African Mint

With the revival of the of tea comes rumors and myths about this incredible beverage... Part 1

Before doing your tea gift shopping, check out this post!

Mint: not only something to brush your teeth with or adorn the tea tables of old ladies playing bridge. This delicious Old World herb has a myriad of uses in cuisine, herbology and medicine, and popular mythology.

In celebration of Hot Tea Month and to help combat the dark and chilly days of winter, we asked our Tea Sommelier, Alicja, for her top five winter warmers from the Shanti Collection

Whether you want to think outside the bag and switch your tea type to loose-leaf, or already have invested and want to keep your flavor fresh—we’ve put together a quick ‘n easy guide for loose-leaf tea storage. Let your leaves be free!Properly stored tea leaves can retain their freshness for several years, often even longer. Improperly stored tea, however, can lose its flavor and aroma very quickly. There are a few key conditions that you need to be aware of in order to keep your loose leaf tea fresh.

Just a difference of 15 seconds, or a temperature variance of as little as 2 degrees can make the difference between an exquisite cup of tea and an awfully bitter tea experience.

According to legend, the very first dragon appeared to the mythical emperor Fu-Shi in order to right several wrongs that had occurred at the hands of the monster Kung Kung. He was said to have rent a huge hole in the sky, and was a terrible presence who had to be stopped. Luckily the dragon filled in the hole and set the tone for how the world would function for the rest of time. The rhythms by which it lived its life – sleeping, waking, breathing, eating, flying – resulted in the creation of day and night, seasons and weather, and all the familiar patterns we recognize today.

To help you celebrate Hot Tea Month by discovering some new and exciting teas, we asked our Tea Sommelier, Alicja, for her top five picks from the Shanti collection.