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Summer Menu Update

wbwingert — Sun, 23 May 2010 19:23:33 +0000

We have just updated our tea menu – You’ll find several new additions

Our 2010 First Flush Darjeeling will arrive next Month – we tasted a variety of samples with a group of customers and Picked a Gopalhara Estate

We’ll add an Organic Green Nilgiri FOP in July – This is an Indian green tea reminiscent of a Dragonwell – A nice addition

Tropical Sunset Returns in June – This black tea has notes of South Sea fruits.

A Souvia Exclusive Blend Pear Helene arrives in June – A Green Tea based blend with hints of pear.

A summer bestseller – Sencha Pina Colada lets you enjoy the taste of the islands

Another Souvia exclusive is Quiet Mind a caffeine free blend with lavender and coconut notes. Look for it in July.

The Powerful Adaptogen Organic Astragulus joins our growing line up of loose herbals.

We say goodbye to

Mousse au Chocolat
Lemon Drop
Kukicha

They are available until June 30th or when they run out.

Souvia Tea update for January

wbwingert — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:59:20 +0000

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Quick and Current

Tea and Chocolate

Goings on

If you missed the

Segment on Tea and

Chocolate for

Valentine’s Day

it is archived here

Featured Teas

Several New teas arriving

Lomi Lomi Herbal infusion

is a delight for the senses

Taiping Monkey King is

a unique and rare green

tea with a long leaf style

Sencha Kombucha is a

green tea with kombucha

powder. Plum like

flavor is simple to make

Fog Tea is a green tea

also known as “Clouds

of Mist” or Wu Lu. Grown

in misty mountains it makes

a great tea.

Quick and current

February not only contains Valentine’s Day, but is also American Heart Month. Tea is a great way to tackle both! Black Teas have been shown to strengthen the cardiovascular system and tea fills the bill in many other ways for Valentine’s Day. In this edition:

Souvia Teas can be found in more places like The Java Spa in the Sachi Salon and the Water Mart at Camelback and Miller. Ask for Souvia Teas at your favorite haunts – we can deliver anywhere in the country!
The popular Souvia Saturday Forums continue on February 13th at 10am, providing speakers on a variety of general interest topics. They are free and run from 10am-Noon on selected Saturdays. Next up: Greg Peterson on “Creating your own Urban Farm”
See below for tea pairing, teas that are arriving and teas that are going away

Tea and Chocolate

Can you imagine a chocolate chip cookie without a glass of milk, a peanut butter sandwich without jelly, vanilla ice cream without hot fudge? There are certain food combinations that take the taste from just good to simply delicious!

Wine, for example, is often paired with foods and desserts to enhance the flavor in both. Tea shares many of wine’s complexities and pairing it with food can enhance the taste experience of both. Since February highlights chocolates and sweets as the perfect gift for your Valentine, why not take it to the next level and create tea and chocolate pairings for that romantic Valentine’s dinner that will surprise and delight?

One way to look at tea and chocolate is as friends, where similarity in characteristics enhance the flavor, or as lovers, where contrasting characteristics will complement each other through their differences. Since tea and chocolate share the same flavor profiles, floral qualities and bite from astringency and tannin, they practically invite you to create fun and tasty combinations. While you should always trust your taste buds to find the right combinations, there are some general guidelines that might help you get started.

White teas have a very delicate flavor and pair well with mild chocolates and fruit. Try a Silver Needle or Bai Mu Tan with chocolate covered strawberries or a white chocolate cheese cake.
Green teas have vegetal flavors and aromas and pair well with creamier tastes such as berry flavors and milk chocolate. A Japanese Sencha with its savory profile, for example, is a good match for white or milk chocolate.
Oolongs are partially oxidized teas, are very complex in flavor. The lightly oxidized, greener oolongs go well with rich sweet desserts like caramel filled pralines, milk or dark chocolate, while the more oxidized oolongs complement the stronger flavors of dark chocolate.
Black Teas tend to have a stronger flavor, more body and their tannin content matches up well with rich and full flavored dark chocolate, maybe with a hint of berries, citrus or nuts.

We like rich and creamy desserts and, therefore, choose for a perfect Valentine’s dessert would be a Ti Kuan Yin Oolong from China with its slightly toasted notes and a slice of creamy chocolate caramel cake.

If you are interested in learning more about this topic and would like to sample some creations, sign up for our “Tea and Dessert Pairing” class on Sunday, March 7^th from 2 until 4 PM.

Lots going on at the store…

Lots happening over the next month or so

Souvia Saturday forums started last month. These are presentations of general interest to the community. No registration necessary, just stop in and learn something new. Got an idea for a topic or speaker? Send us a note
New teas are on the shelves: Fog Tea, Lomi Lomi, Sencha Kombucha, and Taiping Monkey King – check them out!
The New Class Schedule is posted for the first half of 2010. Next up Herbals for Detox, Tea and Dessert Pairing and Tea 101
Tea Tuesdays at the Kerr Cultural Center – Music sponsored by Souvia, so there is no charge for refreshments or the programs! March 9th – “Viola Studio, Students of Nancy Buck”
The Chinese New Year starts in February and it is the “Year of the Tiger” – We have an instore drawing for a boxed set of some of the top teas from China
New arrivals in March – Licorice Root and White Cherry
Leaving us soon – Pumpkin Pie, Nutcracker Suite, Assam Mangalam, Snow Buds Special, Spring Green, Cupids Arrow, Gingerbread House, Ginseng Oolong

Thanks for Reading

Win a Souvia T-shirt for answering the following question – Name two herbals that are good for your heart. Send your answers to info@souvia.com. I will draw 4 winners this month…

We hope to see you in the store or online soon. If you can’t get in remember we ship same day and your tea will arrive quickly!

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Tea as a Guilt-Free Dessert

wbwingert — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 17:07:04 +0000

Kerstin just finished making a ton of great cookies and sweets for Christmas. I absolutely love German goodies and look forward to them every year. I really enjoy something a little sweet after dinner. While my kids can eat sweets without any outward signs, I have to spend more time hiking the mountains or on the treadmill to counteract the effects. Fortunately, there are some alternatives that satisfy but don’t pile on the calories. Teas and Herbals can provide the sweet treat without the guilt – Teas like Pumpkin Pie, Tiramasu Marscapone and Gingerbread House are examples of very low calorie teas that even when not sweetened, curb the cravings.

Kerstin was recently on Sonoran Living Live here in Phoenix to talk about this and even gave a recipe for a Chai Latte that has less than a quarter of the Big Chain’s calories with no compomise in flavor.

While I plan to occasionally indulge with the home baked goodies, it is nice to have a alternative for days when I don’t have the time to work it off.

Have a great Holiday time whatever your tradition!

Souvia Tea update for October

wbwingert — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 22:33:06 +0000

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Contents

Coming Attractions

Glenburn Tea

Help!

Featured Items

Trick or Tea

Happy Halloween!

Tasty black tea with

black cats and

pumpkins – so good

it’s scary!

Not a Paper Cup!

Double-walled

ceramic mug keeps

tea hot, fingers cool,

and you GREEN.

We will fill it free

the first time or

add a extra tea

sample online

Be our Fan!

Freshly picked June

9th 2009 and

imported directly from

the estate. A second

flush Assam

with many golden tips,

produces a rich

satisfying cup with

a nice malty finish

that will delight

Assam lovers.

Coming attractions

The first phase of the Phoenix Store transformation is complete. New colors and decor just in time to welcome lots of new tea.

Nutalicious is back as rumors of its demise turned out to be false. Joining Nutalicious on the shelves this month are Asian Fusion (green tea blend), Kenya Kaporet (wonderful black tea), Pumpkin Pie (last year’s favorite), Lemon Drop (a newcomer on the green shelf), Pu-Erh Ginger, and Sage Leaf round out the October arrivals.

The special tea of the Month is Trick or Tea - Limited time

Look for Cranberry-Peach (black), Nutcracker Suite, Gingerbread House (rooibos), and Harvest Moon(Green) around the first of November.

Our website’s facelift will also be complete before the next newsletter – we will announce when it is ready.

Tea Word of the Month: Gongfu [gong-foo] –adjective : literally “careful skill” a term used to describe the Chinese style tea ceremony or certain Chinese teas. See also Congou.

Fresh from the Estate – Glenburn

Glenburn estate is located in Darjeeling, India. It is a 1600 acre plantation with breathtaking views over the Kanchenjunga Mountain Range. The estate stretches from an elevation of 3700 ft all the way down to the sandy banks of two snow-fed Himalayan rivers.

At Glenburn in Darjeeling, where the higher altitude provides the necessary “stress” to the tea plants, giving the tea its characteristic flavor, the succulent leaves result in a very attractive tea with a purplish bloom and a sprinkling of silvery tips.

The estate is family operated in its 5^th generation by the Prakash family, also known as the ”Chaiwala family” (tea planters). Originally started by a Scottish tea company in 1859, the Prakash family has now been cultivating magnificent teas for over 150 years.

Kerstin and I had the pleasure to meet Husna Prakash at the 2009 World Tea Expo – Read more on our blog

We need you!

People always get ask: “How’s it going?” “How’s business?” “How can I help?”. There are several ways -

Your word of mouth referrals that let others know about Souvia Tea are very much appreciated
Already told everyone you know? Tell others with a review on Google
Want to keep up with the latest? Follow us on Twitter with our daily teas, fun tea facts and more
Prefer Facebook? Become a Fan of Souvia

This month – anyone who writes a review, becomes a fan, or follows us on Twitter will be eligible to win one of three $25 gift Cards. Thank you for all of your support.

In January, we also intend to use our space to host talks or presentations on topics of interest to the communities surrounding us. We have had suggestions so far for: child care options, sustainable agriculture, ways to be green among others. Ideas? Send them to info@souvia.com

We would also like to connect with people who are interested in performing tea-room-suitable music on Fridays from about 4-6pm – We pay in tea

That’s it for now…

Thanks for reading this month.

We hope to see you in the stores but if not, remember we ship everyday, locally and nationwide!

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Glenburn Teas

Administrator — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 21:29:00 +0000

At Glenburn in Darjeeling, where the higher altitude provides the necessary “stress” to the tea plants � giving the tea its characteristic flavor, the succulent leaves result in a very attractive tea with a purplish bloom and a sprinkling of silvery tips.

The estate is family operated in its 5^th generation by the Prakash family, also known as the� Chaiwala family� (tea planters). Originally started by a Scottish tea company in 1859, the Prakash family has now been cultivating magnificent teas for over a century.

Bret and I had the pleasure to meet Husna Prakash at the 2009 World Tea Expo and were fascinated by the idea to work directly with a tea grower. Normally, this is reserved for the big tea importers with huge order quantities. As a family business, the Glenburn Estate is very interested in supporting other small and growing companies which gives us the opportunity to import some of our teas directly from the country of origin.

Working with the Prakash family means that our customers will be able to get premium Darjeeling and Assam teas within weeks of their harvest.

It also means that some of the money spent on tea purchases at Souvia� will directly benefit the community of Glenburn. The Prakash family has established a �Worker�s Trust� which supports the local elementary school where children receive an education while their parents are working in the fields. For school children moving on to higher level education, there is a scholarship available and the estate is proud that six scholarship students from last year ranked in the top three positions in their class.

It is wonderful to know that your purchase of Glenburn tea not only provides you with a beautiful tea experience, but helps others in the process.

Tea: Stimulating yet Calming

Administrator — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:34:25 +0000

When people first come to tea, they often arrive from the world of coffee.? Many are either trying to avoid caffeine altogether or seek an alternative source for there morning cup.? ? This leads to inevitable questions about tea and caffeine.? ? While I tend to drink tea for taste, the caffeine can be a benefit on early mornings!? As this is a topic of interest to? many, I always educate myself through reading (remember – Google does not equal research!), obtaining further education through Specialty Tea Institute webinars, the World Tea Expo, and consultations with herbalists and naturopaths.

There is a lot of information on the web, some of it better than others.? A couple of points to keep in mind as you search for answers about tea and caffeine.

All tea contains caffeine
How the tea is brewed and the leaves you start with dramatically affect the caffeine in your cup
Tea is one of the very few foods that contain L-theanine - an amino acid that can counteract some of the caffeine effects
Caffeine in tea tends to be absorbed more slowly than caffeine in coffee

In general, Black Teas have the mosts caffeine in the cup followed by Oolong, Green, then white teas.? ? ? This assumes that the teas are brewed properly.? For example, leaving white tea leaves in boiling water for 10 minutes will not only make a bitter brew it will also extract a lot of caffeine from the leaves.

L-theanine kicks in 10-20 minutes after consumption.? The net results is a reduction in some of the less pelasnt physiolocial effects of caffeine without a loss of a popular benefit – mental alertness.? This is why tea is said to be stimulating yet calming.

So, whether you drink tea for taste, a boosts or both arm yourself with information so that you can make informed choices about tea and caffeine.

Chinese New Year Specials

Administrator — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 00:20:26 +0000

Monday starts the Chinese year 4646, the year of the Ox.? We’ll help celebrate by offerign specials on our Yixing pots and Chinese Teas.? Stop in and try some traditional chinese teas in handmade teaware.

What we are tasting today

Administrator — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 17:40:04 +0000

Beleive it or not we taste 20 new teas per week.? We are currently tasting teas for the Spring and Summer.? Today we tasted:

- A roasted almond – not enough almond taste

- A green tea with orange and passionfruit note – Would make an excellent iced tea

- A lemon grass vanilla herbal blend – had a strong smell and weak taste

- A new black tea blend – Excellent blend of Chinese teas – on the short list

Tea sale and Massages

Administrator — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 22:20:05 +0000

Don’t forget our annual tea sale and massages are this Friday, November 28th.? ? The sale lasts all day but the massages are from 1pm-3pm.? Read more about it in World Tea News.

? All teas will be 20% off and slected teaware will be on sale as well.? It is always fun and a great time to stock up on tea.

A spot of tea

Administrator — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 16:26:58 +0000

A spot of tea?

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Souvia Tea � Since April 2004, Souvia Tea has offered the best in tea leaves and tea essentials. This quaint tearoom shares tea culture from around the …