Teas with natural calming qualities encourage relaxation from the inside, out. Tea leaves contain L-theanine, an amino acid that is believed to promote physical and mental relaxation. Although, contemporary research has not reached a point to fully support this idea, the abilities of tea have been taken very serious for many eras of mankind.

Some of you may be concerned about consuming small amounts of caffeine in some teas at the end of your hectic day; we know the las thing you’ll want is to be awake all night! Fortunately, there are options including delicious, hot beverages that will rock you gently into sleep. Herbal teas are an excellent choice for kicking back in the evening and contain no caffeine and plenty of other good-for-you properties.

Below, we’ve listed just a handful of teas available to help you shake of your hectic lifestyle and sink into a quiet evening!

Chamomile tea is probably the most well-known stress-relieving solution. The chamomile flower contains relaxants and antispasmodics that do much more than simply relax you. Chamomile is also often used in the holistic community as a mild pain reliever as well as a digestive aid. Whether your complaint is headache, stress, nausea, pain or mild insomnia, chamomile can alleviate your problems allowing you that bit of quiet and peace you need to curl up and sleep.

Lavender is an excellent component in many herbal blends that actually compliments chamomile quite well. Lavender is often added to teas for it’s soothing effects on the nervous system. The fragrance from lavender alone is a form of aroma therapy that induces a sleep-like calm. A common result of anxiety from a hectic day is an upset stomach. Aromatic lavender calms your digestive functions and soothes your stomach.

Jasmine tea, a fantastic green tea, is another aromatic treat whose scent alone has the power of sedation. Jasmine oil, in fact, is commonly used in aroma therapy to engage a relaxed state. In addition, Jasmine tea has properties that help fight damage done to your body by free radicals. Thus, drinking delicate jasmine tea is an experience that leaves you relaxed, ready for sleep and healthier each evening!

We want to help foster your love of the leaf with a few easy guidelines on the correct use of tea leaves. Once you’re informed, tea can become an appreciated pause within a fast-paced lifestyle.

Measuring

It is recommended that one rounded teaspoon of dry leaves be used for each 6 ounce cup of hot tea. You may adjust the amount of leaves according to leaf density, which varies with each tea type. For instance, fluffier leaves, like those of oolong and white teas, will need twice as many leaves to compensate.

Water

For the best tea, use the best water. Seemingly common sense, the science behind this concept reveals filtered, bottled or spring water has more oxygen that enhances tea taste.

Temperature

Remember, the finer the tea, the lower the temperature of your water. Black, oolong and herbal teas are sturdier and can be prepared with water that has come to a full, rolling boil while white and green teas should not.

Steep Time

The smaller the tea leaf, the less time you’ll need to infuse the tea with water. All of our teas require 3-5 minutes of steeping time before enjoyment.

Sweeten and Flavor

Before you squeeze generous amounts of honey into your cup, consider a few other options for adding zing to your tea. Real pieces of fruit, fresh berries, lemons, limes, sprigs of mint and even a tiny bit of sugar or milk can boost flavor and naturally sweeten.

Storing

Store your teas in cool, dry places at home and at work to preserve vitality. It is safe, and even encouraged, to store tea in the refrigerator or freezer.

For more on tea knowledge and tips, visit here!

At Hale Tea, our favorite warming beverage is spicy, traditional Chai black tea! Chai is a centuries-old drink that originated in India and has gained global notoriety. The term, Chai, is actually the Hindi word for tea. The chai experience is a combination of peppery sweetness with a tingly, spiced aftertaste. Some of the most prominent ingredients in this tasty treat include strong black tea, cardamom, cloves and ginger. These flavors strongly compliment your favorite winter foods, making chai an easy companion to your breezy days or colder evenings.

The effects of cardamom, cloves and ginger are beneficial to digestion and immune system with antiseptic and reviving qualities. The result is a warm belly, which in turn sends energy, blood flow and good health throughout your body. When you feel chilly and run down, this cheerful balance of health and warmth can initiate balance and perk you right up!

Now that you’re warmed up to chai, our suggestions for enjoyment will help you gain the most out of your cuppa’. Most prepare chai as a steaming beverage to gain the most out of it’s warming attributes. After steeping your chai tea, it’s recommended to add milk or a milk alternative since creaminess of dairy really brings out the sweet, desert-like qualities of the tea. Sweetener is not necessary, but if you prefer, add a small amount of raw sugar or honey for a satisfying treat. Wrap your hands around the toasty cup and notice first the tangy sweetness followed by a gingery snap. The black tea in chai usually has a medium caffeine level, giving you an extra boost after the kettle has cooled.

We at Hale Tea always wish you good health and happiness and think of each of you as we brew our own deliciously warming chai today!

Whether it’s the New Year or any other season, you want to make sure the promises you make to yourself create lasting changes. We’ve got some suggestions to get the ball rolling and help keep you maintain the new you all year:

• Have a definable purpose that you’re setting out to achieve and a clear plan as to how it will happen. Advanced planning will preventdiscouragement and help you set realistic expectations.
• Learn the value in taking small steps and building up to something amazing. Often, starting with too big of a goal can lead to burn out and fast disappointment.
• Enlist a friend to either join you in your resolution or to hold you accountable. The support of others is necessary during those tough times when you want to quit.
• Always focus on what you have accomplished instead of what you have yet to do. Remember to pat yourself on the back and reward positive changes you’ve already made.

At Hale Tea, our commitment to sustainability and to the finest, most satisfying teas remains the same in 2012. Staying fit, eating healthier, saving money and reducing stress are some of the most common goals made each January. Introducing our affordable, delicious teas into your weekly or daily routines is a perfect compliment to each of these.

The best resolutions are ones you can keep and feel good about. Goals that have effects long-lasting into the future are ones you can be most proud of. We’re proud of keeping our commitments throughout the decades and want to help you keep yours. Let us toast a cuppa’ to 2012 and to sharing another year of delicious health and happiness with each of you!

Gift giving is in the air and spaces below green trees are starting to fill with packages. With less than a ton of time left to grab those last little things for each person, you’ve got to make sure each gift counts.

Gifts that promise an experience seem to feel inherently special. Often, we give gifts simply just to give them. Items then end up as clutter or lost amongst other things in our homes.  Consumable gifts can create the opportunity for one-time or limited use, a chance to treat oneself to a personal enjoyment, an experience.

During difficult economic times and as we try to become more environmentally responsible, the trend towards consumable gifting is a valuable one. Reduce things, increase purposeful, thoughtful moments that show appreciation and promote sharing.

Our teas host lasting thoughtful moments each time they are used. Delicious and creative, the gift of Hale Teas is a cost-efficient, healthy and gives warmth and relaxation to those you care about most. Tea has so many uses (both as a food and medicine) and is easily disposed of after it’s use making it a responsible gift for the environmentally conscious. A global, ancient tradition, the gift of tea serves as an intimate and purposeful token of appreciation.

Giving Together

As the year comes to a close, we want to draw your attention to a different kind of giving tradition. Throughout the year we find different ways to support others and positively influence our community.  Our next commitment is a year-long effort to support an organization that epitomizes the art of giving. The Thornwell Home for Children offers physical and mental health resources as well as educational and supplemental care for children in need. Children of all ages are offered safe, loving homes and the care they deserve through services, programs and support systems created at Thornwell. Because we strongly believe in the same values shown to these children and families, Hale Tea has come up with a unique way to contribute.

Thornwell Home for Children has allowed Lisa and Les Brown and Hale Tea to list their very own donations page. For the entirety of 2012, we commit ourselves to the goal of raising at least $5,000 to be directly donated to this organization. Donations contribute to the daily lives of children and families affected by neglect, abuse and abandonment. From counseling, to camp and dental work to school clothes, contributions are used to fulfill basic needs and ensure stability in the lives of the children served. Each gift made is a responsible, conscious token of hope and opportunity with lasting, intangible effects of the best kind.

To read more about how our donations, together make a multitude of difference to the Thornwell children here.

If you would like to help us give in upcoming year, follow this link to our page. Forward your confirmation of contribution or receipt to sales@haletea.com and receive 10% off all orders in 2012. This is a token of our endless gratitude towards you in the effort to spread purposeful giving.

We wanted to make a tasty treat that warms the body, spirit and hands. We wanted our expertise in purveying fine teas to translate into the lavish holiday goodness you deserve. Now, all we needed to learn was how to fit the goodness of sprinkled sugar cookies into your tiny stovetop teakettle?  Thus, Hale Teas’ Christmas Cookies was born! A delicious blend of everything warm and toasty with a delicate balance of rich flavor to satisfy your sweetest tooth. The smell of Hale Tea’s Christmas Cookies fills your home with the welcoming aroma of baked goods. Each cup warms your hands and your belly. Cookies in a kettle, the perfect way for us to send you glowing happiness this holiday season!

There’s no need to worry about calorie counting or weight watching. Tea is a healthy addition to any diet and the gift of our tea may be the stepping stone to healthy habits in the new year.

Just like the real thing, this version of Christmas Cookies can be kept in your kitchen to share with your family or given to others as a token of love and appreciation for another year of friendship. We use the best of the best ingredients from the black tea base of our recipe to the adorable snowflake and Christmas tree sprinkles that add cheer to each cupful. Much like the exchange of recipe cards pass down family favorites through the generations, we want to share with you our own Christmas cookie recipe. Our recipe proves that we use only the best ingredients and natural goodness in each cup of cookie.

Hale Tea Christmas Cookies

1. Begin with the full flavor of the finest black tea. 
2. Add rich almond, a staple in most delicious holiday recipes. 
3. Toss in sweet little brittle pieces just like the ones you loved as a kid. Includes sugar, hazelnut, invert sugar and nut.
4. Brazil pepper and other flavoring deepen the taste and enrich the aroma that will come with steeping.
5. Ice crystal sprinkles begin to add sparkle! Sprinkles are made with sugar, rice flour, rapeseed oil hydrogenated, thickener tragacanth, flavor.
6. Tiny green fir trees are the whimsical, final touch to our cheerful blend!  Tree sprinkles contain sugar, rice flour, rapeseed oil hydrogenated, thickener tragacanth, flavouring, colours: E141, E101, E133.

“His” Teas

Now, you’re probably wondering if some of the men in your life would even drink tea? And if so, what kinds of tea would you buy them? Tea is rich in antioxidants and has no fat and no sugar. This makes a perfect fit for your fitness gurus. Some teas can also relax and ease stress making tea a perfect way to decompress after a long day at a desk. Tea can even be made convenient by using tea sachets in either a tea kettle or even a cleaned out coffee maker. Here are just a few suggestion for teas suited for men’s tastes and needs:

• Green Mint: Green tea has long been noted for it’s power to help the body fight everything from the effects of cancer to skin issues like psoriasis. It can even boost your immune system. The mint flavor leaves a refreshed, ready-for-anything feeling and a cool aftertaste.
• Any Black Tea: Black teas tend to be a bit richer and certainly stronger in terms of caffeine. Black teas are also available in decaf and come in a variety of breakfast blends. They are usually great with milk and sugar or simply…black. Their high amounts of amino acids may keep you from getting sick and other chemicals in black teas fight bad breath.
• Toppest Oolong: Oolongs are recommended as a compliment to a weight loss program. Oolong is also studied as a tool to fight tooth decay. It’s flavor has a medium richness with some fruit notes. Lower in caffeine than black tea, oolong is a tea to enjoy all day. We recommend this flavor for it’s spicy taste and delicious aroma.

“Hers” Teas

There are a wide range of teas touting their health benefits for women. The truth is that most teas provide at least some health benefit. We’ve selected just a handful of teas that provide a truly luxurious experience for each special woman in your life. In addition, collectors boxes and containers may add a perfect way to store new teas in traditional, contemporary, tidy and even messy kitchens!

• Pomegranate White Tea: White teas are the least processed of all the teas and have very little caffeine. As their name suggests, white teas are light and easy to drink with benefits ranging from digestive aide to heart health and even a strengthening agent for bone density. We think seasonal pomegranate makes a sweet, yet strong, gift tea that is suitable for hot or iced drinks.
• Toffee Rooibos: This rooibos blend has a sweet, satisfying taste of toffee desert that will make any woman feel cozy. A substitute for those trying to kick their coffee habits, this blend has the benefits of allergy-fighting rooibos with the aroma to make your house feel like a home.
• Tea Cocktails: It’s true…girls do just want to have fun! Tea cocktails come ready for a night at home or a night at home with all your favorite friends. This gift is great for every social butterfly or extra-girly homebody. Add your own liquor for a special kick. Get your gal pals started with a Chocolate Tea-Tini or a Pina Colada mix!

Well over 100 years ago in London, England, two brothers created a store specializing in providing their community with excellent coffees, teas and select grocery. Brothers, William and Henry Hale, became so successful with their store that by the early 1900′s they had opened seventeen locations. A warehouse along the Thames was needed just to house coffees and teas imported from around the globe! As their popularity continued to grow, William and Henry grew apart in their vision and the inability to see eye to eye eventually divided the business. The division was quite literal, with William taking all stores located in south and east London and Henry taking charge of stores in north and west London.

Both businesses continued to boom. How could they not, what with such an amazing selection from exotic, far-away places? It seemed both brothers were destined to become great leaders in the market…until the bombing of London in World War II. The devastation and destruction of war destroyed all but two of the Hale Stores. These two stores were all that was left of the growing coffee and tea trading empire.

Jumping in to help carry the family business, Henry’s son joined the company and began opening stores once again. Under a new name, Beverly’s, the trading company began to flourish, becoming more specialized in coffee and tea and even roasting their own coffees and creating new tea blends. The importing grew in variety and quantity even more than before it’s near destruction. Henry Hale passed away in 1948, leaving his son, and Beverly’s, to become a well-respected leader in the industry. He then continued to care for the company until it was sold decades later in 1984.

Clive, the very grandson of Hale Store founder, Henry Hale, apprenticed at Beverly’s as a young man prior to immigrating to Canada. His career continued in the tea and coffee industry for nearly 10 years until immigrating again, this time to the United States. In America Clive was so respected for his knowledge of the industry that he was hired as a tea buyer and blender for McCormick & Co. In 1970, Clive eventually made the move to the South, settling into Savannah, Georgia as a manager for Tetley Tea. It was here in Savannah that Clive continued his family business from over a century before by opening Hale Tea Company in 1995. From Hale Store in London, to Beverly’s post world war, to Hale Tea in Savannah, we’ve come a long way but our quality of specialty, imported teas is still as flavorful and rich as it was in 1875.

Understanding which teas to use for your recipes is similar to pairing teas with foods. Fortunately, you can find more information on tea and food pairings here. You can begin cooking with tea using some of our suggestions below. Many recipes use tea leaves ground with kitchen tools you already have, like pepper mills. Other recipes call for brewed tea or tea bags. The flavors become excellent and the smell coming from your kitchen will be fantastic. Once you start cooking, we know you’ll be able to use your own imagination to create awesome tea infused meals!

Suggestions for Cooking With Tea:

• Add jasmine tea to rice for an added, light flavor.
• Poach fruit in black or oolong tea and top with something creamy like homemade whipped cream!
• Cook a tender, juicy turkey by adding a tea bag and a cup of water to the pan.
• Add a cup of brewed rooibos to yams or potatoes for an extra herby taste.
• Grind black tea and add to a zesty rub for beef, pork chicken or fish.
• Add rooibos to your salmon marinades for truly moist, delicious fish.
• Grind green teas with coarse, white sea salt and use as seasoning for dishes with an Asian flare.
• Add green teas to cheesecakes, mousses and ice creams for a bit of a floral taste with your sweet tooth!
• Finally, relax and rewind by adding steamed milk and sugar to white tea for a calming dessert drink.

As always, continue your creative tea twists throughout the season and compliment your dinners and events with teatinis…Cheers!

Face

Green tea is a very common tool for a fresh, clean face. These remedies all suggest green tea for it’s high antioxidant content and reviving effects.

• Try cooled, used tea bags on your eyes for 10-15 minutes to relieve puffiness and redness.
• Splash cooled, green tea on your face and neck for a quick fresh glow.
• Steep green tea leaves with about a cup of witch hazel and a cup of water for an hour. Allow this to cool and use as an astringent after you wash your face, but before you moisturize. This may be an excellent treatment for those with acne.
• Another version is made by adding 3 teaspoons of green tea leaves to boiling water and steeping for 3 minutes. Strain and allow to cool. Add the tea water to a spray bottle and spritz your face for a fantastic, toned look. Do not rinse.
• For dry, chapped lips, mix a teaspoon of brown sugar with 4 drops of green tea. Apply this to your lips and let sit for a few minutes. Then, slowly rub the mixture in a circular motion on your lips until the dry skin is removed.

• Use cooled, damp tea green bags as a compress to reduce swelling and itching of an insect bite, cold sore or burn.
• Stop stinging, bleeding and redness of razor burn by using your green tea bags as a compress, yet again.
• Black tea fights unwanted scents and bacteria when used as a frequent foot soak or hand rinse to remove food odors.
• Some believe that soaking your hands and feet in a large container of brewed tea for 20 minutes nightly will reduce excessively sweaty extremities. This is probably due to the high amount of tannins in some teas that act as an astringent.
• Cotton balls soaked in strongly brewed teas can dry up a weepy rash caused by poison ivy or another allergic skin rash.

Try tea as a home remedy for skin, face and hair as a way to get the most out of your tea leaves and bags. Let us know which ones have worked for you and be sure to share those we might have missed!