Our Mango Mist black tea has a fresh, piquant mango character with memories of happy days in the sun. It is absolutely stunning over ice!
Mango, (Latin: Mangifera indica), sometimes known as the "king of fruit", is one of the most commonly consumed tropical fruits in the world. They were originally grown in East India, Burma, and the Andaman Islands, around the 5th century B.C., but are now cultivated in just about every warm corner of the globe. Besides being pulpy sweet and delicious, mangoes have long been associated in the Eastern world with peace, tranquility, and harmony. Legend has it that the Buddha himself would often seek repose in a grove of mango trees. In certain parts of India it was believed that mango trees were sacred, and a symbol of love - some even believed that mango trees could grant wishes. Even to this day Hindus hang fresh leaves from mango trees outside their doors during Ponggol, the Hindu New Year, as a blessing for peace in the New Year. We believe that this mango tea can bestow the same blessing on those who brew it. Try some yourself; savor the pleasant and rich flavor of mangoes blended with our astringent Ceylon tea and think good thoughts.
What type of tea do we use, how do we flavor the tea and why do we use natural flavors?
Firstly... we only use high grown teas from the top 3 tea growing regions of Sri Lanka - Nuwara Eliya, Dimbula and Uva. These three high-grown districts produce flavorful teas that have classic 'Ceylon' tea character which is noted by floral bouquet and flavor notes, touches of mild astringency, bright coppery color and, most importantly - perfect for use as the base tea of our flavored teas. (We have tested teas from various other origins around the world as base stock for our flavored teas, but none of these teas made the grade.) Dimbula and the western estates of Nuwara Eliya have a major quality peak during Jan/Feb, whereas Uva and the eastern estates of Nuwara Eliya have their peak in July/Aug. This 'dual peak period' allow us to buy the best for our flavored tea blends several times during the year, ensuring top quality and freshness.
Secondly... we use flavoring oils not crystals to give the tea drinker an olfactory holiday before indulging in a liquid tea treat.
Thirdly. we specify natural flavors. High quality tea tastes good and natural flavors do not mask the natural taste of the high grown Ceylon tea. (The norm for many making flavored tea is to use overpowering artificial flavors, which can be used to hide lower quality tea). Natural flavors do not leave an aftertaste giving the tea a clean and true character. It should be noted that natural flavors tend to be somewhat 'soft ' and the flavors slightly muted, but for many this is a refreshing change and one of the desired attributes of our naturally flavored teas.
Origin: Nuware Eliya, Dimbula & Uva in Sri Lanka; Nandi Highlands in Kenya; Nilgiri, India; Shandong, China; Petchabun, Thailand; Nile River Delta, Egypt; Gdansk, Poland
Ingredients: Artisan Black tea, Mango pieces, Lime leaves, Calendula + Marigold + Sunflower petals, Natural flavors (Organic Compliant).
The world of tea is filled with myth, legend, and controversy. In fact, there isn't a tea blend out there that doesn't have a story attached to it. Iced tea is no exception. It is commonly held as fact that iced tea was invented by a tea plantation owner named Richard Blechynden looking to drum up some business at the 1904 World's fair in St. Louis Missouri. The story goes that Richard initially intended to hand out free samples of his hot tea. The weather in St. Louis that year was above seasonal however and few visitors seemed interested in sampling his steaming hot product. As a novelty, Richard decided to drop some ice into his teapots and began to serve the tea cold. The result was a hit and iced tea went on to become one of the most popular beverages in North America.
Good story right? The World's fair...exceedingly hot day...enterprising entrepreneur...the stuff legends are made of. Well, if iced tea was invented in St. Louis in 1904, then how do you explain the details of an article published September 28, 1890 issue of the Nevada Noticer newspaper? The article in question describes a mammoth sized barbecue prepared for 15,000 Confederate veterans over two days in late September of that same year. It details the menu thusly:
The following figures will convey some idea of the amount of provisions used at Camp Jackson during the recent encampment.
There were 4,800 pounds of bread, 11,705 pounds of beef, 407 pounds of ham, 21 sheep, 600 pounds of sugar, 6 bushels of beans,
60 gallons of pickles, and a wagon load of potatoes. It was all washed down with 2,200 gallons of coffee and 880 gallons of iced tea.
880 gallons of iced tea! It should be noted here that this article, published 14 years before the St. Louis world's fair, mentions iced tea without having to offer an explanation as to what that was exactly. This would seem to indicate that tea poured over ice was something that the article's readers were already familiar with!
So what are we to make of all of this? Well, there is no doubt that iced tea was served at the World's fair. One school of thought holds that iced tea, while perhaps not invented at the fair, was indeed popularized there. Whichever story you are inclined to believe we can all agree that iced tea is one of the world's most refreshing beverages. When it's hot out, the tea is brewed, poured over ice, and garnished with lemon and a dash of sugar, nothing else compares.
ICED TEA BREWING METHOD (Pitcher): (To Make 1 Liter/Quart):
Place 6 slightly heaping teaspoons of loose tea or 6 tea bags into a teapot or heat resistant pitcher. Using filtered or freshly drawn cold water, boil and pour 1¼ cups/315ml over the tea. Steep for 5 minutes. Quarter fill a serving pitcher with cold water. Pour the tea into your serving pitcher straining the tea or removing the tea bags. Add ice and top-up the pitcher with cold water. Garnish and sweeten to taste. A rule of thumb when preparing fresh brewed iced tea is to increase the strength of hot tea since it will be poured over ice and diluted with cold water. (Note: Some luxury quality teas may turn cloudy when poured over ice. This is a sign of luxury quality and nothing to worry about.)
ICED TEA BREWING METHOD (Individual Serving):
Place 1 slightly heaping teaspoon of loose tea or 1 tea bag into a teapot for each serving required. Using filtered or freshly drawn cold water, boil and pour 6-7oz/170-200ml per serving over the tea. Cover and let steep for 5 minutes. Add hot tea to a 12oz/375ml acrylic glass filled with ice, straining the tea or removing the bags. Not all of the tea will fit, allowing for approximately an additional ½ serving. Sweeten and/or add lemon to taste. A rule of thumb when preparing fresh brewed iced tea is to increase the strength of hot tea since it will be poured over ice and diluted. (Note: Some luxury quality teas may turn cloudy when poured over ice. This is a sign of luxury quality and nothing to worry about!)
