Strong Earl Grey

The bright, vibrant hibiscus blossom is recognized in many parts of the world as much for its gorgeous petal displays and cultural significance as for the splendidly sweet and tangy taste of the herbal tea it produces. In Hawaii, for instance, a woman who wears the hibiscus flower behind her left ear is indicating that she would like to take a lover, while one who wears it behind her right has already been claimed. One who wears it behind both, however, may present a bit of a quandary to the potential man, or else a laid-back dream come true: she already has one lover, but wouldn’t mind another.

“CHIIIIIIIIYE!“CHIIIIIIIIIIYE!“It’s a constant call riding the trains of India, a hoot from the side of the street, a jeer that’ll grab your attention no matter where you roam in the country...

ROY-bus. Though it make not look like it, next time you walk into your favorite tea shop, it’s the right way to ask for a cup of that yummy “rooibos” stuff. But the way you say it’s just the start—Rooibos, that deliciously sweet herbal blend that seems to be cropping up at every tea (and now, coffee!) shop has got a pretty sweet story, too.

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.

Everybody's feeling a little Irish this month, why not enjoy an Irish cuppa?

If you want to up your tea game, water temperature is a good place to start. Together with tea quality and steeping time, water temperature is one of the most important factors involved in brewing a perfect cup of tea.

Once considered a great rarity in the West, tea is now about as commonplace as earth or air. Like both, however, it has the ability to be ordinary and humdrum, or – as is the case with our artisanal Canadian tea company’s Wuyi Rock Oolong – to be rare, uplifting, and inspired.

It is a rare and special tea that comes from land tradtionally associated with coffee. Los Andes is just such a tea, grown on a Guatemalan nature reserve that rests in the shadows of the volcano of Atitlán. The nature reserve is home to abundant plants and wildlife, including Guatemala's national bird, the Resplendent Quetzal.