Apple Crumble

In celebration of Hot Tea Month and to help combat the dark and chilly days of winter, we asked our Tea Sommelier, Alicja, for her top five winter warmers from the Shanti Collection

A 5-course meal plan for two using tea!

If you’ve ever wandered into a popular coffee shop on a rainy afternoon, you’re sure to have heard someone ordering and some barista announcing the preparation of a caramel latte. These relatively simple drinks have become one of the mainstays of popular culture, yet the massive pilings of milk and sugar offer relatively little in the way of health benefits. What is so attractive about them, then? Quite simply: flavor.

There’s been a lot of talk about green tea in the last decade. Have the Japanese had it right all along? Is it really as powerful as some say? Can it help you lose weight or is that an Oprah-fronted myth? DOES IT CURE CANCER?!

Teas to help with 7 popular resolutions

Whether you want to think outside the bag and switch your tea type to loose-leaf, or already have invested and want to keep your flavor fresh—we’ve put together a quick ‘n easy guide for loose-leaf tea storage. Let your leaves be free!Properly stored tea leaves can retain their freshness for several years, often even longer. Improperly stored tea, however, can lose its flavor and aroma very quickly. There are a few key conditions that you need to be aware of in order to keep your loose leaf tea fresh.

Hailing from a magical-seeming country and boasting a fascinating preparation process, Pu-Erh tea is one of the most unique ways to enjoy one of mankind’s oldest hot beverages. Even the name is special: Pu-Erh comes from a trading post that was often used to barter for such products as tea in the Imperial China. The leaves for this tea are grown on trees in China’s Yunnan Province, a gorgeous rolling land covered with greenery, foothills, and mountains. Classically beautiful terraces provide rich earth in which luscious crops grow, waterways wind through misty mountains, and temples sit against cloud-draped vistas.

Chicory root is a delicious coffee alternative with powerful health benefits!