 This week, 246 years ago, over $1,000,000 worth of goods was tossed into a harbor. That’s right, this week marks the anniversary of the Boston Tea Party. In the late 1700's, Britain was in severe debt and decided the solution was to impose multiple taxes on the American colonies. The first tax was the Stamp Act which taxed every piece of paper from newspapers to playing cards. A few years later Britain increased this to the Townshed Acts, taxing necessities such as paint, glass, and tea. At this time the American colonists drank an average of 2 to 3 cups of tea a day. So, as you can imagine, they were not too happy with an increased tax on their tea. But what disgusted the colonists even more was that the British Parliament was imposing all of these taxes without the colonists being represented and having a voice. In December of 1773 a group of colonists, known as the Sons of Liberty, decided British Parliament was going to hear the voice of the colonists, whether they liked in or not. On the evening of 16th over 100 men dressed up as Native Americans, boarded three ships delivering tea leaves to Boston Harbor. Shouting the phrase “No taxation with representation,” the protesters threw 342 crates of black and green teas, amounting to over $1,000,000 today, into the harbor. Many people belief the colonists dressed as Native Americans to disguise themselves as members of the local native tribes. However, this unlikely; during that time, it was commonplace for protesters to dress in costume i.e. blackening their faces, dressing as priests, and women to produce a sense on anarchy. There were also several other tea parties following the Boston Tea Party. Nine days later, in Philadelphia, the captain of a ship bearing tea was threatened to be tarred and feathered if he did not return the tea to England. The following year when a ship carrying tea arrived in Charleston, South Carolina local citizens demanded the merchants who had ordered the tea to toss it in the harbor themselves. 
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 With origins from China black tea is most commonly grown in India, Sri Lanka, Africa, and China. Black tea was born in the mid-17th century, when a passing army entered the Fujian province of China and decided to take shelter at a local tea factory. Halting production, the leaves were left out in the sun, oxidizing, longer than normal. This longer oxidation created a new type of tea, black.
Due to the lengthy oxidation process, black tea is able to retain flavor and freshness longer than most other teas. Longer oxidation time also makes the leaves darker, thus leading to the name “black” tea. Black teas’ flavors range from savory to sweet and are known to have stronger, bolder, and richer flavors than green tea. There is also more caffeine in black tea than green tea. However, black tea contains less caffeine than coffee which means it provides more focus as it does not over stimulate your brain. Black tea truly rose to popularity in the 1700s, in the American colonies. It is the most common tea drank in Western Culture, the most frequently served as English Breakfast, Earl Grey, Sweet Tea, and Iced tea. Black tea makes up over 90% of the tea sold in the US! No matter your flavor preference, with over 35 black teas and black tea blends to choose from, Elden Street Tea Shop has the perfect black tea for you! There are two varieties of Lapsang; smoked and unsmoked, smoked being the most common  Smoked lapsang originated when bandits ransacked and burned a tea making village. Most of the workshops and storage barns were destroyed but the villagers tried to salvage what little tea leaves remained. When the villagers tried the tea, it had an undeniable smoky flavor. Although they feared no one would purchase the tea, they had no choice but to pack it up and try to sell it. To the villagers’ surprise, traders loved it and paid triple what they would have originally paid. Since then, lapsang has remained a favorite in China and around the world.
Known in China as Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong, lapsang is made by laying the leaves out on bamboo mats and fire-drying it over a pinewood fire. Smoking the tea creates an aroma reminiscent of campfires and whiskey. When brewed the tea has a dark glossy appearance with a deep reddish orange color and a sweet mellow taste. Not only is Lapsang a favorite in China, it is also a favorite of Elden Street Tea Shop's owner! Stop by to try some of our Organic Lapsang Souchong to see what all the buzz is about!!!  1. Tea is better for your overall health; the high levels of antioxidants found in tea help prevent against diseases and delay cell damage.
2. No more sleepless nights! Tea contains less, and sometimes no, caffeine than coffee. Which means it will not stimulate your mind and body as much as a cup of coffee would; equaling a more restful night’s sleep. 3. Stay hydrated! Tea has the advantage, over coffee, of being pure water with added flavor. Tea also contains less caffeine, a natural dehydrator, than coffee. 4. Keep your bones healthy; tea contains high levels of a chemical called catechin. Catechins are natural antioxidants and help promote bone growth. 5. Resist depression; green tea contains a micro-nutrient called polyphenols that act as a natural antidepressant.  1 C water 1 TBSP water 1 tsp Elden Street Tea Shop Ceylon Tea 3 C flour 2 tsp chai spice blend** 1 tsp baking powder ½ tsp baking soda ½ tsp salt ¾ C vanilla low-fat yogurt 1 C softened butter 1 C granulated sugar 1 C light brown sugar 5 eggs 1 C confectioners’ sugar
 **To make the chai spice blend use equal
parts cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon, ground cloves, and peppercorn. To access the original recipe, click here. Steeping tea is an art form of its own, as steeping can make or break the perfect cup of tea. The practice of steeping tea is to infuse water with your tea leaves. The key elements in the process are the water temperature and the length of time you let your tea leaves steep. The ideal water temperature can vary based on the type of tea you are steeping. When making a cup of green or white tea, you want to keep your water temperature between 150 – 180 degrees Fahrenheit. These teas steep in a cooler temperature than others because their leaves are more delicate and higher temperatures risk burning the leaves. Black and Oolong teas steep at a slightly higher temperature, 180 – 200 degrees Fahrenheit and Herbal has the highest steeping temperature at 200 degrees. Each type of tea also has its own ideal length of steep time, seen in the chart below. The length of time you let your tea steep for is important as too little time does not allow the tea leaves to release each of their unique flavors and too much time can over steep your tea and you risk your tea becoming bitter. If you are re-steeping tea leaves you should add an extra minute or two to the original steep time. For specific steeping information on each of the Elden Street Tea Shop teas, click here to go to our tea catalog.  Come into Elden Street Tea Shop this holiday season to get the perfect gift for every tea lover on your list! AVAILABLE NOW!  Hostess Serving Tray: Need that perfect hostess gift for your holiday parties? Here it is! Our Hostess Tea Serving Tray has everything you need to serve tea on one tray! 3 different types of tea inn beautiful glass jars, local honey, rock sugar, tea spoon and filter all included! $54.95 Reusable Canister or French Press Travel Mug: Give the gift of SustainabiliTEA! The ESTS Canister and Travel French Press Mug are part of our BYOC program. Save money every time you bring them in to fill up! Canister $29.95 French Press Mug $34.95 Ceremonial Matcha and Matcha Tea Set: Our matcha tea set is perfect for the caffeine lover on your gift list! With all the health benefits of green tea and the caffeine content of a cup of coffee! $49.95 AVAILABLE 11/30!  The Tea Lover’s Gift Set: A great gift for the tea lover in your life! Includes mug, ESTS Infuser, and 2oz tea of your choice! $24.95 24 Tea Sampler Set (Advent Calendar): 24 Days of Tea! Sampler pack includes a tea for every night of December! $45.00 AVAILABLE FOR PREORDER Bring in this flyer to receive 1oz of tea FREE with any holiday gift purchase!
 Chado, “the Way of Tea,” is a traditional, formal Japanese Tea Ceremony. The ceremony was perfected in the 16th century by Japanese philosopher Sen no Rikyu. Rikyu designed Chado as a spiritual practice of Wu (harmony), Kei (respect), Sei (purity) and Jaku (tranquility). Chado is a practice in mindfulness, encouraging the participants to focus on the goodness around them and to be present in the moment. Traditionally, guests walk through a landscaped garden before entering the tea house. Upon arrival, they are greeted by the host in a simple room decorated with either a hanging scroll or a vase of flowers and a floor laid with mats made from woven reeds. As guests kneel on the mats, the host serves sweets and matcha, a type of green tea, using elegant, choreographed movements. The tea is served in ceramic bowls, using a hot iron kettle and stirred with a bamboo whisk. This practice represents the five elements of Taoism: water, earth, wood, fire and metal. Join tea practitioner Bob Bernhards for a traditional Japan Tea Ceremony at the Elden Street Tea Shop on Nov. 10 from noon to 4pm. Limited seating in each session; four guests max per session. We sincerely hope that this experience will broaden your appreciation of this art form and that you will, of course, enjoy a good bowl of tea. Click here to buy your ticket!  Join Elden Street Tea Shop owner, Rachel, in the video below as she describes our BYOC (bring your own cup/canister) program! Options available for purchase in the shop: Travel Thermos $29.95 2oz Container $6.95 8oz Container $29.95 16oz Container $36.95  Although in the U.S. chai is thought of as a tea flavor; in India, chai is not a flavor of tea, it is the Hindi word for "tea." So when someone says "chai tea," they are literally saying "tea tea." Originating over 5,000 years ago, legend holds that chai was invented for an Indian king who requested that a healing, spiced beverage be created to use in the traditional healing practice, Ayurveda. When first created, chai was made up of ginger and black pepper to stimulate digestion; cloves to relieve pain; cardamom as a mood lifter; cinnamon to support circulation and respiratory function; and star anise as a breath freshener. When the British-owned Indian Tea Association was established in Indian during the early 20th century, black tea began to be blended into the traditional Indian chai, becoming the chai we know today. In America, chai's base is black tea and can consist of various spices including cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg and many others. This combination makes chai a perfect tea for fall! At Elden Street Tea Shop you can find two types of chai: Monk's Honey Chai and Masala Chai Organic. The Monk's Honey Chai is a soothing tea with notes of chrysanthemums, honey, turmeric, and cardamom. Perfect for a sore throat! Masala Chai Organic has a fuller flavor and is a historic favorite in India. Featuring a blend of cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves, and peppercorns this tea preserves each of these unique flavors when adding milk and honey and maintains its strength when served as an iced tea.  Take some home with you the next time you come visit the tea shop! |
AuthorRachel Eisenfeld is the owner of Elden Street Tea Shop. She is a fan of Pu'er (poo-air) teas, refreshing and subtle white teas, and any tea mixed with bourbon. Rachel has been to many tea houses on the East Coast, Ireland, and San Franscico. She enjoys learning about the chemical process of making tea and international tea culture. During good times and bad, tea warms the soul. Archives
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