The Curling Leaf
Artisan Tea:
I love that our small city has so many entrepreneurs who run
small businesses offering unique services and products that highlight the
amazing agricultural aspects of this valley. One of these businesses is The Curling Leaf, which offers various
herbal loose-leaf tea mixes. (This is actually one of two loose-leaf tea
companies - that I know of - that are based here in the Creston valley). Packaged in red, foil lined (not recyclable) paper
bags and closed with a strong black, reusable clip – these have a cute label on
the front with wonderfully enticing names and a lovely logo, and on the back
the label details the ingredients. They’ve also included their contact
information on the packaging, which is a nice touch.
One of the ingredients used in some of the tea combinations
is rooibos, which I wasn't familiar with and so I did some research
online about it. Apparently it is pronounced “roy-boss” and means ‘red bush’.
The plant comes from a member of the legume family with needle-like leaves that
is common in South Africa. The leaves are what provide the tisane, desirable
for tea. It also has antioxidants, anti-inflammatory properties, and
flavonoids; it contains no caffeine and is low in tannin (which can stain the
teeth). Herbalists claim that this plant
can help with anxiety, allergies, gout and digestive issues.
I have had the pleasure of trying 3 different packaged tea
mixes lately, serving them to my husband and visiting friends as well.
Heavenly Herbal Tea - a wonderfully fragrant peppermint and faint
rose scent. This tea reminded me a great deal of the tea mix my late mother
used to make from her herb gardens. Drinking this brought her memory to the
surface and after a good cry (she died nearly 3 years ago) I was able to smile
because I have those tea-chats to remember. This is a calming tea – great for
stressful moments or for drinking an hour or so prior to bedtime.
Ingredients: chamomile, rooibos, peppermint, calendula, rose
petals, natural flavors
Tropical Breeze – This
is a rose-colored tea with a wonderful fragrance. Lemon balm happens to be one
of my personal favorite tea herbs and also goes well with many Asian dishes,
and yet I rarely see it used by others, so it was really interesting to see it
listed in the ingredients for this tea blend. Ancients knew this herb as a youthful
tonic.
Ingredients: rooibos, pineapple, passionflower, lemon balm,
rose petals.
Kootenay Cherry-rose
Green - The steam smells wonderful, just like a combination of cherries and
roses. I was surprised how large the tiny dehydrated tea ingredients became
after dumping the dredges from the teapot in the compost bucket. Ingredients:
green tea, dried cherries, rose petals, calendula, natural flavors
To contact this local loose-leaf tea company email: TheCurlingLeaf@gmail.com. The owner, J. MacDonald, also has a blog you might want to check
out at: http://justmakeamess.wordpress.com/
Find Dave and Lillian Brummet, excerpts from their books, their radio program, blog, and more at: http://brummet.ca * Support the Brummets by telling your friends, clicking those social networking buttons, or visiting the Brummet's Store - and help raise funds for charity as well!
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