-27T16:49:00.006-06:00

In the 1920's, the Japanese introduced assam tea plants to Taiwan and for many decades, Taiwan was famous for high quality black tea, much of it consumed domestically or in Asia.

5 year old Hong Yue black tea farm in Nantou.

Hong Yue, as translated from Chinese means "Red Jade" or Ruby. This special breed of tea bush is a cross of Burmese Wild Tea and Taiwan Wild Tea. Ruby Black as we call it or Hong Hue, is the premier black tea cultivar in Taiwan and renders a very unique character if processed with skill. Ruby Black has a distinctive aroma of Clove, Wintergreen, Camphor, Red Date, Raisin and Cinnamon. Ruby Black brews a very assertive, strong flavored cup with a deep red infusion color and is best for gong fu cha style brewing, using a lot of leaf and short infusion times to yield multiple cups from the same serving of leaf.

One of our employees, Susana, tried it and had this to say, "There are teas that make me stop and smile and this is one of those! I filled my guywan about two thirds of the way with leaves, used 19o degree water and brewed about 16 infusions! My infusions were only seconds long. The aroma of camphor and wintergreen is very prominent. I highly recommend this truly special tea. I'm really into organic farming practices, so it's great to see the images of the garden."

Too small for organic certification, but we still cultivate Hong Yue without pesticides or chemicals.

Snails and lady bugs and spiders are found throughout the garden.

The yellow flowers seen are related to peanut. A little portion is planted in the tea garden and it spreads rapidly, creeping along the ground. They are planted in the tea farms because they are nitrogen fixing herbs and help to nurture young tea bushes. They hold moisture in the soil. Their root systems aerate the soil and create an environment where beneficial bacteria thrive thus providing nutrition and nitrogen to the tea plants in place of fertilizers. After some time, they are mulched into the soil when the tea trees are older and stronger.

The nitrogen fixing herb's roost system is dense and protects the soil and holds moisture in the soil.

>>Purchase Hong Yue

Travel update from Joshua: Shizuoka, Japan

2010-11-04T11:52:00.003-05:00

The Shizuoka Prefecture in Japan produces about 70% of Japanese green tea. Shizuoka, which translates into "tranquil hills" has been producing green teas for more than 800 years. Located on the south eastern coast facing the Pacific Ocean, Shizuoka's unique terrain, rich soil, balance of sunshine and rainfall along with dense fog are the right combination for quality green tea production.

The Shizuoka airport offers an awesome green tea service. I ordered Fukamushi Sencha from the Makinohara district in Shizuoka and it was prepared by an expert tea instructor in the airport tea shop. The tea shop only hires certified tea instructors. He had great brewing skill.

This tea menu is a map of Shizuoka and you can choose your tea by origin. Very nice!

Here a Japanese Tea Master performs a tea ceremony with his fellow tea masters from Korea and China at the World O-CHA (tea) Festival in Shizuoka.

This is a poster for the World O-CHA 2010 Festival in Shizuoka.

We offer a few wonderful green teas from Shizuoka: Genmaicha, Genmai Matcha, Sencha Superior, Sencha Yuzu and Sencha Sakura.

Imbibe rates Rishi Chai highest!

2010-11-04T10:55:00.001-05:00

The ever enlightening and beautiful Imbibe Magazine featured a taste test in their Nov/Dec 2010 issue, preparing and tasting six different chai concentrates. Among the competition only one was found to strike a perfect balance of black tea with real spices and subtle sweetness – our very own Masala Chai Concentrate! Imbibe rated our chai the highest with 4 1/2 stars, calling it "boldly nuanced; nicely balances black tea profile with varied spices and light sweetness..." For the full taste test results and to see who didn't make the chai cut, download the article here or see below.

Recipe: Cinnamon Plum Panna Cotta

2010-10-18T11:13:00.012-05:00

The delicate and sophisticated flavor of Rishi's Cinnamon Plum makes this panna cotta a superstar dessert. I like to serve this in pretty teacups with saucers. You can make these up to 48 hours before serving. - Gina De Roma (The Philosopher's Spoon)

Ingredients (serves 8):

2 cups heavy cream

2 cups whole milk

1/2 cup Fair Trade Certified organic sugar

4 tablespoons Rishi Organic Cinnamon Plum Tea

3 tablespoons cold water

1 envelope Knox Unflavored Gelatine

For garnish:

16 to 24 raw unsalted pistachios (about a tablespoon)

16 to 24 dried currents (pulled from the Rishi Tea)

Cinnamon Plum Syrup (recipe follows)

Ground Cinnamon

In a large saucepan, over medium heat, warm the cream, milk and sugar, stirring to dissolve sugar. Bring mixture just to a simmer (do not boil!) and remove from heat. Add Cinnamon Plum, stir and cover. Let steep for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl (4 quart size), add the cold water and sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the top. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes.

Pour the infused cream mixture through a fine sieve, pushing on the tea with the back of a spoon to extract all of the cream. Discard the tea, return the cream to the pan and re-warm.

Pour the warm tea over the gelatin in the bowl. Stir well until gelatin has completely dissolved.

Divide the panna cotta mixture evenly among 8 teacups, small bowls, or ramekins. Cool to room temperature, cover each cup with plastic wrap, and chill until set (about 2 hours).

While panna cotta is chilling, make the syrup. In a small bowl combine the following:

2 tablespoons Rishi Organic Cinnamon Plum

4 teaspoons of Organic Sugar

2 tablespoons of hot water

Stir until sugar dissolves. Let steep for 5 minutes and strain syrup, discarding tea. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

To serve:

Garnish each panna cotta with 2 or 3 pistachios, 2 or 3 dried currents, a drizzle of the syrup and a tiny dash or two of ground cinnamon. Enjoy!

Cinnamon Plum Season

2010-10-18T00:15:00.171-05:00

It's about that time where we begin the transition from drinking lighter, spring harvested teas like Silver Needle, to dark and rich blacks, pu-erhs and herbal blends like our delicious Organic Cinnamon Plum. During the cooler months fall and frigid months of winter (we're in Wisconsin!), a hot cup of sweet, succulent and soothing Cinnamon Plum is enough to warm both your body and spirits.

Cinnamon Plum began as a limited, seasonal offering and a partnership with Clean Water Fund (we've donated over $10,000 to CWF) and has become a mainstay over the last three years, having won First Place for Best Blended Herbal at the 2009 World Tea Championship. Like our fans, friends and customers, we cannot get enough of this tea. That's why we decided to add Cinnamon Plum to our Retail Collection in early December, making it available in retail stores year-round. In the meantime, find Cinnamon Plum online and in a gift set and feel great knowing that for the third consecutive year, 25% of the profits are donated to Clean Water Fund (from October through March) in support of their efforts to protect and restore our country's waters. After all, tea will only be as good as the water used to brew it.

Try Cinnamon Plum 3 Delicious Ways!

Cold Brew

Add 4 teaspoons to an Essential Tea Pitcher and fill with apple cider. Place in fridge overnight and drink the next morning!

Hot Cider

Add 1 tablespoon to a saucepan for every 8 ounces of cider. Simmer for 10 minutes. Strain into a heat resistant pitcher and serve with a cinnamon stick.

Hot Tea

Boil water. Add 1 tablespoon to a teapot for every 8 ounces of water. Steep for 5 minutes and serve.

Recipe: Butternut Masala Chai Chocolate Chip Muffins

2010-10-17T21:19:00.006-05:00

I grew up under the perpetually sunny skies of California. I did not have the concept of the air cooling, becoming crisp, the leaves changing, covering the streets in red and gold and the need for spice and warmth, making you want to bake. This fall in Milwaukee has been unseasonably warm. My fall vest is still in the closet but the urge to bake is still strong! That urge to bake led me to my collection of squash. I have a pie pumpkin, but that’s too predictable. So, I decided to experiment with the butternut and my delicious Rishi Tea Chai concentrate!

It only made sense to pair my butternut with the aromatic spices of chai and I love chocolate so all together I made Butternut Chai Chocolate Chip Muffins! - Susana Mojica

Ingredients:

1 cup of butternut (I cubed and baked at 375 for about half an hour, then mashed with a fork, that way you end up with a few chunkies!)

2 eggs
1 stick of butter (cream with sugar a bit)
1 1/2 cups of sugar
1 cup of Rishi Tea chai concentrate
(Mix ingredients together)
2 cups of flour (I used a half wheat, half white blend)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 baking soda
1tsp cinnamon
1tsp star anise
1tsp allspice
1tsp salt
(Mix dry ingredients together)
1 cup of chocolate chips

Mix the first set of ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the dry ingredients without over mixing. Mix in the chocolate chips

Bake at 375 for 24 minutes. Bake until a toothpick comes out dry.

Makes 18 small muffins

Enjoy with a hot cup of chai!

Video: Joshua & Tea Mavericks of America

2010-10-05T13:10:00.000-05:00

Pussimbing Darjeeling Black Tea

2010-09-21T21:43:00.011-05:00

We are very excited to offer a special Darjeeling - Second Flush Darjeeling Select - Pussimbing Estate black tea is one of our new favorites!

This limited batch was the best tea we tasted from Darjeeling this year. This was one of the hardest years to find good quality Darjeeling tea. The region was hit by back-to-back drought quality years and high quality was way down. We were so lucky to find this one from the Pussimbing Organic Fair Trade Tea Estate.

Pussimbing Tea Estate is situated East of Darjeeling, just below the famous “Tiger Hill” and is famous for its misty ambiance which helps to produce a completely different, exclusive variety of teas.

The history behind the local name, Pussimbing, is that it is a combination of 2 words “Pasang”(name/community) and “Ung” (water source).

It is said that a monk named "Pasang" searching for water near Darjeeling found several sources of water in the valley on the hills where the present Pussimbing Tea Estate is situated. Due to abundance of water tea could be cultivated with ease and the British Planters expanded it into a fully commercial plantation sometime in the year 1911.

Today Pussimbing makes some of the finest Bio-Organic teas produced in the Darjeeling District and a distinctive feature of the teas produced here are that they have a natural fruity fragrance and taste.

This is one of the highest elevation gardens in the district and also produces some of the finest Darjeeling Green Teas.

Elevation: 1500 Mts. to 2200 metres above sea level

Total Crop: 80 MT annually

Total Gross Area: 400 Hectares

Total Planed Area: 201 Hectares

Jats of tea planted :Both Original Darjeeling seed (China ) & High Quality Assam Hybrid

Workers Employed: 531

Status: 100 % Certified Bio-Organic since 1997 (Fair Trade since 1995)

Fair Trade Details

A. Number of families covered - 650

B. Utilization of Fair Trade premiums :

1.) Distribution of Livestock (cows) amongst workers

2.) Distribution of LPG cylinders and stoves to workers for cooking

3.) Repair and construction of Village roads

Learn more about our new Pussimbing Estate Darjeeling

Tea Mavericks of America

2010-09-09T12:30:00.003-05:00

Join Rishi Tea founder, tea buyer and CEO, Joshua Kaiser for a tea talk and tasting at Samovar's inaugural Tea with...Tea Mavericks of America! Joshua and other leading tea experts will discuss new innovations in the tea industry, the challenges they face, health benefits, sustainability trends and share their latest and greatest artisan teas on-camera for a live tea tasting. Joshua will be brewing our new award-winning Super Green, a blend of chumushi Sencha from Kagoshima and Matcha from the Kyoto Prefecture of Japan.

Tea Mavericks of America takes place on Tuesday, September 14th at 5pm PST at Samovar's beautiful Yerba Buena Gardens location. Tickets are available for $40 or join the discussion online for a free streaming at Samovarlife.com.

The Story behind our 12 New Teas

2010-09-01T11:45:00.005-05:00

Written by Kevin, Rishi Tea Head Blender

Kevin with a hand blended batch of our award-winning Cinnamon Plum

The way we taste is extremely personal and inarguable: No one can tell you what to like. Marketing notwithstanding, our taste buds are our own. A beverage designed to appeal to everyone rarely does. Looked at from another angle, products created with a specific function in mind--sleep aid, rejuvenator, brain tonic--are generally consumed for that specific function and not for their flavor. As much as they were intended to be enjoyed, they're more often than not simply tolerated for the good of one's health. We sometimes struggle with drinking things that are beneficial. Holding your nose to ease the medicine down, still somehow relates as an adult.

That reality is exactly the reasoning behind the development of our New Blends.

Drawing upon my 10 years of experience as Rishi's Master Blender and R&D Specialist, I strive to create products that are healthful as well as flavorful, melding the knowledge, skill and passion of our development team with the opportunities that exist in the under-represented, functional, full-leaf tea and herb categories.

We wanted to bring to market products that served specific functions and still had a taste to be craved. Because, ultimately, we drink what we like and always return to what pleases us.

So, for me, the impetuous behind a blend like Organic Hot Rod was less than altruistic: I wanted a new daily, go-to tea. I love Japanese greens and Taiwanese oolongs. These are my favorite styles of tea. Their clarity, depth and energy are remarkable, their history humbling. But, like most people with jobs, I have a busy schedule that doesn't always allow time for the attention to detail and reverence for preparation that these teas deserve. So, along comes Hot Rod!

Organic Hot Rod has the strength to live up to its name and the subtlety and complexity to satisfy an admitted tea elitist. And the blend's versatility means it can be enjoyed hot or iced. I have a jug of Hot Rod in my fridge right now.

We also wanted to offer a range of tastes from challenging and adventurous--Organic Turmeric Ginger and Bergamot Sage--to comforting--Organic Chocolate Maté Chai--that would allow people to explore the diversity of possibility in artisanal tea and herb pairings.

Organic Turmeric Ginger has a powerful profile driven by the pungency of its namesake ingredients. Its color and strength in the cup are remarkable and extremely enlivening. This blend is the result of Rishi's founding owner, Joshua Kaiser's desire to challenge the market and his continued faith in its ability to understand and appreciate bold innovation.

While, on the other hand, Organic Chocolate Maté Chai's creation was meant as a reward to adulthood. This blend has the smooth texture of hot cocoa, but a depth of character that the late night stand-by can't touch. Organic Pu-erh tea, shade-grown Organic Yerba Maté and Ayervedic longevity herbs like Organic Long Pepper lend a nuanced richness and complexity that force your taste buds to pay attention. This is truly a grown-up indulgence.

Our other new blends are equally intriguing, diverse and, with all due modesty, delicious. There’s no reason to wait for your body to need them; you'll just want them. And no need to hold your nose.

Chai Gift Set Contest!

2010-08-25T17:39:00.006-05:00

We need YOUR help naming our Vanilla Mint Chai & Chocolate Mate Chai Gift Set! Respond on our blog, Facebook or Twitter with your idea by end of day, Wednesday September 1st for a chance to win the gift set. We'll announce our favorite name and the winner on Thursday September 2nd. Good luck!

The Chai Story

2010-08-10T12:07:00.012-05:00

Benjamin, co-owner of Rishi Tea talks about our new Masala Chai Concentrate, partnership with the Jane Goodall Institute and recent sofi Award at the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York. >>Watch the Video Here

Introducing 12 New Teas

2010-07-23T10:20:00.015-05:00

We've handcrafted 12 new loose leaf tea blends, including 6 innovative botanical blends, 3 delicious chai teas, 2 energizing green teas and an aromatic oolong.

One of the fastest growing segments in the tea industry is “wellness tea,” but few premium loose leaf options exist. We’ve crafted six functional wellness blends that are naturally caffeine-free, organic and absolutely delicious. Our new botanical blends include Bergamot Sage, Hibiscus Berry, Red Ginseng Recharge, Serene Dream, Turmeric Ginger and White Ginseng Detox.

Our new Chai blends, Chocolate Mate Chai, Green Tea Chai and Vanilla Mint Chai, draw upon exotic and inspired ingredients designed for slow-brewing or infusing like tea.

Hot Rod Green Tea and Raspberry Green Tea fuse “super fruits” and naturally energizing herbs with green teas for a mood boosting and uplifting beverage without the sugar, chemicals and crash of most energy drinks.

And finally, our new Coconut Oolong perfectly blends Bao Zhong oolong with creamy coconut for a smooth and decadent tea.

“Our thought process comes from the kitchen, not the lab,” says Joshua Kaiser, Rishi Tea founder and tea buyer. “We’re making innovative and interesting teas that represent different cultures and traditions. We look to ancient techniques to balance all aspects of the tea blend from energy and flavor to aroma and mouthfeel.”

All potential tea ingredients undergo a scrupulous evaluation process. Numerous herbs and fruits from various origins are tasted multiple times to determine the best ingredient for each blend, using organic certified ingredients and essential oils whenever possible. These thorough and precise measures result in well-balanced, high quality blends with nuance and depth.

All new teas will be available by August 4th at Rishi-Tea.com and will become part of Rishi’s Retail Tin Line starting in late 2010.

Join us for a celebration of our new teas on Thursday, August 12th from 6-8pm at the beautiful Anaba Tea Room in Shorewood, WI. Enjoy tea tastings, tea education, appetizers, giveaways & more! This event is free and open to all. To attend, please RSVP.

Learn more about our 12 New Teas!

Joshua tastes new Taiwanese Oolongs with Walker Tea Review

2010-07-07T11:06:00.000-05:00

Joshua sits down with tea enthusiast and reviewer Jason Walker of Walker Tea Review to taste a few of our newest Taiwanese Oolongs. See the video here: Guest Tasting: Joshua Kaiser of Rishi Tea

Brewing a Tea Renaissance

2010-07-01T12:13:00.002-05:00

From Joshua's monthly tea article on Food Thinkers:

Our goal is to take tea to a whole new level of appreciation. The evolution of wine and coffee in the US have inspired us and set reasonable goals for us to achieve.

Just 10 years ago, most consumers ordered wine by the type (red, white, etc.). Today, consumers are more likely to order wine based on varietal, style, vintage, and origin. Wine consumers have become very sophisticated.

The physics of leaf, water volume, timing, and temperature

are affected by brewing utensils

Within the last five years, consumers have begun to pay attention to the temperature at which their wine is stored and served as well as the shape and volume of the glass they savor their wine in.

Espresso and coffee also have blossomed from a simple beverage to a gourmet experience. Coffee bars are now using 2-3 times the amount of coffee grounds to make an average coffee drink. Coffee drinks have become stronger with richer body and a wider range of flavor profiles.

Single origin coffees, varietals, and complicated yet rewarding brewing methods, coupled with consumer education about coffee, have led this age-old beverage into a renaissance period.

People have come to expect more from coffee and wine, but what about tea? Can we cultivate an elevation in the understanding and appreciation of tea similar to that for wine and coffee? Yes, we can!

First, we must understand that our brewing methods and our concepts of tea are stuck in the 19th Century, when much of the tea consumed in the US was Congou black or broken leaf teas. Much of the premium tea we offer today was not even available in the US 10 years ago. Many of these teas can’t be measured with a teaspoon and have simple yet unique brewing methods that render the best flavors.

Ms. Yumiko-san measuring the proper amount of Gyokuro for brewing in a Ho-hin.

Modern consumers have an unprecedented abundance of superb tea available to them, but rarely do they taste the full potential greatness of the leaf. People still make their tea too dilute, using a small amount of leaf in a large volume of water with teapots better suited for Victorian-era tea service. Many of the teas we appreciate today should be brewed using more leaf, controlling the infusion temperature and time to yield a strong, aromatic, rich bodied and stronger infusion.

A Ho-hin is a traditional brewing vessel or small type of teapot used for fine green teas like Gyokuro.

It’s so important for people to understand the traditional and delicious flavors that remain locked within the potential of their tea leaves. The key is to grow the awareness and educate tea lovers about various brewing methods so they can fully enjoy the teas available to them.

Once the true taste and energy of tea is revealed through better brewing, I believe tea will enjoy a renaissance period like wine and coffee. The nuance of varietal, origin, vintage, season, and style will become apparent and appreciated only when we stop serving tea in an antiquated manner.

Sencha green tea from Japan is an example of a very popular tea that very few people brew to the tea’s full potential. This year, at the World Tea Expo in Las Vegas, Rishi Tea invited our friend, Mr. Tadao Yasukura-san, a 70-year-old tea master from the Obaku Kofu Ryo school of Sencha-do, to lead tea ceremonies and brewing workshops in our booth.

The Sencha-do ceremonies educated our customers about improved brewing methods and helped nurture a better understanding of the wonderful flavor and energy of Sencha green tea. The workshops were a great success, informing tea lovers about the history and tradition of Japanese green tea as well as the improved brewing methods of using more tea and shorter brewing times.

A rich, flavorful brew of roasted Bancha expertly decanted by Mr. Yasukura-san.

It’s important that we learn about various traditional brewing methods used in the tea origin and producing countries. Each tea has a specific brewing method best suited to its leaf style. Even if we don’t use the same meticulous methods or rare ceramics as a tea master, we can taste the way tea should taste and implement our own techniques to improve the way we serve and enjoy tea.

I hope tea lovers will be inspired to adapt certain core principles from traditional tea brewing methods in order to create their own unique style.

2010 Taiwanese Oolong

2010-06-30T10:14:00.007-05:00

High mountain tea is often called by its Chinese name, Gao Shan Cha, and is a category of special oolong teas, the best of which are from Taiwan.

The high mountain tea garden a few hundred meters above the famous "horse saddle" garden in Shan Lin Xi is one of our favorite origins of Taiwan Oolong.

People like the complex flowery aromas and fresh character of high mountain tea. High mountain oolongs contain less catechin and more amino acids than other oolongs so they are smoother and less astringent than other types of oolong. High mountain teas are in short supply every year. The oolong market demand for the best grades of high mountain tea is greater than the supply, always.

High mountain teas are classified as teas grown higher than 1000 meters above sea level. Many of our Taiwan teas come from middle and lower elevations, as well. Many oolongs are not high-mountain grown and their characters are very sought after and yield distinctive characters that oolong tea consumers look for. For example, many of our teas are from 500-800 meters above sea level, like Jade Oolong and Tae Guan Yin. One of our best quality oolongs, Eastern Beauty, or Hsinchu Bai Hao, is grown at 300-500 meters and this tea can only be made at lower elevations, once per year.

This year we have three high mountain spring teas: one from Shan Lin Xi, one from Li Shan, and High Mountain Dong Ding made in A-Li Shan. We also have two other teas listed below from lower elevations, including our two new Qingxin oolongs: original spring orchid and light baking type.

The qingxin organic tea farm is bordered by nets and large, unpruned Hong Yue tea trees that create buffer zones to surround the tea garden and minimize windshift from non-organic agriculture.

High mountain tealeaves grow at a slower rate than the tea cultivated in the medium- and low-growing elevations, due to the cool, humid and misty conditions that shroud the tea fields and filter direct sunlight. Leaves stay tender and immature during the harvest so the leaves are rich in amino acids and theanine and have a lower content of sharp catechin. High mountain teas, or Gao Shan Cha, are priced for their strength and richness without any bitterness or astringency.


Pheremone light traps, an organic method of pest management are used to minimize bug attacks on the tea bushes in our qingxin tea farm.

The highest mountain regions in Taiwan for Gao Shan Cha are Da Yu Lin, Li Shan, Shan Lin Xi and A-Li Shan. There are many others. Each season, we taste Gao Shan Cha from all the best farms and select a chosen few, twice a year, when the high mountain teas are harvested. Most high mountain teas are harvested during the spring and winter, although sometimes the conditions are poor and we can only get one harvest a year. Spring tea is noted for its youthful freshness and bright, rich character, and is very balanced among body, flavor, amino acid taste and feeling and aroma. Winter teas accumulate and expend energy through the year and are noted more for their distinctive and complex aromas and strong qi that experts claim the tea bush builds up all year and releases in winter before dormancy.

The weather conditions in high elevations provide low temperatures and ample humidity during harvesting and processing, so many fresh attributes are preserved in the tealeaves, such as aromatic oils, active water and amino acids. The tea bush varietals that grow in the high mountain gardens are mainly Qingxin oolong, which is the type of tea bush that is best suited to high mountain conditions. Qingxin is noted for its high amino acid content, rich taste, patience in brewing and low astringency and bitterness. The high mountain oolongs made with the Qingxin oolong varietal command the highest price in the Taiwan market.

Electric powered, bamboo roasting baskets are used to create the distinctive nutty aroma and smooth flavor of our 4 x baking, high mountain Dong Ding.

High mountain oolong tea is best prepared with a guywan or gong fu teapot to enjoy multiple infusions. High mountain teas are also one of the best teas for Hario cold brew pots, using 4-5 tablespoons of tea per liter of cold water. Put in your fridge for 13-16 hours and drink the next day. All of our Taiwan oolong teas can be cold brewed according to this method.

2010 Taiwanese Oolongs available for purchase here.

Qingxin Oolong Old Style Baking, Oolong Tea

2010-06-14T17:22:00.003-05:00

Qingxin was one of the first two varietals of oolong introduced to Taiwan. Qingxin is the varietal most cultivated for "Gao Shan Cha" in the majority of the high mountain tea farms in Taiwan. When cultivated under the proper conditions, Qingxin has a very smooth yet strong character with evident amino acid flavor and a rich mouthfeel, complimented by fresh evergreen, orchid and rare floral aromas, sometimes with bright fruity accents. We chose to try organic cultivation methods with this "new" Qingshin because it’s a breed that performs well at mid-elevation and is strong against pests, and was highly recommended by a local tea-breeding expert.

To learn more, visit Qingxin Oolong Old Style Baking, Oolong Tea

2010 First Flush Darjeeling

2010-06-11T15:32:00.000-05:00

Darjeeling teas are like no other. Many refer to Darjeeling as the "Champagne of Tea," as its character cannot be reproduced in regions outside of Darjeeling. For the past two years, Darjeeling has been devastated by drought conditions that have affected the quality and yields of the tea farmers and left all of us Darjeeling lovers a bit disappointed when we compare current teas with those of years past.

Rishi Tea has a very special relationship with the organic and Fair Trade Certified™ Makaibari tea estate in Darjeeling. For the past ten years, Makaibari and its owner, Mr. Rajah Banerjee, has produced exclusive batches of great tea for Rishi. Even when weather conditions are extremely poor, Rajah always manages to make Rishi some stunning teas that stand out as among the best in Darjeeling. Makaibari does not sell its teas at auction and chooses its few customers very strictly, so we are so thankful for Rajah, and the tea people of Makaibari for making their best quality batches available to us year after year.

"Dear Joshua,
This year has been the second successive year of unprecedented drought for the region. The first flush virtually shriveled on the bushes, as it wilted under the scorching, unrelenting sunshine, accompanied by dry, crippling March winds. It was tortuous to go around the plantations listening to the agonizing screams of the parched tea bushes – it is a heart-wrenching exercise. The rains have arrived six weeks too late. We have had a dieback of about 5% of the plantation, and only 25% of the first flush was harvested. The entire economics of a Darjeeling tea estate depends on the lucrative first flush – losing it entails losses. This is the second year on the trot that such a devastating drought has wreaked such enormous damage on the plantation’s holistic health. Support is needed from all of our wellwishers to overcome the challenges that face us at Makaibari."
–Rajah

The owner of the estate, Rajah Banerjee with the acclaimed Makaibari forests in the background. Makaibari is one of the few estates in the world to have 2 acres of sub-tropical forest for every acre of tea. Note the enormous variety of the vegetation and the foliage of the forests. Mr. Banerjee is the 4th generation of the founding family of Makaibari, the oldest garden in Darjeeling, established in 1859.

The Darjeeling teas we buy from the Makaibari Estate are small production batches referred to as micro-lots. This year, we chose two micro-lots that have distinctive characteristics, which stand out from one another. Due to the late harvest and drought conditions in Darjeeling this year, the first flush teas are tending to have a bit more color and a less brisk character.

First Flush Darjeeling, Micro-lot DJ 3/10: Bright and lively mouthfeel with succulent flavor. This tea has a medium and elegant astringency with a long lasting after taste and complex aromatics of peaches, Muscat Grapes and tropical flowers. This lot is very refreshing and energizing.

1st Flush Micro-lot DJ 7/10: Less brisk and a bit softer than DJ 3/10 with a more focused and succulent pit fruit flavor. The aroma is less floral than DJ 3/10 but unique with its pleasant hints of roasted grain and piquant black pepper.

Cinnamon Plum & Clean Water

2010-06-10T11:18:00.002-05:00

For the last two years Rishi Tea has partnered with the Clean Water Fund, donating 25% of the profits of our award-winning* Cinnamon Plum tea to their efforts of cleaning and restoring North America's waters. In 2008-2009 we donated $4,288.90. This year, our donation increased by 39%, totaling $5,962.48. Many thanks to everyone who supported our efforts!

*Cinnamon Plum won best Blended Herbal Tea at the 2009 World Tea Championship.

Learn more about our partnership with the Clean Water Fund.

Sencha-do Ceremony at World Tea Expo

2010-05-27T11:59:00.001-05:00

Rishi Tea invites you to a very special Japanese tea ceremony, known as Sencha-do, taking place June 11^th – June 13^th at the 2010 World Tea Expo in Las Vegas. Mr. Yoshikura, a master of Sencha-do from the Obaku Kofu Ryu established in 1959, will lead the ceremonies and demonstrate the way of four green teas including Gyokuro (Secret Garden), cold-brew Sencha, hot-brew Sencha and Bancha. The sessions take place daily at 11:45am, 2pm and 3:30pm in Booth # 401 and are open to all on a first come, first served basis.

Cha No Yu, the Japanese tea ceremony using Matcha powdered green tea is known to many, but few outside of

Japan

are familiar with the ceremony for loose leaf tea called Sencha-do.

Sencha-do or “the way of Sencha,” became widespread in

Japan

during the 19th Century. Sencha-do became a non-political and less formal means for Japanese intelligentsia to rebel against the hierarchy and politics surrounding "Cha No Yu" powdered tea ceremony of the era. Sencha-do is inspired by the reclusive ancient Chinese tea sages and intellectuals that used tea as a social and more spiritual way to enjoy loose leaf tea to get away from the daily grind and enjoy life.

As with Chinese Gong Fu Cha, there are specific brewing methods and etiquette for Sencha-do ceremony, which include unique teaware and distinct pouring methods. Sencha-do schools and tea instructors practice unique brewing techniques and tea concepts specific to Sencha, Gyokuro and other Japanese green tea. Tea lovers and baristas can learn the brewing techniques that are unique to loose leaf Sencha and green teas by taking part in Rishi Tea’s Sencha-do Ceremony.

In addition to the scheduled Sencha-do classes, Joshua Kaiser, along with visiting tea experts, will lead focused tastings of 2010 Fresh Crop Teas from Japan, Taiwan, China, etc. These tastings will be held at various times throughout the weekend in Booth # 401. Guests are welcome to join and share with us some of this year’s most exciting new teas, fresh from origin!

Lastly, join Joshua for a presentation on the foundation and strong points of Rishi Tea and its unique organic supply chain, taking place Saturday, June 12^th at 12:30pm on the show floor of the World Tea Expo in the Vendor Presentation Theater.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Interview & Videos with Mr. Nishi-san in Kagoshima, Japan

2010-05-19T12:16:00.060-05:00

Kagoshima First Flush officially started on April 6; the very first shincha lots were produced during the last few days of March, but those were quite plain and we did not accept them. We came to visit Mr. Nishi-san on April 13, during his first harvesting of shincha from one of his Sae Midori fields. This was his first field to flush this year. Mr. Nishi-san has many small fields in Kirishima Mountain and he cultivates 14 different varietals, which all flush at different times, so each day or so after his first Sae Midori flushed, other shincha lots came out.

April 13th, we unwrapped the Sae Midori field selected by Mr. Nishi-san for the first harvest of the year.

This year, we chose a superb lot of Yabukita Shincha, which was handpicked on April. We'll be offering many other First Flush micro-lots later in the season from Mr. Nishi-san, after the First Flush is totally completed and we can choose.

Mr. Nishi-san's gardens are located in Kirishima Mountain, which is at a much higher elevation than the rest of Kagoshima's tea fields, so his teas always flush later than other areas of Kagoshima. This year, we are very lucky because none of Mr. Nishi-san's farms were affected by frost or cold damage that harmed and even killed so many others earlier this year. During our visit, we could see that his tea fields appeared strong and healthy.

Below is an interview conducted over many days of hanging out with my friend, Mr. Nishi-san.

Mr. Nishi-san is a very serious guy and usually he is not so willing to be on camera much less interviewed by a foreigner. Seeing him smile after our first of many interviews was refreshing. Mr. Nishi-san, Rishi’s long time friend Mr. Kotaro Tanimoto-san who is the President of the Japan Tea Exporter’s Association and Joshua along one of the trails in the organic tea fields.

INTERVIEW:
Josh: Hello, I'm here in Kirishima Mountain in Southern Japan with one of the true artisan masters of sencha green tea, Mr. Nishi-san! Thanks for welcoming Rishi to visit you again! How long have you personally been working with tea?

Nishi-san: I started working with tea from a young age with my father, so you could say at least 40 years.

Josh: How long has your family been cultivating tea?

Nishi-san: I am the 2nd generation in my family working with tea.

Josh: How many family members do you have working with you and what kind of work do they do?

Nishi-san: Our major focus is tea and we produce all kinds of local organic produce like Satsuma Imo (local sweet potato), mushrooms, fruits, herbs and honey. We also grow the majority of our own food. My wife, my two sons and my daughter and other family members all work together with my staff to cultivate and process tea.

Josh: Of all the teas you produce, which tea is your personal favorite?

Nishi-san: Handpicked, First Flush Sencha, but I have no specific favorite varietal. Each year the weather presents different conditions and my favorite this year may be different next year.

Josh: I knew you were going to say that and I am glad you did, because so many tea drinkers in the US are fixed to one flavor, and year after year, they always have to get it, and many complain when the tea is a bit different. But it is my opinion that we must embrace change, and the beauty of our teas is that they reflect the changes of nature. That's what makes specialty tea a specialty and not a standard!

Josh: What percentage of your teas is handpicked, vs. machine harvested?

Nishi-san: About 2% of our teas are handpicked. The cost is about five times the cost of machine harvested, but we can only sell the handpicked tea for two times the price of our machine-harvested tea, so we only make it available in our local retail shop, give it away as gifts, or sell it to special customers like Rishi Tea.

First day of Mr. Nishi-san's First Flush harvest in Kirishima Mountain on morning of April 13th, 2010.

Josh: What makes your tea farm so unique, and why are there so few organic tea farms in Japan?

Nishi-san: We embrace the balance and harmony offered by nature, making use of what's in our environment. Not just Japan, but most of the world relies on chemically invasive, unbalanced agriculture to maximize yields and prevent or kill pests and that's where we are different. Our method is all about natural balance and we only use what we can find in our natural environment. We separate our farms in the mountain with natural buffer zones of thick forestry and bamboo stands to keep the balance of the local environment.

The qualities of the tea we cultivate are also very different. Unlike other gardens that focus on a single varietal or only Yabukita, we are cultivating many tea varietals—14 to be exact—and they all flush at different time periods and have different flavors and attributes, so as the weather and conditions change each year, we can have many options to make our teas stand out, and our customers can choose various varietals to make specific blends that can be adjusted from year to year in response to the weather situation. We have varietals with deep color and rich umami and others with specific aromas and various degrees of sharpness. We can adjust our tea blends with the season according to our method and the choices at hand and that is also quite unique from other farms I've seen. Our farms are in Kirishima Mountain, which is at a higher elevation than most other Kagoshima areas, and our teas tend to flush a bit later than the usual Kagoshima First Flush, so we don't get too much frost damage.

Nishi'san's organic philosophy of organic tea cultivation is all about balance and harmony

Josh: I saw the unique style of composting you use and Mr. Nishi, I must say that your soil appears alive and so rich. Most organic tea farms have significant nitrogen deficiencies and look unhealthy, but your gardens look so strong. Must it be the composting methods?

Nishi-san: You could say we assist nature to make our own organic fertilizer. We dry, bundle and age straw in covered piles, which attract bacteria, and then we mix the straw with soil from our Kirishima Mountain, crushed bamboo, and decomposing wood from our shiitake mushroom farms, and let it weather in piles for three years. During this composting time, the bacteria act to microbiologically ferment inside the compost pile and we add this special compost to our tea farm soil and it gives our gardens all the nitrogen and nutrition the tea plants need from the soil. We also don't weed and allow nitrogen-fixing herbs to grow between the rows of tea bushes, which aerates the soil, enhances the nitrogen absorption and provides the proper medium for earthworms to thrive, which are nature’s organic fertilizer producers. You saw how many worms are in my soil? Japanese tea varietals are bred for high amino acid content and low caffeine and catechin so they must obtain a great deal of nitrogen to produce amino acids. We rely only on these natural methods to enrich the soil and boost the nitrogen that our tea plants require.

Nishi Organic Compost Pile

Josh: What are they key organic methods you use for pest control?

Nishi-san: Water, wind machines called "mini-hurricanes," killer bees and spiders, but the key is the water and wind. We have so many spiders in the gardens and they love to eat the pests of the tea bushes.

Josh: They like to eat me too. I got a small bite yesterday in the Yabukita garden!

Josh: Are there any recent technological advancements in the harvesting machines or organic cultivation practices you can share with us?

Nishi-san: I think you saw all of our special harvesting machines, the kabuse applicator, the different kabuse wrapping colors we use for different conditions and our processing lines. The most recent innovation we use is the powerful wind blowers to remove pests, called small hurricanes. We are also using mist sprinklers and fans to prevent frost damages to our tea farms.

Some of Nishi-san’s tea fields are wrapped a few days before harvest to enhance the green color of the leaf and to enhance the umami flavor. The shading blocks sunlight and slows the conversion of amino acid to catechin making a sweet and smooth tea without sharpness.

Josh: Most teas in Japan are made with Yabukita but Mr. Nishi-san is famous for growing many unique varietals in addition to Yabukita. Japanese tea varietals are so unique from other types of green tea bushes; how do you describe the general difference between Japanese varietals and other tea bush varietals?

Nishi-san: Japanese tea bush varietals are bred for making sencha green tea and they have low caffeine and catechin but much higher amino acids and theanine contents when compared to other nation's tea varietals; therefore you could say our breeds are designed to be less bitter and astringent but much more umami, sweet and smooth with vivid or fresh green color. Japanese tea bush varietals have the potential for a much more true green or rich green color that is well suited to the sencha steaming process and this comes from a balance of breeding, cultivation techniques and our unique Japanese withering and leaf steaming procedures.

Josh: According to your own philosophy and experience, what are the virtues of steamed green teas, vs. other styles of green teas?

Nishi-san: Compared to other methods of green fixation, steaming quickly and efficiently kills enzymes in the tealeaf to prevent oxidation, and preserves the fresh green color of the leaf. The fresh green color and contents of steamed tea are quickly extracted when brewing within two brief infusions in various water temperatures. Pan-fired, roasted and other types of green teas need hotter water, longer infusion times and multiple steepings to release their contents and benefits into an infusion.

Josh: The harvest season, the tea bush varietal and the harvest region define the character of sencha, but basically, sencha is categorized by its degree of steaming. There is light steamed sencha called "asamushi," mid-steamed sencha called "chumushi," and deep-steamed called "fukamushi.” Many books and seminars on sencha claim that there is some set time for steaming, like asamushi for 30 seconds, chumushi for 60 seconds and fukamushi for 90 seconds, but is that true?

Perfect shot of Mr. Nishi’s organic planning and healthy tea bushes shows the rich soil, blooming beneficial bacteria of soil health and thriving nitrogen fixing herbs set against the back round of thick stands of evergreen trees that serve as natural buffer zones that surround and protect the organic tea farms from wind shift contamination of industrial and urban toxins. Buffer zones like these trees are so important for organic cultivation.

Nishi-san: That sounds like a general range for First Flush Yabukita and very general. The degree, timing and pressure of the steaming depends on how course or tender the leaf material is and that depends a lot on the seasonal condition of harvest and the varietal of tea bush. We cannot say that there is a set time for asamushi, chumushi or fukamushi. It depends on the tea maker and the leaf status. It also depends on the customer's needs. Like for your tea, we make chumushi, or mid steamed, but each year we have to adjust the time based on the leaf character.

Josh: We know the varietal and season of harvest is the major influence of amino acids, catechins and caffeine contents in a tea, but does the degree of steaming also affect the level of caffeine, catechin and theanine in the tea?

Nishi-san: No, it does not. The varietal and season of harvest are the major factors that define the amino acids, catechin and caffeine in the tea. Some varietals have very high amino acids wile others maybe lower. The various tea breeds, harvest season and soil types influence such factors.

Josh: Over many years, I have studied Japanese green tea and through my travels to many tea-producing countries, I can compare processing of green tea and I have the opinion that Japanese green tea is the greenest tea. I see this is true from varietal breeding, cultivation and steaming, but most impressive to me is the controlled withering. So many countries wither their green teas in ambient conditions but you control your leaves from the time they are loaded onto the truck to the time they enter your factory's withering chamber and through the whole process, the leaves never rise above a certain temperature before and after steaming, to keep the fresh green character. Could you tell us why withering control is so important?

Nishi-san: Withering preserves vitamin C and other contents in the tea leaf. When we make our green tea, we must control the leaf temperature and moisture content. The leaves should not get too hot or reduce their moisture too fast or they will become yellow and lose their good contents, resulting in poor color, flavor and mouthfeel. Proper withering increases amino acids and theanine in the leaf and converts carbohydrates in the leaf to complex sugars. Proper withering is very influential for the flavor, mouthfeel and amino acid taste (umami) of green tea, and that is why we developed a withering condition that controls the leaf temperature and humidity. Even our trucks that transport leaf to our factory have fans that circulate fresh air so the leaves don't get too hot and begin oxidizing.

Josh: At our last company meeting, we had everyone state their favorite tea. Your First Flush Sencha was the most mentioned tea and our customers also love your tea. Thank you for always making the great sencha for us!

Josh: You are like a rock star in the organic tea trade, especially in the US, where so many appreciate your unique quality of sencha. Do you have some message for all of our friends that love your tea?

Nishi-san: Thank you for enjoying our organic teas from Kirishima Mountain. Please try our multiple varietals each year.

Hiroki Nishi, Mr. Nishi-san's son: Thank you for choosing our family's tea! We know it is important for our planet and for our customers to make teas that are ecologically and environmentally balanced and safe, using only organic methods. We will continue growing our organic teas and sharing with you. Thank you very much!

Josh: Thanks for your time and welcoming me into your home, Mr. Nishi-san, and for sharing so much great information and superb food with me! Good luck making teas this year! See you again soon.

2010 Japan Crop Report

2010-05-18T17:24:00.008-05:00

The majority of Japan's tea is from Shizuoka. Usually, Shizuoka's 1st Flush tea auction starts on April 15 or 16. This year, the 1st Flush auction started on April 19, due to the severe frost damages of Shizuoka's tea gardens. More than 60% of Shizuoka's 1st Flush was totally killed by frost. It was a real disaster for Japan's tea industry. In 2009, 10,700 kg were sold on opening day of the auction, but this year, only dozens of 5 kg lots were for sale, totaling a mere 1,348 kg sold.

Since the volumes of 1st Flush tea during the first week or so of the auction were at about 5% of normal volumes, the prices were unusually high and most of the quality was quite low in comparison to other years. Most tea from the low and mid-elevations that survived showed signs of cold weather defects like thin, watery body, plain flavor, bitterness, low umami and amino acid taste.

Many high elevation gardens in the Shizuoka area did not get frost damage and although a bit delayed, some good teas could be found, but at quite high prices. As the season pushed on, the weather improved and some yields were made but in general, the total volume of tea from Japan is a lot lower than usual and the top quality is either very expensive, scarce and not easily available. We were so lucky to get our Supreme Shizuoka First Flush Kukicha, specially made for us from the sorted lots of Shizuoka's most premium, deep-steamed shincha.

The financial hardships felt by Japan's tea farmers and merchants could not be worse. The Japanese government issued emergency aid for Shizuoka tea farmers due to their hardship. This is proving to be one of the worst years for the Japanese tea industry, with their domestic loose leaf and bottled tea sales in steady decline for the past few years. Japan's tea traders have been looking outward for export markets to compensate for sluggish domestic sales, but this year there is simply not enough good tea at affordable prices to help the situation. Rishi's connections and long-term relationships in Japan have played a huge role in our ability to secure good teas at stable enough prices when most others are faced with significant cost increases and a lack of supply.

Due to the bad weather and severe shortages in Shizuoka, Uji/Kyoto, Fukuoka/Yame and most other tea areas in Japan, many famous tea merchants, and even some tea farmers without tealeaves to sell from their gardens traveled south to the Kagoshima and Miyazaki areas in Kyushu, where weather conditions were much more favorable.

Of all of the tea-growing regions in Japan, the Kagoshima and Miyazaki areas had the best conditions during 1st Flush. On opening day of the Kagoshima 1st Flush auction, around 100,000 kg were sold. Low and mid-elevation areas had some frost damage and delays but not the devastation found in Shizuoka. The high elevation areas in Kagoshima, like Kirishima Mountain, had great conditions and yielded some of Japan's best lots of tea this year. Our teas from the Nishi family in Kirishima Mountain stand out as some of the best lots we've tasted so far this year, including our handpicked April 20th batch of Yabukita from Mr. Nishi-san.

Nishi-san's beautiful organic tea field in Kirishina mountains.

In summary, there is very little tea available for the traditional shincha sales and prices are at very high levels. High elevation growing areas of Shizuoka will provide some pretty nice teas but they have been very much delayed beyond when people expect the shincha release. Most shincha in the market was from Kagoshima. Approximately 65% of Japan's tea crop is harvested during the 1st Flush season, and about 70% of Japan's tea usually comes from Shizuoka, but this year, 60% of Shizuoka's tea fields were killed by frost. As such, the teas from Japan's 2010 harvest will be quite different this year as other growing areas outside of Shizuoka will make up the bulk of what is blended with Shizuoka tea and what is exported from Japan.

Shizuoka tea, some would say, has defined the flavor profile and general character of sencha that many tea consumers in importing countries are familiar with. Due to cold weather and frost damage during the key harvest season, the total volume of Shizuoka and other famous sencha-producing areas for domestic sales and exports are very low compared to previous years, so to keep the flow of tea in the market, tea manufacturers had to make new blends using various origins.

The superb but lesser known teas of Kagoshima and Miyazaki will be more widespread in sencha blends this year and customers will have to keep an open mind when making their tea selections and understand that the tea this year will not taste like last year. This is a major year for change in the tea industry and Japan is but one story in a very radical Asian tea season.

Working within the parameters that nature provides and producing something that is different and unique each year is the beauty of our specialty tea industry. We have vintage years and we have years that provide challenges. This is one reason we feel our industry is rightly dubbed, "Specialty Tea." When the weather and conditions are severe, only the most flexible, specialized, well versed and connected tea merchants can provide relative stability and top quality. This year was a big test and revelation for all of us. We must learn to appreciate that tea is at the whim of "Mother Nature" and that tea is a truly dynamic, natural product that is always changing and can never stay the same.

Many fear or resent change but I say, let's embrace change and work with it. We did this in many origins this year in order to keep stable quality and relatively stable prices when quality and quantity was generally very low and prices were way up.

The cold weather conditions that affected the 1st Flush tea crops in Japan were similar in Korea and Eastern China, where cold weather killed crops, delayed harvests and provided many substandard teas. This year, the tea bushes came out of dormancy a bit early due to an unusual, yet brief warm spell in early March and then the temperature rapidly dropped to winter-like temperatures, shocking the tea bushes and in many cases killing the buds. Even through late April, the temperatures were quite cold throughout East Asia, delaying or killing much of the 1st Flush in Japan, Korea and Eastern China. Fujian and Zhejiang were hit the worst by frost from March through April.

The 2010 Shincha and total Japan 1st Flush season is a real problem for the Japanese tea trade, but with a partner like Mr. Nishi-san and our other friends in Japan, Rishi will still manage to offer great tea this year!

Mr. Nishi-san is a very serious guy and usually he is not so willing to be on camera much less interviewed by a foreigner. Seeing him smile after our first of many interviews was refreshing.

Yours truly,
Joshua

Lessons from Theo Chocolate: chocolate & tea

2010-05-06T17:28:00.007-05:00

Just in time for chocolate & tea loving moms, our friends at Theo Chocolate have artfully handcrafted a beautiful collection of 4 tea infused ganaches using our Organic Earl Grey, Honeydew Melon, Peach Blossom & award-winning Jasmine Pearl tea. Below, Theo chocolatiers take us step by step in the ganache making process.

Step 1: Start with a happy and passionate Theonista and a fresh bag of organic loose leaf tea

Step 2: Steep the tea into the cream

Step 3: Strain the tea from the cream before adding to the ganache

Step 4: Stir the tea infused cream with the ganache

Step 5: Temper (a method of heating and cooling chocolate to give it a smooth and glossy finish)

Step 6: Temper again

Step 7: Spread the delicious tea infused ganache

Step 7: Taste the creamy, aromatic and complex flavors of the tea infused ganache

Check our Facebook page for a Mother's Day giveaway of a box of Theo's tea infused ganaches and a tin of Rishi Tea!

2010 Spring Harvest Videos from Hubei, China

2010-04-15T13:55:00.023-05:00

We're very excited to share a few personal and educational videos from Joshua and friends in Hubei, China, filmed this April, 2010.

Welcome message from Joshua and the Xuan En Fair Trade Funded Hospital Staff

Interview with Mr. Qu who represents hundreds of families from all the villages that produce our Fair Trade organic teas from Xuan En in Hubei, China.

Joshua speaks with Mrs. Wang in Bai Hu Shan, White Tiger Mountain Village. Mrs. Wang is one of 600 members of the Xuan En Fair Trade Organic Tea Farmer's Co-op in Xuan En, Hubei, China.

Joshua drinks tea and speaks with Mr. Lee, a Xuan En organic tea farmer and Fair Trade Co-op member to discuss the recent fair trade developments in Ma'An Village, Hubei, China.

Hubei, China Spring Harvest Update from Joshua

2010-04-15T13:32:00.037-05:00

The good news is that Western Hubei, in Central China has been blessed with great weather, ample rain at the right time and superb spring harvesting conditions. A misty and cool March with intermittent sunny spells lead into a very nice April flushing climate. This is the area that produces our Jade Cloud Green Tea and also one of my favorite Green Teas, known by its local name as "Lu Zhen" or "Green Needles".

I could say that the Green Needles from the Xuan En Fair Trade Organic Cooperative in Southwest Hubei are some of the best and most reasonable priced teas I've tasted from all of China's 2010 spring teas this year.

Harvesting of Green Needles started on March 20th and those teas were superb but priced for the gods.

Green Needles really started to show off their character from March 22nd and we've been enjoying them everyday during our travels.

The best quality micro-lots were sent by me to Rishi after the Qingming production in early April. They will be available exclusively on our website very soon and the first batches will be the March super-lots selected by me from the Mingqian harvest season.

Lu Zhen is the most famous type of tea from Xuan En, Hubei and has been the most favored over the last 200-300 years.

Xuan En has an ancient tea producing history of more than 1300 years. The modern types of Lu Zhen evolved from Xuan En's antique style of "Yu Lu" (Jade Dew). Yu Lu are the same Chinese characters the Japanese use to name their most precious tea, "GyoKuro (Jade Dew)."

The Xuan En area's green tea processing method is linked to the old hand crafted methods of making green tea that the Japanese learned from there travels in that area before the formal invention of Japanese Sencha in the mid-late 18th Century.

Before modern Sencha, there was Temomicha Sencha which was made by hand and rubbed and rolled until dry on heated tables called Hoiro in Japanese. Lu Zhen is still made on heated tables and will remind one of the Japanese Temomicha. Lu Zhen processing is one of the early influences of Sencha but has a radically different character that unique from all other types of green tea.

Lu Zhen is rarely exported outside of China and there are two styles, the steamed type and the roasted type. We are happy to introduce both styles of Lu Zhen this year and we feel this year, with all the weather problems in China that Lu Zhen will prove to be one of the best green teas from China's 2010 spring harvest. Please enjoy. The tea will be available by the end of the 3rd week of April.

Yours truly,

Joshua

Joshua and friends at 1000 meters above sea level in one of Ma'An Village's tea farms in Xuan En during the harvest of our Lu Zhen Green Needles.

Ms. Qu Ping shows off the picking standard of 1st flush Lu Zhen Green Needles in Xuan En's Ma'An village.

One leaf and a bud must be picked from late March through the first week and a half of April to make the top quality Lu Zhen Green Needles.

Our friends were proudly wearing their traditional Tujia clothes to honor the introduction of Green Needles to Rishi Tea.

Dwellephant Mail!

2010-04-06T11:46:00.004-05:00

Our wonderful & talented friend Dwellephant sent us a beautiful, hand-drawn piece of mail! If only all mail could be this great.

Want to send us good old fashioned snail mail? Mail something nice to Rishi Tea, Attn: Mailorder, 427 E. Stewart Street, Milwaukee, WI 53207. We just might send you something in return.

Sencha Sakura in our cups warms our hearts

2010-03-25T12:05:00.017-05:00

The skies outside are grey, the weather is chilly but the Sencha Sakura in our cups makes our hearts warm and tells us spring is here. Winters in Milwaukee can drag on and put a damper on the spirit. But the arrival of spring marks the awakening of the dormant state both we and nature experience.

Here in Milwaukee, our flowers appear later than they do in Japan, so at Rishi Tea we mark this joyous occasion with the launch of our beloved Sencha Sakura. Fukamushi sencha offers a deep rich infusion of Japanese tea filled with L-Theanine, our aid in increasing those dormant alpha brain waves. This tea is unique as it undergoes so much more than the addition of flavors or oils. This tea is scented with real cherry flowers and cured leaves of cherry trees. The flavor that the blossoms and leaves impart are what help transcend you to the experience of sitting under a cherry tree inhaling its wonderful aroma and essence of spring.

Sencha Sakura: warming to the heart, soothing to the soul and delicious on the palate.

The Enduring Oolong of Compassion: Iron Goddess of Mercy

2010-03-05T11:16:00.020-06:00

Originally posted on FoodThinkers.com

Iron Goddess of Mercy

I’ve been buying Tae Guan Yin, or what is known as Iron Goddess of Mercy, from an old friend in Mingjian Village in Nantou, Taiwan, for twelve years. Last November, I was tasting and selecting micro-lots of winter Tae Guan Yin for roasting when there was an earthquake. It was a magnitude 7.0. I had never felt anything like it.

Joshua and his friend of 15 years hanging out in a 4-year-old tea garden planted with Hongxin Waiwei, Wu-Yi, and Qin Xin, all suitable varietals for great Tae Guan Yin.

The Power of Nature

As luck would have it, not one person died. Although magnificent and earth-shaking, it did not devastate, as so many earthquakes of lesser magnitudes have in Taiwan’s recent history. After running from the cupping room, my friend looked at me as we took refuge in the street. He mused, “Guan Yin is with us …” I felt so scared, vulnerable, and lucky to be alive. There was a very real sense that nature was in control of my destiny and it was not for me to decide. I feel even luckier now after seeing the terrible newscasts from Haiti.

Tasting micro-lots of tea destined to be roasted for Tae Guan Yin just minutes before the earthquake.

Healing Powers of Tea

“Cha Yun” is the rhythm and charm of tea. When can the rhythm of tea rise above the clashes of power, competition, profit, and corporate needs? When can it heal? The commodity of tea has been at the heart of war. But the essence of tea bestows peace and implores us to have mercy.

Tea helps people by providing health benefits and preventing disease. Its cultivation and trade can improve the lives of poor farmers and spread cultural understanding. Tea welcomes friends and unites people. Tea transcends its commercial values and supports the needs of the stricken, as it has done throughout its long history.

I am always reminded that tea is an instrument of peace and human salvation. An enduring symbol of tea’s peaceful essence is the cherished oolong tea, Tae Guan Yin.

The dark clouds in the room that can be seen, almost like dust, are the crystallized caffeine coming off the tea and clouding the air. The feeling you get after sitting in that room, rotating the braziers is quite powerful, like being drunk with caffeine.

Qi and history

Tae Guan Yin is one of my favorite teas because of its flavor and qi (energy), but also its history, process, and teachings.

Tae Guan Yin is one of the oldest oolong tea bush varietals. It’s also an heirloom of the tea generations and is highly regarded as a profound oolong. For many centuries it was cultivated in Southern Fujian in China. Then it was introduced to Taiwan, where it remains a very important varietal at the center of a long-standing artisan oolong tea tradition.

Tae Guan Yin is a very special group of tea tree varietals that were selected and kept pure by Fujian farmers. It is well suited for making traditional, half-oxidized, ripe, fermented oolong tea with slow and moderate roasting. The traditional fermentation and roasting of Tae Guan Yin aims to provide a slightly acidic and fruity sourness with a smooth mouthfeel and pleasant toasted nut aroma that endures and develops over many infusions.

Slow, moderate roasting is key for Tae Guan Yin. A single batch is roasted in small-batch bamboo braziers multiple times until the right flavor and aroma is attained. The room must be kept at a certain temperature and humidity during the roasting process to ensure even and thorough baking.

Origins of Guan Yin

Tae Guan Yin is more than a splendid tea — it is inspirational. Its origin and legend are at the essential core of what I believe the tea trade can be.

“Guan Yin,” the “Buddhist Goddess of Mercy,” teaches us compassion and encourages us to assist the impoverished and heartbroken. As legend has it, a debt-ridden, poor farmer named Wei Yin from Xiping Village in Anxi, Fujian, was visited by Guan Yin in a dream more than 200 years ago.

Traditional spirit offering (not a scarecrow) at the head of our newest planted Tae Guan Yin tea garden in Mingjian Village.

Sharing the wealth

Guan Yin told this farmer that she had given him a special tea bush and that by cultivating this tea bush on a certain area of his land, he could make great tea and save his family. He did and soon shared the tea bush with other farmers.

Tae Guan Yin was spread across Anxi, bringing economic prosperity to those that cultivated it. The locals named this tea “Guan Yin” after the Goddess of Mercy. And later, the Emperor Qianlong dubbed the tea “Iron Goddess of Mercy.”

Tea and understanding

My affection for this treasure of a tea and the experience of my last trip to Taiwan to make Tae Guan Yin for Rishi Tea have inspired me to help those in Haiti. The vulnerability, pain, loss, and confusion of the people in Haiti cannot be comprehended by us. We can empathize but never completely understand their despair and helplessness.

Tae Guan Yin is always close to my tea-heart and my teapot for that matter. She is an ever-enduring focus and trusted guide through my life with tea and gong fu cha (the art of brewing tea with great skill). More than ever, Tae Guan Yin is an inspirational symbol of tea’s peaceful essence.

Help for Haiti

The Iron Goddess of Mercy Oolong tea from the winter crop of 2009, which I was tasting and roasting for Rishi Tea during the earthquake, will contribute to peace and well-being in Haiti.Rishi Tea will donate 20% of each purchase to CARE, an international humanitarian organization that is working to help the victims of the recent earthquake in Haiti. Iron Goddess of Mercy reminds us that tea can transcend its commercial values and promote compassion.

Truly in the tea,
Joshua

Fair Trade YOUR Home

2010-02-15T16:03:00.010-06:00

Fair Trade My Home is a grass-roots campaign of fair trade companies, individuals and organizations who are inviting friends and fans to join the fair trade movement and make their home a “Fair Trade Home.” The goal is to create as many self-declared Fair Trade Homes as possible by having people submit a photo or video showing which fair trade goods they regularly purchase and use in their home. Submit your photos and video to www.fairtrademyhome.com.

The purpose of Fair Trade My Home is to raise greater awareness of fair trade to the American consumer, so that more people support fair trade buying habits, fair labor practices and help cut down on poverty both in America and around the world. Currently, the U.S. has over 1,500 companies and retailers offering fair trade goods, 13 fair trade towns (Milwaukee being one!), and over 300 college campuses that support fair trade. We can grow the Fair Trade community by growing awareness!

Learn more at www.fairtrademyhome.com and www.fairtradewhitehouse.com.

Roots & Shoots

2010-02-11T14:10:00.006-06:00

Jane Goodall's Roots & Shoots program empowers thousands of young people around the world to work together to improve and protect animals, communities and the environment. Learn more about the inspiring Roots & Shoots Program by watching this video.

Proceeds from each sale of Rishi Tea's new Masala Chai Concentrate are donated to Roots & Shoots.

Jane Goodall's Roots & Shoots from The Jane Goodall Institute on Vimeo.

Brewing up a New Chai in support of the Jane Goodall Institute

2010-02-10T13:44:00.007-06:00

We are absolutely thrilled to launch our new Masala Chai Concentrate! The new chai is an improvement upon our previous formula for a few different reasons: the flavors are richer and deeper, the packaging is more environmentally friendly and will take less fuel to ship it around the globe, and most importantly, we’ve partnered with the Jane Goodall Institute! Proceeds from each sale of the concentrate benefit Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots Program.

Jane Goodall has worked for almost fifty years to protect animals, habitats and communities around the globe. The Roots& Shoots Program that she founded in 1991 is a youth-driven, global network of more than 8,000 groups in almost 100 countries. Together, youth from around the globe take action to improve our world through service learning projects that promote care and concern for animals, the environment and the human community.

Rishi Tea’s Masala Chai Concentrate is an organic and Fair Trade Certified™ microbrewed blend of energizing spices and rich vanilla infused with a full-bodied single origin forest grown black tea. Unlike other companies that use soluble tea and flavor extracts, we use traditional Indian spices that are slow brewed for more than 20 hours and ethically sourced, wild-grown black tealeaves from an ancient tea tree forest.

The Fair Trade black tea is harvested in Yunnan, China’s Mannong and Manmai villages, and helps support more than 220 families living and working in the villages. Ancient wild-grown forest tea comes from a sustainable, biologically diverse ecosystem. Less than 2% of the world’s tea is harvested in such a low impact and truly organic manner.

Joshua, Rishi Tea founder and tea buyer shares “Our Masala Chai goes above and beyond its organic and Fair Trade certifications. Promoting biodiversity, preserving soil and species and preventing erosion is critical to sustaining the environment but few large-scale tea farms work to this aim. Rishi’s direct trade of sustainable forest tea is a market driven solution for environmental conservation and pairs well with what the Roots & Shoots Program is all about.”

Rishi Tea’s organic, Fair Trade and Kosher Certified Masala Chai Concentrate is also fat free, gluten free and vegan. It’s available at Whole Foods for $5.99 and will be available at www.rishi-tea.com soon!

Gyokuro Yame

2010-02-02T14:01:00.015-06:00

Joshua is the guest speaker for Breville's Food Thinkers blog. This is his second post for them, this month's feature is Gyokuro Yame.

It’s so cold and depressing. When is winter going to end? I spend a great deal of my time in the sub-tropical heat of Southeast Asia. When I come back to my frozen homeland (Mid-Western, USA) this time of year, I often find myself complaining like this. When I feel that down and blasé mood creeping up on me, I call upon the uplifting powers of GyoKuro.

This green tea called GyoKuro (Precious Jade Dew) is amazing! Not only does it have a super kick like espresso, its energy lasts longer and does not lead to a caffeine crash.

In Japan, Gyokuro is regarded as a natural anti-depressant due to its high content of the amino acid, L-theanine, which only exists in tealeaves. Amongst all the types of tea, Matcha and GyoKuro have the most L-theanine. It is this cold and dreary time of year when I consume the most Matcha and GyoKuro.

Now, I’ve been traveling around Asia for the past 14 years and I am a strong adherent to the Taoist philosophy of Yin & Yangand the concept of seasonal food. Many like minds would claim that green tea is too Yin or cooling for this time of year and that one should be drinking Pu-erh, black tea or heavier fermented and roasted oolong teas that are more warm and potent in property (Yang). I totally agree with this theory but I argue that Gyokuro is an unusual green tea that is suited to this cold weather season and one should not avoid Gyokuro during the winter, rather embrace it. Here’s why:

#1 Scientists claim that a lack of sun and very cold weather is naturally depressing. The L-theanine in Gyokuro is a natural anti-depressant and a neural-stimulator. Its consumption leads to the production of increased Alpha Brain waves. Of the 5 brain waves, alpha brain waves trigger endorphins (energetic happy vibes) and dopamine (chill out vibes). Coupled with the caffeine in Gyokuro, the L-theanine stimulated alpha brainwaves lead to a unique, long lived uplifted mental state that one can describe as a calm state of alert and focus kind of like how a Kung Fu master must feel or what Rishi-ites and the ancient Tang Dynasty poets refer to as “Tea Drunk”.

#2 Gyokuro is not all that cold (Yin) as a green tea. Gyokuro tea bushes are shaded during cultivation. This shading blocks the production of catechin, which is the major cooling property in green tea and it is this shading that enhances the yield of L-theanine in Gyokuro. The shading produces a unique green tea that is low in cooling catechin but rich in caffeine and uplifting L-theanine.

Joshua with young Goko varietal bushes destined for future Gyokuro.

As a professional tea taster and seasonal food lover, I drink green tea during its fresh harvest season. Most green teas have a short shelf life and after December of each year they start to show their age quite dramatically. Contrary to the rule of green tea, Gyokuro is the one green tea that must, by tradition, be matured and aged a bit before consumption. Real Gyokuro is harvested in June, aged until late October and released in November. Gyokuro is at its best 6-9 months after harvest. I would say February is a great time to enjoy Gyokuro for its flavor and its complimentary seasonal benefit.

Rishi Tea & Theo Chocolate Pairing

2010-01-26T15:08:00.056-06:00

Few things in life pair more perfectly than tea and chocolate. That’s why we’ve paired up with Theo Chocolate, the first and only organic and Fair Trade chocolate factory in the country. Theo appreciates origin as much as we do; buying direct from cacao farmers and grower cooperatives and creating small batch artisan chocolate produced both ethically and sustainably.

Our friends at Theo sent us a box filled with beautiful and equally delicious chocolates which we tasted and paired with a few of our favorite teas. The assortment of creative and tempting chocolates made us giggle with excitement and proved to be one of the best ways to spend a Friday evening.

Theo’s beautifully presented Aphrodisiac Collection features 8 unique confections created with herbs and spices recognized for their aphrodisiac qualities. Each confection is a handmade masterpiece containing imaginative ingredients that achieve their intended goal of arousing and enticing the taster.

Instead of pairing each confection to a particular tea, we narrowed down two teas that complemented the entire set. Golden Yunnan and our new Pu-erh blend, Vanilla Mint were both perfect matches. Their naturally sweet and subtle spicy flavor profiles provided the right amount of character without overpowering any of the unique chocolates. The peppermint in Vanilla Mint also added a very pleasant cooling sensation that lingered on the palate.

Theo's creamy and delicious Jane Goodall Milk Chocolate Bar (45% cocoa) and Dark Chocolate Bar (75%) also paired perfectly with both Pu-erh Vanilla Mint and Golden Yunnan. Surprisingly, we found Organic Sencha, a Japanese green tea with deep grassy flavor and juicy mouthfeel to nicely complement the Dark Chocolate. The vegetal profile refreshes and enhances the rich cocoa while simultaneously cleansing the palate.

Next was Milk Chocolate with Pink Peppercorn & Cherry – creamy milk chocolate with bits of cherry and peppercorn that evokes both sweet and spicy. Our Cinnamon Plum both enhances the fruity sweetness and cools the peppery spice from the chocolate - a great match.

Dark Chocolate with Ginger Rose is rich dark chocolate infused with essential rose oil and candied ginger. As huge fans of both rose and ginger (see Wild Rose and Pu-erh Ginger tea), we found this bar to be one of our favorites. Osthmanthus Silver Needle was amazing paired with this bar. The osthmanthus blossoms and nectar like sweetness from the Silver Needle white tea enhanced the floral notes from the rose while cooling the heat from the ginger.

Try your own Rishi Tea and Theo Chocolate pairing! Email us your pairing recommendations to rishimarketing@rishi-tea.com by February 15^th for a chance to win our new Tsuki Teapot! We will choose one winner based on their recommended pairings and pairing descriptions. Good luck!

Rishi Tea & Clean Water Fund Team Up

2009-11-24T13:16:00.010-06:00

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

2009-11-17T13:20:00.003-06:00

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

2009-11-09T09:34:00.003-06:00

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

2009-09-14T16:17:00.003-05:00

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!

2009-09-08T12:36:00.018-05:00

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!

2009-09-04T13:35:00.009-05:00

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!

2009-08-10T11:40:00.009-05:00

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!

Pairing Tea & Cheese

2009-08-06T09:46:00.010-05:00

Wisconsin made Blue Cheese with Rishi's Organic Cinnamon Plum

The story of how I became interested in a cheese and tea tasting goes back about one year. While walking to our hotel after an amazing day of serving tea at Slow Food Nation we happened to bump into Sebbie, the iconic figure on the Rogue Chocolate Stout bottle. We shared a cab and have been friends ever since. Sebbie knows just about everyone there is to know in the specialty food business. While at the artisanal cheese, wine and beer tasting in New York, she recommended I introduce myself to Clark Wolf, one of the top cheese gurus out there. I yanked on my coworker Todd’s sleeve and made him accompany me on my way over to Clark.

With an amazing Juniper Berry Rogue in hand, we walked over giggling nervously like silly school girls (if you know Todd, you know he loves to giggle). Clark was as great as Sebbie had explained. To our great surprise, he expressed that cheese is better paired with tea than with wine! That statement alone blew me away and resonated all the way back to Milwaukee.

When I think of a cheese tasting, I think of a long table with wooden cutting boards, funky cheese accouterments and grapes draped all around, complete with cheeseheads holding glasses of wine.

With that vision in mind I contacted Jeanette Hurt, a food writer and avid Rishi Tea fan who just so happened to be writing a story on cheese for an upcoming issue of Fresh Cup Magazine. She was immediately on board for the tasting.

My next stop was Whole Foods where I picked up 5 different Wisconsin made cheeses to pair with 6 teas. Jeanette was bringing the crackers, honey, cocoa nibs and the infamous grapes I kept picturing when envisioning a traditional cheese tasting.

Sean, our Art Director and Assistant Tea Buyer helped me arrange the cupping sets and brew the tea. The following notes reflect the unbelievably decadent cheeses we had the pleasure of pairing with tea. What a tasting experience!

Cheeses in order of tasting:

Chevre

Marieke Gouda

Hooks 3 yr Cheddar
Sarvecchio
Carr Valley Mobay
Hooks Blue Cheese

Teas:

White Peony

Jasmine Green Tea

Houjicha

Feng Huang Dancong “Ba Xian"

Golden Yunnan

Cinnamon Plum

Tasting highlights:

You take the cheese in your mouth and spread it all the way down your tongue and then take the drink of tea. The tea coats your mouth and the cheese. Next breathe and inhale the aroma lingering in your mouth.

Jasmine Tea went with just about every cheese. It was unbelievable how versatile it is and how well it balanced the cheese without overpowering it.

Jeanette added cocoa nibs and honey to the fresh goat cheese or Chevre. It was amazing! That paired really well with Golden Yunnan, bringing out the sweet caramel notes of the rich black tea.

Blue cheese is often paired with port or a very thick, juicy and sweet wine so it made perfect sense to choose Cinnamon Plum for this pairing. It was amazing. We scooped up blue cheese into porcelain tasting spoons and drank the sweet notes of Cinnamon Plum that coated our throats with deliciously rich fruit.

White Peony went really well with the goat cheese that Jeannette blended with honey. The honey in the goat cheese brought out some really nice honeysuckle nectar-like notes in the White Peony. It made me fell in love with White Peony all over again.

Jeanette taught me an old trick: to crack fresh pepper onto cheese in order to bridge the cheese to the wine (or beverage it is partnered with). We tried the technique with Golden Yunnan and Gouda. What an amazing match it was! The pepper brought out really nice spicy and malty notes in the Golden Yunnan.

It was really interesting to see how pepper, honey, cocoa nibs and crackers acted as a bridge from the cheese to the tea and vice versa.

The tasting was a huge success. I learned a lot about cheese and at the same time had the chance to share my passion for tea with Jeanette, a passion that will continue to grow.

NessAlla Kombucha

2009-07-29T10:05:00.008-05:00

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

2009-07-21T17:29:00.006-05:00

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!

2009-07-16T12:23:00.014-05:00

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!

2009-06-23T11:16:00.006-05:00

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

2009-06-17T10:27:00.006-05:00

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

2009-05-22T15:30:00.006-05:00

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!

2009-05-06T17:12:00.004-05:00

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

2009-05-01T17:55:00.008-05:00

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

2009-04-24T15:29:00.007-05:00

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

2009-04-13T10:57:00.019-05:00

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

2009-04-09T10:52:00.008-05:00

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!

2009-03-31T12:24:00.002-05:00

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)

2009-03-17T17:25:00.063-05:00

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

2009-03-10T14:35:00.012-05:00

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!

2009-03-05T17:22:00.014-06:00

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

2009-03-02T17:34:00.004-06:00

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

2009-02-19T09:28:00.005-06:00

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

2009-02-18T14:54:00.004-06:00

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!

2009-02-17T10:45:00.004-06:00

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!

2009-02-16T16:21:00.007-06:00

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

2009-02-13T12:27:00.002-06:00

Jason from Walker Tea Review gives high reviews to our Organic Silver Needle white tea! Watch the video for a detailed tea tasting and review.

Rishi Tea - new members of Green America!

2009-01-30T12:41:00.001-06:00

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

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!

2009-01-30T11:47:00.002-06:00

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

2009-01-23T17:13:00.002-06:00

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!

2009-01-22T13:58:00.004-06:00

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!!!!

2009-01-20T09:56:00.007-06:00

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!

2009-01-16T15:01:00.003-06:00

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

Rishi Tea gets Fancy!

2009-01-16T12:14:00.001-06:00

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!