It is that time of the year when you are looking for gifts for your friends and family. 
We are doing 20% off, the biggest sales of the year to celebrate with you. In-store discount from November 23 - November 30. 

Check out our website for tea selection and use " SMALL20OFF" code during check out to receive 20% off from November 23 - December 7 for online only. 

Shepherd of Lake Lutheran Church, Prior Lake "Craft Fair": Nov 9
Hopkins Winter Market: November 30

We love this tea! Years ago, when we took a certified tea professional certificate, the final exam was to examine a type of tea leaf. Golden Monkey was in the exam.  Because of its thin, light golden twisty leaves with a unique taste that is so smooth. We knew it right away that it was Golden Monkey Black Tea. 

If your goal is a smooth and pick-me-up kind of tea, this is the one! Golden monkey black tea is an exceptional black tea with a hint of cocoa note. A light sweetness can also be found with this tea. It is very smooth and can re-brew using the same tea leaves.It is good for both hot or cold brew.

Hopkins Farmers Market:- October 5 & 12
Prior Lake Farmers Market: October 5 & 19
The Garden by the Woods, Chanhassen: October 12. 

We are excited to show you a new product. Our wild cherry black tea is based with Sri Lanka black tea. We garnished with safflower and rose-hips. Its flavor is cherry and a smooth tea. You can enjoy this tea with or without milk or cream. 
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Come on in to check them out, we think you’ll love them as much as we do. We also travel to be closer to you. Check out our schedule below

We all know, and it has been scientifically proven many times, that tea is indeed good for us, our health, body and mind. It cleanses our system as well as relieving us from stress.
If tea is such a good product for us, we have to make sure it is great toward the environment too. There are about 4 millions of tons of tea produced every year so if all the tea drinkers had an eco-responsible way of drinking, it could have a great impact, in a positive way.
            In order to do so, we have to watch our consumption and make sure it is an eco-responsible one (no need to reduce your intake of this glorious beverage!). We have gathered a couple of advice for you so that you don’t feel guilty when drinking tea and it will even benefit other parts of your life. Here are our 7 advice:

• When drinking tea at your local tea place or when buying some for yourself, you can try to find the ones that have traveled the least and/or come from fair trade operations. Not only fair trade products are supposed to be good for the environment  (how it is being harvested, in which conditions, using which supplements etc…) but they also matter socially and economically speaking. They allow smaller local companies to produce products and have a chance to earn a living. While doing a great thing for the environment, you can even do your good deed towards humanity when buying fair trade products.
• Invest in a mug or in a thermos to make sure you don’t use cups that wouldn’t be recyclable. Make your own tea at home and bring it to work in a thermos so that you can enjoy it throughout the day!
• Try to target eco-friendly teas that ensure that chemical products haven’t been used during its growth. The tea will be better for your body and its cultivation for the soils.
• Buy loose tea! We offer a wide range of loose leaf teas! Not only they taste better but they also prevent overusing plastic when packaging the good!
• Offer tea-related gifts that represent your beliefs and start spreading the environmentally-friendly wave!
• Instead of throwing away the tea you have used, you can use it in the compost! Your plants will thank you later and you can even start a worm farm that will ensure the health of your garden!
• It is believed that burning tea leaves could repel mosquitoes-to be tested but if it works, tea is definitely an incredible beverage!

 
So here are a couple of tips that could, at a human level, have a positive impact on the environment.
We hope you enjoy your summer!
 
The Great Tea Company

Dear Tea Lovers,
 
If you are a customer of ours, you know we are different from other tea shops, especially when it comes to our process of hand selecting teas from around the world and our love of unique flavors.
 
What some of you may now know, however, is how some of these unique flavors came to be. As one example, 3 holiday seasons ago, my family and I were trying to figure out a tea we could make that everyone could enjoy. We decided to add some orange peel and cinnamon into our full caffeinate black tea, and thus, a new delicious flavor was born, one that is warm and cozy and perfect for the holidays. However, I don’t have a name for this tea. I don’t want to name it “Orange Cinnamon” because we already have an Orange Cinnamon Decaf Black Tea in our shop. The difference between two is decaffeinate versus full caffeinate tea as we often hear from our customers “I want caffeine!” What do you think we should name this tea?
 
In addition to this unique and tasty flavor creation, we also developed another flavor. It is nutty, chocolatey, and indulgent. We took our Belgian Chocolate Black Tea and added almond, hazelnut, and sugar-coated fennel seeds. I think the seeds look like little holiday light bulbs. What do you think we should name this second tea?
 
We invite you to send us name ideas for these hand-crafted tea flavors. If you are picked, your tea name will become the official name for one of these teas and we will send you the tea you named! For our runner-up, we will send you a fun tea infuser.  
 
To enter this contest, please send us your tea names along with your contact information by October 15th. Please submit your entry using the text below or something similar:
 
Tea 1 (Orange Cinnamon flavor) -
Tea 2 (Chocolate Hazelnut flavor) -
                                     
We will aim to announce the winner around October 20th. We would prefer that you pick up your prize at our shop because we would like to take a picture with you.
 
Thank you in advance to all who participate. We wish you luck and can’t wait to see what the new names for these scrumptious teas will be!
All my best,
Titima
 
Always online at
www.greattearoad.com
[email protected] or by mail PO Box 594, Shakopee, MN 55379
 
Like us at
https://www.facebook.com/greattearoadco/
https://www.instagram.com/greattearoad/
https://twitter.com/greattearoad
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Dear Tea Aficionados: 
I hope you are having a good summer. I always get a bit sad when I drive past corn fields in the summer, as corn fields are summer’s timekeepers and inevitably signal the season’s gradual exit. I live right by a corn field in Shakopee, and recently when I drove by it with my children, I told them, “Now the corn is taller than me. You all know what that means. Our summer is coming to the end soon. And then you will have to go back to school.” This also means that our hot summer days are coming to an end too (remember the 104-degree day we had earlier in the season?!), and before we know it, it will be time to welcome in the cooler days of fall.
Just as the temperature changes with the season, so too do the teas I carry. The summery flavors are going fast, including fruity flavors and several varieties of refreshing green and white teas, among others. Some of my personal favorites include the Fruity Sangria and Organic Chamomile Dream. If you hurry, you can enjoy 15% off select flavors before they’re gone. Don’t wait though because once fall rolls around, we will have limited stock of our summer flavors. 
To redeem your discount on select teas online, use code “Summer15%OFF” when you check out. Otherwise, we’d love to see you in our new brick-and-mortar location in charming downtown Prior Lake or at one of our farmers market locations.
Here’s where we will be in August:
Our shop at 16228 Main Ave SE #113, Prior Lake, MN 55372 TH 2-6pm, F 2-5pm, SAT 9-3pm
Hopkins Farmers Market-  August 11 & 18,7:30-12pm
Prior Lake Farmers Market - August 11, 2018 8-12pm
Golden Valley Farmers Market - August 12 & 19, 9-1pm
Here at the Great Tea Road Company, we are wishing you a great rest of your summer and that you find the perfect tea to complement your summer memory-making. As always, we are happy to provide recommendations on flavors and brewing instructions. Until we meet again…
All my best,
Titima
 
Always online at
www.greattearoad.com
 
Like us at
https://www.facebook.com/greattearoadco/
https://www.instagram.com/greattearoad/
https://twitter.com/greattearoad

We met Karen at the church in November. We remembered that she purchased "Strawberry White" and "Blueberry White" sample tea. Since that day, she called us when she needs new teas. 

We are very happy when someone is happy. This is a reason why we keep going with our tea journey -- to put smile on your face. 

​Thank you for being a part of our tea journey. 

One of our friends suggested to change the current recipe of sweet mint tea. We took his suggestion to heart! Now it is called "Organic Exquisite Mint" Tea. We LOVE mint (peppermint, spearmint, wolly mint, etc). Do you know why mint is such a good plant? Here are 10 Reasons why drinking mint tea would be good for you:

1. Clear up congestion of nose, throat and lungs
2. Helps lose weight in a healthy way
3. Improve oral health
4. Quick and effective remedy for nausea
5. Inhibit the release of histamines that causes allergies and hay fever
6. Helps prevent cancer
7. Natural stimulant, relieves from fatigue and depression
8. Relieve symptoms of acne
9. Having higher memory retention and alertness
10. Promotes digestion.

Our "Exquisite Mint" tea has peppermint, spearmint and lemon verbana and, of course, it is an USDA certified organic. 

Just a quick note. We have moved from Minneapolis Farmers Market to Hopkins (Sat) and Linden Hill (Sun). If you can't find us, you can always contact us via our website or a phone call. We are always here to help. 

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I’ll be short and sweet with this newsletter. How about “Let’s have a Spring Tea Party”.
Spring tea party ideas include:

• Tea: Tea time is the basic theme of the spring tea party; so go all out, and offer your guests a variety of tea options. Tea comes in wide flavors these days. See our suggestion below. Offer your guests with sugar cubes in sugar bowls with tongs. Lemon wedges on a plate with a small fork are also appropriate. Serve milk in a traditional creamer cup. Honey spoons are also a great addition.

Suggestion:

• Moroccan Mint Tea (Green Tea)
• Sweet Mint Tea (Herbal Tea)
• Jasmine Dragon Pearl (Green Tea)
• Vanilla Mystique (Black Tea)
• Ceylon Earl Gray (Black Tea)
• Okumidori (Green Tea)

 

• Food: Light refreshments are perfect to accompany tea at a spring tea party. Finger sandwiches with deli meats make delicious refreshments. For a sweet treat, serve key lime or other citrus flavored cookies, scones and mini muffins. I love having my house full of baked goods smell, if you want to have the party in your place. Consider baking something while the guests are around. They can get to eat while it is hot off the oven.
• Location: The location and atmosphere of the tea party plays a large factor in the success of the event. A garden may not be appropriate for Midwest at this time of the year. Maybe your living room or formal dining room containing fresh spring flowers and welcoming benches make a great setting for tea time.  

 

• Decorations: Spring tea party decorations help to set the ambiance of the occasion. Traditional spring tea party décor is typically light, calming and easy on the eyes of guests. Begin by spreading a table cloth to cover each table. Light colored table cloths and napkins, such as off white or light pink, are perfect selections. Next, place floral china on the tables. Include tea cups, saucers and small plates for refreshments. Fresh flower arrangements or candelabras make for appropriate centerpieces for the tables. 

A spring themed tea party is such a fun way to celebrate with friends. Let’s have fun! 

Consider these health benefits of tea and the next time you have to choose. Tea is officially awesome for your health. But before loading up your cup, make sure that your “tea” is actually tea. Real tea is derived from a particular plant (Camellia sinensis) and includes only four varieties: green, black, white, and oolong. (there are “Yellow tea” as well but it is very few produced) Anything else (like herbal “tea”) is an infusion of a different plant and isn’t technically tea.
The real tea may lack in variety but it makes up for with serious health benefits. Most people know about tea’s health properties of antioxidant. Most studies have focused on the better-known green and black teas, white and oolong also bring benefits to the table. Read on to find out why coffee’s little cousin rocks your health.

1. Tea can boost exercise endurance. Scientists have found that the catechins (antioxidants) in green tea increase the body’s ability to burn fat as fuel, which accounts for improved muscle endurance. 
2. Drinking tea could help reduce the risk of heart attack. Tea might also help protect against cardiovascular and degenerative diseases.
3. The antioxidants in tea might help protect against cancers, including breast, colon, colorectal, skin, lung, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, pancreas, liver, ovarian, prostate and oral cancers. But tea is not a miracle cure. More studies than not suggest that tea has cancer-fighting benefits, the current research is mixed.
4. Tea helps fight free radicals. Tea is high in oxygen radical absorbance capacity (“ORAC” to its friends), which is a fancy way of saying that it helps destroy free radicals (which can damage DNA) in the body. While our bodies are designed to fight free radicals on their own, they’re not 100 percent effective — and since damage from these radical oxygen ninjas has been linked to cancer, heart disease and neurological degeneration, we’ll take all the help we can get.
5. Tea is hydrating to the body (even despite the caffeine!). If you want to lose weight, you better keep yourself hydrated.
6. Drinking tea is linked with a lower risk of Parkinson’s disease. When considered with other factors like smoking, physical activity, age and body mass index, regular tea drinking was associated with a lowered risk of Parkinson’s disease in both men and women.
7. Tea might provide protection from ultraviolet rays. We know it’s important to limit exposure to UV rays, and we all know what it’s like to feel the burn. The good news is that green tea may act as a back-up sunscreen.
8. Tea could keep waist circumference in check. In one study, participants who regularly consumed hot tea had lower waist circumference and lower BMI than non-consuming participants. Scientists speculate that regular tea drinking lowers the risk of metabolic syndrome (which increases the risk of diabetes, artery disease and stroke), although it’s important to remember that correlation does not equal causation.
9. Regular tea drinking might also counteract some of the negative effects of smoking and might even lessen the risk of lung cancer (good news, obviously, but not a justification for cigs).
10. Tea could be beneficial to people with Type 2 diabetes. Studies suggest that compounds in green tea could help diabetics better process sugars.
11. Tea can help the body recover from radiation. One study found that tea helped protect against cellular degeneration upon exposure to radiation, while another found that tea can help skin bounce back postexposure.
12. Green tea has been found to improve bone mineral density and strength.
13. Tea might be an effective agent in the prevention and treatment of neurological diseases, especially degenerative diseases (think Alzheimer’s). While many factors influence brain health, polyphenols in green tea may help maintain the parts of the brain that regulate learning and memory.

Lastly, remember this:

1. All tea drinks are not created equal. The body’s access to the good stuff in tea might be determined by the tea variety, canning and processing, and the way it was brewed.

The takeaway: Tea is safe to consume — just not in excessive amounts. So brew up a batch of the good stuff — hot or cold — and enjoy.

Source: Adapted from Time magazine 9/4/12

​Disclaimer: The information, including but not limited to text, graphics, images, and other material on this website, is for informational purposes only. No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment before undertaking a new healthcare regimen. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you have read on this website.

Have you ever attended Japanese Tea Ceremony New Year Style? 

Hatsugama  (初釜) means boiling of the first kettle tea ceremony. It is a tradition that passes down from several generations. It has always been an honor to be served by tea teacher. This meeting is seen as something very special. Hatsugama is the only time when my tea teacher himself prepares tea for all his students.  This does not happen often in Asian culture because students uphold the teacher highly. However, this year, we, students, were gathering at his place and our most senior students served the tea in his place as our teacher's health was not his best. Most of us were wearing formal Kimono. 
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In the traditional way, kaiseiki meal would be served.  Since we could not complete the ritual with Kaiseiki meal, well, none of us was capable enough to prepare such a formal and beautiful meal. Instead, we came and shared a dish. Everyone placed one’s dish on the table provided in the room.  

Fifteen minutes later after everyone was chatting and laughing, we were told to be seated. There are 2 tea sessions, thick tea (or Koi Cha performed by our male student) and thin tea (or Usucha performed by a female student). Our most senior students began to work his and her magic. It was quiet and calm. People were looking at the tea hosts. I have always loved the sound of water whether is boiling or running. It sounds so pretty to me.

Talking about 2 different type of tea being served. Koicha was also prepared and shared among all students. Koicha is a thick tea that looked like a pea soup (really). Each one of us shared the same bowl. Yes, it may sound a bit strange to many people but we are bonded together this way.

Then we also got served a thin tea. This year, I got an honor to help out as the first guest. The first guest is the most important guest. He or she receives the dessert and tea first. He or she can have a conversation with the tea host. It also shows the rank among the guests as well. 

​Tea of The Month: Haru no Uji Matcha (Translation: Spring of Uji City). It is our new tea. The tea is grown around Uji, the birth place of tea growing region in Japan. Please check it out with this link. 

​One of our popular teas is Oolong tea from Northern Thailand.
Northern Thailand is a popular destination for Thai and foreigner visitors. It is also renowned as a scenic wonderland of orchards, flowers and forests. The area attracts tourists to enjoy the picture-perfect valley in the mountains 1,400 metres above sea-level. Here, the ever-present influence of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Rama IX, can be sensed, from the Royal Agricultural Station to his agricultural affluence and an effort to better the quality of life to the ethnic people there.

Please enjoy the scenery of this village. It is truly beautiful place. 

Tea of the Month –Angkhang Oolong and Homemade Ginger Cinnamon Black Tea (new seasonal tea)

“How can I be more mindful?” a customer and friend was asking. For me, it comes from practicing Japanese Tea Ceremony. I was instructed even when I prepare tea utensils, I need to be focused on what I do. I think it is very simple task but for some find it is difficult.

At times, when we are drinking tea with a friend, we are not aware of the tea or even of our friend sitting there. Practicing tea meditation is to be truly present with our tea and our friends. We recognize that we can dwell happily in the present moment despite all of our sorrows and worries. We sit there relaxed without having to say anything. If we like, we may also share a song, a story or a dance.

Tea and Meditation are two practices that go hand-in-hand. They are both contemplative, slow-paced activities that help a person wind down.

Practicing Japanese Tea Ceremony is something many people do not want to do. Many think it was like a drag to pick up new “procedures” when they weren’t necessary. Some people even thought of doing tea ceremony seemed so cumbersome and old-fashioned.
You do not need to learn Japanese Tea Ceremony to be more mindful, really.  Watching the tea ceremony being performed can help you be more mindful. For those of you who may be new to meditation, it is not a practice reserved for only certain religions. In its most basic form, meditation is the process of sitting still for a period of time and focusing your mind through deep breathing or a single word so that the inner chatter in your head ceases.  
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That is why I said you can be mindful to whatever you are currently doing. The combination of drinking tea and meditating has long been practiced by Chinese and Japanese Buddhist monks, who discovered that the calming properties of theanine in tea helped them to meditate blissfully for long periods of time. Perhaps, you can try combining them together to see if you get calmer or more focus before starting a task.

Tea of the Month  - Chamomile Green Tea

​Drinking tea right from the tea farm! ​

Taiwan is well known about their Oolong and that is what most people know. Do you know they also produce black tea? It is amazing to learn that they have been growing Assem (Indian tea) as well. On this trip, we visited Maokong which is located near Taipei. It is said that tea farmers from southern China came here to open teahouses. Later, the teahouses declined and customers no long came. The domesticated cats ran away and thus the place was called "Maokong" (meaning Cat Sky). However, Maokong has developed its unique sightseeing and tea tasting industry.
The tea farms here are famous for Bouzhong tea and Taiguanyin (Iron Goddess Oonlong). There are many teahouses with diversified styles. They are good places to visit no matter during day or night. In the daytime, there are tea trees and hills forming green scenery. Many citizens visit the place by taking the mountain tracks. After dusk, Maokong is like an enchanting, mysterious lady. Colorful light bulbs are lit in front of every building. Visitors taste tea, chat with each other and admire the nightfall.
The tea farms (open for sightseeing) are scattered around (you will need to walk around and find them). Most tea farms provide tea tasting or meals. Visitors coming here may also want to try the delicious dishes.

Tea of the month – Milk Oolong, Seasonal tea: Peach Oolong

We work directly with several tea farms. Your Journey Begins with Our Tea. ​

 From the beautiful Fall colors to the bountiful harvests, we have a lot of good things going on around us. For us, we are always thankful to our customers who support and follow us on Facebook, Twister or simply stop by and say hi to us. We can’t be “us” today without you. THANK YOU. Talking about tea and thankful month; the same goes for tea. The tea farmers have, done their final harvests for this growing season. We recommend these teas for the season:
1 Full of Character: Milk Oolong, Angkhang Oolong, Sencha Okumidori (Green Tea), Roasted Green Tea
2 A Great Tea Gets More Variety: Almond Coconut (Green Tea), Heavenly Hawaii (Herbal)
3 True, Clean Taste: Midnight Roses (Green Tea), Chamomile Dream (Herbal)
4 Refreshing: Sweet Mint (Herbal) or Moroccan Mint (green tea)
5 Hearty and Satisfying: Ceylon Earl gray (Black Tea), Russian Caravan (Black Tea)