Amount:  2oz $4.99 makes about 12 mugs 4oz $8.99 makes about 25 mugs 8oz $15.99 makes about 50 mugs 1lb $28.99 makes about 100 mugs

Description

BLUEBERRY
(Black Tea with natural flavors)

[Clicking the picture above will display a larger picture, where the blue cornflower stands out.]

Small Batch Blended and Packed in Canada at The Metropolitan Tea Company. HACCP Certified.

Ingredients From: Sri Lanka
Region(s): Nuwara Eliya + Dimbula + Uva

Shipping Port(s): Colombo

Grade(s): (Loose Tea): OP (Orange Pekoe)

Growing Altitudes: 4000 – 8500 feet above sea level

Manufacture Type(s): Tea : Orthodox (Traditional leafy)

Cup Characteristics: Intoxicating blueberry aroma and sprightly full flavor of the tiny wild blueberry.
Excellent hot or cold. As an iced tea, serve with a pinch of sugar.

Infusion: Bright and Coppery.

Luxury Ingredients: Black tea, Cornflower petals, Blackberry leaves, and Natural Flavors.

Information:
Who doesn‟t love Blueberries? The tiny berries are incredibly juicy, sweet and packed full of antioxidants.

Throughout the North American North East no summer is complete without a stop at a pick-your-own blueberry farm. This is especially true during July, National Blueberry Month.

Poet Robert Frost certainly loved picking them. In his poem “Blueberries” he wrote:
Blueberries as big as the end of your thumb,
Real sky-blue, and heavy, and ready to drum.
In the cavernous pail of the first one to come!
And all ripe together, not some of them green
And some of them ripe! You ought to have seen!

In recent years, blueberries have come to be regarded as a “superfruit” owing to its favorable combination of nutrient richness, antioxidant strength, and versatility as an ingredient in other food products.

Raise a freshly brewed cup to an amazing berry!

What type of tea do we use, how do we flavor the tea and why do we use natural flavors?

Firstly... we only use high grown teas from the top 3 tea growing regions of Sri Lanka - Nuwara Eliya, Dimbula and Uva. These three high-grown districts produce flavorful teas that have classic „Ceylon‟ tea character which is noted by floral bouquet and flavor notes touches of mild astringency, bright coppery color and, most importantly - perfect for use as the base tea of our flavored teas. (We have tested teas from various other origins around the world as a base stock for our flavored teas, but none of these teas made the grade.) Dimbula and the western estates of Nuwara Eliya have a major quality peak during Jan/Feb, whereas Uva and the eastern estates of Nuwara Eliya have their peak in July/Aug. This „dual peak period‟ allow us to buy the best for our flavored tea blends several times during the year, ensuring top quality and freshness.

Secondly... we use flavoring oils, not crystals to give the tea drinker an olfactory holiday before indulging in a liquid tea treat.

Thirdly… we specify natural flavors. High-quality tea tastes good and natural flavors do not mask the natural taste of the high grown Ceylon tea. (The norm for many making flavored tea is to use overpowering artificial flavors, which can be used to hide lower quality tea). Natural flavors do not leave an aftertaste giving the tea a clean and true character. It should be noted that natural flavors tend to be somewhat „soft „ and the flavors slightly muted, but for many, this is a refreshing change and one of the desired attributes of our naturally flavored teas.

Hot tea brewing method:

Bring filtered or freshly drawn cold water to a rolling boil. Place 1 slightly heaping teaspoon of loose tea for each 7-9oz/200-260ml of fluid volume in the teapot. Pour the boiling water into the teapot. Cover and let steep for 4 minutes according to taste (the longer the steeping time the stronger the tea). Add milk and sugar to taste.

Iced tea brewing method (Pitcher):

(to make 1 liter/quart): Place 6 slightly heaping teaspoons of loose tea into a teapot or heat resistant pitcher. Using filtered or freshly drawn cold water, boil and pour 1¼ cups/315ml over the tea. Steep for 5 minutes. Quarter fill a serving pitcher with cold water. Pour the tea into your serving pitcher straining the tea or removing the tea bags. Add ice and top-up the pitcher with cold water. Garnish and sweeten to taste.
A rule of thumb when preparing fresh brewed iced tea is to increase the strength of hot tea since it will be poured over ice and diluted with cold water. (Note: Some luxury quality teas may turn cloudy when poured over ice. This is a sign of luxury quality and nothing to worry about.)

Iced tea brewing method (Individual Serving):

Place 1 slightly heaping teaspoon of loose tea into a teapot for each serving required. Using filtered or freshly drawn cold water, boil and pour 6-7oz/170-200ml per serving over the tea. Cover and let steep for 5 minutes. Add hot tea to a 12oz/375ml acrylic glass filled with ice, straining the tea. Not all of the tea will fit, allowing for approximately an additional ½ serving. Sweeten and/or add lemon to taste. A rule of thumb when preparing fresh brewed iced tea is to increase the strength of hot tea since it will be poured over ice and diluted. (Note: Some luxury quality teas may turn cloudy when poured over ice. This is a sign of luxury quality and nothing to worry about!)

RECOMMENDATION:

We recommend the use of our „1 Cup of Perfect Tea‟ measuring spoon (Item# 11MS-1370) for best results.

ANTIOXIDANT BENEFIT:

More antioxidants are extracted from tea (L. Camellia Sinesis) the longer it is brewed….and the more tea that is used, the greater the antioxidant benefit.

FOOD SAFETY ADVISORY:

We strongly recommend using filtered or freshly drawn cold water brought to a rolling boil when brewing all types of tea. Today‟s water has been known to carry viruses, parasites, and bacteria. Boiling the water will kill these elements and reduce the potential incidence of water-borne illnesses.

Ideal Brewing Temperature: 100ºC/212ºF.

Minimum Brewing Temperature: 90ºC/194ºF.