Tea Things -- from Republic of Tea, Bodum, & HogWild!!!!

For moms and dads, grandmas and grandpas, sitters, sibs,and just about anybody else in the house with little ones -- we carry a wide variety of decaf teas, green teas, red rooibos teas, and herbal teas -- all either completely caffiene free, decaffinated, or naturally free of stimulants. We also carry some of the tastiest black teas and tea blends because of their healthy benefits to the immune system. (See chart and links below)

We figure if your place is like ours (we are, after all, a toy store....) then the noise level and variety of stresses can sometimes get the best of all of us... So choosing the right "cuppa" for both the immune system/anti-oxident properties, and for the caffine boost (or lack thereof) is a process that requires care and thought.

So we have some romantic little tea things -- the makings of a private ritual for a few minutes alone with a soothing cup. Many of these teas are also excellent served over ice with a squeeze of lime or lemon (we'll make suggestions), and still others are best brewed in a cup of hot milk. Republic of Tea calls these milk brewed teas "chai" (which is really just "tea" in about 14 languages...) and has come to represent the spicy middle-asian tea traditions, whether brewed in water or with a lot of milk.

We also carry a limited selection of tea accessories including a few things from those artists of modern tea and coffee design, Bodum; and we've even included our great Mr. Twister Iced Tea Mixer from Hog Wild.

Best of all, we'll walk you through the process of building a tea time that even the little ones will want to participate in.... Ah.... The English, Chinese, and Indian tea drinkers will all sigh a knowing sigh when you pick up your cup of relaxation....

Table of Tea Properties summarized from various sources - Links Included

TEA TYPE	CAFFINE	IMMUNE SYSTEM BOOST	ANTI- OXIDENTS
BLACK TEA	**********	**********	********
GREEN TEA	***	*****	*****
RED TEA	--	--unknown--	********
WHITE TEA	*	********	**********

NOTE: Ounce per ounce, regular coffee has approximately double the caffeine of black tea.

First, realize this is my own (Lynn Whitlark, of Purciful's Magical Toys) condensed version of materials available at any library or in 15 minutes of online search. The most recent "ah-ha!" writings about teas have been about the high immune system benefits of the tea species that gives us black teas of all kinds, oolong, green, and the most recently available version of this plant, white tea.

The only differences between the various varieties white, green, oolong, and black teas have to do with:

1. how long the leaves are on the plant before being picked (white is the youngest pick, green is later, and what becomes black is picked last....);

2. fermentation;

3. smoke; and

4. added flavorings or aromatics.

Red tea is actually an herb which is a completely different plant than the tea plant (rooibos -- red bush) and comes from South Africa. Like many herbs, it has its own set of properties unrelated to those of the white-green-black traditional tea plant.

White tea is tea picked as the first new leaves -- producing a virtually caffeine-free leaf with all the anti-oxident benefits of its older brothers. It is fairly new to the US, and therefore has not been specifically studied separately from the black/green varieties except to note that it has the highest levels of anti-oxidents in any of this plant's teas.

How To Make A Good Cup of Tea (Black or Green Tea, reg/decaf)

How to Make a Good Cup of Herbal Tea

How to Make a Good Cup of Cream Tea

Tea Time Tea-Party Bear with Republic of Tea!

This adorable little 8" fluff of a round bear is wearing her most proper English Tea Time hat, and carrying her Traveler's Tin of 6 tea bags -- appropriately named "Tea Time Teddy's Straw-Cherry Cha-Cha" by the Republic of Tea. from her flowery hat to her leather paw pads, Tea Party Bear is waiting for the Tea Party to begin.

We pack Tea-Party Bear with another full sized tin of 60 more great Straw-Cherry Cha-Cha tea bags -- delicious hot with a bit of honey, or iced with a squeeze of lime and a bit of your favorite sweet. Straw-Cherry Cha-Cha is a great grown-ups cup, or perfect for your little tea party host or hostess serving up an afternoon of delights for the local bear and doll community.

Straw-Cherry Cha-Cha tea is caffine free and full of fruity flavors -- a bit sweet and a bit tart. One of our very favorite Republic of Tea offerings.

The Republic of Tea: The Peoples' Brew Basket

The People's Brew Basket is polymesh. It allows the leaves to unfurl for maximum tea flavor. Suitable for most 10-14oz mugs and many teapots.

"Little Dipper" Tea Infuser

This Little Dipper is a stainless steel infuser is packaged in a kraft gift box. A must for sipping full-leaf teas.

The Republic of Tea: The Peoples' Teaspoon

Whether you are a spoon collector, or just a devoted tea drinker in search of spoon that won't be confused with every other spoon in the drawer -- the Peoples' Teaspoon is just right. The bowl is small and round -- the handle is thin and easy to hold -- what more could you ask of a little spoon?

Mini Ibis Electric Tea Kettle by Bodum -- 27 oz

The smaller version of Bodum's great Ibis Electric Kettle -- this one heats 27 oz. of water in under 2 minutes. Perfect for a small pot of tea -- or several individual cups of broth, coffee, tea, Ramen noodles, cocoa -- or whatever you might want to sip in your office, cubicle, dorm room, garage, workshop, studio -- or wherever it is that you need a warm cuppa.

Ibis Electric Tea Kettle by Bodum - 57.5 oz Capacity

Bodum's great Ibis electric teakettle is made of heat resistant transparant white plastic. The base is stationary, while the pot can be lifted separately so hot water is poured easily and safely. For all but the opaque black and white models, the transparant body lets you see how much water you've got left.

Best of all, the Ibis Teakettle has a heat sensor that automatically shuts off the heating element once the water has reached the perfect temperature -- and then comes back on with a touch of a button to keep your water perfect for the next cup, and the next and the next.

Lets you have hot water nearby in an office, work room, dorm room, or wherever you need tea, coffee, broth, or instant anything.

Ceylon Iced Tea Brewing Pitcher by Bodum - 50oz

From Bodum, a heat resistant acrylic iced tea brewing pitcher -- with a removable infuser built rightin so that you're good to go with either full leaf teas, or remove the infuser and brew 4-6 tea bags in 50oz of boiling water! Remove the whole infuser or your tea bags and chill the whole pitcher for a great iced tea break.

The best news is that the lid stays comfortably down when time comes to pour, with a strainer built into the spout!

Enjoy!

Columbia Thermal 32oz Tea Press - Teapot by Bodum

Double walled stainless construction with a classic Bodum design -- holds 32oz and can be used equally well with or without the tea-press mechanism. (includes a built in fine mesh shield at the base of the spout as well as the mesh tea-press basket.)

Exterior is polished stainless, and interior is brushed stainless, providing an insualting effect that keeps tea warm while you relax and enjoy!

Bodum Eileen 3-Piece Coffee/Tea Press & Cup Set - Special Purchase

A special purchase from Bodum -- this set includes the 36 ounce coffee-or-tea press (the mechanism works the same for all their great coffee and tea presses...) which regularly sells for $60.00; plus a pair of 10 ounce matching cups which normally sell for $20.00/pair.

A great and economical gift for the coffee or tea lover in your circle of friends or family!

Tea Party and Picnic Sets for the Junior Jet Set

Perfect for family outings, social functions, or just for pretend with dolls and bears --

Tea Time Basket by Alex -- Child-sized Tea Service!
Tea Party Basket by Alex -- Portable Tea Time for Little Ones!
Tea Set by Alex -- Junior Sized Perfect for Bear & Doll Parties!

Moroccan Mint Loose Tea from Republic of Tea - 5.1oz

"Tea Of Good Health" Cool & refreshing, this brew is traditionally sipped throughout the Equitorial Eur-Asia from glass teacups with an over-indulgence of sugar. A blend of peppermint leaves & fragrant Gunpowder green tea, Moroccan Mint is naturally very low in caffeine with all the health benefits (anti-oxidents) of green tea.

Republic Green Chai - by Republic of Tea - 50 Teabags

Turn over a new leaf with the health benefits of Republic Green Chai. This unique full-leaf green tea, blended with spicy ginger, cinnamon & cardamon is finished with sweetness of fresh almonds.

Republic of Tea's Chai teas are meant to be brewed in milk (see our Chai Brewing instruction page for details) and are also wonderful (and much lower in calories/fat) brewed in water with a splash of milk.

Naturally very low in caffeine.

Republic of Tea: Organic Temple of Health, 36 Tea Bags

Certified Organic Caffeine-Free Herbs and Spices. Healthy blend of ginger and cinnamon are balanced with the natural sweetness of licorice. Echinacea and lemon grass round out this healthful, warming blend.

*The primary ingredient in this tea is GINGER. While echinacea has gotten a lot of press lately for its purported ability to help your imune system fight off the gremlins in your machine; ginger has been the digestion wizard of the last few hundred years.

The tale, according to folk medicine, is that ginger's benefits for helping relieve digestive problems from acid indigestion to neausea go waaaaaay back. In the days before refridgeration, when meats hung on hooks in open air markets (with no "sell by..." dates in sight) and leftovers sat out until the next meal, people would have a piece of bread at the end of every meal spread with honey and filled with sliced ginger root. This would help insure that their less-than-fresh supper didn't keep them up all night.

Eventually this recipe for a sweet stomach turned into gingerbread and ginger ale. Then, when refridgeration came along and the original purpose was forgotten, most commercially made ginger ales and gingerbreads stopped using ginger altogether and went with cheaper substitutes.

You can still get ginger ale that uses real ginger at speciality markets and health food stores -- and you can still have gingerbread and ginger snaps that really use ginger, too --- but usually only if you make it yourself.

This tea, however, makes a clever cup of mostly ginger tea -- which may help your neausea, help your sour stomach, help your acid indigestion, and lift your spirits.

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TEA TYPE

BLACK TEA