It is easy to overeat during the holidays. We know it from experience! However, we also know that there are some herbal teas that can help ease our tummies and aid us in resolving digestion issues pretty quickly. Here is a list of known digestion supporting teas and infustions:
Besides the digestion benefits, these teas make wonderful options, when you like to sip on teas later in the day, as they are naturally caffeine-free.
]]>Although browsing our website with such large variety of teas can sometimes seem overwhelming, we've compiled a few categories that you may want to explore to make your decision making easier.
We hope we've made gift giving just a bit easier, but if you have questions, we're always here to help - just an email away!
]]>Lunar New Year is a festive occasion that is brimming with enchanting traditions and captivating tales. Each year, Harney & Sons crafts a new tea tin to commemorate this special event, and for 2024, the focus is on the mystical and revered wood dragon, a departure from last year's rabbit.
This year's Lunar New Year tea still maintains its delectable flavors, drawing inspiration from the profile of Nian Gao, a Chinese New Year cake known for its blend of rice flour, brown sugar, coconut milk, and other ingredients, creating a delightful caramel-like sweetness. The 2024 Lunar New Year tea boasts a blend of toasted rice, coconut pieces, sesame seeds, coconut flavor, and caramel flavor—an homage to Nian Gao, minus the gooey texture but retaining all the delicious taste.
This year's zodiac animal, the wood dragon, holds a distinct position in Chinese culture, embodying qualities of wisdom, authority, good luck, strength, and health. The Chinese dragon is believed to bring rain, good fortune, and prosperity. The wood dragon, with its nurturing wood elements, is anticipated to bring growth, progress, and abundance. The dragon, the sole mythical creature in the Chinese zodiac, is immensely popular, and the Year of the Dragon witnesses a higher number of births as parents aim to have children during this auspicious time. Individuals born in the Year of the Dragon are often associated with good leadership and exceptional fortune.
Enjoy this delectable Harney & Sons Lunar New Year 2024 tea and don't forget to save the tin as it's unique on its own. It will never be 2024 again, right?
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Harney & Sons recently introduced Victorian London Fog and the news are totally worth sharing because it was selected as the creation of the effort and creativity of thousands of tea lovers who submitted tea flavours and then voted for the best in Harney & Sons' New Flavour Tea Contest. There were thousands of submissions and this one was the ultimate winner.
What makes Victorian London Fog different than a classic Earl Grey tea is the fact that it is a blend of not only black tea and bergamot oil but also oolong tea, lavender, and vanilla notes (only natural flavours). It has a fragrant and creamy liquor and is most definitely worth giving a try. This long-anticipated blend is now available for purchase, and tea lovers are already raving about it.
Victorian London Fog was inspired by the originating in the Victorian era hot beverage called “London Fog” that was traditionally Earl Grey with steamed milk. However, this one doesn’t have to be consumed with milk and it still delivers smooth and creamy experience. It is a great pair to your breakfast or brunch during the weekend. Enjoy!
]]>For this special day, your Valentine deserves only the best which is why we’ve chosen some of our most popular Valentine’s Day appropriate blends, although any of their favourite blends would make them smile as well.
Sweeten up Your Valentine's Day with Coconut
Sweeten up your Valentine's Day with these fragrant and delicious Harney & Sons tea blends with coconut - Harney & Sons Green tea with Coconut in a pink tin for her and SOHO (Coconut and Chocolate) in a black tin for him.
What is Valentine’s Day Without Chocolate
Let them indulge in chocolate in a new way. Surprise them with Harney & Sons aromatic chocolate inspired tea blend with all-natural chocolate flavour such as Florence, Chocolate HT or the herbal and naturally caffeine-free Chocolate Mint. Cozy up this Valentine’s Day and enjoy the moment together.
The Biggest Love Story Told Through Tea
Why not stay at home with your Valentine and enjoy one of the biggest love stories Titanic with Titanic tea blend in hand. Sip on what the people on the ship may have had at that time and imagine you are in that epoch.
Nothing is better together
Besides you two, nothing is better together than fine tea brewed and sipped from fine teaware. So, we suggest you combine your tea pick with a teapot or a tea mug so that the experience is worth.
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However, when the afternoon comes we want to slowly wind down and prepare ourselves for a more soothed after work hours. A good way to do it is by sipping on some decaffeinated teas, if you just can't live without your black teas or pick some herbal tisanes (most people still call them 'teas').
Here are a few good choices not just for an afternoon tea party but also for an afternoon drink at the cold office, or a calming cuppa while you're reading your favourite book.
1. Peppermint Herbal
Peppermint tea not only it helps with your tummy's wellbeing, but it also allows you to enjoy a cup of refreshing and at the same time soothing tisane. Because it's caffeine free by nature, you may enjoy at any time of the day.
2. Vanilla Comoro
Nowadays, people are turning their eyes onto flavoured tea blends...and there are many. However, this one should be a must try on your list. The pure vanilla blended in this tea is from one of the best places in the world to source vanilla from - the Comoro Islands. The smooth body with slightly sweeter notes makes a great to enjoy in the afternoon hours. This tea is decaf.
3. Decaf Hot Cinnamon Spice
Hot Cinnamon Spice definitely has the wow factor out of all Harney & Sons flavoured teas. It has been a tea lovers' favourite for over 30 years and is not going to slow down any time soon. Since it has been so coveted, Harney & Sons blended a decaffeinated version of it that is also amazing. The decaffeination process that the company has chosen delivers a great tasting decaf tea. To learn more about the different decaffeination processes visit our decaf teas blog post.
4. Rooibos Tea
Rooibos tea, also known by many as red tea, is a South African bush that is red in colour and that makes a great cup of herbal tea. Plain or flavoured, you will not only enjoy the health benefits of it but also soothe yourself for a good night sleep... and who doesn't want that?
5. Yellow & Blue - the Harney & Sons Chamomile and Lavender Tea
When you hear yellow and blue, you imagine something bright and soothing. This Harney & Sons blend is not anywhere away from that. It is a calming brew that mixes only the flower buds of yellow Chamomile and the blue/purple Lavender. Sipping on it while you're sick or when you need something to relax you, it is a go-to blend for anyone at any time of the day.
]]>For those of you who are not familiar with the term, simply described, detox is the process of cleansing our bodies from toxins. Toxins on their own are the substances that build up in your body when you are exposed to harmful artificial food ingredients, chemicals, pollutants, pesticides that cause an increased amount of free radicals which ultimately may affect your health condition.
There are multiple ways to detox your body - improve your diet and introduce more fruits and vegetables (if possible organic), exercise, drink more water, and simply add green tea or herbal teas to your routine. Great choices for green tea are Sencha, Bancha, and Matcha while when it comes to herbal teas/ tisanes – ginger tea and rooibos are the go-to.
While changing your diet and adding exercise to your routine may not be as easy as it sounds due to the fact that most of us nowadays have busy lives, you may still do something to detox your body.
A simple way to start is to just replace your morning and afternoon java with green tea. Green tea is not only packed with antioxidants that help fight free radicals that the toxins cause, but also provides you with a boost of energy without the jitter that coffee gives you.
While sencha or bencha green teas a great introduction to your detox, you may want to take it to another level and implementing matcha as your go-to green tea. If have not tried matcha yet, you have for sure heard of it. Remember those green-looking lattes that trend-setters and influencers post on Instagram? Matcha can be consumed on its own or mixed in smoothies or lattes. It has a raw, unforgettable taste and is an excellent source of antioxidants and amino acids, including (EGCg) & (L-Theanine). It is perfect to detoxify the body, boost immune system, boost metabolism, increase energy levels and naturally relieve stress. It is also known to help prevent diseases and skin aging. Who wouldn't want all of that, knowing that there is no sacrifice on taste?
In the evening, when you really want to wind down, you may brew some caffeine-free tisanes such as ginger or rooibos tea. Ginger tea is known as a great choice to fight flu and its associated symptoms and to improve immunity. In addition, it is contains antioxidants that eliminate toxins in the body. On the other hand, Rooibos tea, also known as South African red tea, helps reduce stress and provide you with a good night’s sleep that is essential to rejuvenate the body and allow it to repair itself.
Whether you decide to go ahead with your own detox program or not, you must remember that starting with baby steps such as making better choices when it comes to food, walking a bit more, or consuming healthy teas such as green teas would allow you to transition into healthier living without stressing out about it. Stress is never good anyway. Good luck!
]]>You probably already know that all tea leaves naturally contain caffeine. However, depending on their oxidation level, there is more or less caffeine in them. Black teas, with the most oxidized tea leaves, have the highest level of caffeine. That level goes down in the less oxidized oolong, green and white teas.
However, our civilization has also found ways to decaffeinate tea leaves so that people who are sensitive to caffeine or people who love to have a cuppa in the late afternoon can enjoy. All types of tea can be decaffeinated, but most commonly you may find decaf black and green tea.
Often interchanged, these two terms are not synonyms. You must know that decaf teas are different than caffeine-free teas. Decaffeinated teas actually still have a little bit of caffeine left in them although the amount is very, very minimal (usually 2 mg of caffeine per cup). While the caffeine-free teas naturally don't contain any caffeine. These are normally herbal tisanes like mint tea, rooibos, chamomile, etc.
There are four methods of tea decaffeination: methylene chloride, ethyl acetate, carbon dioxide, and water processing. Here, we've shortly explained how each of them works and what the effect of the process is on the tea and tea flavour.
If you are sensitive to caffeine or would like to reduce your caffeine daily consumption, implementing Harney & Sons decaffeinated teas or herbal tisanes in your tea selection may be a good idea.
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Oolong tea is one of the most traditional types of teas in China and Taiwan. It is made from the leaves, buds and stems of the Camellia sinensis plant and is slightly fermented and semi-oxidized, placing its flavour somewhere in the middle between green tea and black tea. Although there is a wide variety of oolong teas, the most famous oolong comes from the Fuijan province of China.
After picked, the tea leaves are being withered and tossed and bruised to improve oxidation and then left to oxidize to perfection, somewhere in the middle between green tea and black tea. After that, tea farmers stop the natural fermentation process by steaming or hot pressing the leaves in a hot pan, preparing them for the rolling step that makes oolong have this round shape and intensifies the flavour. After rolled, the tea leaves are left to dry in the sun, in hot pans or in hot air. Lastly, the tea is fired using different methods that allow for a smoky or fruity taste.
Oolong is a great tasting tea but knowing that it comes with health benefits, that is making our choice to drink oolong tea even better. Just as green tea, oolong is also packed with anti-oxidants and when consumed on a regular basis it helps with fighting free radials in the human body. Other benefits that come with drinking oolong regularly are that it can help burn fat faster and improve metabolism, improve mental performance due to the caffeine level it contains, improve digestion and even strengthen immune system.
If you're familiar with the tea steeping process and timing, you probably know that teas need to be steeped at a different temperature and for different timing (You can find out more here). For oolong, it is recommended to heat up water to around 205 degrees and keep your loose tea or tea sachet in the water for about 4-5 minutes and not more. Keeping your oolong tea for longer, would change the flavour, so stay with up to 5 minutes to ensure a pleasant flavour.
The oolong tea used in Harney & Sons Pomegranate Oolong is Ti Quan Yin oolong [Thih-koan-im], literally meaning "Goddess of Mercy". Legend tells of the goddess leading a devout farmer to a tiny yet intriguingly aromatic tea plant that he nurtured and shared among neighbors, with prosperity soon following. This oolong is a premium variety of Chinese Oolong Tea and it also comes from the Fujian Province. It has medium body with a very light clear green-yellow liquor. It is caffeinated with floral and citrus aroma from the pomegranate.
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You've probably heard about matcha already, especially if you are a tea connoisseur but it is possible that you have not heard about the fact that there are different grades of matcha and they are used for different purposes.
Considering that we will be preparing a tea latte, we will be using the culinary matcha because otherwise it would be just a waste of money to use the artisanal ceremonial.
It is essential to know that you should mix matcha with the right temperature water so that you won't destroy all the benefits of this precious tea. You can’t simply use boiling water of 212° to blend you matcha with because it changes the tea flavour. So bring up water to boil until it reaches 175° degrees.
Now, having the essential knowledge and the precision, it's time to make your matcha latte.
Boil water to 175° degrees and pour half a cup in a small bowl or alternatively matcha tea bowl. Add 1 tea spoon of the culinary matcha to it and assuming that you have a bamboo whisk available to you, whisk it in the hot water until it turns into a consistent paste or thicker liquid.
If you would like hot matcha tea latte, heat up and froth 1/2 cup of milk and add in the matcha mixture to it, stir and serve. If you would like iced matcha tea latte, transfer over the matcha liquid into a glass filled with your choice of cold milk and ice.
If you prefer your matcha drinks sweeter, you may add in honey, stevia or any other sweetener of your choice.
It's Tea Time. Show us your matcha tea lattes on Instagram using #mymatchaspin
]]>Summer is here and with that being said, what a better time to toast our frosty glasses of iced tea and say cheers to a beautiful, sunny and full of entertainment summer. There are a few ways to make a pitcher of homemade iced tea to enjoy while sitting in your back yard or partying by the pool. In this blog, you will learn what methods you can use to achieve that satisfying and refreshing feeling when you take the first sip.
We all know that the easiest one is just to pick up a bottle or a canned iced tea from the store but with all these preservatives, chemicals and sweeteners, knowing that most companies add, do we really want to do that when we can make our own healthy version at home and literally without any efforts. The two methods to prepare a homemade iced tea that we will discuss in this blog are called Cold Brew and the regularly brewed Iced Tea. Let’s go ahead and first see what Cold Brew is all about and how to make it in comparison to the conventional iced tea method.
Cold Brew is a very simple method of steeping your tea to make a flavourful, refreshing drink. All you need to do is fill in an iced tea pitcher with cold, filtered water and add one tea spoons of loose leaf tea/1 tea sachet that you would normally use for your hot tea. However, you must consider that when you add ice cubes to your glass of tea, the tea would naturally dissolve its flavours so you may want to consider adjust the proportions to achieve your perfect strength and boldness of flavours. Place it in the refrigerator, cover it with a lid or a plastic wrap and let it sit for about 8 hours or overnight, if you would like to have it ready for the next day. Feel free to also adjust the steeping time so that your tea is exactly up to your taste expectations. Steeping it less time will make it weaker and steeping it for longer, stronger.
In comparison, the conventional method of preparing iced tea involves some brewing. You must fill four cups of filtered water and pour it into a tea pot and brew until it reaches the desired temperature for the selected tea. During this time, add in one tea spoon of Harney & Sons loose leaf tea per cup or 1 tea sachet per cup into the pitcher and pour the hot water in. Make sure that your pitcher is heat-proof or it may otherwise break into pieces and you don't want this to happen because all you want right now is sipping your iced tea. Steep for 3-5 minutes depending on the tea type. Stir in 4 cups of cold filtered water or 6 cups of ice cubes to cool it down.
Tea Flavours Perfect for Iced tea
If you like your teas flavoured, you may choose some of the selection of green or black Harney & Sons Fine Teas that make the perfect homemade iced tea glass for summertime. There are delicious, fruity choices like the Real Peaches & Ginger Black Tea or the Coconut, Ginger & Vanilla Thai-inspired Green Tea available in loose-leaf tea format or filled in silken sachets for those of you looking for convenience. If you prefer your homemade iced tea spicy and creamy, you may select the Indian Chai (also perfect for Chai Tea Lattes) or the signature Harney & Sons Tea – Hot Cinnamon Spice with three types of cinnamon, sweet cloves and orange rind to satisfy your palate.
No matter how you like your iced tea or what flavours you prefer, the most important factors that you must consider when preparing it, is the quality of tea you use, the quality of water (filtered is preferred), and to steep for the right time and at the right temperature.
Don't forget to comment below if you have any questions and share with us on Instagram @premiumteas.ca and Twitter @premiumteasCA how your homemade iced tea turned out using #MyPremiumIcedTea
Happy Steeping!
]]>Rooibos has somehow made it up here in Canada, although it is originally from South Africa. It is a bush plant also known as red bush that makes the most popular tea in this African nation. People there enjoy their Rooibos tea the same way as a lot of people like to consume their black tea - with added milk and sugar to taste.
In this blog we wanted to cover a bit more about why you should make rooibos tea a staple in your tea collection as well. So, lets start:
If you're looking for a tea without the caffeine buzz or just for a tisane to have right before bed, you may have found your tea. Rooibos tea has a naturally light body with medium dark liquor that looks like black tea and is often drank plain, with milk and sugat or on its own or mixed. It is also often blended with a variety of flavours for a delicious infusion.
Rooibos tea is known to relieve stress and nervous tension. Having it after a hard day at work, this warm drink soothes and calms for a good night sleep.
Rooibos tea is rich in many mineral contents such as iron, calcium, potassium, copper, manganese, zinc, magnesium and alpha hydroxy acid. It also contains antioxidants, that we all know how much our bodies need to manage the damaging free radicals.
Rooibos naturally contains zinc and alpha hydroxy acids which are known to help clarify the skin. Who doesn't want clear skin at the end of the day?
After learning more about this graceful South African tea, it's time to taste it.
Here are some of the most popular rooibos teas and blends.
It's tea time!
]]>The Harney Family of Master Tea Blenders travel the world to meet the producers at world's best tea estates to ensure that you're tasting only the best quality tea. Obviously, they are good at this because the company has done this for more than thirty years and they continue to do so. Harney & Sons has expanded their fine teas from the original six, to more than three hundred nowadays. That's right!
Not every tea company can say that, so when we say that you can drink tea like a royal, it is absolutely true. Harney & Sons were requested by the Historic Royal Palaces of England to create a distinguished collection of English tea blends to acknowledge tea's imperial history and roots that comes packaged in a brilliant jewel-toned tin containing 30 tea sachets.
Loose tea or in the convenience of silken sachets, all Harney & Sons Teas you find on our website are whole-leaf high quality teas that we want you to indulge in. Steeped in hot water, the leaves expand to bring up this delicious flavour you can get only from a real good cup of tea.
Located in the fashionable Soho neighbourhood in Manhattan, you can browse through 250 tea kinds or hang out by the tea tasting bar and learn more about the flavours, the origin, or simply enjoy it. However, if you cannot go these in person, you can also experience the most coveted teas by simply getting them from our website.
Harney & Sons has received dozens of awards and acknowledgments from industry institutions, that prove the quality of work, innovation and overall contribution of the company to the tea industry. However, these teas have also been acknowledged by world famous influencers like Oprah and she is probably rarely wrong about her choices.
]]>The American Scottish Foundation initiated a request to the Harney Family to create a strong-tasting tea that was a reminiscent of the tea that Scots liked to drink. The first try of the Harneys was not quite as strong, so the foundation asked them to make it just a tad stronger, so that it hit all the right notes to call it a Scottish tea. That is how these two brews were born. They were called Scottish Morn (the deserving one for your early morning) and Scottish Afternoon (the more mellow yet still strong version) of the two for your afternoon pick-me-up).
Scottish Morn is a strong tea, perhaps Harney's very strongest. It is a blend of dark brown tea leaves, the smaller pieces of Assam and Ceylon, and Assam CTC (cut, tear, curl) which method makes a stronger tea. On the other hand, Scottish Afternoon also contains the Assam, Ceylon and Assam CTC but it is more mellow thanks to the added green flecks of broken Darjeeling (the champagne of teas).
Scottish Morn brews a liquor that is very dark brown in colour. Aroma is not the point of this tea so there are only hints of suggestions of malt. Many Scots would lighten it with milk. Scottish Afternoon brews a medium brown, slightly lighter than Scottish Morn liquor with gentle muffled malt and citrus aromas that drift upwards.
Every time when you sip on either one of these two teas, you will know that you have done something good, as a portion of Scottish Morn & Scottish Afternoon sales goes to support the charitable endeavors of the American-Scottish Foundation®.
Although these tins are beautiful as they are with its traditional Scottish tartan design on top, we are expecting even more beautiful designs soon. These teas will not only deliver a delicious cuppa, but will also look stunning on your tea shelf (if you are like us and you like to display your tea collection at home).
Because we know that butter cookies combined with a bold Scottish tea make the perfect combo, we have created a Scottish Teas Gift Set that will make you (or anyone you send it to) very happy. The original Scottish Walkers Shortbread Cookies with real butter will melt in your mouth while you are enjoying them with your new favourite Scottish teas.
]]>That is right, Toronto. Quantum Coffee is now serving one of the the best in the world fine tea brands - Harney & Sons. We worked together with their wonderful team to organize tea sampling from 12-2 pm so that you can experience one of Harney's best sellers ever.
If you're a big tea connoisseur, you probably already know the high quality and traditional and contemporary flavours that Harney & Sons has to offer. However, if you're new to tea and you've been looking for quite some time for a tea with a wow effect, you may want to try one of the ones they offer to you. A curated selection of consumer's most coveted flavours: Hot Cinnamon Spice and Paris, Citron Green, Jasmine and Peaches and Ginger, and some of the traditional Peppermint Herbal and English Breakfast is available to sip on while chatting with a friend or writing your paper in their spacious and "quantum" environment.
Now, if you're wondering, what makes this Hot Cinnamon Spice tea so special, here is a bit of a background story. First, we must start with the fact that Harney & Sons are world-recognized Master Tea Blenders with dozens of awards in the tea industry and the only western company to be presented at the Museum of Tea in Hangzhou, China. Their mission since the beginning was to offer the finest tea in the world at a price that makes it an everyday luxury. Hot Cinnamon Spice is a great example of this. One of the oldest flavored tea blends, John Harney, Founder of Harney & Sons, developed it in the beginning of the 1980s. Over the decades its popularity has only grown, and now it is the most coveted tea. It is an assertive 100% Chinese black tea with three types of cinnamon, orange peel and sweet cloves. This tea will pick you up and take you to another planet. Its complex flavours make it a great dessert substitution even for those who cannot eat or drink anything with sugar.
Harney & Sons Hot Cinnamon Spice along with other curated teas is now available for purchase in the form of loose leaf tea tins so that you can enjoy the flavours at home or buy it as a gift. 4 oz tea tins make up to 56 tea cups (2 grams per cup). Where to find it? Right behind the counter at Quantum Coffee - 460 King St W, Toronto (on the northwest corner of King and Spadina).
Have you tried Harney & Sons before? What's your favourite Harney & Sons Tea? Share below.
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