Bird Pick Tea & Herb

     Tuesday TEAchings: Masala Chai Tea                   

Origin: India
Brew: Mahagony
Type: Black
Flavor: A smooth, mellow and earthy rhythm with spicy notes and a tart undertone.

   “Masala chai” – meaning “spiced tea” – is made from black tea and an array of Indian spices and herbs. Only the top quality tea leaves, herbs and spices go into making this blend. delicate, smooth and flavorful blend that withstands multiple infusions. Delicious even without milk and sugar, this tea is sure to please your tastebuds.

•   Unlike coffee, chai has many inherently beneficial properties. The black tea in chai is rich in antioxidants and the spices in chai have been used for thousands of years to promote general health and well-being, as well as to treat various ailments.

• The basic spices in chai help stimulate, balance and support digestion. Cinnamon helps to calm the stomach and combat nausea and diarrhea. Ginger also soothes the stomach. Black pepper stimulates digestive fire as soon as it touches the taste buds. Cloves stimulate digestion. Fennel helps disperse flatulence.

•  Chai tea provides a robust, satisfying beverage that can substitute for some of your daily coffee consumption. Caffeinated tea has less caffeine than coffee, and decaffeinated tea has almost none. Having chai instead of coffee provides health benefits and satisfies the taste buds.(www.livestrong.com) 

 ¼ LB Masala Chai(Orthodox) –$12.50   ¼ LB Masala Chai(CTC)- $12.00

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                                                                                 - Bird Pick Tea&Herbs.

Tuesday TEAchings: Ginger Tea                   

Origin: Hong Kong
Brew: Golden Orange
Type: Herbal
Flavor: Earthy, robust and spicy with a slight sweetness

Flavorful and aromatic, Ginger is commonly used as a cold remedy and can also be added into recipes for an added kick of flavor. It is said to boost the immune system, soothe and treat flu symptoms as well as naturally increasing the body’s energy levels. Ginger is also thought to aid in circulation, nausea, warm the body, and stimulate digestion.

•   Chinese herbalists have relied on ginger as a medicine and flavoring for more than 2,500 years. The early Greeks mixed it into breads (hence the first gingerbread), and North American colonists sipped nausea-quelling ginger beer, the precursor of modern ginger ale. Today, many cultures continue to rely on ginger for controlling nausea and also for reducing inflammation.

• Ginger tea is often paired with honey in the treatment of many ailments. Honey is typically added to freshly-made tea to sweeten the taste. The pair is used as a remedy for sore throat, persistent cough and other respiratory problems. This tandem is also used to restore the voice by clearing away the phlegm.

• Ginger has a considerable amount of Vitamins C and E. It is believed that these contribute to the antioxidant qualities of this herb thus making it a viable free radical scavenger. These also contribute to the anti-inflammatory properties. (http://www.teabenefits.com)

 ¼ LB Dry Ginger – $5.00              ¼ LB Instant Ginger with Honey - $5.00

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(Source: birdpick)

     Tuesday TEAchings: Hawthorn Berries                   

  The hawthorn plant is a member of the rose family and usually comes in the form of a small tree or shrub that produces both flowers and fruits. The berries contain antioxidants, flavonoids and oligomeric procyanidins (OPCs), which have been known to improve blood flow and be beneficial to the heart. They are also thought to aid in digestion. Great as an accent to black and fruit teas, try infusing a couple berries in your next brew for an added depth of flavor.

•  Helps tone and strengthen the blood vessels and heat muscle. Hawthorn berry tea may also help dilate veins and arteries, releasing cardiovascular constrictions and reducing blood pressure by allowing the blood to flow more freely. 

•  In traditional Chinese medicine, hawthorn berries are used to help digest fatty foods, due to their sour taste and as an agent to promote blood circulation. These two attributes make them a tonic that is used to treat high cholesterol and blood lipid levels, arteriosclerosis and hypertension, says acupuncturist Michael Tierra in his book, “The Way of Chinese Herbs.”

 ¼ LB Hawthron – $6.00

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(Source: birdpick)

ROSE HIP TEA           

Origin: Taiwan
Brew: Yellow Emerald
Type: Herbal/Caffeine free
Flavor: A delicate floral melody with a tart undertone

   Rose hips are the fruit of the Rose plant, and are often used in jams, syrups, oils, and herbal teas. Known for its high Vitamin C content, rose hips also contain Vitamin D, E and antioxidants, and are thought to be a potent cold fighting remedy.

• ·         These fruits are rich in flavonoids known as natural oxidants. Therefore, health benefits of rose hip tea can include rejuvenating, regenerative, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anti-aging and anti-cancer healing actions. It is a great remedy for reducing headaches and dizziness. It also contains alpha-hydroxy acid, which may provide nutrition to stimulate hair growth and skin cell renewal.

• ·         Rose hip tea can also help reduce symptoms of coughing, running nose, fever and others, as well as strengthen the immune system and prevent further development of the disease. Also, it has valuable positive effects on the function of our cardiovascular system. In particular it aids lowering LDL cholesterol level in our blood.

*Rose hip tea has a little sour taste, and it is very common to add a little of hibiscus to bring more aroma to the taste, Bird Pick has made a few delicious blends of fruit teas with rose hips as a big component, along with hibiscus, pineapple bits, apple bits, citrus peels, papaya and mango bits, etc.. The list of yummy ingredients goes on and on and on…

¼ LB Fruit Teas – $9.00(Includes: Pineapple Dreams, Tropical Bliss, Apple Verbena, Black Forest, and Parisian Romance)

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PU-ERH TEA!

The restorative and medical properties associated with Pu-erh tea is truly astonishing. Often referred to as the “Wonder Tonic”. Pu-erh tea has been hugely popular in China for over 1700 years. For centuries it was given as a tribute to the Emperor and high ranking officials within the Imperial Courts of China.

Accounts on the health benefits and medical use of Pu-erh tea has been documented in various ancient scripts and famous books throughout Chinese history.

Pu-erh tea is strongly believed to have wide ranging health benefits from

• anti aging
• prevention of heart disease and cancer
• diabetic control
• removal of toxins to curing dysentery
• inflammation
• aiding digestion and weight loss
• improving the eyesight
• blood circulation and reviving those who are overly intoxicated with alcohol.

Generally, Pu-Erh Tea taste very earthy, from my personal experience it has a very grounding effect, as well as a fairly high caffeine content!

***Buy Pu-Erh here! we ship:)

Source:(http://www.puerhcha.com/Health/Puerh_Tea_Health.htm)

What makes matcha tea so special?
Matcha tea is a high-quality green tea that is covered before picking to accentuate the color, then stone-ground after being picked. Matcha tea is enjoyed in many ways. In Japan it is a very important part of the tea ceremony, and in both Asia and the West, people drink it because they like the taste and the ritual. Now some people are drinking it because of the reported health benefits:

• ~ Boost metabolism by up to 40% in regular consumers
• ~ Contain up to 137 times more EGCG antioxidant than steeped green tea
• ~ Act as a strong blood detoxifier and alkalizer

The story goes that Japanese Monks would drink Matcha tea before meditation, because it helped them remain focus yet serene and calm at the same time.

Try matcha here! we ship:]

Read more: Matcha Green Tea Health Benefits | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/facts_4910209_matcha-green-tea-health-benefits.html#ixzz1j5ANQcWN

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Roasted Barley 

(Mugicha)

 Brew: Russet Gold

Flavor: Lightly smooth, roasted, nutty melody with a lingering toasty aftertaste

Popular in Japan and Korea, roasted barley tea, or Mugicha, is usually drunk as an iced beverage to cool and refresh the body. It is also great as a caffeine-free coffee alternative when served hot. ..Due to its roasted nutty flavor, it really can imitate a coffee flavor to satisfy a robust craving. Try it hot or cold, sweetened or unsweetened for a pleasantly toasty brew. Try Barley with milk and cinnamon for a delicious herbal latte.

•           May help relieve stress

•           May help cleanse blood impurities

•           May help in reducing bad cholesterol levels

•           May help facilitate proper digestion

•           The mild alkalinity of Barley Tea also may help to neutralize the acidity caused by eating meat and fatty foods

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