Rain Drop (Organic)

Description

Country of Origin: Egypt (Blended by Neat Jane’s Tea House)

Grade: Whole Leaf, Cut and Sifted, Organic

Altitude: 750m – 1350m above sea level

Manufacture Type: Field grown, Sun dried, Machine milled

Cup Characteristics: Pungent with cool lingering fresh taste. A beautiful blend of peppermint and spearmint. This herbal infusion reminds one of the fresh forest scent after rain.

Infusion: Tending yellowish green with bright green infused leaf

Ingredients: Peppermint leaf, Spearmint leaf

Information:  The pure, moist mountain air of the spring and early summer growing  season  gives  this  peppermint  some  of  the  highest  volatile  oil  counts  of  any  member  of  the  mint  family.

Generally (dependent upon weather patterns) the second cut (takes place during mid/end August) is the most flavorful, coolest and most pungent, (literally takes your breath away and makes your eyes water).

Mint is an herb and contains no caffeine. Quite often Mint is consumed after meals as the oils stimulate the flow of bile to the stomach and helps relieve gas pains. Additionally, it has been reported and written that Mint sweetens the breath and calms the digestive system, plus it helps heartburn, stomach ache and nausea.

An interesting and tingling way to use Mint is to place a handful of RainDrop leaves in your bath water which will lower your  body temperature –  perfect for cooling fevered skin or after working on a hot summer’s day. Peppermint is believed to be a hybrid species that evolved from spearmint and watermint.  However, peppermint has been around so long its genealogy is obscure.

It has been reported as a stewing  herb  by  ancient  Hebrews  and  it  has  been  found in 3000  year  old  Egyptian  tombs.  2000  years  ago  the  Japanese cultivated  Mint  as  a source  of  menthol.   Mint  is  a  primary  ingredient  in  remedies  used  in  the relief  of gastrointestinal disorders, headaches, and local aches and pains. Because of its bright, pungent flavor, Mint is often used to mask the unpleasant taste of various medicines. Raindrop tea is made from the leaves of Peppermint and Spearmint. As a hot tea  it is cool and refreshing, as an iced tea the menthol content produces a pleasantly chilling taste sensation.

Hot tea brewing method:  Bring cold water to a rolling boil. Place 1 slightly heaping teaspoon of RainDrop for each 200-260ml of fluid volume in the teapot. Pour the boiling water into the teapot. Cover and let steep for 5-10 minutes according to taste (the longer the steeping time, the better the flavor as more fruit and herb flavor is extracted). Garnish and sweeten to taste

Iced tea-brewing method (to make 1 litre): Place 12 slightly heaping teaspoons of RainDrop into  a  teapot  or  heat  resistant  pitcher.  Using  cold  water,  boil  and  pour  1¼ cups/315ml over the RainDrop. Steep for 5-10 minutes. Quarter fill a serving pitcher with cold water. Pour the tea into your  serving  pitcher  straining  the  tea.  Add  ice  and  top-up  the  pitcher  with  cold  water.  Garnish  and sweeten to taste. A rule of thumb when preparing fresh brewed iced RainDrop is to increase the  strength of hot brew since it will be poured over ice and diluted with cold water.