With the new year upon us, we are all looking for ways to help us stick to our resolution. For people looking to transition from Coffee or other highly caffeinated beverages, a chai latte is a great way to get a little kick without all the buzz. Matcha lattes also have a touch of caffeine, as well as a delicious way of getting antioxidants, EGCG, and flavinoids. Both recipes are a snap to make and are great hot or iced. Check out the video for a quick tutorial.
Chai Latte:
6oz freshly drawn and boiled water
1 Smith Masala Chai sachet
2-3 oz dairy or plant-based milk
1 tsp. cane sugar or other sweetener
Begin by brewing the tea for 5 minutes in a 10 to 12 ounce cup. While the tea is brewing, heat the milk to around 160 degrees. Using a steamer is a great way to add texture to the latte, but a microwave or stovetop work fine as well. Once the tea is brewed, add sweetener and stir in the heated milk. For a caffeine-free version, substitute the Masala Chai for Red Nectar.
Matcha Latte:
8 oz dairy or plant-based milk
1 tsp Smith Matcha Powder
2 tsp cane sugar or other sweetener
Combine the milk, Matcha, and sweetener in a steaming pitcher or microwave-safe container. Whisk rapidly with a spoon or an electric frother until everything is evenly combined. Heat the mixture to about 160 degrees; hot, but not scalding. Pour into your favorite cup or thermos and enjoy.
The Oregon College of Arts and Crafts is celebrating 20 years of its advanced metals class this year with a display of some of their favorite teawares. The 40 teapots on display, created by 3rd year students over the past 20 years, are being shown at the Hoffman Gallery through January 30th. The class that creates them is one-of-a-kind in the country and a rite of passage for students in the metals department of the school. With shapes ranging from panda bears to tanks, the creativity and imagination of the student artists truly shines. Smith Teamaker is proud to support this school and their teapots class through the sale of their exclusive “OCAC Craft Tea”.
Smith Teamaker is proud to partner with Two Degrees for the month of November. Every order placed on smithtea.com will come with a complimentary whole grain bar courtesy of Two Degrees. Not only are these bars delicious, they also help support a great cause.
For each bar distributed, a child in a developing country receives a life-saving meal or medically formulated nutrition pack. The nutrition packs are made to treat severe and acute malnutrition in children under the age of 5 years. They have shown up to 95% efficacy rates in completely rehabilitating severely malnourished children. Two Degrees purchases these meals from producers in the region where the meals are distributed. This helps to support local economies by employing local workers and purchasing local ingredients. With over 500,000 meals distributed, Two Degrees is at the forefront of helping to end hunger worldwide.
Did we mention they are delicious? Two Degrees sent us a sample box, which promptly disappeared into Steve’s office. When people started asking about them, Steve exclaimed “I thought they were all for me, I must have eaten them all.” We eventually all got to try the different flavors, and Steve got to support a great cause. Certainly a win-win for all.
Some anthropologists think that humans evolved in a savannah. Maybe that’s one reason the International Pinot Noir Conference felt so comforting. The location, inside a shady ancient oak grove in McMinnville, Oregon, was pastoral and serene. The other reason this was a perfect weekend: the food and wine.
For three consecutive days every July, some of the world’s best pinot noir wineries give seminars, vineyard tours and pour samples for people whose love of pinot draws them to this quaint Willamette Valley town. This year, we at Steven Smith Teamaker were thrilled to offer IPNC visitors chilled glasses of our four bottled teas, and thrilled to share such a wonderful day with friends old and new.
Steve, Nova and Claire poured Black Cap, White Petal, Big Bamboo and Big Hibiscus at the event on Friday. My coworker Amy and I poured on Sunday. Named The Walkabout, the Sunday afternoon affair is the largest outdoor pinot tasting in Oregon, with tables of wine alternating with tables from some of the Northwest’s finest restaurants and bakeries. Between pourings, Amy and I took a few moments to stroll through the grove, sampling food. (more…)
It’s always a surprise to enter the Laboratory at Smith Teamaker- you never know who you’ll find mixing it up with Steve. This time, it was Oregon Ballet Theatre’s own principal dancer, Alison Roper. She met with Steve a few weeks ago to take a spin around the Teaworks, taste a variety of teas and botanicals, and choreograph a special blend she could share with her friends and fans of the ballet. Since Tiffany was on hand with her camera that day, we have photos to share with you. Enter the Teaworks and follow along with Alison’s journey of creating her own special tea blend.
Allison showing off some delicious tea.
The lab table prepped for the tasting.
Alison and Diane Syrcle, Executive Director of OBT, discussing the key ingredients for a tea blend
Ballerina Footwear
Steven explaining the merits of different ingredients
It’s not all work in the tea lab. Alison having a good laugh.
Hello all friends of Smith Teamaker! I’ve had the pleasure and privilege of working part-time at Smith since last Christmas, and just last week I had a work-time revelation. I used to not be a big hibiscus fan. I liked the idea, but the actuality was often too astringent for my tastes. Then I met Big Hibiscus. The deeply crimson flowers themselves are beautiful, both to the eye and the nose, and the blend is at once rich and light, floral and fruity, with the slightest touch of the aromatic. I love it.
We’ve had a lovely spell of much needed 83-91 degree days here in Portland, and this kind-of weather brings margaritas to my mind. So there I was, sitting on the line while we were running BH, and it hit me: these flavors would be GREAT in a margarita! On the way home that night I stopped and picked up a bottle of tequila and some lemons and limes along with my dinner sundries. After a little tinkering, I came up with a recipe I’m pretty excited about, and I thought I’d share it here in hopes that some of you would enjoy it as much as me. The resulting cocktail is unique and delicious, as well as being the most beautiful shade of crimson I’m calling it an Indian Summer in hopes that our beautiful weather will stick around for a while before the rains return. Keep your fingers crossed for us. Best, Elizabeth
Indian Summer
6 tea bags Smith Teamaker Big Hibiscus tea
hot water
5 lemons
5 limes
simple syrup (I’ll explain)*
kosher salt
tequila (I like a silver as opposed to gold tequila for this drink)
Avocado Iced Green tea recipe from our very own teashaman was recently featured in About.com Coffee/Tea by Lindsey Goodwin.
This recipe was initially inspired by a blended avocado drink Steve tried in Ethiopia. He later added a Tex-Mex twist (chili peppers, lemon juice) and Fez (a Moroccan mint tea variation he carries) to the recipe. Click Here for recipe
To Purchase this featured product visit Smith Teashop.
Second flush plucking begins in Darjeeling – and none too soon as we just used up all of our second flush Darjeeling in our last batch of Bungalow. Take a look at these amazing views of the fields.
Last week at Caffe Vita headquarters, we were visited by Steven Smith of Steven Smith Teamaker, who carried his teacups up from Portland, Oregon. Smith Teamaker teas in the Tip-Top Cartons are now available to Caffe Vita wholesale customers. (more…)
Follow Us: