Indonique Tea & Chai

Reminder about your invitation from Daya Constance

2012-01-02T03:20:00.001-05:00

This is a reminder that on December 13, Daya Constance sent you an invitation to become part of their professional network at LinkedIn.

Accept Daya Constance's Invitation

On December 13, Daya Constance wrote:

> To: Indonique Blog [georgeconstance.blogpost@blogger.com]

> From: Daya Constance [Dayaconstance@me.com]

> Subject: Invitation to connect on LinkedIn

> I'd like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn.
>
> - Daya

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Closing Post

2011-12-19T08:27:00.000-05:00

The Indonique Tea web site has gone the way of the cafe. We're closed for business. We are keeping the brand alive in the event we decide to open another cafe when the economy improves. Until then, thank you all so much for your past support.

Feel free to post comments and send suggestions through this blog. We're also open to business proposals.

George

Jonas Hanway (1712-1786) from "Georgian London" Blob

2010-10-27T10:18:00.000-04:00

Jonas Hanway (1712–1786) is an unsung hero whose kindness and eccentricities deserve a more prominent place in history than they have enjoyed until now…
To many, Hanway will always be remembered as the first man in London to carry an umbrella. This attracted much ridicule in the 1750s, especially from the city’s coach-drivers, who were worried they would lose trade on rainy days if the idea caught on. The umbrella, or ‘portable roof’, was a common sight in Paris, and Londoners regularly bombarded Hanway with cries of ‘Frenchman! Frenchman! Why don’t you call a coach?’ Umbrellas were a curiosity in England, and because Daniel Defoe’s popular character, Robinson Crusoe, fashioned one for himself from skins, they were often referred to as ‘Robinsons’ in both England and France. Hanway got the idea in Persia while travelling on business. The Persians had been using parasols for some time, since they were imported by Chinese merchants on the Silk Road. In addition to protecting himself from the inclement British weather with an umbrella, Hanway sported several layers of stockings, and wore flannel underwear to ward off ill-health, which he worried about a great deal throughout his seventy-four years.

read the rest here:

http://www.georgianlondon.com/guest-post-by-adrian-teal-philanthropy-umbrel

5 Reasons the Tea Party Should Change Their Name

2010-10-25T11:52:00.000-04:00

1. 'Cause every time I google "TEA" the damned Texas Educational Agency pops up.
2. Some of my more liberal customers are switching to coffee hurting sales
3. I'm afraid their gonna throw my tea into a harbor or lake or puddle or something
4. I don't think many of them drink tea anyway
5. Tea requires boiling water and someone's gonna get carried away and throw it at a politician. OK maybe that wouldn't be so bad, but a bystander might get hit.

Cheap Chinese Labor

2010-07-15T12:21:00.000-04:00

Nothing Seems to Have Changed

A few years ago, while traveling in India, I met with a merchant who complained about competition from cheap Chinese labor. I had to laugh and welcome him to the developed world. Recently I discovered this text in Robert Fortune's "A Journey to Tea Countries of China":

"Of late years some attempts have been made to cultivate the tea-shrub in the United States of Ame rica, and also in our own Australian colonies.* I believe all such attempts will end in failure and disappointment. The tea-plant will grow wherever the climate and soil are suitable, and, were it merely intended as an ornamental shrub, there could be no objections to its introduction into those countries. But if it is introduced to be cultivated as an object of commercial speculation, we must not only inquire into the suitableness of climate and soil, but also into the price of labour. Labour is cheap in China. The labourers in the tea-countries do not receive more than twopence or threepence a day. Can workmen be procured for this small sum either in the United States or in Australia ? And if they cannot be hired for this sum, nor for anything near it, how will the manufacturers in such places be able to compete with the Chinese in the market ?"

Labor costs are extremely low in China. Fortunately there appears to be signs of improvement starting with labor unions in Hing Kong. Better paid Chinese labor, I believe will be good for everyone around the planet. A little investment in Chinese infrastructure might be a good idea as well. Improved transportation routes and efficient utilities would serve to keep prices down as labor increases.

Chinese Tea Coolies

2010-07-15T12:02:00.000-04:00

The following images were taken from "A Journey to the Tea Countries of China" by Robert Fortune the explorer. They illustrate the two primary methods of transporting tea from fields deep in China to the coats. Thousands of coolies followed well worn paths through steep forbidding mountains, swollen raging rivers and every terrain in between. The first method illustrated shows the common method for transporting most tea. The second was reserved for the most expensive teas. The sticks attached to the tea chest was designed to allow the coolie to stand the chest against a vertical surface so that the chest never touched the ground and limited the risk it could be wet or soiled.

Music Widget Has Been Added to Sidebar

2010-03-12T14:30:00.001-05:00

Really cool music widget from Amazon.com has been added to our side bar. It allows us to add all of our favorite ethnic music to the site for preview and quick purchase. This is the same music Daya and I listen to at home and played at our New Orleans Cafe. For a really relaxed and sensuous evening, download some of the tunes, fire up the kettle and steep some Indonique Tea.

Give it a go!

Great History & Tea History Read

2010-03-12T09:33:00.003-05:00

Great well-written read if you're into history and tea history in particular. This is the definitive work on the might molecule. I use it for entertainment as well as a resource for lectures. Learn all about caffeine chemistry, it's origins, products that carry it and the empires they created and destroyed. Amazing how a seemingly mundane subject can be made so enthralling!

Visit Indonique.com to get your fix!

Fllow along with our Tea Starter Kits

Tea values and Tradition

2010-03-10T11:56:00.002-05:00

I like tea. Duh. I own a tea company. But I really like tea, its taste, its enormous diversity and, more than anything, the associations it has. For me, tea still has the traditional Red-Hat Lady association, yes. But more so, the aroma of an Irish Breakfast or rich Assam Black tea conjures images of Indian Riflemen patrolling the frontiers of Empire. Heavy bergamot-infused Earl Grey sends me to well appointed studies where gentlemen sip this timeless infusion while reading the exploits of intrepid traveler, explorer and spy, Robert Fortune. There's an equally rich and nostalgic association with every tea I've encountered transporting me back to a simpler time.

Truth is those times were hard and harsh. No penicillin, half your children died before attending grade school and that's just the start of it. If you could, as I imagined, speak to someone from that era I'm sure they'd think you nuts to want to return to their world. Asked their advice, they'd tell you to transport their values and perhaps some of their lifestyle forward into our world. So I, like my ancestors couldn't, took to the internet and found others, too many to list, that were doing just that. Steampunk and retro lifestyles. Men and women in Victorian clothes taking the subway to work. Handle-barred mustaches peering over laptops. Less television and more reading. Fewer "activities" for the kids and more one on one time at home. Work schedules re-arranged for family time first. Special attention and resources dedicated to social seating areas and less on wide screen bedroom audio visual appliances. Sofas and chairs that face each other and not the wide screen. Tea and biscuits with kids.

I think tonight, after dinner with the wife and kids, we'll, together, watch a little Sherlock Holmes on television. And over a Russian Black Cherry tea with maybe a dram of cognac. The kids, with some Caffeine-Free Honeybush Herbal, will tell me about the latest writing exercise that they're proud of. After they're asleep I'll read, "Travels to the tea Countries of China" by Robert Fortune on my iphone.

Calming Ethnic-Themed Tea Music

2010-03-09T10:30:00.004-05:00

Music that was Played Late Nights at the Indonique Tea & Chai Cafe. Find someone special, fire up the tea kettle, and warm the pot with some Moroccan Mint and lets us take you there.

Some MP3 Downloads of Selected Songs:

You and I

>
Together

Purchase Authentic Moroccan Mint Green Tea Here

Top 5 Reasons to Believe TEA is an Aphrodisiac

2010-03-09T08:15:00.000-05:00

1. Tea was invented in China - There are 1.3 billion Chinese
2. The second nation to grow tea commercially was India - There are 1.15 billion Indians
3. India is the largest producer of Tea in the world, but not the largest exporter. They consume most of their own tea crop - did I mention how many of them there are?
4. The Kama Sutra was written in India
5. Tea is a national obsession in Japan and is the most densely populated nation in the world

Honorable mention: Brazil's national drink is an herbal tea (See 5 Reasons to Believe Mate is an Aphrodisiac)

Dyeing Green Tea

2010-03-08T13:34:00.001-05:00

19th century Chinese merchants regularly dyed green teas bound for the west with a mixture of gypsum and Prussian blue. The reasoning for this is best taken from a contemporary, Robert Fortune, botanist, explorer and spy, in his published journals "A Journey to the Tea Countries of China" by Robert Forutne:

"One day an English gentleman in Shanghae, being in conversation with some Chinese from the green-tea country, asked them what reasons they had for dyeing the tea, and whether it would not be better without undergoing this process. They acknowledged that tea was much better when prepared without having any such ingredients mixed with it, and that they never drank dyed teas themselves, but justly remarked that, as foreigners seemed to prefer having a mixture of Prussian blue and gypsum with their tea, to make it look uniform and pretty, and as these ingredients were cheap enough, the Chinese had no objection to supply them, especially as such teas always fetched a higher price!"

Some Books I Love - Best Getting Started in Tea Book Around

2010-02-26T13:15:00.002-05:00

If you're interested in tea, tea preparation, types, tea culture and tea history, this is the best place to start, authored by one of the most noted and loved men of tea James Pratt. After Hurricane Katrina, he donated 10 of these books to Indonique to help with our recovery. We haven't forgotten his generosity nor the fact that the first edition of this book got George started in tea.

Fllow along with our Tea Starter Kits

Some Books I love - White Moguls

2010-02-26T13:08:00.000-05:00

White Moguls, A Tale of Love and Betrayal in 18th Century India
What a title! I love this book! And check out this quote from the book;
"India has always had a strange way with her conquerors. In defeat, she beckons them in, then slowly seduces, assimilates and transforms them".
If you're into history, romance and India, you couldn't ask more than this beauty. The book details the amazing British experience into India through the lives of several colonials as they freely enter and are enveloped by ancient India. Featured is the seduction of a East India Company man by a young noble woman and her influence-seeking mother under the nose of the Emperor himself. You can't make stuff up like this!

Tea WEIGHT LOSS & Health - Honest Answers

2010-02-25T12:53:00.001-05:00

We won't lie to you to make a buck!

When it comes to tea and health, we lose a lot of customers seeking magic weight burning teas. Honestly people, there's no such thing as a fat burning tea. And I don't care what some mysterious pseudo scientist Asian doctor that never smiles or looks at the camera tells you. It's just a snake oil sales pitch that so many people fall for. I really wish the FDA would crack down on these guys.

So what's our position? TEA CAN HELP YOU LOSE WEIGHT but ONLY IF YOU SUBSTITUTE IT FOR THE CRAP YOU'RE DRINKING AND EATING NOW. The healthiest bit about tea is what it's not. A tea break is not a junk food break. It's not a cigarette break. It's not a can of soda or candy bar break. Try it for one month. Everytime you get the urge to take one of those really dumb breaks, try substituting tea instead. I promise you'll see changes in body weight and an increase in energy.

WHAT CAN TEA DO? Those absurd magic fat burning tea ads are partially correct. Tea is a healthy antioxidant rich beverage that has been associated with health. How is still a matter of great debate, but the association between health and tea is there. And that's alll teas, Black, Oolong and white as well as Green Tea. So drink the one you like - don't force down that grassy greens tuff you don't like. Life throws a lot od nasty stuff at us alll day everyday from pesticides and mother-in-laws to bus fumes. Tea antioxidants can help regulate or negate those effects. But honestly, eating junk food and smoking and then thinking a cup of tea can reverse the damage is like stepping in front of that bus or mother-in-law. You gotta help the tea a bit.

Our advice: TAKE TEA NOT JUNK DAILY - TAKE A WALK AFTERWARDS - AVOID YOUR MOTHER-IN-LAW
More About Tea and Weight Loss Along With Some Tea Starter Kits Here

Irish Shortbread Recipe

2010-02-25T08:04:00.002-05:00

Ingredients:

1 cup butter
1/2 cup superfine/baking sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch

Instructions:
Blend and mix butter and sugar into a thick paste
Add the flour and cornstarch
Roll out and cut into desired shapes
Bake at 325 degrees until lightly browned
Serve with jams, honey etc.. and black tea

Photo by Dave Souza from Wikicommons
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Shortbread_fingers.jpg

Irish Breakfast Tea Blend

Assam Breakfast Tea Blend

English Breakfast Tea Blend

How to Make Irish Tea

2010-02-24T08:34:00.000-05:00

Caution: Preparation varies with Irishman and may lead to disagreement or worse. Never bring up your mother, your pastor or your team when discussing.

When preparing Irish Tea it's advisable to use a high quality black tea or black tea blend as Irish tea is typically a strong black tea with milk and sugar. The trick is to make the tea strong - not bitter and to blend the milk and sugar.

Start with a high quality black tea or black tea blend. We of course recommend Indonique's Irish Breakfast blend of Indian black teas, especially blended for flavor and strength. You can also use our maltier Assam Breakfast or slightly more mellow English Breakfast blends.

Rinse the teapot with freshly boiled water to warm the pot.

Add one heaping teaspoon of tealeaf for each cup desired to the teapot.

Immediately add freshly boiled water. The water should be as hot as possible. That's why we warmed the pot. Use water just as it comes to a boil. Over boiling will remove oxygen and fail to steep properly.

Let steep for 3 - 5 minutes.

Milk should be warmed to near boiling and added to cups with sugar first. Then pour tea into the cup.

For best results, have in simple cups, poured from simple teapots with extraordinary friends. A shot of Irish Whiskey is optional.

Finally, you may disagree with these instructions and you're entitled. But then you're probably English if you do.

Tea in Ireland

2010-02-23T13:44:00.001-05:00

Pirates - Smugglers - Collaborators

Tea probably arrived in Ireland shortly after arriving in England in 1658 albeit to a privleged few owing to its cost. The leaf wasn't imported in any sizable quantity before the mid 19th century and then by English merchants and didn't become a staple in Irish kitchens until the early 20th century. It has since steadily increased in popularity until Ireland today boasts it is the number one consumer of tea in the world, about 6 cups per person per day! But getting there was a rough ride that included smuggling, piracy and Irish neutrality during WWII.

The tea tax imposed on American colonies was also levied at a much higher rate throughout the British Empire. Whereas the levy in America had the effect of producing a coffee drinking nation, in Ireland, so close to several tea exporting nations, it had the opposite effect. Large and very small operations could easily and very profitably smuggle tea in and out of Ireland. At smuggler's prices it was within reach of countless numbers of Irishmen, a simple luxury in an impoverished land. Each cup provided a welcomed retreat from the harsh realities of their daily lives and a daily snub at the English occupiers.
By the turn of the 20th century, Ireland was a land of shameless hardened habitual tea drinkers, more than any other nation on earth. Most of the tea, unfortunately was imported from England or via English ships. So that, during WWII, when Ireland declared itself neutral, England punished her by dramatically reducing her tea rations. Tea rations were set throughout the Empire based on pre-war consumption. Ireland's ration was far below the standard. Ireland, without a standing navy or merchant marine force to speak of, was tealess throughout the war's duration.

At war's end this situation was immediately addressed with laws requiring all tea imported into Ireland to be directly imported from producing nations and not England. An Irish Tea Company soon after was established as a monopoly to secure direct importation and distribution of the precious national drink, co-owned by over 50 individual tea importers and maintained until Ireland's 1973 entrance into the European Union.

Irish Breakfast Tea

Thanks to Christophe Meneboeuf for the Image above through Wikipedia

Tea is Ireland's Evil

2010-02-22T13:08:00.000-05:00

Ranks Before Alcohol
as an Enemy of the
Public Health.

This heading and the following story appeared in the May 8, 1910 New York Times newspaper:

Special Correspondence THE NEW YORK TIMES.
LONDON, April 30. - Tea is the worse enemy of the Irish peasantry, according to reports from the Inspectors of Irish national schools which have just been issued in the form of a blue book. Referring to the teaching of cookery in the western district, one Inspector, J.P. Dalton, says:

"Of the many abuses that require correction, one in particular must be vigorously combated if the race is to be preserved from deterioration. The use of tea is now carried to such dangerous excess that it ranks before alcohol as an enemy of the public health.

"To aggravate the situation, it is in the poorest parts of the country that the tea evils is most active and hurtful. Outside the slums of the cities and larger towns there are no people in the British islands who have to endure a more miserable lot than the congested population of the Connaught seaboard, and yet the carts and vans of the itinerant tea vendor are to be seen every day going in and out among the most backward and inaccessible Connemara villages.

"It is only the cheap sorts of tea that reach these poor people and, let the quality be good or bad, the tea is so prepared for use that the liquid, when drunk, has the properties of a slow poison. The teapot stewing on the hearth all day long is kept literally on tap; the members of the family, young as well as old, resorting to it at discretion.

"I have spoken on the subject to many persons who have ample opportunities of judging - clergymen and members of the medical profession - and they proclaim with one voice that the most serious consequences are to be apprehended from this new and pernicious custom."

Mr. Dalton suggests that the cookery classes should spread a knowledge of the right modes of making and serving tea, and adds: "The class that could popularize a few nutritious vegetable soups among the housewives of its neighborhood would do more than any other to promote the health and to merit the gratitude of the rising generation."

Visit our Old Pre-Blog Newsletter for More Tea & Ireland Stories.

Tea History - Adventures of Robert Fortune

2010-02-19T14:39:00.000-05:00

Forget Lawrence of Arabia. Robert Fortune (16 September 1812 – 13 April 1880) a Scottish Botanist and explorer is the real deal.

After the first Opium War of 1842, Fortune set out on an unimaginable quest into forbidden reaches of China to learn he secret of and return with samples of the tea plant. Thoroughly tea-addicted Britain was paying through the nose, in silver only mind you, for the precious commodity. A succession of Chinese Emperors, recognizing the value of a monopoly, forbid, under threat of decapitation, any Chinese citizen from discussing any aspect of tea or even teaching the Chinese languages to foreign devils (That was the official term for non-Chinese). The Brits were desperate to find another source for the liquid gold. The first attempt ended badly addicting 6 million Chinese citizens to opium, not to mention quite a few Londoners, and led to two wars, the Opium Wars. Fortune took up the challenge disguising himself as a Chinese merchant and traveling through China for three years collecting tea plants along with many others and successfully smuggling them into British held territories. He also learned what he could of the tea manufacturing process and was the first European to learn that Black and Green tea were from the same plant. The Chinese threat was that effective at keeping the secret of tea. In addition to tea plants, Fortune also smuggled out experienced tea manufacturers and set up shop in Darjeeling India. Ironically, as far back as 1820, another Scotsman discovered tea growing wild in Assam, India, a region withing easy control of the crown and John Company.

Fortune lived comfortably until 1880 from the sale of his many books including, Three Years' Wandering in the Northern Provinces of China, A Visit to the Tea, Silk, and Cotton Countries, with an account of the Agriculture and Horticulture of the Chinese, New Plants, etc. London, John Murray, 1847, which narrates his amazing action packed adventures in China. It's also an wonderful window into the mysterious places and cultures of remote 19th century China.

Calming Tea

2010-02-12T13:00:00.000-05:00

OK this on is actually true. But you don't have to buy the special Doctor Soandso or Herbalist Yoga Holistic Specialist blend to get the full calming effects of tea. All teas contain a substance, theanine that many researchers believe has a calming effect on humans. It's probably why tea has such an addictive effect on humans. A cup of the stuff just makes you feel good. The caffeine content invigorates the body and the theanine makes it feel good. Now that's a wonder drug! If you're looking for real relaxation, try a White tea, as white teas are the lowest in Caffeine content with all the theanine of any tea.

Tea and Caffeine Details Here
White Teas Can Be Purchased Here

Getting Started in Tea - Part III - Tea Preparation or "How to make a Proper Cup"

2010-02-12T11:25:00.003-05:00

The Japanese Tea ceremony requires 43 different specialized instruments. The English have developed an equally impressive line to specialized tea wares. Korean Tea services include fancy drain boards filled with stones. None of it is necessary! If you want to make a proper cup of tea, any tea, you'll need four things:

1. Good tea leaf from a proper whole leaf vendor

2. Hot water

3. A non-porous container to steep the tea in.

4. The Knowledge of how long to steep and at what temperature.

Honestly, a tea made in a mason jar will taste as good or better than one poured from the Queen's priceless tea service. It's number four that really sets a tea aficionado apart from the rest. We've made it easy with a simple formula and a cheat sheet that fits on a post card. But you won't even need that.

White Tea steeps for 1 minute
Green Tea steeps for 1-2 minutes
Oolong Tea steeps for 2-3 minutes
Black Tea Steeps for 3-5 minutes

The only other item to remember is that black tea needs to be really hot, so rinse the teapot, teacup or mason jar you're steeping in with boiled water to warm it a bit.

So why all the Fancy Tea Equipment?

1. With tea becoming affordable to the masses, aristocrats had to find some way of rubbing it in.
2. Some of us need a lot of smoke and mirrors to impress others
3. Chicks love the extra stuff
4. It's fun to have, use and collect

When is Tea Time?

Short answer: Any time you bloody well want a cup of tea.
Long answer: In late 18th century Britain, lunch was at noon and dinner at about 8pm. made for one hungry Duchess named Anna who started a tradition by having tea and snacks at about 4pm. Turns out everyone else was hungry too as the tradition caught on like dirt on a politician. High tea actually refers to the evening meal. Expensive hotels throughout the world reversed the names 'cause who wants to pay $20 a cup for anything called low.

All Indonique Tea Purchases Come With a Nifty easy to use Postcard-Sized Cheat Sheet for Making a Proper Cup of Tea.

Part I - What is Tea
Part II - Tea Origins
Part III - Tea Preparation
Part IV - Tea Misconceptions

Getting Started in Tea - Part II - Tea Origins

2010-02-11T15:26:00.006-05:00

In Part one of Getting Stared in Tea we discovered that there are four tea types, White, Green, Oolong and Black. You're way ahead of the crowd already. You even know more than most Englishmen. So go a little deeper and really get snobby.

I'm sure you've seen tea names like Assam or Darjeeling and others. These are not tea types, but places tea comes from. Let's take a look at some of the more common names. You'll pick up more as you proceed along tea snob road.

Assam is a Sate in India. Any tea grown there is called an Assam be it white, Green, Oolong or Black. As we said, all tea comes from a single species of plant, Camellia sinensis. But we can get deeper. There are at least 360 varieties of the tea plant that fall into two main groups or Jats, the broad leaf varieties called Camellia sinensis asamicus and a thin leaf variety, Camellia sinensis sinensis (Chinese variety). The assamicus jat growns best in low light jungles which is why it's suited for use in Rhino and Elephant infested tropical Assam, India. The sinensis jat is suited to higher sunny altitudes and has a thinner leaf. It was chosen to grow in sunny highlansds areas like Darjeeling. Most Assams are black. Wonderful breakfast teas that hold up well to milk and sugar. They're just better than Assam Greens.
More About Assam, India Here. Interesting Read!
Try some Assam Breakfast Tea here.

Darjeeling teas are from Darjeeling District in West Bengal, India. These high grown teas yield only 1/20 the leaf per acre as lowland assamicus teas and the price reflects this. Some of the world's best teas come from here. Unfortunately, the terribly unpredictable and often bad weather plays hell with the crops. The same estate that yields a wonderful tea one year will be disappointing the next. Both Black and Greens are widely produced here
Nice Organic Black Darjeeling here.
Click here for an Organic Green Darjeeling

Ceylon teas are grown in Sri Lanka. The colonial name for Sri lanka was Ceylon. The teas from there retain the name so as not to confuse loyal customers for them. An estate we like to deal with tells us their teas are a hybrid of assamicus and sinensis
Organic Ceylon Black Tea

Formosa, now called Taiwan produces some of the best Oolongs on the market. Unlike most oolongs, they steep for not 2 minutes but 6!
Formosan Oolong here

Nilgiri means Blue Mountains, located in southern India. Teas from here, a variety of the Chinese sinensis jat are only now gaining respect. Great as whole leaf and chai cuts (see Tea Grades)
Nilgiri based Chai here

The list goes on. One tea that is not listed is English Teas. England doesn't grow a single leaf.

Pick and choose a tea that fancies you for htt://indonique.com and feel free to email owner George with any questions you may have.

You can also dive in with our Tea Starter Kits, called Cha Vedas that give you everything you need to Get Started in Tea!

Next time we'll take a look at Tea Preparation and how to make a Proper Cup!

The Series, Getting Started in Tea

Part I - What is Tea
Part II - Tea Origins
Part III - Tea Preparation
Part IV - Tea Misconceptions

Getting Started in TEA - Part I - What is TEA?

2010-02-10T16:52:00.004-05:00

With well over 5000 different teas to choose from, getting into tea can be intimidating. Truth be told, it just ain't that complicated. Follow this short four part series and you'll be an expert. NO KIDDING!

To start with, there's only one tea plant species, camillia sinensis. Every leaf on the plant has the potential to become one four different tea types, White, Green, Oolong, or Black depending on processing. The top three, new shoots, are the preferred picks for most teas. Lower fourth through sixth leaves on the bush are sometimes used for some oolongs and black teas. But as I said, any and all leaves on any tea bush from anywhere on earth can be made into any of the four tea types. (You now know more about tea than 99% of all humans on earth)

The black teas, since they're highly processed and subject to damage, are further broken down by grading them. Orange Pekoe refers to the top most whole leaf picks. Yep, nothing to do with oranges. There's a link to a page with details following.

Check out this link for more details about tea types and grades: http://www.indonique.com.whsites.net/about_types.php.

If want to get a jump start, our Cha Vedas or Tea Starter Kits are available with everything you need to get started in tea. If you want to order some teas separately and follow the discussion, we'd recommend a Chinese White, Chinese Green or Darjeeling Green, a Formosan Oolong, and a Black Assam from, where else, http://indonique.com.

Check back in a few days when we discuss what an Assam, Darjeeling, Ceylon and Formosan tea is along with many others in Part II of Getting Started in Tea - Tea Types by Origin.

The Series, Getting Started in Tea

Part I - What is Tea
Part II - Tea Origins
Part III - Tea Preparation
Part IV - Tea Misconceptions

5 Reasons to Believe Yerba Mate IS an Aphrodisiac!

2010-02-10T11:48:00.000-05:00

1. Yerba Mate is the National Drink of Brazil
2. Have You Been to Mardi Gras in Rio?
3. Have You Seen the Way Brazilian Women Dress?
4. Have You Seen the Way Brazilian Women Dance?
5. Brazil has the largest Population in South America

First Five Photos Submitted that Support Our Claim Get a Free Bag of Yerba Mate! Ends 2/24/2010

Get Yerba Mate Here

7 Reasons to Buy Whole Leaf Tea

2010-02-09T12:56:00.000-05:00

1. A 4-ounce box of Indonique whole leaf tea makes between 50 - 80 cups of tea compared to bagged teas that deliver about half to one quarter the amount of tea and make a weak 18 - 25 cups. Don't be fooled by tea bags.

2. With whole leaf tea you can make a tea as strong or weak as you like and still make it great by steeping the right amount of time.

3. Whole leaf tea is Earth Friendly as it eliminates the entire paper or nylon bag industry end of the packaging. And I'm guessing nylon bags aren't biodegradable. maybe I'm wrong, but I dunno. http://indonique.com/greenertea

4. large whole leafs aren't damaged in the bagging process. Broken leaves can make for a bitter brew.

5. Does anyone really want to drink steeped paper or nylon? They say it's safe - NOW. Not me.

6. Indonique does not affiliate itself with any political party of philosophy, nor do we endorse throwing tea at politicians. Violence is wrong. But facts are facts, wet whole leaf tea makes a much bigger mess compared to neat little bags. We're just saying.

7. There's nothing manly about dunking a tea bag into a teacup. Grab a fist full, throw it into a pot of boiled water and after a few minutes strain it into cups will ya. And keep that pinky in tight when ya drink it.

Thai Tea Recipe

2010-02-03T12:41:00.001-05:00

Sweetened and poured over crushed ice and topped clouds of heavy cream, spicy aromatic Iced Thai Tea is as beautiful to look at as it is delicious to drink. easy enough for daily use and elegant enough for that special gathering, it's the perfect compliment for any summer occasion. Indonique uses our own Indian Spiced Tea as a tea base for this wonderful tea cration. If you're into less spicy brews, Assam Black tea will serve as well.

Brewing Instructions:

Brew a double strength tea, as per instructions on package

Sweeten while still hot

Refrigerate

Pour into tall glass over crushed ice

Slowly spoon in heavy cream

Garnish with mint leaf

Serve and beam proudly at guests, reminding them that the purchase also provided several school lunches for children in the tea producing communities of India

Visit Our Thai Tea Recipe Page to Buy!

Detox Tea

2010-02-03T09:11:00.001-05:00

Lot of money being made selling detox tea to every market segment out there. Does it work? Actually YES.

Life throws lots of bad stuff at us and sometimes we go out of our way to get it. Our bodies have a mechanisms for dealing with these unwanted substances. Antioxidants have been shown to greatly enhance this natural defense mechanism. There are two schools of thought for how it works. The first is that an antioxidant does just that, prevents oxidation of bad things like cancers from forming and directly helps maintain blood vessels, preventing damage where plaque can build. The second school suggests that antioxidants do absolutely nothing in the body. The body merely sees them as really obvious looking nasty foreign aliens that need to go, kicking the body into a super sensitive terminator-like cleansing mode expelling them and every other foreign object along with them. Reagardless of how they work, the association between health and antioxidants is undeniable. Tea, with 10 times the antioxidant of broccoli, is a great source of this protective substance.

As for the intentionally added poisons, well there's only so much your body and antioxiodants can do. Poisons ingested by breathing in second hand smoke in an elevator or fumes from a passing bus may be eliminated by your body's natural defenses, greatly enhanced by antioxidants. But smoking a pack a day of cigarettes and thinking a cup of any tea will protect you is just really really stupid. Love to lie to you and sell you some tea. But i just don't have the stomach for it. Natural human defenses combined with proper diet, tea being a huge part of it, ca protect from those occasional bus fumes. Smoking a pack a day is like stepping into the buses path and expecting a cup of tea to save you.

Final note: Any real tea will do, not just the special teas from special Asian doctors. can we definitely say that tea is a detoxing agent that will cleanse your body? Not yet, the FDA is till undecided. But recent research looks very very promising!

Bogus Health Claims for TEA

2010-02-01T11:06:00.003-05:00

Really getting fed up with daily finding a new tea vendor that makes ridiculous claims about tea and health benefits. Don't get me wrong. Tea IS a healthy beverage with a single cup containing the antioxidant equivalent of about 10 servings of broccoli. But some of the claims I'm reading are absurd. I'm writing this after reviewing one just this morning that posed as a health blog and conveniently pointing you to a tea vendor. It instructed readers to drink black tea for cancer concerns and white tea to lose weight. Green tea was recommended for nearly everything else.

Tea IS NOT a magic bullet. It's part of a healthy diet. It can contribute to your health in two very important ways:

1. IT IS NOT A CAN OF SODA!!! That right there is the healthiest part of tea.

2. The second healthiest aspect of this amazing little leaf is its antioxidant properties. But let's get real about it. The association of antioxidants with health in numerous ways has long been suspected and demonstrated in many studies. Most however, disagree as to how. Most claim the antioxidant molecules inhibit processes that can form cancers, a few claim there may be evidence of actually reversing cancer formations and a recent study, most intriguing, claims antioxidants do nothing at all directly. They're simply identified by the body as a foreign element, kicking the body into a super sensitive protective mode that expels them and everything else that might harm you.

So can tea make you lose weight. Not by itself. But it can if you substitute it for soda, get off your ass from time to time and lay off the junk food. Can it prevent cancers from forming? Maybe, looks promising, but not if you abuse your body to the point where the tea can't keep up. Can it help you sleep? Again, probably, due to its theanine content which some studies have shown produces a relaxing effect in humans. But it would even better with a little aerobic activity. Better yet, want to relax? Take five minutes for heaven's sake and make a pot of tea. It will do wonders for your mental state. Knowing that 10% of your purchase of an Indonique tea goes to Mercy Corps to support programs in tea growing communities will help the soul as well.

Regardless of HOW tea components protect the body, a growing body of evidence suggests it may very well do so on a number of fronts from oral health, coronary health, and cancer protection to who knows what else. But not by itself. You have to work with it.

How about tea leaf processing producing some miraculously altered health benefits with white causing weight loss and black preventing cancers? Give me a break will ya? Look at the research. All tea comes from the same plant. The antioxidant content remains largely unchanged, according to most studies. The health benefits have also been observed in many studies to remain the same.

Look, I really want to sell you tea. It's how I make a living, feed my children. But I'm not going to raise my children thinking it's Ok to sell lies and snake oil. Tea IS HEALTHY, it IS NATURAL and CAN PROTECT YOUR BODY. But common sense has to come into play.

Oh one tea and health bit no one ever mentions that I live by: If you drink tea you WILL NOT be hit by an asteroid. Honest fact!

Drink Tea! Live Well!

http://www.indonique.com.whsites.net/about_health.php

Great Video About Homeopathic Medicine

2010-01-29T08:31:00.001-05:00

We Love to Talk Tea

2010-01-28T13:21:00.002-05:00

We really do love talking about tea almost as much as we like drinking it. Wether you;re a customer, potential customer or even a competing retailer, please feel free to ask us anything at all about tea, tea history, tea culture, preparation and anything else you'd like to know. The more we all know about this amazing plant, the better off we'll all be.

Questions can be submitted by commenting here or emailing george@indonique.com directly. We can also take questions via http://twitter.com/indonique or http://facebook.com/indonique

Hesitant Tea Estates

2010-01-11T15:10:00.003-05:00

I’ve noticed lately that some growers and tea importers, with whom I’ve had good relations with, have shied away the minute I start talking about programT42. As many of you are aware, this our new business model that returns 10% of every sale, right off the top, to NGOs like Mercy Corps to fund programs in tea fields around the world. Our goal is to increase volume to the point where we can target specific tea estrates where our teas are picked. This requires identifying the source gardens and arranging for NGO oversight. Close associates have confided that the growers and importers I work with are afraid of negative publicity that might result from NGO participation and Indonique social marketing. If you are one of these contacts reading this post, relax.

The reality is that all third world production would be viewed with revulsion by most people from developed nations. The growers we work with, as far as we can determine, are doing their best to provide for their employees. Far from exploitation, many teeter on the brink of bankruptcy themselves. The system not the estate owners and importers is what needs fixing. programT42 was developed to do just that, work for everyone, from the tea pickers and their families to the estate owners, importers and end users. The whole system profits and prospers. We’re starting with one NGO, Mercy Corps and a few growers to get things started. Like any good business, the concept will spread quickly. Reluctant fearful estates will follow. It requires some patience.

Some points:

whole leaf tea, all we do, is not only greener, as tea bags dramatically increase carbon footprint, but are socially responsible, as most identify the source and, therefore, the people involved. The really cheap generic tea bags found in some groceries are really cheap for a reason. Please don’t participate!

Indonique provides unprecedented cash returns to the communities where our teas are picked relieving the estate of the cash, logistic and administrative burden.

NGOs are utilized for transparency and are insulated from local prejudices

Indonique does not seek to punish impoverished estates or estate owners. That would ultimately harm the employees on the estate. We merely seek to provide services to the worst or the worse at no cost to them. A win-win across the board.

In closing, old friends in India and Africa, change is coming, it’s starting here and now. Join us at Indonique and make a lasting change in the world where everyone profits.

Russian Caravan Tea

2010-01-05T12:28:00.003-05:00

Don't you just love those arrogant tea snobs who claim to know everything there is about tea? I've been selling the stuff for ten years and learn something new everyday, mostly how little I actually know. I had one of those snobs in our New Orleans shop once. He asked for our Russian Caravan tea and after a sip loudly announced that this was not Caravan tea. He'd had the real deal - authentic caravan tea (in his words) and it was nothing like ours. I confessed ours was indeed an approximation and asked how he managed to get a hold of the authentic stuff as the last caravan carrying tea left China in 1906. Turns out he was accustomed to a tea bagged flavored tea.

Authentic Caravan tea was the product of an 18 month journey from the tea fields of China to St Petersburg Russia.
The trade route was established in 1689 after Russo-Sino negotiations established a single trading point for all goods in the middle of nowhere, Mai-mai-Cheng on the Chinese side of the border and Usk Kayakhta on the Russian side. The first caravans were small, several hundred camels carrying furs from Russia and silks and ceramics from China. The long journey had an unexpected result, the tea acquired a unique caravan aroma, camel sweat, camp fires, spices, you name it. The Russians, apparently, like it a lot. By 1796, 6,000 camel loads of tea were reaching Russia. The trade lasted until 1907 when the Trans-Siberian Railroad opened and doomed caravan trade forever.

So, unless you're a Time Lord, are willing to hire a camel for 18 months or find a really well preserved sample of caravan tea in some Siberian glacier, an approximation is what we and my obnoxious former customer are left with. Ours is made with a smoky tea and a pinch or citrus. It, like many of our blends, changes regularly as new teas arrive, allowing us to offer the best of the crop when it's available.

Russian Caravan Tea (Kind of)

Benefits of Following

2010-01-04T08:13:00.003-05:00

Follow us on Twitter or Facebook for 25% discount coupons and special offers. Special offers posted on each range from 25% to 50% this month.

Also, for month of January 2010, for every box of tea you purchase, get a FREE box of Chocolate Chai at Indonique.com

Stunning Aiswaira Rai Music Video from movie "DEVDAS"

2010-01-04T08:04:00.002-05:00

East meets West meets South

2009-12-16T09:20:00.002-05:00

Harry manx mixes Indian instrumentals with a classic Bruce Springstein song on a cigar box guitar. Honest yall!

I'm thinking Mint Julep and some incense.

Discovery of Tea

2009-12-11T11:18:00.002-05:00

The discovery of tea is shrouded in the dim mists of history. However, with 280 of the 366 varieties of the plant growing in Fuijan Province China and the Chinese having the earliest descriptions and folklore surround the plant, it's Chinese origins are more than probable. So who was that industrious CHinese individual who thought to steep that first cup. There's no shortage of speculation. However, the most probable, in my mind, credits ancient Chinese herbalists with its discovery. For thousands of years, long before written history, Chinese herbalists sought and tested every conceivable herb and mineral as a potential medicine. Tea leaves were no doubt used whole, powdered and infused. The infused preparation appears to have won out as it tasted wonderful and, because it used bacteria killing boiled water, probably had an enhanced success rate as a cure-all.

So, lets all put on a kettle and raise a glass to our health and to that ancient herbalist who purposely or accidentally dropped the first tea leaf into a hot bowl of water.

Top 5 Holiday Teas

2009-12-07T12:18:00.003-05:00

Top 5 Teas for the Holidays

The holidays are for giving and remembering absent friends and family. Bring on the holidays in a very special way. Indonique tea is a gift that can last all year and change a life forever! One box of healthy whole-leaf tea can feed a child for over a week in tea-growing communities of India. Take a look at some of our favorites for the season upon us! www.indonique.com

1. Traditional Orange Spice Christmas Tea Blend
Rich warm flavorful tea with the aroma that is most associated with Christmas. Just the aroma for years to come will conjure memories of home and friends at a Christmas dinner. And when, accidentally, spilled, it will burn the hell out of your mother-in-law.

2. Dark rich Authentic Masala Chai
A very rich warm spiced traditional tea of India that’s crept into the holiday fare. Works well as a morning treat, after dinner dessert tea and amazing with Amaretto. Careful, as the milky consistency, when accidentally spilled on someone, say a mother-in-law, will stick and burn like hell!

3. Chocolate Chai
Imagine a teen wanting to go to a Christmas dinner. Dark rich Chocolate Chai appeals to all age groups, especially those with a sweet tooth, and works well with Kahlua. Nothing taste better while unwrapping presents on Christmas morning (provided your mother-in-law isn’t there)!

4. Ginger-Peach Oolong
Low on caffeine but loaded with flavor, this is an ideal afternoon tea for friends as you gather to complain about your mother-in-law who has to get involved in every damned holiday decision you make. It’s a best seller at Indonique and a gift that keeps giving.

5. Russian Black Cherry Tea
This is a killer flavored black tea, a favorite in Russian homes for centuries, when friends and families gathered around ornate samovars with silver teapots and no one took notice of mother-in-laws that went missing in wolf infested Siberian forests. Tradition!!

Legal Notice: Hot tea spilling upon and wolf-feeding of mother-in-laws is not condoned by Indonique in any way no matter how much they may need it. It’s best to have a cup and quietly sit, grinning, in a corner while imaging it.

Amaretto and WEral Grey and Rooibos with Gran Marnier

2009-11-11T17:19:00.000-05:00

Seattle Food - Search & Distill: Slip Yourself a Rooibos - page 1

Tea Stain for Woodworking

2009-09-18T11:34:00.000-04:00

It stains everything else, accidentally, why not wood on purpose. Take a look:
Homemade and Alternative Stains and Colorant by Jim McNamara

Elf Picked Tea In Crisis

2009-09-18T11:10:00.000-04:00

Fraudulent Elf Picked Tea hits market and Pirates wreak Havoc. Indonique is following this situation closely. More here:
Strolen's Citadel: Elven Green Tea By Scrasamax

Shinobi-Cha, Ice Brewing From Japan

2009-09-14T09:46:00.001-04:00

Interesting method of brewing tea with ice from Gongfu Girl

Iced Tea Invented at 1904 St Louis World's Fair MY FOOT!

2009-09-11T12:41:00.002-04:00

It appears that everything worth having was invented at the St Louis World's Fair on 1904 from Iced Cream to Iced Tea. I don't know much about iced cream, aside from how good it is, especially that Red Socks Fenway Park stuff, but I do know a thing or two about Iced Tea. It's only slightly younger than ice and tea. The oldest mention of the stuff I could find in America was an 1880 newspaper article about a civil war veterans picnic where vets from both sides enjoyed gallons of iced tea. Some of the earilest mentions of iced tea in Europe are from the 16thy century France where Roman Punch, Iced Punch, was served. Punch is dericed from the Indian Hinu word Panch, meaning five. Early tea recipes called for 1. water, 2.tea, 3. sugar, 4. lemon 5. and some form of alcohol. The addition of ice made it Roman Punch.

Next issue we'll talk about Tea & Spirits including GROG, Christmas Teas with brandy and rum and Irish Tea.

Tea in America - The Tea Act or the Original Bailout Bill

2009-09-09T09:13:00.001-04:00

Indignation over a simple tax without representation led to America's
independence. Not quite.

In reality, the whole revolutionary war thing started when Parliament
enacted the Tea Act of 1773, the Bailout Bill of it's day, to rescue
the Honorable East Indian Company. The John Company, as it had come to
be known, due to market forces, the tea boycott in the colonies
included, had an 18 million pound surplus of tea in London. The Tea
Act allowed the Company to sell directly to American colonists at
bargain basement prices, so low that even respectable tea smugglers
were threatened with financial ruin. Taxed tea was now cheaper and
safer than the smuggled stuff. Clever boys these Brits! Or so they
thought. Reaction in the colonies was rapid and decided. Company ships
all along the east coast were sent back with full cargo, held at port
until cargoes rotted and ransacked. Britain reacted in kind and a
rather nasty war started.

Good news is that we won and its safe to drink tea. The British don't
get a penny.

Mrs Williams Made Me Tea

2009-09-09T08:50:00.002-04:00

Tea History: Tea Reaches England

2009-09-02T13:12:00.004-04:00

As we discussed earlier, England, lured by the riches of the east, was a late but aggressive entry into the China trade. But before she could make much headway there, the new trade in tea to England through Holland was growing in leaps and bounds fueled by the new royal addiction and by the health benefits it offered.

The first mention of tea for sale in England was recorded in a 1658 London advertisement (same year Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell died) for that “all physicians approved China drink, called Cha” that included a lengthy list of ailments to which tea was a cure. Its impact was dramatic and fast. Consider the scene in 17th century England. Before Charles II and Catherine royals were regularly trashed with ale and beer. Queen Elizabeth I requisitioned a gallon of beer and a pound of beef for each member of her retinue for breakfast alone! Those who couldn’t afford alcohol were forced to drink water – filthy stinking cholera ridden water. Post agricultural, early industrial England was a cold, poor, filthy place. The transition was not smooth! Infant mortality rate was astoundingly high. Then came tea.

Tea requires boiled water that killed cholera germs. And tea had natural curative properties that were passed on to baby from mom through breast milk. Within a short period of time, infant mortality rate plummeted and the overall health and sobriety of England improved greatly. Having sober politicians was a real boon. If only present day America could drink more tea! On top of the whole heath thing, the stuff was profitable. English ships were eagerly introducing colonist in America and subjects in India to the wonderful new herb. Cultures were transformed.

The English experience was tea was instrumental in the development of much of the modern world. As a new, unfamiliar product, tea required marketing skills that weren’t needed before tea. The addiction created the tea break – huge new idea that increased productivity in many industries. Tea needed to be steeped and a tea equipage industry began importing then later creating its own ceramics. Industrious shop owners like those of Lloyds of London capitalized on the customer base of shipping agents and insurance agents as early as 1688 by posting essential insurance and cargo needs in the shop and offering to broker between the two. Today Lloyds of London agents are still called waiters. Coffee shops, now serving mostly tea became penny universities, so called for the education one could get there. For a penny entrance fee, laborers could mingle with aristocrats. House rules forbid the rigid tiered rules of society. So popular were they that, when Charles II tried to suppress them as houses of sedition, his edict was pretty much ignored and was rescinded soon after. “The World of Caffeine” by Weinberg and Bealer published a sample of “House Rules” for a typical coffee/Tea shop:

Enter Sirs, freely, but first, if you please,
Peruse our civil orders, which are these.
First gentry tradesmen all are welcome hither
And may without affront sit down together:
Pre-eminence of place none here should mind,
But take the next seat that he can find:
Nor need any, if finer persons come,
Rise up for to assign to them his room;
To limit men’s expense, we think not fair,
But let him forfeit twelve-pence that shall swear.
He that shall any quarrel here begin,
Shall give each man a dish t’ atone the sin;
And so shall he, whose compliments extend
So far to drink i9n coffee to his friend;
Let noise of loud disputes be quite forborne,
Nor maudlin lovers here in corners mourn,
But all be brisk and talk, but not too much;
On sacred things, let none presume to touch,
Nor profane Scripture, nor saucily wrong
Affairs of state with an irreverent tongue:
Let mirth be innocent, and each man see
That all his gests without reflection be;
To keep the house more quiet and from blame,
We banish hence cards and dice and every game,
Nor can allow of wagers, that exceed
Five shillings, which oftentimes do troubles breed;
Let that’s lost or forfeited be spent
In such liquor as the house doth vent.
And customer endeavor, to their powers,
For to observe still, seasonable hours.
Lastly, let each for what calls for pay,
And so you’re welcome to come everyday.

Darjeeling Owner profil from MERCY Corps

2009-08-31T08:07:00.000-04:00

Indonique donates 10% of every sale to Mercy Corps to fund programs like the CHAI program in India. Check out this link to a MERCY CORPS article about one of the great tea men in India, destined to be one of the great humanitarians of our time.

Buzzing with Cosmic Energy | Mercy Corps

To buy his tea visit:

Makaibari Estate Black

Makaibari Estate Green

Best Tea Video Yet!!!

2009-08-28T17:40:00.001-04:00

Europe Discovers Tea

2009-08-28T16:23:00.006-04:00

Marco Polo, failing to return with tea from China, left the foreign devils without this precious commodity until Portuguese ships managed to find their way round Africa and into the Indian ocean in 1498. They soon after reached China and were promptly sent packing by the Ming Emperor who forbid the foreign devils access. Undeterred, the Portuguese carried on a buccaneer style trade with eager Chinese merchants until the Ming Emperor relented and opened a single port near Canton to a single foreign devil, the Portuguese. The Dutch, hot on Portuguese tails were turned away from Chinese ports by the Emperor and Portuguese ships. Again, undeterred, this new European power found plenty of trade opportunities with Chinese merchants in Indonesia who spoke an Amoy dialect. It's interesting to note that the Chinese word for tea is T'ch or chai. Nations that dealt directly with the Chinese in Canton still call their Camelia infusion Cha or chai. The rest of Europe call it Tea after the Amoy T'e.

The nation most associated with tea, England, was a rather late entry into the China trade. In 1592 the English captured a Portuguese ship just returned from the China seas off the Azores. Imagine that sting, two years travel time alone only to be taken pisoner when near home. Anyway, the ship was enormous by English standards, built for the trade, carrying a cargo estimated at half a million pound sterling. That was about half the total worth of the English crown's Exchequer! It caused quite a stir in London and resulted in the formation of the Honorable East India Company by Queen Elizabeth on December 31, 1600, "for the honour of the nation, the wealth of the people.. The increase of navigation and the advancement of lawfulle traffic,". (Pratt's, "New Tea Lover's Treasury"). She also needed silk for hundreds of silk dresses.

But tea was not high on the list of riches to obtain in China. It was still a Dutch and Portuguese treat for the wealthy. it costs about $100 per pound to retrieve. But history, much more interesting than fiction or soap operas, stepped in. This is how it went down:

King Charles I of England lost a rather nasty war with The New Model Army, led by Lord Oliver Cromwell, attempting to establish a Commonwealth. The King lost and was executed in 1649. Cromwell was on a role and conquered neighboring Scotland and Ireland for good measure before being named Lord Protectorate of all three nations. Turned out Cromwell was just as nasty and reviled as Charles I. So much so that when he died in 1658, Charles I son, Charles II (so inventive with name weren't they?), who was crowned King in 1660. Cromwell's corpse, in Westminster Abey, was immediately removed hanged in chains and decapitated. I was afraid to ask what eventually happened to the corpse.

ANYWAY, Charles II, when his father was arrested was hurried to safety in Holland, Europe's first tea drinking nation. He returned to England a tea drinking monarch, the first ever in England. He was soon arranged in marriage to the princess Catherine of Braganza, Portugal, the other tea drinking nation. British royals and commoners alike, aping the monarchy, all took to tea. The Honorable India Company eventually making it affordable and available to all.

In the mood for some historical teas? Try a Green Chinese tea, the type that filled European hulls in the 16th and 17th centuries. We recommend:

Indonique's "Lung Ching (Dragonwell)" Tea or

"White Monkey Green Tea".

In the coming weeks, we'll look at Teas first arrival in London, Russian Tea, and Tea Time.

Marco Polo and Tea

2009-08-19T15:27:00.004-04:00

Marco Polo visited China, he claims, in 1275 returning with treasures and amazing tales of that ancient distant land. But he didn't return with tea. For a man to have spent so much time in China, as guest of the Emperor, tea would surely have been introduced and sent with him as gifts for aristocrats in the west. The reason Europe did not make its entry into Europe with Marco is a simple one, Marco didn't meet a tea drinking Chinese Emperor. Marco did meet a rough riding eat and drink what you take Mongolian conqueror who with his father between 1206 and 1208 AD took all of China by force reducing her population by a third. The Mongolians were skilled warriors and statisticians, but rarely called refined and definitely not lent to tea.

The practice of steamed powdered tea, exported to Japan centuries before, died in China with the advent of Mongol rule. Chinese tea continued, however, in peasant households prepared as we do in the west today, whole leaf and steeped. Tradition has it that tea didn't return to the throne until 1368 when a revolt to regain the throne was coordinated through messages secreted in tea cakes, where the Mongolian authorities would never look.

The revolt, a success, returned tea and ethnic Chinese emperors to the throne. The new "Peoples Emperor", however, chose to have his tea steeped, like his countrymen. Europe, alas, had to wait another two centuries for Portuguese ships to make their way into Chinese waters. It was a rough re-entry.

Europe meets tea next week.

A brief Tea Timeline can be found here.

Direct link: http://indonique.com/about_history.php

Why the English Drink Tea

2009-08-11T10:55:00.000-04:00

Chinese Tea Map - Google Maps

2009-07-30T13:44:00.000-04:00

Love this map of Chinese tea growing regions!:

Chinese Tea Map - Google Maps

Black Tea May Fight Diabetes

2009-07-29T13:23:00.000-04:00

Black Tea May Fight Diabetes

Monkey Picked Tea

2009-07-24T16:58:00.004-04:00

Truth be told, there's no such thing as monkeys picking tea anywhere
in the world aside from maybe a circus act somewhere. The term,
"Monkey Picked" refers to a quality of tea from steep mountainous
Fuijan Province China, so steep that the tea has to be picked, some
claimed, by monkeys. There is also a very interesting folklore
associated with the tea. According to residence os the area, Buddhist
monks living in the area centuries ago maintained a fruit orchard.
During a drought one year a young monk ran to the head monk exclaiming
that hungry monkeys from the hills were stealing the fruit. The head
abbot instructed the excited monk to allow the monkeys to eat what
they wanted as they too were one of God's creatures. The monkeys,
emboldened by the monks lack of action, actually began raiding the
food stores inside the monastery carrying away sack loads. The story
continues that the next year rains returned and the monkeys kept their
distance. However, an illness swept through the monastery inflicting
many. At the peak of the pandemic, monks woke to find in the courtyard
of the monastery, large amounts of green tea in the same sacks stolen
from them the previous year by marauding monkeys. They prepared the
tea and were cured by its healing properties. Thus the monkey picked
tea saved the monastery and a started a new crop for the monks that is
still grown there today.

Now that's a much better story than monkey servitude in the far east.

White Monkey Green Tea

The first teapot artist - Annals - Chinese Tea Annals

2009-07-21T12:17:00.000-04:00

The first teapot�artist - Annals - Chinese Tea Annals

Birth of the Samovar? - A Puzzling Archeological Find in the Foothills of the Caucasus - Tufan Akhundov

2009-07-21T12:15:00.000-04:00

8.3 Birth of the Samovar? - A Puzzling Archeological Find in the Foothills of the Caucasus - Tufan Akhundov

Smuggled tea captures market

2009-05-04T16:59:00.000-04:00

Smuggled tea captures market

Chai Walla India

2009-04-28T18:02:00.001-04:00

Tea Chemistry

2009-04-28T17:54:00.000-04:00

English Tea How To

2009-04-28T15:59:00.001-04:00

Temples, tombs and teabags

2009-04-23T13:28:00.000-04:00

Egyptology News: Travel: Temples, tombs and teabags

Indonique Featured on Triple Pundit!!!

2009-04-17T12:21:00.000-04:00

Indonique Tea & Chai Restarts After Katrina Washout - Indonique, Tea, Mercy Corps

MERCY CORPS profile of Darjeeling Estate Owner

2009-04-07T19:06:00.000-04:00

Makaibari Estate Green

Tea and the Opium Wars

2009-03-26T14:53:00.003-04:00

Here's the setting, China having discovered tea thousands of years ago, reluctantly, at first, sells it to England. Refusing to accept international banking terms, China requires payment in silver at time of purchase. England, absolutely addicted to the stuff, imports so much tea that the drain of silver from the Isles threatens economic ruin. The Chinese further protected their tea trade by making the secret of tea a state secret. Discussing any aspect of tea or teaching Chinese languages to foreign devils was punishable by death.

Poor England, small country with a big addiction and a very big trading partner. China was the riches most powerful nation in those days. And so, under these dire circumstances, England, reluctant to wage war, devised, in the early 1800's a clever scheme to get the tea out of China and keep the silver at home.

England controlled much of modern day India, Pakistan and Afghanistan, where cheap opium could be had. England offered credit terms to shipping agents and brokers to sell India tea to Chinese merchants provided they only take payment in silver. This silver was used to settle accounts at English banks in Canton China. The same silver was used to buy tea also in Canton. Opium in, tea out and economic crisis averted. Unfortunately, the sudden supply of cheap opium created about 6 million Chinese opium addicts forcing the Emperor to ban its trade. Facing economic ruin again, the British did the unthinkable. They sent the gunboats in and surprised everyone with one victory after another in the first Opium War of 1842. A second war a few years later witnessed the greatest expansion of British economic growth ever, gobbling up huge chunks of China and seizing the Emperor's palace.

Seeking Coffee & Chocolate

2009-03-19T13:11:00.001-04:00

Indonique is seeking manufacturers of Coffee and Chocolate from estates/plantations that are accessible to NGOs like Mercy Corps or Feed the Children or others.

Please contact George Constance at george@indonique.com

Expanding Social Network

2009-03-19T13:05:00.001-04:00

Indonique has made donations to several organizations that work to end Human Trafficing and Child Prostitution. You buy the tea, we make the donations. Doing the right thing should be automatic, built into the business. Some organizations we work with are:

Not For Sale Campaign

Born2Fly

We're offering free tea to the first donors of $20 and $100 to either of these organizations. Donate, save a life, get some free tea.

What's an Assam Tea?

2009-03-13T10:54:00.004-04:00

The 380 plus varieties of tea plant can be grouped into two main groups or subspecies of the camellia sinensis tea plant: Camellia sinensis sinensis and Camellia sinensis assamicus. The sinensis sinensis variety is a high grown thin leafed variety or JAT that is native to China. The sinensis assamicus variety is a broad thick leafed lowlands JAT native to Assam India. As would be expected, the assamicus leaf makes a much heavier malty tea than the lighter chinese variety, making it a perfect breakfast tea.

The Assam jat was discovered growing wild in abandoned patches in Assam in 1820's by a Scottish Company man whose brother, after his death eventually established a plantation in the 1850's. This discovery was by far the most important economically for 19th century tea addicted Britain. An addiction that threatened England with economic ruin and lead to two Opium Wars. That's a story for next week.

Indonique donates 10% of every sale we make to the communities where our teas are picked through NGOs like MERCY CORPS. A single box of tea can generate a donation large enough to provide a child in India with school lunches for one week.

GROG

2009-03-06T08:08:00.002-05:00

Several European nations claim to have invented Grog. Our favorite story involves the British version. Accordingly, in 1742, British Admiral Edward Vernon avoided near mutiny after cutting his sailors rum ration from one cup to a quarter cup, when his sailors discovered the watered down concoction actually tasted pretty good when the water was hot and steeped in tea. They named it after the Admiral, nick named Old Grog because of his penchant for water resistant grogram cloth. Unfortunately the story is probably not accurate as older references to grog have surfaced recently.

An interesting side story:
Because sailors rightly believed tea was a medicinal drink, they administered it to fever stricken ship mates. The sailor was put to bunk with his at the foot of the bed. He was then administered grog until he could see two hats. At that point the grog was suspended and he was left to sleep it off. The next morning, he was excused from ship's duties as he was considered "GROGGY". So now you know.

Indonique's Grog blend is as close as we can figure Old Grog's recipe. We blend several spices with a whole leaf black tea selected specifically for this Grog blend. Steep and add your own rum and brown sugar. We guarantee you'll re-enlist!

Indonique World Tea Party

2009-02-03T21:12:00.000-05:00

OK guys we've set a date for the next Indonique World Tea party: February 27 at Narcissus Chocolate Cafe in Wethersfield, CT. We hope our friends around the world will join us in their own parties and send us some photos or video. We have a theme for this one: Gave up coffee for Lent? Try TEA!

Remember, if you're having Indonique tea, a donation has already been made by Indonique to Mercy Corps to fund programs in the communities where our teas are picked. If not, use any tea and send a dollar per person participatinhg to Mercy Corps. You can make out a check to Mercy Corps with programT42 in the memo section and send to Indonique. we'll forward all the checks to them.

Go to www.indonique.com/wtp for details

Who we are: www.indonique.com

How we do it: www.indonique.com/t42

Watch for our Facebook account this week.

Twitter with us at www.twitter.com/indonique

snail mail at PO Box 1298, Glastonbury, CT 06033

Thanks, George

Woman overpowers thief with tea and sympathy

2008-07-09T08:55:00.000-04:00

Woman overpowers thief with tea and sympathy
| Oddly Enough
| Reuters

Healthy lifestyle triggers genetic changes: study

2008-06-17T11:04:00.000-04:00

Such small changes in our lifestyle can lead to a much healthier longer life. This article indicates that dietary changes can actually trigger positive health benefits on the genetic level.

Healthy lifestyle triggers genetic changes: study
| Health
| Reuters

Tea tree oil does not come from the tea plant!

2008-06-05T08:28:00.000-04:00

Tea tree oil - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Utah teapot - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

2008-06-05T08:27:00.000-04:00

Utah teapot - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

One of the world's first computer generated 3-D images.

The Hindu : National : Tea factory to be open to tourists

2008-05-29T10:05:00.000-04:00

The Hindu : National : Tea factory to be open to tourists

Thousands of tourist riot when they discovered Happy Valley tea is actually only tea and Happy Valley is just the name of the valley.

OK no one rioted but Happy Valley tea - Highest in the world does sound inviting. It's actually an old tea estate reopened as a tea museum with cool vintage 1854 tea making equipment from the earliest days of tea in India.

Visit the link for more.

Black Tea, Miracle Cure: Left Flank

2008-03-16T10:00:00.000-04:00

Black Tea, Miracle Cure: Left Flank

Anthrax and English Breakfast - The Current

2008-03-16T09:59:00.000-04:00

Anthrax and English Breakfast - The Current

Woman jailed for 'worshipping tea pot' - Telegraph

2008-03-11T08:26:00.000-04:00

Woman jailed for 'worshipping tea pot' - Telegraph

BBC NEWS | Health | Milk in tea 'blocks health gains'

2008-01-21T13:57:00.000-05:00

Dreadful News! Apparently some of the health benefits of tea are blocked by the addition of milk. Check out this BBC link for details.

Next month - Riots in Britain - reaction to Tea and Milk study.

Groups tell couples to boycott Valentine's Day-India-The Times of India

2007-12-26T13:41:00.000-05:00

Groups tell couples to boycott Valentine's Day-India-The Times of India

At restaurant in India, best tables are graveside

2007-12-16T09:39:00.000-05:00

At restaurant in India, best tables are graveside

Monkey crackdown no funny business for city - CNN.com

2007-12-14T15:11:00.000-05:00

Monkey crackdown no funny business for city - CNN.com

BBC NEWS | South Asia | Sales soar at all-women garage

2007-12-11T10:42:00.001-05:00

BBC NEWS | South Asia | Sales soar at all-women garage

BBC NEWS | South Asia | Indian women win bartender ruling

2007-12-11T10:42:00.000-05:00

BBC NEWS | South Asia | Indian women win bartender ruling

Bright Lights Film Journal | The Politics of Deepa Mehta's 'Water'

2007-12-04T14:55:00.000-05:00

Bright Lights Film Journal | The Politics of Deepa Mehta's 'Water'
More on Indian born Canadian director Deepa Mehta and her latest film "Water" part of a trilogy of films(Earth, Fire & Water) dealing with taboo topics in India. Hindu extremist have attacked and destroyed her set on the second day of shooting.

Subscribe to our newsletter at:
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to view movie and book reviews!

Bright Lights Film Journal | Deepa Mehta: Fire

2007-12-04T14:53:00.000-05:00

Bright Lights Film Journal | Deepa Mehta: Fire
Interesting article about one of the world's best directors, Deepa Mehta. Her films, dealing with taboo topics in Indian culture, have incited riots and death threats in her native India.

ABC News: Rehab for Rhinos -- Fight to Save Species

2007-11-28T14:23:00.000-05:00

ABC News: Rehab for Rhinos -- Fight to Save Species

BBC NEWS | South Asia | Calcutta calm after day of riots

2007-11-28T12:08:00.000-05:00

BBC NEWS | South Asia | Calcutta calm after day of riots

Indian fashion industry to be worth Rs 750 cr by 2012-India-The Times of India

2007-11-23T11:10:00.000-05:00

Indian fashion industry to be worth Rs 750 cr by 2012-India-The Times of India

Cobra Breeding

2007-11-19T09:48:00.000-05:00

The Hindu : Front Page : Captive breeding of cobras at Pilikula Nisargadhma

Revenue generation: US techies on top-Intl Business-Business-The Times of India

2007-11-16T12:43:00.000-05:00

Revenue generation: US techies on top-Intl Business-Business-The Times of India

Monkeys kill Deputy Mayor in Delhi

2007-11-08T11:59:00.001-05:00

If you've read our October Newsletter, you know how George feels about monkeys. Check out this story regarding just how bad these miserable little buggers have become.

Plastic Garbage a hazard to Indian Cows

2007-11-08T11:43:00.000-05:00

Excess packaging, new to India, is wreaking havoc with local cows that survive on scavenging street garbage.

Rhinos and Elephants Invade Tea Estate in India

2007-11-08T11:41:00.000-05:00

Really interesting link about the rare Assam Rhino and native elephnts disrupting work on an Assam Tea Estate.

New Packaging

2007-10-11T14:43:00.000-04:00

Indonique is now shipping its new packages!

Indonique Commercial Video

2006-11-19T12:49:00.000-05:00

University of Connecticut drama students and University of Hartford film student created an internet commercial video for Indonique. Please take a look and return here to comment. You can comment by clicking on the "Comment" link below this post. The teaser takes about 15 seconds to load with a high speed connection.

We'd also approciate your passing this link onto anyone and everyone. That's our total marketing budget!

Thanks and enjoy.

2006-08-11T09:55:00.001-04:00

New Labeling

Indonique has developed a new, retail hardy label for our new large tea tins for retail distribution. The tins are now available in half pound and soon in quareter pound black textured finger print hiding, smudge proof tins.

2006-08-11T09:50:00.000-04:00

Rebuilding our Wholesale Business

2006-08-11T09:37:00.000-04:00

It’s been nearly a year since hurricane Katrina forced our closure and still we have no FEMA/SBA low interest loan. So on with our bootstrapping recovery. If any of our customers has a marketing idea, please contact us. For now, please consider:

Sign up a new subscriber to our mailing list and receive a Free Bag of our Authentic Indian Masala Chai! Just have the new subscriber mention your name in their subscriber form.

Sign up 10 new subscribers and receive a Years Worth of Free Authentic Indian Masala Chai!

Get our products into a local Café and receive a Years Worth of Free Authentic Indian Masala Chai!

http://indonique.com/subscribe.php

http://indonique.com/wholesale_about.php

Thank you all for your past and future support. We’re looking forward to hearing from you.

George

Assam to honour Scottish pioneers of tea .:. NewKerala - India's Top Online Newspaper

2005-11-06T18:37:00.000-05:00

Assam to honour Scottish pioneers of tea .:. NewKerala - India's Top Online Newspaper

Water rushed into Chalmette so fast, that cars didn't have time to fill and sink.

2005-10-30T18:36:00.000-05:00