Tin Roof Teas Welcomes Hundreds of New Customers for the Holidays

We are all so excited over the many new customers who chose Tin Roof Teas in Cameron Village as the main destination for their holiday shopping. Our staff consistently heard, "How long have you been here?" or "I love this shop...I didn't know this shop was here." A few times, customers were standing two to three deep during Christmas week, and we do apologize but everyone seemed to enjoy the camaraderie that comes with the holidays. It was a little shocking to new customers when they first walk into a fine tea shop...250 teas choices can be overwhelming. In addition, we added gourmet confections, an even wider variety of teas, new tea accessories, and a scrumptious hot chocolate that kept selling out. (Yes, we have a new shipment!) The porcelain children's tea set was a big hit. We searched extensively for a set that was fine enough for an heirloom but not so expensive children couldn't play with them...our main requirement was that the set had to be tested and meet American standards for safety.

We are continuing to break records from last year. New tea classes will begin this month., and we are partnering with several local well-known vendors to bring our customers the finest gourmet foods available. Look for the new website early next month. Thanks again for all your support.

Rooibos/Rooibush...The Red Bush Tea

Rooibos (pronounced Roy-bos) is know as The Red Bush Tea. It is a naturally calming, sweet drink that is naturally caffeine free and low in tannins. The plant grows only in Cedar Valley in a small belt near the western Cape of South Africa in the Cedarberg Mountains. The Rooibus shrub grows to six feet and is similar in characteristics to a legume. The stiff, upright red branches support many dark green needle-like leaves. From spring through early summer, the shrub produces many small yellow flowers which in turns produces a single seeded tiny bean. The plant has a long tap root which allows it to survive the heat and drought conditions of South Africa. Grownups and children of that country have used the herbal qualities of this tea for many purposes. The entire story of its discovery starts in South Africa and continues until 2005 when the courts ruled that the trademark on the name could not be enforced.

The leaves are chopped, bruised, and allowed to ferment in large mounds. At one time in its history, it was considered the most expensive vegetable seed. It is brewed like black tea and served with honey, sugar or lemon...no milk. It has a slightly sweet and nutty taste. In modern Africa, Rooibos is often blended with another tea and some local coffee shops are selling it as "Red Expresso"...a concentrated drink.

Did You Miss The Tea Tasting Class at Teagschwendner Last Week?

If so, you will have another chance to attend our tea tasting class Thursday night, May 20 at 7:00 featuring China Oolong Kwai Flower and Formosa Fancy Superior Choice plus four other special Oolongs. This will be a very special event held at the TeaGschwendner shop in Cameron Village, Raleigh, North Carolina. In addition to the teas, Mistii, a new company from Durham will be pairing their new Peruvian shortbreads with the appropriate teas. Attendees will be given a 10% discount on their tea purchases and consultants will be available to assist everyone with their selections. Space is limited so please call or email to reserve a seat. If you cannot attend but you would like to learn about fine teas, the focus of this week's blog will be Oolongs, the culture and history that created the teas, the process of creating an high quality Oolong, and the characteristics of a fine tea. Teas covered this week will be Sumatra Oolong Barison, Kwai Flower Oolong, China Fancy Oolong, Formosa Fancy Oolong Ming Xiang, Formosa Fancy Superior Choice Oolong, and Formosa Fancy Superior Oolong Taifu.

Quick Mini-Lesson...tear open a tea bag then place a spoonful of a fine loose leaf tea beside the bag tea...which one actually looks like tea...remember TeaGschwendner tests their teas in a laboratory for metals and pesticides.



raleigh@tgtea.com

919-834-9000

Exactly What is TeaGschwendner?

TeaGschwender is a widely recognized and respected company based in Germany and recognized throughout Europe and Latin America. Their first US store was opened in Chicago a few years ago and only recently have they begun an expansion program into the US market. It is fortunate that Raleigh residents have access to such fine teas through the new partner store in Cameron Village. What makes these teas so exceptional? Quality!!! To read about the process, readers can visit their site http://www.tgtea.com/. The fact that will be of most interest to tea drinkers is the inspection and testing of the leaves. Teas are not only inspected in the fields but also in the labs for metals and pesticides which is the main reason the company buys direct from growers instead of middlemen and tea auction houses. With over 250 teas in stock at any given time, customers are sure to find one that will please their palate. In fact, visitors to the store are often overwhelmed when they first walk in the door. Not to fear, the consultants are easy to talk to and they are very knowledgeable about their product. They will be happy to explain the various teas and will open the bins to allow customers to inhale the delicious aromas emanating from the containers. With names like...Green Coconut, Strawberry & Cream, Peach, Blood Orange, it is hard to not buy the same teas over and over. Several of their teas have won awards at the World Tea Expo. For connoisseurs of fine teas (no blends), they have teas for those enthusiasts as well. Looking for herbals...they have those also. Tea tasting classes are available and customers can sign up for email notifications. What is the difference between a tea bag and a cup of tea brewed with fine tea leaves...the same difference between a grocery store wine and a rare wine. It won't take you long to discover the difference.