Strawberry Green Fields

Really titled Field, and not Fields, but it was the inspiration for John Lennon to write the song of the same name while on vacation in Almeria Spain. It is said that he and his young friends Nigel Whalley, Pete Shotton and Ivan Vaughan used to bunk over the wall and play in the grounds of this home for deprived children, where they'd pick up empty lemonade bottles after garden parties and take them back to get the one penny refunds. John said he felt a kinship with the kids who lived there, as his childhood was not one growing up with both parents present. When he left us, a memorial of the same name was created in Central Park NY which is attended daily by global fans in tribute.

INFORMATION:
Long Island has been famous for its strawberries for as long as people have lived there. Local history books describe people going on picnics and nature hikes to pick the wild berries as far back as the 1850's - and that's only recorded history. Archaeological records show that the Native Americans who inhabited Long Island centuries ago were also fond of the sweet summertime fruit.

After the Civil War, commercial farming on Long Island began to develop rapidly. Among the new cash crops was the wild strawberry. It didn't hurt that the local farms were generally within a day's drive of New York City. Farmers began hauling their produce to markets around the City, spreading the word about the exceptional Long Island quality. The strawberry's popularity grew quickly and as time wore on, and car culture began to develop, roadside fruit stands popped up to cater to city folk partaking in the new found pleasure of the country drive. To this day a journey out to Long Island will take you past many such stands and pick-your-own berry patches.

After experimenting with a number of teas, a Sencha style green from Hunan, China was chosen. The reason? It's a perfect match for the sweet flavor of strawberries. Green tea forgoes the fermentation process required to produce black tea. The leaf is steamed after plucking, then bruised either by machine or by hand. After that it's pan or basket fired, leaving it with a distinctive glossy look and light sweetish flavor - an almost perfect match for the strawberry in terms of character profile.

Blended together, the combination of strawberry flavoring and green tea produces a cup that is light and fresh, tempered with delicate notes of juicy sweet strawberry. (The juiciness has been further enhanced by the addition of dried papaya pieces.) Brew yourself a pot today and dream of a relaxing cruise through the countryside. A fabulous tea! Strawberry Fields FOREVER.

Contents: 18 pyramid tea bags to make 36 splendid cups of tea.