CINNAMON

Curry. Pickles. Wine. French Toast. What do these foods have in common? Cinnamon. Cinnamon, (Latin:Cinnamomum zeylanicum), is one of the most commonly used spices in the world. Throughout history, this pleasant smelling spice has been revered by almost all cultures in many different time periods. The ancient Egyptians burned the savory spice during funerals and believed that the smoke it produced was sacred and helped carry the spirits of the dead to the afterworld. Later on in human history, during the years of European world exploration in the 15th and 16th centuries, cinnamon became one of the most sought after commodities of seafaring explorers. It was also during those years that a belief grew in the ability of the scent of cinnamon to magically attract customers to a place of business! Nowadays, the spice, also known as Cassia, Sweet Wood, and Gui Zhi is found in kitchens from Atlanta to Beijing. Luckily for tea drinkers, it can also now be found as a spicy addition to our high grown Ceylon tea. Brew yourself a pot just once and we're sure the spicy aroma of cinnamon combined with our tea's pleasant astringency will magically have you calling us for more in no time!

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 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 allows 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.