Chinese Tea Masters and Scholars of historical importance observed and documented more than 20 pharmaceutical functions of tea.

More recently, Bigelow® joined the ranks of recorders by citing the Top 10 reasons for drinking tea and today has increased that number to 33 Health Benefits of Drinking Tea.

1. Tea contains antioxidants.
2. Tea has less caffeine than coffee.
3. Tea helps keep you hydrated.
4. Tea can create a calmer but more alert state of mind.
5. Tea lowers the chance of having cognitive impairment.
6. Tea lowers stress hormone levels.
7. Tea eases irritability, headaches, nervous tension and insomnia.
8. Tea can cause a temporary increase in short term memory.
9. Tea may reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke.
10. Tea may protect your bones.
11. Tea may protect against heart disease.
12. Tea can help lower cholesterol.
13. Tea can help lower blood pressure.
14. Tea aids in digestion.
15. Tea helps inhibit intestinal inflammation.
16. Tea can reduce stomach cramps.
17. Tea helps protect your smile.
18. Tea is calorie-free.
19. Tea increases your metabolism.
20. Tea helps keep your skin acne-free.
21. Tea can help bad breath.
22. Tea strengthens your immune defenses.
23. Tea protects against cancer.
24. Tea can help prevent arthritis.
25. Tea can help fight the flu.
26. Tea helps fight infection.
27. Tea may reduce the risk of Parkinson’s disease.
28. Tea can prevent food poisoning.
29. Tea can lead to the inhibition of HIV.
30. Tea may help prevent diabetes.
31. Tea can lower blood sugar.
32. Tea can prevent iron damage.
33. Tea can help with nasal congestion.

China is the cradle of tea and the birthplace of tea appreciation, subjects refined and raised to the level of art by Lu Yu and even in these modern times there is still a distinct difference between drinking tea and tasting tea.

Tea is used:

1. As a sign of respect: In Chinese society, the younger generation always shows its respect to the older generation by offering a cup of tea. Inviting and paying for their elders to go to restaurants for tea is a traditional activity on holidays. In the past, people of lower rank served tea to higher-ranking people. Today, as Chinese society becomes more liberal, sometimes at home parents may pour a cup of tea for their children, or a boss may even pour tea for subordinates at restaurants. The lower ranking person should not expect the higher rank person to serve him or her tea in formal occasions, however.
2. For a family gathering: Because of sons and daughters leaving home to work and get married, they may seldom visit their parents. As a result, parents may rarely meet their grandchildren. Going to restaurants and drinking tea, therefore, becomes an important activity for family gatherings. Every Sunday, Chinese restaurants are crowded, especially when people celebrate festivals. This phenomenon reflects Chinese family values.
3. To apologize: In Chinese culture, people make serious apologies to others by pouring tea for them; for example, children serving tea to their parents as a sign of regret and submission.

Well we’re coming into the home stretch of the baseball season after the All Star Game (and what a great event it was) and it looks like it’s going to be another great run to the Fall Classic! Many teams are playing great baseball and the pennant races are starting to formulate into classic battles.

The Bigelow team was just up at Fenway Park filming our newest video with Cindi Bigelow and Wally the Green Monster. Cindi was teaching Wally (he’s a huge Bigelow tea drinker) how to make the perfect cup of tea and the highlight was when Wally thought he was supposed to eat the tea bag after brewing up a cup of tea. It was fun theater so be sure to check it out here.

We also met the Red Sox Manager, Terry Francona (our newest Bigelow Tea spokesperson) who is also a huge Bigelow Tea drinker. Terry and Joe Torre are great friends with a long association as Joe played with Terry’s father, Tito.

You can be sure that we’ll be getting these two great friends together again soon to capture that special moment: reminiscing about two of their shared passions; Baseball and Bigelow tea.

Bob

Are Soap Opera’s precisely your cup of tea? Is ‘All My Children’ an absolute must in your daily routine? If you answered yes, then this news is just for you. Amanda Baker, who plays Pine Valley’s Babe Carey, is hosting a meet and greet event in New York City. So exciting!

On August 16, 2008, lucky fans will get the opportunity to enjoy a morning out with Amanda Baker at ‘Alice’s Tea Cup.’ Tickets for the event cost $50 per person. The price includes a variety of teas, scones, and mini sandwiches. There will be a raffle and an auction with a portion of the proceeds to go to charity.

If getting there is out of the question, don’t worry, just pour yourself a cup of Bigelow® Tea, relax and tune in to your favorite daytime drama.

All it takes to discover another way to enjoy your favorite beverage-tea is the leaf, loose or bagged, boiled water, a container and a few utensils.

Tea Dyeing is perfect for covering stained white or ecru table linens, blouses and shirts, or for matching aged lace. It is also used to create a warm antique or primitive look in hand crafted items. There are many recipes on the internet similar to the one available at Plant Cultures to help you get underway. Before you begin the process, please ensure that you do a test on a portion of your textile to see if it will take the color well; because, according to the experts at Quilting Assistants.com this form of dyeing gives the most satisfactory results when it is being used on natural fabrics such as the linens, cottons, silks and muslins that artists, like cloth doll maker Madeleine Sara Maddocks use for their craft.

To complete your tea dyeing project a visit to Sharon Darling’s Quilter’s Review site will guide you through a simple method for preserving your work from fading by making the color permanent using vinegar, water and salt.

A Sample of Tea Dyeing in a mixed media, art fabric piece created by Cyndi at Layers Upon Layers
(Step by Step instructions for re-creating this are provided at her site.)

More Tea Dyeing Ideas:
Tea Infused Eggs
Aging Paper at Inkin’ and Thinkin’

Humorous video features Cindi Bigelow, President of Bigelow Tea, and Wally the Green Monster as they share a cup of tea

FAIRFIELD, Conn., July 2008 – Tea drinkers and baseball fans can have a laugh with Bigelow Tea’s (www.bigelowtea.com) newest online video featuring Wally the Green Monster, mascot for the Boston Red Sox Major League baseball team.
Hailing from Fenway Park and hosted by Cindi Bigelow, President Bigelow Tea, this fun video walks mascot Wally the Green Monster through the steps on how to make the “perfect cup of tea” atop the Green Monster, Fenway Park’s notable 37-foot wall in left field. In the video, in an attempt not to wring the tea bag (a tip from Cindi), Wally drips tea all over himself and a laughing Cindi Bigelow and learns that tea bags are not meant to be eaten!
You can view the Wally video on the Bigelow Tea website here (http://bigelowtea.com/about/bigteav.cfm). Viewers are also encouraged to check out additional entertaining videos, stories and recipes featured on the website and Bigelow Tea’s blog.

About Bigelow Tea Company

100 % family owned Fairfield, Conn.-based Bigelow Tea pioneered the specialty tea category more than 60 years ago. Bigelow takes pride in its heritage and successful growth from a one-product, entrepreneurial venture into America’s leading specialty tea company.  The Bigelow Tea line includes more than 80 varieties of flavored, traditional, green, organic , herbal, decaffeinated teas and iced teas– including America’s number one specialty tea flavor, “Constant Comment®.”  Also enjoy the Charleston Tea Plantation located on Wadmalaw Island just south of Charleston, South Carolina which is owned and operated by Bigelow Tea and produces American Classic Tea and products.

Bigelow Tea products are available nationwide and every variety can be found on the company website (www.bigelowtea.com). Tea lovers will also enjoy the company’s blog (www.bigelowteablog.com).

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PRESS CONTACT INFO:  
Elizabeth April-Fritz 
Bigelow Tea 
203-334-1212 
eafritz@rcbigelow.com 
 
Valorie Luther 
Creative Concepts 
203.259.4202 
vluther@creative-conceptsllc.com

Tea drinkers and baseball fans can have a laugh when Cindi Bigelow of Bigelow Tea meets Wally, the Red Sox mascot, for the first time and treats him to a lesson about tea on top of The Green Monster.

In an earlier post, we introduced you to Bill Hall, the Charleston Tea Plantation tea taster. But we saved what may be the most important question until now: what does a tea taster look for in a cup of tea?

Bill says that there is “a whole set of terminology in tea tasting: whether or not tea has “good character,” is “out of condition,” is “over or under withered.” But basically, what you’re looking for is a very fresh, smooth mellow taste. Not really harsh and bitter like coffee.”

Bill also points out that it is his job to maintain a constant quality all the time. “Because the quality and flavor of the leaves is changing all the time, it’s the taster’s job to keep the quality the same. That’s why many teas, like English Breakfast, are actually blends of a number of different leaves. One of the things Bigelow really excels at is creating blends. They will take the basic tea and add flavors to it.”

There’s still more to learn about the art of tea tasting! So stop back for the last in this series of posts when we’ll explore the importance of tea freshness.

There is a method to brewing your favorite tea as described in this previous Bigelow article and video by Cindi Bigelow but did you know that, on January 12, 1946 George Orwell outlined his own steps for making a “Nice Cup of Tea” in the Evening Standard.  “…not only because tea is one of the main stays of civilization in this country, as well as in Eire, Australia and New Zealand, but because the best manner of making it is the subject of violent disputes…”  If you would like to read more of this article it can be found re-produced in full at Essays and Journalism or, if you would like to view another quote from George Orwell, among others, you may refer to this previous Bigelow Blog article regarding quotes about tea.

Our appreciation goes out to It Happened in History for providing this image

I Love Lemon™ Asparagus Wrapped in Smoked Salmon

Ingredients:

8 Bigelow® I Love Lemon™ Herbal tea bags
4 cups water

1 lb fresh asparagus (approx. 30 stalks), peeled, an

d tough ends trimmed away
4 oz. light cream cheese, at room temperature
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
2 teaspoons salt
8 oz. thinly sliced smoked salmon

Yield: Serves 10

Instructions:

In a medium saucepan, bring 4 cups of water to a gentle boil. Remove from heat, add tea bags and allow to steep for 5 minutes.

Remove tea bags, return saucepan to the heat and bring to a boil. Add asparagus and 1½ teaspoons of salt to the pan.

Parboil for 2-3 minutes, or until crisp-tender. Remove asparagus and immediately transfer to a bowl of ice water (to stop the cooking).
Drain and pay dry. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, fresh herbs and remaining ½ teaspoon of salt. Stir to combine.

Spread a thin layer of the cream cheese mixture (about ½ teaspoon) on each slice of smoked salmon.

Roll up one stalk of asparagus in each piece of smoked salmon, leaving the tips of the asparagus exposed (making it easier to pick up).

Arrange on a platter and serve at room temperature.

Blueberry Harvest Vinagirette

Ingredients:
1/2 cup white wine vinegar (125mL)
6 Bigelow Blueberry Harvest Herb Tea tea bags
1 tablespoon honey (15mL)
2 tablespoon Dijon Mustard (30mL)
1 small clove garlic
1 cup vegetable oil (250mL)
1 teaspoon salt (5mL)
A pinch of black pepper
*Optional – tarragon, fresh, chopped or dried

Yield: 1 1/3 cups of dressing

Instructions:

Blueberry Harvest Vinaigrette Pour the vinegar into a small microwave-safe bowl, and cook on high for 1 minute, or cook in a saucepan on medium heat, until bubbles are visible. Remove, add the teabags, and steep for 5 minutes. Remove the teabags to a small strainer and, using the back of a spoon, press as much liquid as possible back into the bowl. Stir in the honey and mustard, then pour the mixture into an electric blender or a food processor. Add garlic and salt. Slowly drizzle the oil while the machine is running until it is smooth and creamy. Cover and refrigerate if not using right away.

Ginger Sweet Potato Casserole

Ingredients:
6 medium sweet potatoes
4 Bigelow® Ginger Snappish or Bigelow® Constant Comment
½ cup (125mL) whipping cream or half & half
½ teaspoon (2.5mL) salt
2 tablespoons (30mL) unsalted butter
1 egg beaten
*Optional – 1 cup (250mL) miniature marshmallows

Yield: Serves 8 – Prep Time: 10 minutes – Cook Time: 1 hour

Instructions:

Ginger Sweet Potato Casserole Boil sweet potatoes with skins on until tender, 15-18 minutes. Peel and mash.

While potatoes are cooking, heat cream, add tea bags and remove from heat. Let steep for 5 minutes.

To the mashed potatoes, add salt, butter, egg, tea infused cream. Beat until smooth.

Place in 2 quart buttered baking dish, (sprinkle with marshmallows if desired) and bake in oven at 375º for 15-20 minutes or until heated through (and marshmallows are browned*).

Serve hot.

* If made ahead, bring to room temperature, heat for 25 minutes, Top with marshmallows, if desired, and bake another 10 minutes or until marshmallows are browned.

For more great recipes, go to http://www.bigelowtea.com/entertaining/recipes/