Jalima Coffee. From the cloud forests of Mexico come a truly exceptional coffee and a wonderful story of friendship. 

When most of us think of a birthday celebration we think of a toast made with a glass of champagne or a glass of good red wine. Instead, in 2001 life-long friends Janet and Libe toasted their pal Marcela’s birthday with a brightly colored ceramic coffee mug filled with exotic Mexican coffee. Who knew that a birthday celebration on a trip to Mexico would change the lives of these three friends forever? 

Upon returning from the trip, the friends decided they wanted to share this incredible gift with others and soon dramatically changed their career paths. A business plan was developed and put into action (one of the partners cashed in her retirement savings to provide funding). They decided to launch a specialty coffee business, Jalima Coffee, to promote the most delicious coffee they had ever tasted.

By its geographic location and environmental condition alone, Mexico’s coffee products have the highest intrinsic quality worldwide. Add to this the passion of friendship and the intensive labor based on age-old traditions and you get an outstanding cup of coffee.

“We operate in a fashion that highlights our commitment to the quality of our products, the quality of life for the people who produce them, and the quality of the environment where they are produced."

- Jalima's mission.

Respecting the environment and the coffee farmer, the Jalima beans come from organic growing fields in Chiapas and Veracruz where the air is pure and the clouds dip low enough to hug the beautiful Mexican landscape. The soil at the coffee farms is rich, pure, and potent. The locations of the farms (called fincas) offer the perfect environment to grow an outstanding coffee bean—shade, humidity, volcanic ash, and high altitude. There are no pesticides or pollutants to make the coffee bitter and the fragrant fruit trees flourishing on the fincas not only add to the richness of the coffee, but keep the ecosystem flourishing by providing a home to migratory birds.

Jalima Coffee is hand picked and hand sorted using ancestral techniques passed down from generation to generation and all Jalima coffees are roasted in small batches to ensure superb quality. The Jalima ladies also believe in giving back—they support both ecological and social projects in Mexico.

Jalima makes two regular coffees, each with a slightly different flavor, and a decaffeinated coffee as well.

Jalima Certified Organic Coffee—High Grown Chiapas:  the body of this coffee is well rounded. It has an intriguing complex aroma that, combined with its sweet taste and clean finish, lingers and creates a desire for more. Jalima Organic is assertive at first, with nut and spice overtones.

H&A Gourmet Coffee—High Grown Veracruz:  because of its delicate texture and aroma, it is considered a Gourmet type of coffee. Its body is light and has a fine and accentuated acidity.
H & A coffee is extremely aromatic and carries a smooth citrus fragrance.  Also available in decaf, this smooth, delicate gourmet coffee delivers the full coffee flavor without the caffeine.

The story of this company’s evolution is as wonderful and satisfying as the coffee they produce. Jalima Coffee was recently selected as one of Rachel Ray’s “faves” in her 2006 holiday gift guide.

Delicious Jalima Coffee can be purchased at their website www.jalimacoffee.com or at more than 100 gourmet specialty stores, among them Zabar’s and D’Amico Foods in Manhattan and Brooklyn. It is also available at 20 Whole Foods Markets in the Mid Atlantic region of the US, all Kings Supermarkets in NJ and LI, and through other specialty coffee distributors.

Come sample Jalima Coffee at the Coffee & Tea Festival:  NYC. 
April 28-29, 2007. For details, visit www.coffeeandteafestival.com

Tavalon Tea Bar. If someone says they want to give you a crimson punch, don’t worry. They don’t want to hurt you. They are offering you a delicious, exotic herbal tea made with blood orange, apple, cranberry, cherry, and hibiscus flowers.  

On any given day, over 127 million Americans are drinking tea according to the Tea Association of the U.S.A. They drink it hot, iced, with caffeine and without, anytime, anywhere. And hip NYers can’t seem to get enough of the little slice of heaven that is the Tavalon Tea Bar.

The founders of Tavalon, John-Paul Lee and Sonny Caberwal use their passion and expertise to offer unique blends and amazing teas from around the world in an exciting and accessible manner. “We are focused on bringing a fun, exciting new attitude unique to the industry” said Lee. If you don’t believe him, just take a walk into their flagship store in Union Square.  You’ll immediately see this commitment come alive—you’ll hear it too!  Great music fills the air adding to the shopping and sipping experience. 

“We are focused on bringing a fun, exciting new attitude to the industry.”

Tavalon imports the finest premium loose-leaf teas from around the world—South Africa, China, Korea, Japan, Egypt, India—and brew their hot loose-leaf teas fresh per order, with specific brewing temperatures and steeping times for every kind of tea.

Catering to both tea connoisseurs and newcomers to the tea world, “we aim to build a strong outlet which provides premium teas and accessories to a mainstream audience” boasts Lee. Many patrons take advantage of Tavalon’s regularly-scheduled free tea seminars & tea tastings lead by their tea “sommelier”, Chris Cason.

Tavalon offers an extensive variety of black, green, white, oolongs, and herbal teas. The trained and professional staff can also offer tea recommendations based on the function of the tea—slimming, enlightening, anti-aging, balancing, calming, or energizing. 

Here's a peek at just a few of the outstanding Tavalon Tea Bar exclusive mixes—functional tea infusions— prepared in the Tavalon studio.

The Healthy Buzz
You've heard all the buzz about green tea's incredible benefits, but still need caffeine every morning? Check out The Healthy Buzz.  This Tavalon original infuses a refreshing blend of premium green tea and zesty lemongrass with an eye-opening boost of caffeine, the perfect remedy for a long morning and the recipe for a healthy life.

Herbal Oasis
This soothingly refreshing tisane (herbal tea) is a great way to wind down your evening or chill out on hot summer day. Combining a unique blend of caffeine-free herbs such as chamomile and mint with a touch of cane sugar, Herbal Oasis is great hot or iced.

Chai Seduction
An amazing interpretation of the classic Indian Masala Chai recipe, Tavalon master blenders combined the highest grade black tea, traditional spices, milk, and organic cane sugar with a hint of rich, luxurious gourmet chocolate. Chai Seduction is a delectable treat both iced and hot, and is a sumptuously layered, healthy dessert in and of itself!

The Genius
The complex taste of The Genius mix is experienced in two waves: first, you're hit by the mouthwatering taste of sweet Korean plums, which is quickly transformed into a cool, refreshing mint sensation. These flavors are artfully united by the mild taste of premium, naturally decaffeinated white tea.

Tavalon Tea Bar is located at 22 East 14th Street in NYC. 212-817-7027.
Their fine tea and tea accessories can be purchased at this location or
at their website, www.tavalon.com.

- Tea For Kids -

Just Different Specialty Teas has created a new beverage to help kids in their fight against childhood obesity, heart disease, and type II diabetes. Super Hero, Captain Teao, promotes a great tasting, healthy tea beverage for children. Captain Teao’s Tea For Kids is a flavorful and refreshing drink that has no sugar, caffeine or calories. It’s all organic rooibos blends create a wonderful, flavorful beverage that’s a great alternative to high caffeine and high calorie sodas and fruit juices.
www.teaforkids.com