Tea Stories
Angie to be on launch of new show on 101.3FM on Tue. Feb. 24th Feb February 21 2015
I am excited to have been invited to be one of the first guests on the launch of this new worldwide radio show, when I will be chatting about tea and other things with Jenn Findley at 1 p.m. Pacific time. Don't forget to tune in. She will have several fun guests.Angie & Ruth on the Jude Southerland Kessler show, 26 Feb. February 20 2015
This week Angie and Ruth will be guests on The John Lennon Hour on http://www/BlogTalkRadio,com with host Jude Southerland Kessler, author of The John Lennon Series. Tune in at 9pmET to hear the fun and merriment, or call in LIVE at 646-668-2641 talk to Angie or Ruth or both! We'll all be sipping Angie's excellent 50 Shades of Grey Tea, so there's no telling what we'll do! We'll supply you with a link later this week! 'Til then, t'rah and shine on!Angie on www.hippieradio945.com, Sunday 22nd February February 19 2015
There will be a repeat of my chat with Richard Courtney (originally broadcast on 8th February) on Sunday, 22nd February at 9:00 a.m. Central time (7:00 a.m. Pacific).www.hippieradio945.com
KTLA Channel 5 - Doug Kolk February 12 2015
They aired my Mrs McCartney's Tea segment at 10:24 p.m. and I received my first order for 5 packs of tea at 10:36 p.m. How's that for the power of Television, and especially KTLA 5. Doug did me proud, thanks, and gave a shout out to the Linda McCartney Breast Cancer Research Centre in Liverpool, I am so grateful. I guess I'm officially on the night shift now.Angie in February 12 2015
Angie featured in The Argonaut February 12 2015
Michael Aushenker gave me a very nice write up in The Argonaut today, mainly about my 50 Shades of Earl Grey, but touching on several aspects of my life, past, present and future, and with a shout out for some of our local watering holes in Playa del Rey. And showing off my nice china Queen Elizabeth teapot too.Angie on the radio from Nashville with Richard Courtenay Sunday 8 Feb. February 07 2015
I will be chatting with Richard about tea, and other things, at 9 a.m. Central time, Sunday morning on www.hippieradio 94.5.com50 Shades of Earl Grey - again! February 07 2015
One is having so much fun with this flavour right now - I wonder why. There's even a book called "50 Shames..." And even dear Patrick Stewart has a photo online, reading 50 Shades of Grey. Press, radio and TV interest. I wonder what else the coming week might have in store, with the release of the allegedly naughty movie? Thank you all for your interest. I am mailing a check to the Linda McCartney Breast Cancer Research Centre in Liverpool today.L.A. Business Journal Feature February 04 2015
50 Shades of Earl Grey February 04 2015
It seems that my interview for The Los Angeles Business Journal last week has sparked quite a bit of interest. I am invited to have my "portrait" done on Friday by a prominent photographer and documentarian, and there is interest from my favourite local TV Station (I'll tell you more when it is confirmed). Then a few of local publications want to do a piece about my highly satisfying tea, and also radio. So just when I think I have more or less reached my sell-by date, it's all happening. What could be next - Shark Tank?The Teas ~ Organic, Fair Trade & Fab! February 01 2015
The Teas ~ Organic, Fair Trade & Fab!
Angie is featuring a myriad of fab flavours of Organic and Fair Trade Teas for you to enjoy - you can find them by clicking on the "Shoppe" above and each purchase will directly benefit the Linda McCartney Breast Cancer Research Centre in Liverpool , UK. We have STRONG Irish Breakfast (be warned, your spoon might stand up in the cup); 50 Shades of Earl Grey (if you're feeling naughtea); Strawberry Green Fields (forever); Blueberry Royale (for that Buckingham Palace feeling); South African Rooibos with Herbs de Provence (if South Africa and Southern France had a baby this would be it!); GenMaiSencha (a green tea with a cheeky little toasted puffy rice) and if you just can't decide, then we can send you a Variety Pack of all six splendid comestibles for you to pick your favorite.
Tea Terminology - Did You Know? January 01 2015
Grade terminology
Choppy contains many leaves of various sizes.
Fannings: are small particles of tea leaves used almost exclusively in tea bags.
Flowery: consists of large leaves, typically plucked in the second or third flush with an abundance of tips.
Golden Flowery: includes very young tips or buds (usually golden in colour) that were picked early in the season.
Tippy: includes an abundance of tips.
Whole leaf grades
The grades for whole leaf orthodox black tea are: Ceylon orange pekoe (OP) grades'
OP1—slightly delicate, long, wiry leaf with the light liquor
OPA—bold, long leaf tea which ranges from tightly wound to almost open
OP—main grade, in the middle between OP1 and OPA, can consist of long wiry leaf without tips
OP Superior—primarily from Indonesia, similar to OP
Flowery OP—high-quality tea with a long leaf and few tips, considered the second grade in Assam, Dooars, and Bangladesh teas, but the first grade in China
F OP1—as above, but with only the highest quality leaves in the FOP classification
Golden Flowery OP1—higher proportion of tip than FOP top grade in Milima and Marinyn regions, uncommon in Assam and Darjeeling
Tippy Golden F OP—the highest proportion of tip, main grade in Darjeeling and Assam
TGF OP1—as above, but with only the highest quality leaves in the TGFOP classification
Finest TGF OP—highest quality grade (Note: "Special" is occasionally substituted for "Finest", with a number 1 at the end to indicate the very finest), often hand processed and produced at only the best plantations, roughly one quarter tips
SFTGFOP(1)—sometimes used to indicate the very finest
A joke among tea aficionados is that "FTGFOP" stands for "Far Too Good For Ordinary People".
New Branding Deck for Distributors November 19 2014
If you are interested in distributing or licensing our teas in your territory, please click here to download the PDF deck with background information, flavour details and contact information.
Thanks and bottoms up!
Rockstar Rescue October 22 2014
Announcing our brand new flavour!
Rockstar Rescue is specifically crafted to soothe your throat and calm you down after an adrenaline soaked performance on stage or off. Having had tea with so many performing artists, Angie has decided it's time for some good 'ol soothing and healing after a long night out.
Calming, with chamomile in abundance. Mild licorice delivers a refreshing light finish. Luxury Ingredients: Rooibos, Chamomile, Linden + Passion flower petals, Lemon balm + Lemon Verbena leaves, Anise, Cinnamon, Orange pieces and oat petals. Great with "a taste of honey" or agave nectar.
Tea(s) From: Egypt / South Africa / Bulgaria / Germany / Vietnam
Region(s): Nile River Delta / Cederberg S. Africa / Ludogorie / Black Forest, Germany / Mekong Delta
Antioxidant Level: Low
Caffeine Content: None - Caffeine Free Herb
The Boston Tea Party August 21 2014
In Boston Harbor, a group of Massachusetts colonists disguised as Mohawk Indians board three British tea ships and dump 342 chests of tea into the harbor.
The midnight raid, popularly known as the "Boston Tea Party," was in protest of the British Parliament's Tea Act of 1773, a bill designed to save the faltering East India Company by greatly lowering its tea tax and granting it a virtual monopoly on the American tea trade. The low tax allowed the East India Company to undercut even tea smuggled into America by Dutch traders, and many colonists viewed the act as another example of taxation tyranny.
When three tea ships, the Dartmouth, the Eleanor, and the Beaver, arrived in Boston Harbor, the colonists demanded that the tea be returned to England. After Massachusetts Governor Thomas Hutchinson refused, Patriot leader Samuel Adams organized the "tea party" with about 60 members of the Sons of Liberty, his underground resistance group. The British tea dumped in Boston Harbor on the night of December 16 was valued at some $18,000.
Parliament, outraged by the blatant destruction of British property, enacted the Coercive Acts, also known as the Intolerable Acts, in 1774. The Coercive Acts closed Boston to merchant shipping, established formal British military rule in Massachusetts, made British officials immune to criminal prosecution in America, and required colonists to quarter British troops. The colonists subsequently called the first Continental Congress to consider a united American resistance to the British.
How Tea Came To Britain August 21 2014
When tea first arrived in Britain it was brought from China in huge, tall ships called Tea Clippers. It would take the ships over a year to make the long crossing from China to England. Indeed the pressure to get tea to Britain that led to the glorious age of sail and Clipper ships were some of the most beautiful and fastest sailing ships ever built. They had wonderful names like 'Ariel', "The Flying Dutchman', "The Fiery Cross' and
"The Stornoway', and used to race against each other to see who would get home and unload first. These great epic voyages ended with the invention of steam-powered boats at the end of the 19th century and with the opening of the Suez Canal.
Taking tea was considered a very special affair. The water for the tea would be boiled at the table by the mistress of the house using a large silver water kettle or urn. The tea would be kept under lock and key in a wooden tea caddy and was carefully measured into a teapot when needed.
Everything Stops For Tea August 21 2014
In Great Britain, everything did stop for tea throughout the first half of the 1900s as British workers took their tea break. By 1900, tea was the drink of the working classes.
The provision of tea in the workplace was now recognized as almost essential to the employees’ welfare. In 1916, the Ministry of Munitions Health Committee stated in a booklet on Hours of Work: “An opportunity for tea is regarded as beneficial both to health and output.” When Minister of Labour Ernest Bevin addressed the Works Management Association in London on September 1940, he told his audience:
“I arranged with a great firm to carry out an experiment for me.… I asked them to adopt rigidly the hours I have set down in the circular I had issued; to give ten minutes break in the morning, ten minutes break in the afternoon, with refreshment. The men had to work till seven at night and then there was a very long journey home, so I asked the management to send round barrows of tea at six o’clock in the evening and to see the result …. Now when that experiment I asked for had been going on for a month, I asked the director of the firm if he wanted to give it up and he said, ‘Not on your life. I have made too much out of it because of the increased productivity.’”
By 1943, over 10,000 factory canteens were making sure that workers received decent food and plenty of cups of tea to keep them going through their long wartime shifts.
Out of those first official tea breaks sprang the tea trolley, pushed along corridors and up and down office aisles by the ubiquitous “tea lady,” so familiar in factories and offices in the 1950s and 1960s. The Industrial Welfare Society and the Home Office advised in 1925 that “it will save much time if the drinks are prepared in the canteen and sent round the works by means of trolleys.
But the 1960s saw the gradual disappearance of the tea lady and the introduction of vending machines in the workplace. The drink that gushed into plastic or paper cups tasted more of cardboard than of tea, reflecting the problems of successfully brewing tea inside a convenience machine. Many employers opted for coffee or hot chocolate or sensibly organized the provision of kettles and teabags in the office kitchen.
Famous Tea Quotes August 21 2014
“Tea! Bless ordinary everyday afternoon tea!”
― Agatha Christie
“You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.”
― C.S. Lewis
“I say let the world go to hell, but I should always have my tea.”
― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Notes from Underground
“My hour for tea is half-past five, and my buttered toast waits for nobody.”
― Wilkie Collins, The Woman in White
“Take some more tea," the March Hare said to Alice, very earnestly.
"I've had nothing yet," Alice replied in an offended tone, "so I can't take more."
"You mean you can't take less," said the Hatter: "it's very easy to take more than nothing."
"Nobody asked your opinion," said Alice.”
― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland
“In Ireland, you go to someone's house, and she asks you if you want a cup of tea. You say no, thank you, you're really just fine. She asks if you're sure. You say of course you're sure, really, you don't need a thing. Except they pronounce it ting. You don't need a ting. Well, she says then, I was going to get myself some anyway, so it would be no trouble. Ah, you say, well, if you were going to get yourself some, I wouldn't mind a spot of tea, at that, so long as it's no trouble and I can give you a hand in the kitchen. Then you go through the whole thing all over again until you both end up in the kitchen drinking tea and chatting. In America, someone asks you if you want a cup of tea, you say no, and then you don't get any damned tea.
I liked the Irish way better.”
― C.E. Murphy, Urban Shaman
“A cup of tea would restore my normality."
[Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Screenplay]”
― Douglas Adams
“Okay, this is the wisdom. First, time spent on reconnaissanse is never wasted. Second, almost anything can be improved with the addition of bacon. And finally, there is no problem on Earth that can't be ameliorated by a hot bath and a cup of tea.”
― Jasper Fforde, Shades of Grey
“When tea becomes ritual, it takes its place at the heart of our ability to see greatness in small things. Where is beauty to be found? In great things that, like everything else, are doomed to die, or in small things that aspire to nothing, yet know how to set a jewel of infinity in a single moment?”
― Muriel Barbery, The Elegance of the Hedgehog
“There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.”
― Henry James, The Portrait of a Lady
“If you are cold, tea will warm you;
if you are too heated, it will cool you;
If you are depressed, it will cheer you;
If you are excited, it will calm you.”
― William Ewart Gladstone
The Health Benefits of Tea August 21 2014
Health Benefits of Tea: Green, Black, and White Tea
WebMD
Tea is a name given to a lot of brews, but purists consider only green tea, black tea, white tea, oolong tea, and pu-erh tea the real thing. They are all derived from the Camellia sinensis plant, a shrub native to China and India, and contain unique antioxidants called flavonoids. The most potent of these, known as ECGC, may help against free radicals that can contribute to cancer, heart disease, and clogged arteries.
All these teas also have caffeine and theanine, which affect the brain and seem to heighten mental alertness.
The more processed the tea leaves, usually the less polyphenol content. Polyphenols include flavonoids. Oolong and black teas are oxidized or fermented, so they have lower concentrations of polyphenols than green tea; but their antioxidizing power is still high.
Here's what some studies have found about the potential health benefits of tea:
Green tea: Made with steamed tea leaves, it has a high concentration of EGCG and has been widely studied. Green tea’s antioxidants may interfere with the growth of bladder, breast, lung, stomach, pancreatic, and colorectal cancers; prevent clogging of the arteries, burn fat, counteract oxidative stress on the brain, reduce risk of neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, reduce risk of stroke, and improve cholesterol levels.
Black tea: Made with fermented tea leaves, black tea has the highest caffeine content and forms the basis for flavored teas like chai, along with some instant teas. Studies have shown that black tea may protect lungs from damage caused by exposure to cigarette smoke. It also may reduce the risk of stroke.
White tea: Uncured and unfermented. One study showed that white tea has the most potent anticancer properties compared to more processed teas.
Oolong tea: In an animal study, those given antioxidants from oolong tea were found to have lower bad cholesterol levels. One variety of oolong, Wuyi, is heavily marketed as a weight loss supplement, but science hasn’t backed the claims.
Pu-erh tea: Made from fermented and aged leaves. Considered a black tea, its leaves are pressed into cakes. One animal study showed that animals given pu-erh had less weight gain and reduced LDL cholesterol.
9 Amazing Beauty Benefits Of Tea August 21 2014
9 Amazing Beauty Benefits Of Tea
The Huffington Post | By Dana Oliver
As the temps turn colder, we're exchanging our iced coffees for herbal teas. Sipping on the hot drink instantly brings a sense of calm to a hectic day. But did you know that you could brew a cup of tea for homemade beauty recipes?
Teas, including green, black and red, have been used to improve the overall health and appearance of skin and hair for centuries. Rich in antioxidants and anti-aging and anti-inflammatory properties, tea is one of the most powerful grocery store staples that can be used topically. Here are nine amazing beauty benefits of tea.
1. Adds shine to dull, lackluster hair. A hair rinse using green or black tea will boost brassy and blah strands. Simply steep tea bags in boiling water for 15 minutes and allow to cool for a few hours or overnight. Pour it onto freshly-washed hair and leave on for ten minutes. Be sure to shampoo and condition afterwards to seal in the shine.
2. Soothes sunburns. Missed a spot with the sunscreen and ended up with a sunburn? Cold compresses made out of tea bags can relieve pain and reduce redness. The girls over at The Beauty Department have this guide to using black tea bags and old T-shirts to treat sunburns.
3. Minimizes bug bites. We love laying out in the grass, but we sure hate mosquito bites. To take down the sting and bumps, apply a used cold chamomile tea bag directly to the area and relax.
4. Reduces puffy eyes and dark under-eye circles. Another reason not to toss out your used bags of Earl Grey. One of the many beauties we met on the streets of New York City swears by this cheap puffy eye treatment. The caffeine helps to shrink blood vessels underneath the skin and eliminate darkness around the eye area.
5. Rids smelly feet odor. Stanky feet and Chanel No. 5 just don't mix. Instead, strip off your shoes and socks and soak your feet in a cool solution made out of boiled tea. The tannic acid in tea is both antibacterial and antifungal, so it stops feet from sweating and smelling funky.
6. Tones and moisturizes dry skin. Spritz cool green tea onto your face (you can also apply it with a cotton ball) twice a day to draw out impurities, shrink large pores and get a healthy glow.
7. Calms skin after shaving. If your legs are itchy and red after shaving, try pressing a cool black tea bag onto your limbs. The tannins work to provide immediate relief from razor burns.
8. Enhances hair color. If you're looking for a chemical-free alternative to dyeing your hair, try using tea. Its staining properties add color to naturally blonde or brunette locks. Holistic Chick breaks down which teas have the best color payoff.
9. Helps to tan skin. Similar to "coloring" hair, rubbing your body with a sponge soaked in black tea or submerging yourself in a tub full of it will enhance tanned skin. Warning: This can get a little sticky and streaky.
English Tea Ceremony August 13 2014
English Tea Ceremony
by: CoffeeAM.com
In 1665 Queen Anne traded her regular breakfast beverage, ale, for tea imported from the Far East and soon began the tradition and ceremony of English tea. By 1700 there were more than 500 coffee houses selling tea in the city of London alone and tea had become an ingrained part of the British culture.
Although tea is the non-official preferred beverage of England, tea ceremonies sadly, have been on the decline. Most of the ceremonies are reserved for special occasions such as weddings or parties or for tourists at fancy hotels like the Ritz. If you are going to England for a special ceremony, I certainly want you well prepared and educated or your first British ceremonial tea!
If you were invited to tea between 3-5pm, you would be invited to “afternoon tea.” Although tea and a piece of cake in the late afternoon is still very common, due to work schedules of the modern day, afternoon tea is mostly reserved for special occasions. Afternoon tea began in the 1800’s when the Duchess of Bedford couldn’t wait until 8 or 9pm for dinner to be served without feeling overwhelmingly hungry. Tea and bread with butter was enough to tie her over and she enjoyed sharing it with her high society friends. Soon enough, to be invited for Afternoon tea was the invite all the British ladies desired.
Sometimes called “Low tea” Afternoon tea was served on low coffee or side tables around couches or love seats and usually took place in a sitting room.
High tea is a phrase I think most Americans are familiar with but possibly for the wrong reason. It isn’t because it is served at high noon, or because it is for high society, it is because they drank their tea on high tables! Served between 5-6pm after workers return home, high tea is not a snack, but rather replaces dinner with hot meats, fish, eggs and cheese being served along side the tea. Also called the not so eloquent “meat tea” High tea is much more a man’s meal than a ladies social call, certainly not the way American’s picture high tea!
So, suppose you were invited to an afternoon tea, let’s talk about the do’s and don’t and the ins and out’s of tea etiquette. Placing your thumb at the 6 o’clock position and your index and middle fingers at 12 o’clock should lift a cup without a handle. Slowly lift and tilt using you extended curved pinkie finger for balance. A cup with a handle is not for you to slide your index finger through! Imagine the whole wasn’t there and hold the front and the back of the handle again, using the pinkie finger for balance. Never wrap your hands around the cup or set the cup in the palm of your hand.
A spoon may be used to stir your tea and it should be done in a sweeping, circular wave like motion two or three times quietly without clinking the teacup. After you have stirred, place your spoon on the right side of the saucer. Your cup should also remain on the saucer when not at your lips. The tea will almost always be a gourmet loose leaf black tea made by the host and will be served with options of milk, sugar and lemon slices.
Food placed on a tiered stand is to be eaten in a certain order, from top to bottom. The top of the tier stand will have scones, in the middle tea sandwiches and on the bottom sweets. Start at the top and deliciously work you way down to the bottom tier.
Although it seems with schedules getting more and more hectic teatime isn’t what it used to be, but it is still a celebrated event and certainly time honored. I hope, now that you are prepared, you are able to relish in a British tea ceremony soon as either a guest or as the hostess. And as Henry James once said, “There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.”
The History of Tea August 13 2014
Little did Chinese Emperor Shen Nung realize that in 2737 B.C., when dried leaves blew into his cup of hot water, the beverage he discovered would cause sensations around the world. The pleasant aroma and refreshing taste enchanted him and soon everyone in the realm was drinking tea.
Tea continued to travel throughout the Orient and it was during the time of the European explorers tea made its cultural broad jump. The East India Tea Company brought tea into Holland but its prohibitive cost of $100 per pound kept tea as a rich man's beverage.
In 1650, Peter Stuyvesant brought tea to the American colonists in New Amsterdam, later called New York. Soon the colonists were drinking more tea than all England. Today, Americans drink 180 million cups and glasses of tea per day.
In England, tea gardens, ornate outdoor events with fancy food and tea, fireworks and gambling, seemed to sprout up overnight as entertainment centers of the day and many British enjoyed the festivities offered there. To recover extensive expenses from the French and Indian War, England levied a huge tax on tea imported to the colonies, mistakenly believing the colonists were so hooked on it they'd pay anything to keep their supply coming in. One night, the men of Boston dressed as Indians, crept aboard the ships docked in the Boston harbor, and threw the expensive tea cargo overboard. England reacted by having a raging fit, closing Boston's port and sending Royal troops into occupation of Boston. Because of this, colonists met to discuss these events and declared a revolution. They say you want a revolution? Now that's what we call a Tea Party!
Linda McCartney Centre August 12 2014
A portion of your contribution from your splendid purchase goes to the Linda McCartney Breast Cancer Research Centre in Liverpool, U.K.
The Linda McCartney Centre began its life as a nursing college when the Royal Liverpool University Hospital was built in the 70s but, once nurse training was transferred to John Moores University, the centre became under-utilised.
The aim of the Linda McCartney Centre
Statistics show there will be an increasing number of people that will use the centre in future years. With the continued support it receives from individuals, businesses and other organisations, the aim is to maintain the centre’s position at the forefront of innovative treatment and care.
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