Tea Sale, New Organic Tea, and a New "Tea" from Crystal Light

A few quick notes on tea news for today:

Ito En is having a sale on their Dr. Andrew Weil for Tea line. If you haven't tried them, now is an especially good time to do so. The World Tea Expo previously awarded their ready to drink Darjeeling and Jasmine White teas. I also quite like their Turmeric Infusion, which is a natural anti-inflamitant traditionally drunk in Okinawa.

There's a new line of organic teas on the market. Cool. (FYI, this link will open as a pdf file.)

Crystal Light is releasing a new line flavors for water, several of which are tea-based. According to their press release, "Metabolism+ Peach Mango Green Tea contains a blend of natural green tea antioxidants and caffeine for a short-term boost in metabolism.... Red Tea Mandarin... has 55mg of Natural Rooibos Polyphenols (and) is the first herbal tea mix from Crystal Light." I'm sure it will be disgusting, but it is interesting to me that they are trying to make a comeback by touting tea.

Tea with Friends

Tonight I had tea with some friends. I had planned to maked iced French verveine, but this morning inspiration struck and I decided to serve chilled rooibos massala chai blended with soy milk, a bit of Haagendas vanilla ice cream, Mexican vanilla extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg as both a tea and a dessert. I brewed the tisane at double strength, then blended it with everything else until it was frothy and served it in wine glasses. Delicious! Next time, I'll sprinkle some cinnamon on top for a little more color.