For quickest in-shop service, please feel free to pre-order your must-have teas in our online shop at www.pleasuresoftea.com!
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Hello all and I hope you are well!
I get a fair number of people who come into the shop asking for a Darjeeling tea. When I ask them what style of Darjeeling they are looking for, there is usually a pause because they don't realize that Darjeeling is a place that produces different types of tea. So I figured this would be a great topic to discuss in this month's newsletter - let's take a look at the teas of Darjeeling.
Gong Fu Tea Service continues and our spring menu remains in effect. Appointments for this seated service are being accepted and please see below for all the details. I look forward to you joining me for this relaxing and culturally enriching experience.
Three of our tea tasting workshops have taken place and there are still some spots in the ones that are scheduled for the rest of the year. The workshops over the next few months are listed below and the complete schedule can be viewed on the website. Feel free to join us for an interactive, fun, and educational evening filled with tea! :)
Please note that the shop will be closed from Monday, June 13th through Wednesday, June 22nd.
I appreciate your continued support of my small business and I wish you much health and great tasting cups of tea!
-- Kristine, FDN-P
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Most teas are now back in stock and some summer teas will hopefully be available by the end of the month! Calm Organic Herbal Tisane, Immune Support Organic Herbal Tisane, and Tulsi Leaf Blend Organic Herbal Tisane have all been freshly blended :)
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Gong Fu Tea Service
The spring menu for Gong Fu Tea Service is now available!! This Chinese method of tea preparation means "done well" and it requires time and focus, delivering a more aromatic and flavorful infusion than those prepared using the more familiar western method of tea preparation. I am happy to be able to offer this cultural aspect of tea and guide you further through your own tea journey.
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This is an appointment only, seated service and, at the moment, is limited to three to four appointments at a time. Each session lasts approximately 1-1/2 hours and costs $30 paid upon booking. It includes multiple infusions of the tea that you select from the Gong Fu Tea menu and there are 3-7 infusions, depending on the tea selected and as time allows. It also includes a Gong Fu lesson, if you like, so that you may incorporate this method into your own tea ritual at home.
The menu is crafted and rotated seasonally and curated from the larger origin tea offering available in the shop. The spring menu is as follows:
- Ceylon Golden Tips White Tea - Sri Lanka
- Choui Fong Green Tea - Thailand
- Jin Xuan Formosa Wulong Tea - Nantou, Taiwan
- Yu Lan Xiang Dan Cong Wulong Tea - Guangdong, China
- Donyi Polo Estate Reserve Black Tea - Arunachal Pradesh, India
- Arakai Estate Pan-Roasted Black Tea - Australia
- 2012 Tian Jian Xiang Jian Dark Tea - Hunan, China
Gong Fu Tea appointments are available:
Thursdays & Fridays - 11:30 through 3:00
Sundays - 11:30 through 2:00
Please note that there are no appointments on Saturdays.
If you would like to make an appointment for this unique experience, please email kristine@infuseteabarny.com or reply to this email. I look forward to preparing tea for you! :)
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Tea Tastings & Pairings Workshop Schedule
Journey with us on select Saturday evenings for an exploration of tea. Whether it is a fun and unique tasting of a flight of teas or a "foodie" excursion where we pair a few of our favorite things, you will be experiencing a unique, informative, relaxing and interactive adventure - no passport required!
Here are the workshops that are scheduled for the next several months:
Wulong Teas - May 21st
White & Yellow Teas - June 4th
Pu-er & Other Dark Teas - July 16th
Tea & Chocolate Pairing - July 30th
Tea & Cheese Pairing - August 13th
Tea & Terroir - Exploration of Elevation - August 20th
The complete schedule of workshops through November, workshop descriptions and policies, is posted at infuseteabarny.com.
Workshops begin promptly at 7:00 PM and go to 8:30ish. Feel free to stay on after the workshop to enjoy the highly recommended second infusions of each tea that will be prepared. Cost is $30 per person. Pre-paid registration is required and seating is limited. For questions or to register, please email kristine@infuseteabarny.com or stop by the shop. I look forward to seeing you in class! :)
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Pre-order Reminder
As a reminder, pre-orders of loose leaf teas are encouraged in order to streamline the preparation of your custom orders and reduce your wait time, especially if the shop is busy when you arrive. Orders also continue to be shipped nationwide and all (pre)orders can be placed in our online shop www.pleasuresoftea.com. Please place orders at least 24-hours ahead of desired pick up time, if possible, to ensure that I will see your order in the portal and have the time to pull it together in time for your arrival. Indicating the approximate date and time of pick up in the Comments section in the Cart helps ensure that your order will be ready for you upon arrival. If you plan to browse at the shop or grab a cup of tea, then please do not pay online - select the Pay at pick-up option. You will receive an emailed notification once your order is ready for pick-up.
Thank you for your continued cooperation in helping to serve you in the most efficient and expeditious manner possible! :)
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Darjeeling Teas
Darjeeling, which is located in the northernmost area of West Bengal State in northeastern India, is one of the most famous tea-producing regions in the world. Tea production began in the mid-1800's with the planting of the small-leaf Chinese variety
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Camellia sinensis var. sinensis; however, most of today's tea is produced from hybrids that developed from these original plants. Darjeeling is a small region, covering a little more than 1,200 square miles, and there are only 87 tea gardens located within its borders. As with Champagne, which can only be produced in the Champagne region of France, Darjeeling tea can only be produced in the Darjeeling region. As a result, Darjeeling is referred to as the "Champagne of teas".
Darjeeling is a high-elevation area at the foothills of the Himalayas. Its tea gardens are located at elevations between 1,500 and 6,000 feet, each one having its own unique micro-climate that contributes to the characteristics of its teas. There are four harvest seasons, known as flushes, that run from late February or early March through November: 1) the first flush is plucked from the start of the season through April; 2) the second flush is in May and June before the monsoon rains begin; 3) the summer or monsoon flush is from July through September during the monsoon rains; and 4) the autumnal flush is plucked in October and November. The start of the first flush will be determined based on the weather and how quickly it warms and allows new growth of leaves; if winter remains, then the start of the harvest is delayed. Subsequently, the start of each later flush is relative, depending solely on the weather.
The gardens in Darjeeling predominantly produce black teas; however, there are a few that produce very limited quantities of green, wulong, and white teas as well. The high-grown black teas of Darjeeling are generally characterized as being lighter in color than typical black teas, medium-bodied with a clean crispness and slight astringency, and having concentrated flavors and aromas known for their woody, nutty, fruity, and floral notes. Muscatel is often used to describe the aroma of some Darjeeling teas, referring to the sweet fruitiness that is reminiscent of muscat grapes. In addition, each flush has its own characteristics. The eagerly awaited first flush tends to be the most delicate with a light- to medium-body, crisp freshness and hay, fruity and/or floral aromas, and a slight astringency - you most likely would not guess that it is a black tea if it were served to you without you knowing what it is. The abundant second flush has a similar character to the first flush, but the flavors and aromas are more pronounced, it has more body and a smoother, richer mouthfeel. The productive summer, or monsoon, flush is not always top quality due to the dilutive effect of the rains on the compounds that create the tea's flavors and aromas. The autumnal flush tends to be not as aromatic as the first and second flushes, but it is more balanced, has more body and a stronger, bolder taste with deeper notes of fallen autumn leaves. As noted above, the unique micro-climates of each tea garden also contributes to the character of the tea. The characteristics will change from year to year due to varying climatic conditions, so no tea will ever be the same. In fact, teas within the same flush of a given year may have different characteristics!
Attention is important in the preparation of Darjeeling teas. I tend to never use boiling water in the preparation of their black teas because it tends to make a fairly bitter and astringent infusion. I tend to use water that is 180-185 degrees for the first flush, 185-190 degrees for the second flush, and about 200 degrees for the autumn flush. These cooler water temperatures extract out the compounds that yield the beautiful aromas and tastes, while keeping any bitterness and excessive astringency in check. These teas are usually consumed plain, but lemon and/or sugar or honey may be added. The addition of milk is not recommended for these teas, although the summer flush may be strong enough to hold up to the milk.
The Darjeeling teas in the marketplace are often not what they are represented to be - basically, some tea producers like to market their teas as Darjeeling teas in order to command the higher price. It is estimated that up to 50 percent of the tea that is sold as Darjeeling is not actually from Darjeeling. The name of authentic, quality Darjeeling teas always includes the flush and tea garden, unless it is a blend. Teas named simply "Darjeeling" are either from the summer flush, are a blend, or most likely they were grown and produced in tea gardens located around, but not in, Darjeeling. These latter teas should not command the higher price of an estate tea, although they will often be priced as these esteemed teas.
We offer a full line of teas from the Glenburn Estate in Darjeeling, including four black teas, a green tea, two wulong teas, and two white teas. It is fun to explore the unique diversity in aroma and taste characteristics just within one garden's teas. Feel free to begin your journey with them, if you haven't already, and let me know your thoughts! :)
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Do you or someone you know need a personal health detective to address chronic wellness issues that can't seem to be resolved? Make 2022 the year you find results for good!
As a Certified Functional Diagnostic Nutrition (FDN) Practitioner, I see clients to help them get to the root of their health and wellness issues and reclaim the vitality that they very much deserve. I offer fully customized, programs that are unique to each client and that incorporate holistic protocols addressing body, mind, spirit and senses. This is an extension of my work in tea and herbalism for the past fifteen years, but I will now be able to help those of you who need it at a much deeper and personalized level than I can offer in the shop. In addition to the new tools in my toolbox, I will continue to draw from my experience in using tea for health, along with my herbalism training, during the development of the comprehensive protocols that will be specific to the bio-individualized needs of each client. I want to be the last wellness practitioner you see and educate and empower you to make the choices that are best for YOUR health so that you can be your own health advocate moving forward. I look forward to showing you what I can do to help you achieve your wellness goals and enjoy continued vitality well into the future!
To learn more, please visit https://vitalityholisticwellness.net. If you are ready to make the investment in your wellness, then I would be happy to discuss the potential opportunity with you. You may book a complimentary discovery call directly through the website so I can learn about your issues and you can learn more about how I work and how my approach is different from the conventional medicine and/or alternative approaches that you have already experienced. I also have a new email address specific for Vitality Holistic Wellness business and I ask that all inquiries regarding these services be directed to kristine@vitalityholisticwellness.net.
The website also shares My Why - the reasons why I am so passionate about this approach to health and wellness. This is a very personal experience for me and I share my 32-year journey toward finding health and wellness and dealing with autoimmunity and a compromised immune system, among many other issues that you or someone you know may be experiencing. I hear from so many of you about your own chronic wellness issues and I share my story as a way to connect and open the door and show that there is hope…even after 32 years! If you would like to read my health story, please click here. It is long, so make sure you have a big mug of tea :)
I also email out a newsletter with health and wellness tips that do not fit within the scope of this newsletter. If you are interested in receiving the Vitality Newsletter, then feel free to sign up while you're at the website!
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New at the Shop
Nothing new yet, but summer teas have been ordered and some should hopefully be available by the end of the month. Stay tuned!
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106 Main Street
West Sayville, NY 11796
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500+ Loose Leaf Teas & Herbal Tisanes
Certified - Tea Professional, Tea Sommelier & Tea Health Expert
Student of the Art & Science of Herbalism
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