GavaTea

02/24/2022

Happy 104th Birthday, Estonia!

As a small nation, Estonia has been fighting for independence throughout its history. It gained independence from Russia in 1918 and then again from the USSR in 1991. This little country has come a long way to become one of the leading digital nations in the world.

Tech aside, did you know that Estonia has brought home a remarkable number of Olympic medal per capita and it's also home to some of the world's most renowned chefs?

What about tea culture you'd ask?

While many cultures will offer guests tea (or coffee) repeatedly until they accept or insist on serving tea regardless of the guests preference, Estonian hosts will assume that no really means no.

So, grab the opportunity when it comes along!

02/22/2022

Happy Tuesday 2/2/22!
Feel like doing something special today?

We made some scones and inaugurated the new porcelain teapot from Victor and Victoria.

What was the lucky tea to be the first teapot pioneer? DRUMROLLS!!!! Nilgiris Oolong from the Red Hills Estate. This tea is so full bodied, mild and ultimately flavorful with sweet floral notes. Perfect to pair with some delicious scones or sugar cookies.

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02/12/2022

Here is sweet and simple way to add a warm tea party break into a family walk or hike (and not only for Valentine’s Day of cause). Making tea together is a wonderful way to help kids learn about the health and wellness benefits of herbs and plants. The ritual of drinking tea together helps to create a moment of quiet and warmth to overcome the chill and heighten your enjoyment of time outside together. Here’s how:

* Plan a walk: Plan an outdoor adventure that makes sense for your group, given weather, distance and the ages of kids
* Brew some tea: Brew a thermos full of decaffeinated herbal tea or a warm beverage of your choice. Some of the ingredients for making tea include:
* Lavender
* Lemon verbena
* Mint
* Thyme
* Chamomile
* Jasmine
* Rosemary
* White pine

* Pack a bag: Grab your thermos, some cups, snacks and even a blanket or two.
* Head outside: Head out on your walk and activate different senses along the way. Take deep sniffs to smell the cool air. Feel the air on your cheeks. Look with your eyes and notice how your outdoor space has changed with the changing season. Stop and listen to what movement (and stillness!) you can hear.
* Have a tea party! When your hike is almost done, stop to enjoy a special treat—an outdoor tea break! To get extra cozy, wrap a blanket around each person—or snuggle up and wrap one blanket around all of you. Pour tea and nibble treats. Notice how the warm cup feels against your hands. If it is cold outside, notice the steam that rises from your cup. Take a moment to appreciate how the tea warms the body from the inside out and how good it tastes after a good outdoor walk.

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02/01/2022

Happy Lunar New Year!

Based off the lunisolar calendar, the lunar new year is the first day of the first lunar month – the second new moon after the winter solstice.

Celebrating the beginning of spring, honoring deities and ancestors with an exhuberant blend of vivid colors, festivities and age-old traditions.

Celebrating with Chinese green tea and Puerh o:)

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01/23/2022

I was never a fan of blends of flavored teas until I tried the creations of our amazingly talented blenders from the Nilgiris!

Want to experiment with blending yourself? High quality tea and ingredients is key to a delicious and healthy blend.

A fun combination of Nilgiris green tea, pea flower, safflower, rose petals and a hint of orange (and a few secret ingredients swished in by the unicorn tail). Brew it to see the magic!

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01/14/2022

Whether you a parent, a busy entrepreneur (or busy anything for that matter), we all can use some self care tips. And even better, if they are tea inspired.

1. Wake up early
Get some me time. Set intention for your day. Meditate. Drink a cup of tea in silence

2. Move your body
Walk the dog. Do yoga. Run. Do squats while your tea is steeping (a little goes a long way)

3. Set boundaries with work
Start early. Focus. Don’t overcommit. Take tea breaks

4. Social media
Follow the positive (like GavaTea maybe?). Set time limits. Don’t compare your life to others

5. Pick your friendships
Filled your life with people who truly love and support you, not those who bring you down. Preferably those who love tea o:)

6. Prioritize yourself
Do what you love. Be true to yourself. Rest when you need it. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

7. Slow down
Life is busy, but rather than spinning the wheels all day, make it a habit to pause, take a few deep breaths, go for a walk and make yourself nice cup of tea.

8. Embrace the outdoors
There is nothing like spending time outside to help you release daily stress and clear your mind. Just a few minutes in a park, a trail, a lake or even walking on a road will make you feel rejuvenated. When you are there, pay attention to the birds chirping, running streams, wind blowing through the trees. Nature is truly magical

9. Have fun
I know, I know, we all have adult responsibilities, but it’s ok to be childish once in a while. Play dress up with your kids, jump on a trampoline, sled and tumble downhill, stomp the muddy puddles. Make a pretend tea party (or a real one)

10. Practice gratitude
Life sure has its hard moments but there is always something to be thankful for. Take a moment to find one thing every day

01/05/2022

I have a confession to make: I’m obsessed with oolong tea!

As a seasonal and mood based tea drinker, fall and winter is when I gravitate towards earthier, bolder and darker teas. Fall is definitely a huge oolong season here, but when winter comes around, I start craving chai, black tea and even the strong red tea dust that I’d drink straight or blend with the spices I have on hand. The hearty coffee-like feel and the higher caffeine content in black teas help to keep my energy up during cold and dark winter days.

Yet, this winter I can’t get enough of oolong!

My tea chest is stocked with a variety of oolongs, from the light Taiwanese gaba (thanks Dominion tea for an opportunity to finally try it) to very intense Red Robe from China. Yet, what my heart desires right now is my long time favorite Nilgiris oolong.

Unlike a traditional Chinese variety, oolongs from the blue mountains of the Nilgiris are light and smooth, more similar to yellow teas. They are partially fermented, complex, aromatic, with floral or sometimes fruity undertones.

Today’s chilly morning’s pick is Nilgiris Wulong from .

My tea infuser refused to cooperates, so I brewed a small amount in an infuser mug from , carefully measuring the water/tea ratio, the temperature and the steeping time.

It’d been a while since I had this tea and it pleasantly surprised my with a rather well pronounced honey aroma. It was just what I needed! Smooth, warming, with zero earthiness and all sweetness and light malty undertones, this wulong is simply extraudinary! The long and soft finish with nicely balanced floral tannins made me pause and savor every sip. I could swear I hadn’t felt the honey before but what your soul desires, it will find.

This is the beauty of artisanal small batch teas - they surprise you every time!

01/04/2022

Origin India: Tamil Nadu and Kerala - Tea Journey

Nilgiris in the Western Ghat forests - a natural wonderland
https://teajourney.pub/article/origin-india-tamil-nadu-and-kerala/

The Ghats (Sanskrit, “steps”) are millions of years older than the Himalayas, and like the latter, play a pivotal role in the climate and weather of the Indian subcontinent. Thousands of centuries of monsoon rains have turned Western Ghat forests into a natural wonderland, one gigantic UNESCO Wo...

01/03/2022

So, it’s January 3. But it’s Monday and it’s a snowstorm outside. This calls for another lazy day. There is always tomorrow to start on your New Year’s goals, right? o:)

Personally, I’m not one of these people who just jumps into the new year or the new week with tons of enthusiasm. I first need to tie the loose ends from last year and set the base for the new start. This year, this base is organizing and decluttering.

There are a few major issues I have with clutter:

1. Constantly organizing and cleaning is time consuming and takes away from the time I could spend playing with my daughter, working on my business and doing things I love
2. It makes me feel overwhelmed and not in control of my life in general
3. It’s harder to keep inventory and find things, so that sometimes I end up buying more of I already have
4. It takes forever to pack for a simple picnic or a day trip because I need to find things in all the different places, pack them in small containers and undo it all after we came back.
5. All the stuff we accumulate reminds me about the effort, time and money we spent acquiring it and makes me feel wasteful
6. It makes it more challenging to teach our daughter to put her toys back because there is no visually appealing place to store them.
7. I’m pretty good having a system around organizing small things, but the issue comes when someone else need to find something. It is i-m-p-o-s-s-i-b-l-e!
8. I can’t ask anyone to help clean or organize it all because I’m the only one who has the ‘system’ in my head.
9. It prevents us from having guests over more often because the house is never guest ready
10. It keeps us from enjoying our own house the way we envision it

In 2022 I see more creativity, play, reading, time outdoors, blending tea, growing plants, playing board games and enjoying tea time with family and friends. Experiences and relationships over things, reusing, donating and using super glue if needs be!

To a simply happy 2022!

01/01/2022

Happy New Year 2022 friends!

May this year bring health, joy, love, blessings, ease and many cups of tea with special people in your life!

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12/30/2021

How do you feel about New Year's resolutions? Personally, I've never set them because 1) I could never stick to those overly ambitions arbitrary promises; 2) I don't believe you need to wait for January 1 to start something new. However, the end of the year is a perfect time to reflect and re-evaluate your priorities, strengths, weaknesses, goals and desires. In lieu of resolutions I prefer to set small manageable goals and even just a list of guidelines, something to keep on the night stand and look at from time to time to remind myself. Here is a fun list of what I'd call guidelines when it comes to deepening your relationship with tea. I'd add a few more:

1) Read more books on tea
2) Visit a new tea region
3) Get tea tasting cups
4) Take a tea course
5) Grow my own tea plant
6) Do more writing and speaking on tea
7) More tea times with my daughter
8) Visit a tearoom
9) Explore some adventurous teas like turmeric blends, pu-erh and macha
10) Create more blends

What are your tea goals foe 2022?

https://kitchenkite.com/blogs/kitchenkite-brew/12-new-years-tea-resolutions

12/24/2021

Merry Christmas! Imagine on a night like this, as everyone was about their business, Jesus was born and the world was never the same. Let’s remember, worship and celebrate the reason for the season. Let your hearts (and your tea) be warm and let joy and peace dwell in your homes during the holiday time and always

12/19/2021

He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation...
—Ephesians 2:14

Two thousand years ago, Jesus tore that wall down and thus has given us free, open, and constant access into His presence. This was done because His blood was shed for us. “Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us” (Ephesians 2:14 NLT).

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12/13/2021

What a treat! Handmade oolong from the Red Hills estate in the Nilgiris! The most recent batch, “hot from the oven”, this oolong is smooth, bold but not overwhelming, with subtle floral notes. The leaves are perfectly curled with lots of golden tips.

12/12/2021

Whether or not you follow a tradition of lighting Advent candles, it's interesting to learn about the meaning.

Each candle represents something different, although traditions vary.

* The first candle symbolizes HOPE and is called the "Prophet’s Candle." The prophets of the Old Testament, especially Isaiah, waited in hope for the Messiah’s arrival. The purple color symbolizes royalty, repentance, and fasting.
* The second candle represents FAITH and is called "Bethlehem’s Candle." Micah had foretold that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, which is also the birthplace of King David. The second candle is also purple to symbolism preparation for the coming king.
* The third candle symbolizes JOY and is called the "Shepherd’s Candle." To the shepherd’s great joy, the angels announced that Jesus came for humble, unimportant people like them, too. In liturgy, the color rose signifies joy. This candle is colored pink to represent joyfulness and rejoicing.
* The fourth candle represents PEACE and is called the "Angel’s Candle." The angels announced that Jesus came to bring peace--He came to bring people close to God and to each other again. This color is also purple to represent the culmination of love through the Messiah.
* The (optional) fifth candle represents LIGHT and PURITY and is called "Christ’s candle." It is placed in the middle and is lit on Christmas Day. This candle is white to represent pure light and victory.

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12/09/2021

Cheers to the chilly morning in the Nilgiri hills. Green tea from the local estates never fails to warm me up

12/05/2021

Indian Chai tea, packed with all the medicinal values of the spices used, offers a healthy cup of goodness. Black tea, which forms the base for most chai blends, is rich in antioxidants which are thought to prevent cardiovascular ailments. Other additions like lime and cardamom are known to assist in fighting indigestion, improving blood circulation, and combatting respiratory problems.

A cup of Indian chai tea is the best thing to wake up to in the morning. So if you’re looking to add this refreshing chai tea to your early morning routine, here’s a simple recipe you can follow.

1. Empty the masala chai tea into a pot of water (1 tsp per cup) and allow it to boil for 2 to 3 minutes
2. Take the pot off the stove, cover and let it steep for 5 minutes
3. Add milk and sugar to another pot and bring to the boil
4. Once the milk has boiled, mix in the tea decoction, stir, and serve hot.

Another way of making the famous Indian chai tea in its full authenticity is by crushing the spices yourself and steeping it along with the tea leaves then following the same steps as above

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