Gongfu is the Chinese syle of ritual tea preparation

Many rituals have been created around the preparation and serving of tea. These rituals vary by culture and type of tea.  Some of the most famous ceremonies are the Chinese “Gong Fu” style preparation of Oolong teas and that of Matcha which is used in the Japanese tea ceremony.

Gong Fu Style Tea

In China, Oolong teas are traditionally served Gong Fu style using small clay pots (Yixing) and preparing multiple steepings of the tea leaves. Translated, Gong Fu means “with great skill” and it focuses on quality of product and result.

Matcha

Matcha is produced by grinding the tea leaf into a fine powder which is then whisked skillfully into hot water to create a rich and vegetal –tasting cup of tea.  The caffeine  content in this type of tea tends to be higher since the whole tea leaves are consumed. Traditionally, this tea is made from Sencha or Gyokuro and is used in the famous Japanese tea ceremony “Chanoyu”.

At Souvia ,we now offer our customers an authentic experience of Oolong and Matcha tea  which includes:

-          Oolong tea prepared on bamboo tray in Yixing clay pots

-          3 steepings of the leaves

-           Matcha prepared at the table in traditional Matcha bowl

-          Includes  Japanese sweets

If you’d like to enjoy tea served in a way it has been for centuries, just ask us and we’ll show you how it’s done!

Here are the next three

March 6th – LeAnn Hull – Candidate for US Congress District 3

LeAnn Hull is running for US COngress, District 3

LeAnn Hull is a local business owner who has entered the race for US Congress – She Will be at the store to discuss issues affecting all of us and her views of potential solutions.

Read more about her at www.leannhullforcongress.com

March 13th – “Best Laid Plans”

Do you have a living will, POA and an estate plan? 

 Marsha Goodman, Attorney PLLC

 March 27th – DWD – Driving While Distracted

Charlie Sobczak of Driving MBA will be here to discuss the dangers of distracted driving including texting and cell phone use.  He’ll have a simulator to  show how distracted driving will impair your ability to avoid accidents.

Charles has a diverse background ranging from a traffic agent responsible for weight and balance of aircraft to hazardous material coordinator, customer service supervisor as well as sales. From 1993 to 2003 Charles was in charge of certification and on-going training of sales personnel in automotive retail.

 The show is The Boomer and the Babe Show and it airs every Monday – Friday at 11AM on KXXT, 1010 AM in the Phoenix market.

we will talk about things you think you know about tea – but don’t!  “There are a lot of myths about tea, caffeine, cultures, and more” says Bret Wingert, Co-owner and Founder of Souvia Tea.

 You can also listen or watch the show live or recorded on www.boomerandthebabe.com. The link to the video of the show will be on the home page on the upper right.

 If you would like to join me at the show, they have seating available for about 20 people. The Boomer and The Babe Show is broadcast from the We Are Family Thrift Store at 107^th Ave and Peoria in Sun City, Arizona.

We hope you’ll enjoy the show

We will be on the show Tuesday 2-2-10 at 11am MST

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!

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.

A recent Time Magazine article says “exquisite infusions were far removed from the bland British teabag � which can contain leaves from up to 60 factory farms. “I realized that Britain was drinking the equivalent of blended whiskey,” recalls Lovell. “We’d never tried the single malt of the tea world.”? ”

? The author goes on to mention Silver Needle which is one of the best white teas out there.? It is prized for its subtle taste and gentle lift.

? Thank you for all your support these last three years.