I get asked quite frequently what my favorite tea is. Ok, so say we are heading off to shoot a season of Survivor, and I have to choose just one tea to bring with me to drink. First my heart would drop and air gasp in as I catch my breath. Then I would reach for my large tin of Jasmine Green Tea.
 
If I was left with only one, Jasmine Green Tea would probably win out. At home, I keep my tin of Jasmine handy right by my tea making set. It’s a quick go-to tea for me that is always pleasing, picks me up with its mood-lifting aroma, and leaves me with a smile on my face.

However, don’t get me wrong, I do have many favorites and love switching it up daily. But back to the wall, pressed for an answer to a tricky question indeed, I would be stocking up on my Jasmine Green Tea.

Which one would you bring to the Deserted Island of Loose Leaf Tea?

Green tea vs. black tea, ah the dilemma. Does it really have to be one or the other? “I only drink black tea”, a comment I hear very often. Or, it goes the other way with green tea favoritism. Having a favorite is a great place to start when choosing a tea; at least you know you’ll like it. However, I do encourage people to branch out to have a taste of something a little different. We offer a free sample of brewed tea each day which is a great opportunity to venture at very low risk.

Our “Sit-n-Sniff” table is the second stop I take them to. Let them examine and sniff the leaf of their favorite tea, then the one we are sampling for the day. Sooner or later we will get to a sniffing tin of tea that really lights them up! If they are so daring, they can buy a cup of from our Blend-Your-Own Tea Bar to taste before buying a bag. They may just find they really love something they wouldn’t have otherwise tried. A great joy is when a new discovery is made in someone’s palette. They themselves are surprised and a door opens.

Experimenting one day, I came up with a blend that is now one of my favorites—one part of our Cream Earl Grey and one part Japan Sencha. Oh yeah. It has wonderful depth from the smooth creamy Earl Grey but becomes a whole other cup adding the Sencha—something delightful and new. There you go! Black tea pleasantly shaking hands with green.