Tales of the Habit Shakers in the Morning Ritual

I attended a recent discussion about Habits and something sparked.  At one point the discussion turned to talking about habits and how once we acquire a new habit, the “enjoyment” of that habit potentially ceases.  For example, when one decides to start a new workout regime, in the beginning the workout is invigorating & empowering.  Our self-satisfaction says, “Oh Joy!”  As time progresses and the routine becomes ‘habitual’ the workout becomes a series of tasks that we must complete.  In time, the “Oh Joy” turns to the reward at the end of the workout (like a smoothie) or ceases altogether.

Given light of my interest in the morning ritual, I am intrigued on how this can affect one’s tea or coffee enjoyment.  I hear so many people, in a haze, head straight for the coffee pot which they turn on or has been on an auto-timer through the night.  So many others share they are not functional until they have their morning cup of coffee.  Just the name “morning cup of coffee” speaks to a habit or a ritual.  Is there still pure enjoyment or are we only in pursuit the after affects of a jolted morning?  Is there beauty and gratitude in our morning ritual?

In the morning, I too am on autopilot.  After three or six snooze buttons, I immediately wander to the electric hot water kettle, refilling it with water from my Brita filter.  I turn it on, jump in the shower, then proceed with the post-shower rituals.  Once complete, I return to my kettle and determine my morning selection of loose leaf tea to enjoy.  Here’s where I see a difference and wish to bring this difference into the world.  Though I have preferences on a tea type, I avoid doing the mundane and repeating the tea offering from the day before.  Tea offers me a creative jump start into my day due to the shear multitude of varieties of flavor experience.  One day it will be white tea, the next Keemun, some mornings a smokey Lapsang, others a calming and creative gathering Oolong.  Each experience charges me in a different and unique way, and though all have caffeine, something beautiful arises.

So my challenge for you this morning is to breakup your habit and mindfully live in the moments you are creating.  Willfully choose your morning cuppa, whether it is a single origin tea or coffee.  Celebrate the notes and experiences the consumption creates and mindfully live your day noting and breaking up your habits throughout.

Guerrilla Tea Party This Weekend

A Lovely Invitation

Hi Tea Friends,

Come one, come all!  Tea drinkers are invited to join a movement to take back the tea party!  Enjoy an afternoon of community, beauty, and tea.  Free!  Wear your rainboots and bring an umbrella, rain or shine.  Bring a picnic blanket too!

Date/Time: Sunday, August 1, 2pm

Takeover Location:  Alamo Square Park, Painted Ladies, @ Steiner and Hayes.

Bring what:  Rainboots, umbrellas, picnic blanket, whimsy.

See you there!

Make tea, not war…

Christopher C

Something’s Steeping in San Francisco

Hi friends!

Mark your calendars. Sunday, August 1, 2pm, Alamo Square Park.  A tea revolution is coming. Rain or shine, wear your rainboots and bring umbrellas.

Free!

Details to follow…

Did the Tea Gent Just Say Coffee Cherry Tisane?

Coffee Cherry Tisane

I wanted to mix things up this morning in my daily cupping session, so I ventured into what some tea specialists considered “no man’s land.”  Coffee!  Ok, so I haven’t been struck down by a lightning bolt just yet, but as a tea specialist, I want to push the culinary aspect of the leaf and try to incorporate new and innovative ideas into my developing tea blends.

This little gem is known as the Coffee Cherry.  It is the fruit that surrounds the coffee bean.  In order to make the tisane, the growers sun-dry the hull that surrounds the coffee bean.  Talk about using every bit in the production of a product!  I sourced this gem from a great company in Hawaii, Coffees of Hawaii (buy American!), and I am doing my best to find the perfect recipe to incorporate into my blends.  I see a very bright future for this concept and hope I can bring you a stellar mix.

The initial smells I got were cayenne pepper and cocoa nibs.  There is also an inherent sweetness in the scent.  The elixir brews golden/orange/brown with little flecks like you see in the bottom of your coffee mug.  The flavor is so interesting you just want to dive in further.  Ripe berries, pomegranate, feint taste of that coffee fruit note, lingering tartness, oh my!  The fruit surrounding the coffee bean is loaded with antioxidants, so if that doesn’t motivate you enough, just drink it for the incredible flavor.  It is known to have a small amount of caffeine.

Thank you for listening…

TEA/TISANE of the DAY, Guayusa (an Amazonian Treat)

Amazonian Guayusa

I recently came in contact with quite an interesting and unusual herbal tisane, Guayusa (“Wayusa”).  This particular “tea” comes from Ecquador and it is related to the holly tree (by genus of course, genius!).  A unique little fact about this herbal powerhouse is that it is loaded with our little friend caffeine.   To a spectator of South America, one would say it is very similar to the now famous caffeinated Yerba Maté; but I would consider the Yerba Maté to be the bitter step-sister in the relationship and Guayusa to be the sweeter, well-rounded “Cinderella” who quietly & humbly awaits her day in the spotlight.

The taste of Guayusa imparts a very hard to describe sweetness and a slightly tongue-numbing mouthfeel (at least that is what I got).  One caveat is that I experienced a WHOLE day of alert-readiness due to its higher caffeine content.  This is definitely one for the morning or afternoon “falling asleep at desk” refresher.  I actually tried blending it with some Jasmine Pearls to balance the high caffeine with the calming properties of L-Theanine found in tea (Camellia Sinensis).

Be on the lookout for a new rising star.  I am in the process of creating a “Limited Edition” tea blend, but more info to come.  TTFN friends!!

CTS, WHAT?!?

Hey everybody,

Sorry for being M.I.A. for a little while.  The past month has been filled with great transition and adventure.  First, I moved apartments.  Not too far though, just next door, but you can imagine the chaos that ensues when one does not use boxes to move.

Now onto bigger news!  I am officially a Certified Tea Specialist, or CTS for short.  What is a Certified Tea Specialist you might ask and how does one gain this title?  Well I am delighted you asked!  Offered through the Specialty Tea Institute of America (STI) out of New York, the title of CTS is awarded to candidates who complete and test out of the Level 1, 2, and 3 courses.  Level 1 and 2 are the foundations and basics of tea, while the level 3 series is a bit more intense, encompassing full courses devoted to Black Tea, Green/White Tea, Pu’erh Tea, Oolong Tea, and Cupping Protocol (aka tea tasting).  It took about a year and a half, and I am pleased to reach this benchmark, and I am thankful for all of those who have supported me while I pursue this endeavor with lodging, food, love, etc etc (thanks mom and craig! thanks tyler! thanks all!).  Thank you also for all of the incredible friendships developed through this time and coursework.

With this new title, I am morally obliged to speak the good news of tea and work to correct common misconceptions about tea.  With a renewed vigor for the leaf, I am ready to tackle this task. Stay tuned…

With utmost sincerity, Christopher

Big Island of Hawai’i – Future ‘Napa’ of Tea?

Tea Gent in Hawaii

In March, I had the pleasure of visiting the Onomea Tea Estate and do a tea tasting with owners Mike and Rob.  The tea estate is located just northwest of Hilo on a bluff above the ocean.  The views of the ocean, cliffs, and tropical forrest is breathtaking, and whales can be seen breaching in the distance.

Mike and Rob have been cultivating tea since 2002, and today they have over 2200 plants.  They do not treat their tea plants with pesticides and process everything by hand.  I was thoroughly impressed by their caliber of workmanship!

I did the tea tour and tasting, and this was a great option as Mike and Rob are incredible hosts.  They had baked fresh scones for the occasion as well as the most incredible Passion Fruit curd to accompany the delicious scones.  For hours we chatted and tasted the fruits of their labor.  In total, I tasted their green tea, oolong tea, and black tea as well as some other imported teas they shared from their collection.  I was so impressed by the freshness the tea possess, and it is an indescribable character to tea that one can only experience when on a tea farm/estate.  I am currently sipping their black tea, and I can say it takes the prize.  Fruity yet malty, sweet and endearing, the tea is truly a treasure that I will bring out for special occasions.

If ever you have a trip to the Big Island of Hawai’i, I HIGHLY encourage a visit to the Onomea Tea Estate (www.onomeatea.com).  They also offer a full afternoon tea, which I will do next time I am there.  It was one of my favorite tea experiences overall, and the quality of their teas is pretty impressive.  Be on the lookout for this gem of a tea estate!

This is the view from Onomea Tea Estate!

Does TEA Cure Everything?

When I tell people I am a Tea Specialist, I generally get the question yearning for quick fixes. “I need a tea that will help me slim down, I need a tea that will help me pass my LSAT exam, I need a tea that will cure my Hepatitus C,” all of these are valid needs in our lives but can damage the impression that is TEA.

Now I remember the times I have guzzled a cup of hot tea right before an interview thinking it will summon my creative mind and channel elloquency. Beyond a burnt tongue, I don’t know if the tea did all that it was destined to serve in that instance. What it did do was create a moment of ritual where I told myself I will become creative and elloquent, and I believe there is a lot of beauty and power in that act.

Tea cannot instantly cure and solve those instances. In regards to body and weight, tea can begin and inspire a healthy lifestyle where one replaces more harmful bevs (the sugared, the coffee, the fattening) with something that serves to hydrate and provides you with the countless flavors found in the beauty of tea.

Here is a recommendation: try an oolong tea and instead of just steeping it once, steep it throughout your day. The flavors of oolong teas are known to develop, providing you a flavor-filled experience throughout your day. Each cup will possess a lower amount of caffeine than the previous and each will serve to hydrate you more than the previous. Plus I’ve experienced an incredible amount of focus doing this through the entire day.

Tea of the Day – Ginseng Oolong

Little nuggets of joy, ginseng oolong

Today’s cuppa is Ginseng Oolong, and I was curious as to the manufacture of it.    Ginseng Oolong tea is made by dusting the loosely wound tea leaves with the powdered form of ginseng.

Ginseng was considered the “cure-all” in ancient China and other Asian countries.  I would compare it as the predecessor to Windex (RE: My Big Fat Greek Wedding).  It was and still is used as an aid in digestion, to fight fatigue, to reduce stress,  to serve as an aphrodisiac (bow-shikka-bow-wow), among many other uses.  Seems like it is a perfect symphony for tea.

Oolong tea is just a fabulous tea in general.  Known for its floral and sometimes milky flavor, Oolong is a very unique tea due to its varying levels of oxidation all within a single leaf.  It is an incredible tea for multiple steepings, and the flavor is known to develop and/or change with each new pot.  Oolong is famously known as a diet/slimming tea, but I would consider that all tea in general contributes to a healthy diet and lifestyle.  Therefore, drink all forms of tea and lots of it.  :)

To Brew:  Let boiled water rest for a several minutes (or if you are fussy, don’t let it boil at all).  Steep first batch for about 3-4 minutes, but I always recommend steeping to your personal taste preferences.  Enjoy… Resteep tea many times!  It is a good one to keep you calm and focused through your entire productive day.  Cheerio!