Black tea.. Its the first cuppa of my day and one of the first things I think of when I wake up. Lets face it, its what helps me get out of bed in the morning. The kettle goes on, the pot is prepared. And when I take that first sip.. ahhh my day can begin. Whatever your tea ritual we’ve listed some great reasons to include our Evermore black tea

Evermore – tasting notes

Our evermore tea is a single origin, organic black tea plucked from the pristine mountains of Sri Lanka. It is a medium bodied, every day tea for everyday sippers. This uplifting tea can be drunk black or with a dash of milk.

It’s organic

And therefore, it tastes better! Crops sprayed with synthetic fertilisers and chemicals are more often than not dried with these chemicals still present on the leaf. Unlike fruits and vegetables, you cannot rinse tea leaves before you brew, therefore bringing all those nasties to your cup.

For the environmentally conscious folk (which is most of us right?!), it is also about what these chemicals do to the surrounding ecosystems. Contaminating waterways and surrounding vegetation when carried through the air by wind or washed away into streams and rivers with over 98% of sprayed herbicides reaching beyond the intended crop. Unfortunately, these synthetic chemicals destroy some local flora and fauna, which were not intended on being harmed to grow the tea plantations.

For a quality tea that puts your mind, body and environment at ease, choose organic!

It’s fairly traded

We source our tea from a small organic plantation in southern Sri Lanka, run by a passionate bunch of tea aficionados. They were excited to inform us of their recent approval to be fair-trade certified. We have strolled through the rich bio-diverse plantation and it is a truly beautiful, harmonious place with rolling green hills of organic tea shrub, spices, fruits and smiley happy workers at every turn.   

 at one with the tea leaves, my little apprentice in training.

The caffeine release is clean

As someone who is not a coffee drinker and cannot tolerate the jittery hyper-alertness that can be experienced from the caffeine in coffee, (with all due respect to the avid coffee drinker) I just love how the caffeine in tea gives such a lovely balanced and clean alertness. I feel mentally clearer and energised after a cup of the good stuff but in a relaxed and gentle way. This is thanks to the amino acid which naturally occurs in tea ‘L-Theanine’ and the effect it has when coupled with caffeine. L-Theanine I love you!

Did you know?

The tea plants scientific name is Camellia sinensis. Did you know that all varieties of tea; black, green, white, oolong and pu’erh – all come from the one plant?  It is the level of processing and oxidation that the leaf undergoes after plucking that will determine the variety of tea it will eventually come.

In my honest opinion... a cup of tea makes everything better.

Much love,                                                                                                                                          Mama Chai xx

Back to when it all began...

I first discovered chai when I was young/er – freshly released from the confines and routine of school life and from living under my parents’ roof and rules... and into the big sparkling world of opportunity. I was 19 and heading to a festival in my friends beat up buggy. It was in the warm and welcoming chai tent at confest, where I had my first ever sip of masala chai. Little did I know that this was to become a lifelong daily habit, nor my career.

20 odd years on and it’s still my daily habit – with our Fresh Dandelion Chai (Dandi chai) being my mainstay. And it still gives me as much pleasure as it did all those years ago.

There is chai and there is Chai. There is the chai that you sometimes receive in a café and it tastes like a mug of warm milk with a hint of cinnamon and a whisper of black tea. Then there is chai; rich in aroma, with layers of gorgeous spice notes hitting your palate, beautifully balanced with a hint of sweet honey and that truly authentic zing coming from the likes of freshly grated ginger and pepper. The kind of chai that makes your tastebuds do a little happy dance.

Australia has well and truly adopted masala chai as a staple on café menus and in the home pantry or fridge. I love the nuances that each product offers. They are all so different and wonderful in their own unique way. And though I enjoy many of the chais available today, obviously my palate is a little biased towards a Calmer Sutra Chai (which is no coincidence as I design our products largely based on my own palates wants).

It might be said that I’m somewhat partial to a bit of fresh ginger. Our 3 fresh chai varieties share something simple things in common - they all contain fresh ginger root for that lovely authentic spice zing, they are made from REAL ingredients - no syrups or flavour extracts, no preservatives and they are all refined sugar free. Just honest ingredients that your body and mind will thank you for. 

One of the biggest questions we still get asked is WHY? Why is it wet and sticky? Fair enough question but we have a very good answer in a previous post here.

I hope a cup of chai or whatever your daily poison may be, brings you as much joy as it does me!

Much love,                                                                                                                                       Mama Chai xxx

Suddenly, I’m finding myself drinking our Peppermyntle blend most nights before bed as I unwind on the couch with a good book or some cheap thrills courtesy of Netflix (currently bingeing on 'The Alienist')!

I have not always been a fan of peppermint tea due to its ‘toothpaste like’ taste (coming from menthol – a naturally occurring compound in mint). However, when we begin to gain a deeper understanding of the associated health benefits of a product we ingest, I feel the taste of the product can change...stay with me! Knowledge of the positive health impact can enrich the overall experience and therefore change your perception of what the taste means to you. Kind of like a holistic evaluation rather than just letting your taste buds evaluate alone. 

WHAT IS PEPPERMYNTLE?

It is a blend, for the most part, consisting of crisp organic Peppermint leaves sourced from Egypt. Next, we introduce the Queen of the lemon herbs – Native Lemon myrtle – which provides a gentle lift to this blend with its sweet clean citrus notes. Lemon Myrtle is a flowering plant which grows in sub-tropical climates on Australia's East Coast.

BEST TIME TO DRINK PEPPERMYNTLE

For me, its after dinner and before bed. This is due to the two biggest benefits I associate with this blend being a digestive aid and sleep inducer.

For thousands of years peppermint has probably best been known for being a stomach healer. Its calming effect on the intestines can be useful in so many stomach related ailments from improving digestion, reducing cramps and aches to relieving gas and bloating. Its Antispasmodic properties (from menthol) help improve muscle relaxation, relieve stress and settle the mind making this an ideal pre-bed tonic.

AND IN CASE YOU ARE STILL NOT SOLD ON PEPPERMINT…

The menthol found in Peppermint is the real hero here and can help to combat bad breath. It is also useful in reducing fever due to the herbs cooling qualities.

WHY ADD LEMON MYRTLE?

Not only does lemon myrtle create a happy marriage of flavours it also shares similar properties in its ability to treat muscle cramps and fever. 

SWEET TIP

A touch of honey or your choice of sweetener is a lovely addition to obtain a deeper, more robust flavour for those who like to walk on the sweeter side of life.

So, after a busy day of working, mumming around and eating a vegetarian diet – A soothing cup of Peppermyntle to calm my senses and relieve my often-uncomfortable stomach is a welcome finish to my day.

Much love,

Mama Chai xx