Choice Organic Teas Support Jane Goodall

Corporate philanthropy is a good thing. So is tea. If you agree, then a natural event to put on your schedule for tomorrow, November 20, 2010, is Choice Organic Tea’s Open House in Georgetown.  Complete with games, prizes, free tea samples, mayoral ribbon cutting, and a chance to win a “golden ticket” that results in a tour of the tea-packaging facility, this event – which runs from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. and doubles as a food drive for Food Lifeline – is worth a stop-by.

Why, you ask? Because they’re releasing their five brand-new teas, the purchase of which will go to benefit the Jane Goodall Institute and Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots. (Recently your Hedonista took a tour and some product samples home.)

Choice Organic Teas – a Seattle-based tea company that’s been around for over two decades (they began operations in 1989) – has more politically-correct certifications for many of its teas than one can shake a stick at (USDA Organic, Fair Trade, Kosher, Wind Power, HACCP, and the first tea company verified by the Non-GMO Project). They offer approximately seventy-five varieties of teas and herbal infusions that are available in teabags, tea pyramids, and loose leaf.And now it’s doing even more good, this time with the Jane Goodall Institute.

So back to these five teas – here are the tasting notes:

1) Yerba Maté Mint – With local peppermint from Washington State, spearmint, and lemongrass this is an all-around light, energizing, and refreshing caffeinated tea that’s best served straight up. This is a good “sip at your desk all day” kind of tea. (For best results, brew 4-6 minutes.)

2) Rooibos Superfruit – With apple, hibiscus, rosehips, orange peel, schizanda berry and orange oil, this caffeine-free tea has heavy notes of orange ‘n’ spice and a tangy, cleansing effect on the palate. (For best results, brew 4-5 minutes.) It also makes a great martini cocktail to help one get through the holidays, from Hallowe’en to Christmas (or whatever Winter Holiday turns the proverbial crank):

Hedonistic Hallothankmas Cocktail by Hedonista, Heed the Hedonist

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup vodka

1 tea bag of Rooibos Superfruit by Choice Organic Tea

1 satsuma mandarin orange

2 Tablespoons of sugar

1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons of honey

Hand full of ice

DIRECTIONS:

Place tea bag in the vodka; infuse for 24 hours.

Mix together sugar and cinnamon and place in shallow dish (for rimming the martini glass).

Peel orange and section fruit; set aside two orange sections.

Moisten martini glass rims with an orange section, then spin rims in sugar and cinnamon mixture.

Place the remaining sections in a martini shaker.

Add honey to the bottom of the martini glasses.

Add ice and infused vodka to the martini shaker (compost the tea bag) and shake well.

Pour into martini glasses and top each with a speared orange section.

(Makes 2 drinks.)

3) Oothu Garden Green – Straight from one of India’s first organic and Fair Trade certified tea gardens, this single estate tea is a light, grassy tea that tastes like springtime but turns golden in hue and tastes more roasted with a longer infusion. Good on its own or with a touch of honey. (For best results, brew 2-3 minutes.)

4) Wild Forest Black – This tea comes from Southeast Asian old-growth tea trees at least 500 years old and is very dark and rich – like orange pekoe. Serve black with bacon, eggs, and toast on a weekend morning. (For best results, brew 4-5 minutes.)

5) Decaffeinated English Breakfast – Decaffeinated using the only certified organic method of carbon dioxide, this tea is light on the nose and soft on the palate, yet is brisk with an herbal/seaweed note. And it doesn’t get bitter with a long infusion, so you can keep the bag in your mug/infuser without regret. This tea is very versatile – it goes great with sushi or shortbread. Great with milk and sugar; to make chai, add spices like cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves. (For best results, brew 4-5 minutes.)

The teas – initially made available in local stores throughout September and October 2010 – retail for $4.69 per 16-count box.

So go and try the teas for yourself, be it Saturday or another time. (After all, it’s for the chimps.)

Note: In order to comply with FTC Act 16 C.F.R. 255, Heed the Hedonist would like to disclose that it does receive media “comps” and/or media discounts – but not in exchange for favorable coverage, or for withholding unfavorable coverage, of the give venue/meal/performance/product/service.