Putting the kettle on for a cup of tea is at once soothing and adventuresome.
The process takes a bit of time, giving you a chance to slow down and savor your day, engage in a conversation with a friend or get your at-home workstation ready for the next Zoom meeting.
The adventure comes from deciding which type of tea to have this time and mastering the science of steeping the tea at the right temperature for the perfect length of time. Some people seem to be born with this talent. For others of us, it’s a fun learning experience.
Trends in tea drinking are changing and expanding as people explore the premium tea market, realize the health benefits and select this as their beverage of
choice.
Dresden & Company embraced this trend from the company’s beginning and offers a variety of artisan teas through the D&Co. Kitchen collection. The teas are handcrafted from the finest ingredients sourced from all over the world.
Our tea partners are extremely passionate about their teas and it shows from the start to finish of the product. They work only with growers who share their care about the environment and conservation. Labels with the “Elephant approved” logo signify the teas are from areas that protect wildlife in India.
The ingredients are all purchased JIT, an abbreviation for just in time, meaning the teas are flown over within weeks of picking and processing. This gives our partners fresh ingredients as they blend the teas in small batches in their studios in Ohio and North Carolina.
Open a container of D&Co. Kitchen tea and you’ll find a blend that contains ingredients that our partners know are the right size and variety. They work with myriad tea shapes, sizes and varieties as well as fruits, nuts, barks, roots, flower petals, yerba mate, rooibos, and flavorings and essences to deliver a tea that will ensure “that the senses have been addressed.”
“The aroma must be pleasing. The visual must be pretty. The taste must be delicious,” says one of our partners, who has used her culinary background and extensive expertise to pull together teas like our Citrus Ginger Green Tea, Earl Grey Supreme Black Tea, Coconut Chamomile Herbal Tea and the seasonal Mint Snowflake Black Tea from her collection of more than 300 recipes.
Our tea partners say the secret to making a delicious cup of hot tea is knowing the “proper time, temperature and amount of tea to use.” The way a tea leaf is processed make it a white, green, oolong or black tea. If there is no tea leaf or camellia sinensis, then it is called a tisane of herbal infusion, our tea partners explain.
Here are a few other tips for a great tea experience:
- Always use spring water because tap water ruins the flavor of tea. Distilled can be your second choice but it will leave you with a flat tasting tea.
- Never allow the water to boil for teas requiring 212 degrees. Bring the water to a boil and then take it off the burner.
- A novice should start with a tea infuser, a tea scoop and a tea in every category so they can learn the nuances of the teas and know what they like.