Turkish Apple (Organic)

Description

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

Grade:   1st Grade

Altitude:  90 – 210m above sea level

Manufacture Type:  Sundried

Cup Characteristics:  Delicate apple notes with a sweet Macintosh finish. Apples are acknowledged to contain many vitamins and are part of a healthy lifestyle.

Infusion:  Pale yellow

Ingredients:    Air dried apple pieces, Orange pieces, Cinnamon, Cloves

Description:  Teshekederum! If you ever find yourself in Istanbul, Teshekederum is something you’ll be saying all day. Why? It means thank  you,  and  will  come  in  handy when  you’re  served  a  cup  of  Turkey’s  famed  apple  tea  –  which  is  served  literally everywhere throughout the country. Whether you’re seated in a bus station, public park, carpet shop or the courtyard of the Blue  Mosque,  apple  tea  served  by  roaming merchants  will  be  readily  available.

The  tea  also  plays  a  key  role  in  Turkish business  transactions.   In  Turkey,  it  is considered  bad  manners  to  conduct  business  without  socializing  first.   In fact, when Turks sit down to make a deal, the first order of business is almost always a cup of apple tea.

In Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar,  the steaming brew arrives in small glass cups,  usually with a delicate gold band around the rim. The scent of crispy apple wafts around the table blending with the spicy aromas of the market. As business is conducted, the cups are emptied and refilled many times. The tea is sweet with crispy notes and a tart finish.

These  dried  apple  pieces  are perfect  for  experiencing  the  flavors  of  Turkey  at home.  Try brewing  straight  for  a  refreshing caffeine free herbal treat or blended with a nice black tea for a little oomph. Feeling adventurous? Recreate  the spicy flavors of the Bazaar by blending in some dried cinnamon pieces. Whichever way you and your customers decide to enjoy them, these apple pieces will have you all saying Teshekederum in no time!

Dried Apple pieces add an interesting visual element to any tea blend. Dried apple has countless uses.

Turkish Apple Tea also has great health benefits too, particularly when you overindulge (binge) on food!  With all the soluble fibre and enzymes (good for cleaning and repopulating the flora of the gut), Vitamins A and C (immune boosting powerhouses), citric acid, and pectin (which helps keep you feeling full and lowers LDL) not to mention the flushing effects of its citric acid which helps, in combination with its rich antioxidant content, to lower C-reactive proteins (The little buggers responsible for inflammation), it’s a wonder to me why apple is often passed by in the rush for flashier superfruits such as acai and goji berries. The fact is that people who are affected by autoimmune and inflammatory disorders such as rheumatoid, polymysitis, fibromyalgia, and even MS should be incorporating the lowly apple into their day to day diets to manage pain better than many NSAIDs.

The mineral salts (from the apples and oranges) cleanses the blood and urinary tract (great for people prone to cystitis), quickly reduce swelling acting as a gentle diuretic, and calm inflammation in a snap.

Hot tea brewing method:  Bring fresh cold water to a rolling boil. Place 1 teaspoon 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 or herb flavor is extracted).

Iced tea brewing method (to make 1 litre): Place 6 slightly heaping teaspoons into a teapot or heat resistant pitcher. Using fresh cold water, boil and pour 1¼ cups/315ml into the pot.

Steep for 5 minutes. Quarter fill a serving pitcher with cold water. Pour the tea into your serving pitcher straining the leaves. Add ice and top -up the pitcher with cold water.

A rule of thumb when preparing fresh brewed iced tea is to increase the strength of hot tea since it will be poured over ice and diluted with cold water.

Iced tea brewing method (Individual Serving):  Place 1 slightly heaping teaspoon into a teapot for each serving required. Using fresh cold water, boil and pour 170-200ml per serving into the pot.

Cover and let steep for 5 minutes. Add hot tea to a 375ml acrylic glass filled with ice, straining the leaves. Not all of the tea will fit, allowing for approximately an additional ½ serving. Sweeten and/or add lemon to taste.

A rule of thumb when preparing fresh brewed iced tea is to increase the strength of hot tea since it will be poured over ice and diluted.