In reality it was too awesome! If you like gingerbread you need to try this tea. Spicy, gingery, definitely chai, Zhena Tea Gingerbread Chai is a great way to get some down time on one of those shop ’til you drop afternoons. Sip it and you can just about hear Christmas carols and sleigh bells in the background.

Gingerbead Chai is organic, fair trade, and I may be thoroughly addicted. Add some steamed half and half and sugar for a gingerbread chai latte and I suspect you will be addicted too.  This is a great tea to tuck into a stocking for you favorite tea freak or keep it just for yourself  on that high shelf that noone else knows about. Yeah…that one.

image:amazon

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The coffees are roasted in small batches every day. They are grown using sustainable practices, and the farmers that grow the coffee are paid a living wage, which means…you know…that they can actually live on it. Warning: rant en route…

Why is it that many Americans feel like they need a six figure annual income to barely survive on the meager basics and yet will buy cheap coffee at a the-store-that-shall-remain-nameless or one like it to ensure that the farmers that grew that coffee will never make enough to have inside toilets. Why is that? I happen to know that a family of eight can live very well on less that 25,000 a year because I have recently done that…and I don’t feel the need to buy cheap coffee, either.

end rant.

Ahem.

So, I was impressed with the company’s commitment to the farmer. That would not have gotten the coffee a good review in and of itself, however. When Marc ground the coffee the whole kitchen was scented with the fragrance. It was incredible.

As the coffee brewed I could hardly wait to taste it. The brew has an almost purple cast to it, nice and wine-y looking. The surface is clear and mirrors the room around it and the flavor is that clean, too.

Nice acidity. The flavors unfold in a complex parade; spice, plum wine, bittersweet chocolate, pecan, and finally a smoky finish.  I liked the coffee better the more I drank it and I think I prefer it black to having it with cream and sugar. Very rich and smooth cup that makes you want more when you are done.

Buena Beans Cafe La Violeta would go well with oriental dishes, plain cakes (like poundcake), and simple desserts. Give it a try…it is so worth it.

Oddly enough, I did a review on Archer Farms Estate la Violeta almost exactly a year ago. Have a look if you want to compare the two.

image:marye audet

image:sxc

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If you remember the reviews I did on Teatulia Tea you will be very excited about this giveaway.  You will get a beautiful wooden gift box like the one pictured filled with a variety of Teatulia Organic Teas.

These teas are some of the best I have ever had.  I am not kidding or exaggerating, they are amazingly clean and crisp tasting.  The ethics of the company are top notch, and they are involved in building community in the areas that the tea is grown.

Here’s how you enter to win.  Each thing you do is one entry.

• Leave a comment
• Blog about this contest and leave a comment telling me that you did (with the address)
• Subscribe to the RSS feed and leave a comment telling me you did.
• Go to Teatulia and read the About page.  Leave a comment naming one thing that teatulia is doing to improve the lives of those in the Tea Cooperative.
• Go to Teatulia Flavors page and name one flavor you would LOVE to try

Ships to US and Canada

You may enter until February 1, 11:59 P.M.

There you go, five ways to win.  Good luck!

image: courtesy of Teatulia Tea

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Teatulia Green tea was a nice surprise for me because….ummm..I don’t care for green tea. Well, o…I haven’t in the past.

I may have changed my mind.

The liquor is honey gold with a nice bright cream swirled over the top.  The aroma is fresh and clean and grassy, like fresh, clean hay.  That is definitly better than it smelling like old not clean hay, right?

The tea is flavorful, and maintains the fresh, herbal quality.  The only way I can explain it is to say that when I ws a child I spent summers on my aunt and uncle’s farm in Michigan. In the early morning a breezer would blow across the hay and alfalfa fields and wake me up with the freshness of that scent.  I would invariably scramble into my clothes and head for the hayloft in the barn to have a few moments of thought.  The combination of the smell of the fresh hay and the green growing grasses are captured perfectly in the taste of this tea.

If that is too verbose for you then : I liked it alot.

I don’t think that Teatulia knows how to make a bad tea.

image:marye audet

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Earlier this week I was contacted by Teatulia to see if I would be interested in reviewing some of their tea.  When I heard about the company how could I say no?

O.k..I wouldn’t have said no anyway, you got me on that one.  BUT I was very excited about the company’s commitment to organics, sustainability, and Fair Trade practices.

Today I got three of their special tea tubes in the mail.  These tubes are totally compostable.  Labels are made from post consumer paper, water based inks and dyes, and biodegradable silk pyramid bags.

Teatulia was started in Bangladesh in the year 2000.  The Tetulia Cooperative has established the following programs:

• Education
• Health
• Cattle lending programs

These programs are for, not only the people that work in the gardens but also those people that live in the surrounding area.  All tea sales contribute to the Teatulia mission of making the community a better place.  The families get a cow for the use of their family, and pay for it by giving back one litre of milk and some dung every day.  This may seem a little odd to those of you that don’t garden but the cow dung is as valuable of an asset as the milk because it is great fertilizer.

The teas themselves are grown using natural, sustainable garden methods.

So, I am sitting here sipping one of the teas, and I will be writing reviews in the next few days.  In the meantime, read up on Teatulia Cooperative.  It is amazing what they are doing, and a company worth keeping an eye on.

image:(c)marye audet 2009, all rights reserved.

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Bigelow is keeping up with the “Green’s” so to speak, and has come out with an entire line of organic teas.  They should be available at a store near you very soon, and online immediately.

Lots of tea producers have dipped their toes in the tea so to speak, but Bigelow seems to have jumped in with both feet, coming out with a number of teas.

I pretty much can’t decide between the rooibus asian pear and the acai pomegranate.  What looks good to you?

Organic Ceylon Fair Trade Certified: the rich, smooth, mountain-grown flavor of world-famous Ceylon tea, now in pure organic form

Organic Imperial Earl Grey: a bold blend of the finest organic black tea with natural bergamot and the delicate malva flower

Organic Breakfast Blend Decaffeinated: coastal Africa yields this smooth-finished tea with unique malt flavor; naturally decaffeinated

Organic Pure Green: made from tender, hand-picked leaves for a delicate flavor balance

Organic Pure Green Decaffeinated: naturally decaffeinated with delicate green tea flavor

Organic Chamomile Citrus: a soothing, naturally caffeine-free blend of organic chamomile touched with a hint of lemon

Organic Moroccan Mint: a calming and refreshing, naturally caffeine-free blend of organic herbs, spearmint and peppermint

Organic Rooibos with Asian Pear: the distinctively sweet, nutty taste of all-natural, caffeine-free South African rooibos is married with the healthful and delicate Asian pear for the perfect blend

Organic Green Tea with Pomegranate & Acai: pure organic green tea from tender, hand-picked leaves is combined with pomegranate and healthful Acai, the all-natural super Amazaon sweet berry

Organic White Tea with Raspberry and Chrysanthemum: a blend of rare, organic white tea, sweet raspberry and chrysanthemum for a unique flavor experience

image:Bigelow Tea, used by permission

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When ever I see an email from Peggy I promise you I open it up pretty quick.  She is, after all, the one that pointed me in the direction of Ugly Mug.  So, when I got her email the other day I stopped what I was doing and read it.

She had tried a new Fair Trade coffee that was Decaf…and liked it.  Her taste is very close to mine so I trust her that it is great.  I would try it and review it myself except De-caf and Di-vorce are very similar terms here at the Audet house..we take our caffeine seriously.  Check out her review on her very cool blog,Light Green Stairs (which always sounds like an Alfred Hitchcock movie to me.)

Don’t forget to check out the Kettle and Cup Holiday Gift Guide…You might find something you want..You will definitely find something I want.

image: (c) marye audet

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While the Fair Trade system is not perfect by a long shot it is better than nothing.  Fair Trade helps farmers to get a decent wage for the work that they do and it encourages them to plant in an environmentally responsible manner.  Most of us will attempt to buy Fair Trade items over other items unless the price difference is overwhelming  or the quality is very different.

Starbucks has announced that it will double the amount of Fair Trade Coffee that it purchases over the next year.  This will push it up to about 40 million pounds of Fair Trade Coffee.

There is an awful lot I do not like about Starbucks…but I have to give them kudos for their commitment to social and environmental ethics.

Image:Marye Audet

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I will say right off that of the coffees I got from Terra Nova, the Columbian is my favorite.  It is smooth, rich and has a velvety mouth feel.

The flavor is distinctly winey and fruity, very full bodied and perfect as an all purpose coffee.  The aftertaste is slightly arid…but in a pleasant way, it does not leave you with camel (or coffee) breath.

This is the last coffee that I bought but John Brewster, the roaster, sent me two blends to try…I will be reviewing them BOTH tomorrow so check back.  And, toward the end of October I will be interviewing John, so if you have anything you would like to know about the company leave your questions with me so I can be sure to ask him!

Surprise!

This is a sponsored post for BLOGTOBERFEST.  The prize is a secret and it doesn’t have anything to do with the post.

Now, to win you need to just leave a comment.  I will be drawing the winner within the week!  Keep checking back..I could announce the winner tomorrow…or next Thursday, or ANYTIME in between!

For more blogtoberfest posts check the following blogs:

A Child Chosen, All Holiday Cafe, Babylune, Blog Fabulous, Career and Kids, Cooking Gadgets, Declutter it, Foodie Obsessed, Jewelry and Beading,  One Book Two Book, Quilting and Patchword, SuperNanny Rules, Weary Parent.

Image:MaryeAudet

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I got the coffee package from Terra Nova today, complete with the three coffees I had ordered and two for me to review.

I was impressed.  They said that they would roast and send out immediately and they were not kidding.

The box smelled wonderful!  Within five minutes the kitchen smelled wonderful and I felt forced to make a pot of coffee.  I know..usually I have Marc do it but I had dropped him off at work earlier so I had to do it myself.  The coffee could, technically speaking, be much better than I say because he is my personal  barista. remember..

I started with a blend called Southern Cross.

It is very aromatic both before brewing and after.  The coffee color is a medium caramel.

It has a bite of an astringent bite to it, very pleasant. Tart and sparkly on the tongue, not heavy.  There is a light almond aroma which made me expect a more delicate flavor in the coffee.  I was surprised that the flavor was anything but delicate.  Malty, with a lingering winey aftertaste that fades into a spicy memory. Afterwards my mouth was dry..which is one of the reasons I do not like lighter roasts! Keep the breath mints handy.

This coffee reminds me of autumn.  Leaves changing colors, acorns, pumpkins…It is a coffee to eat a piece of dutch apple pie with …a coffee shop coffee.  It handles milk and stevia with aplomb…settling down into a velvety smooth cup.

This is a good all purpose coffee.  I don’t think I would like it in the evening, or with a rich dessert..remember that I am partial to the espresso an very dark roasts..This is similar to Starbuck’s Pikes Peak Blend in some ways, but I like it better.

It is a fair trade organic coffee. Gotta love it.

Images:Marye Audet

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