Coming from a country and a family with deep roots in the tea industry, and surprised at the lack of quality tea she found here, Dr. Pareek-Joshi decided to change the focus of her career. “Given that many generations of my family members back in India are in the tea business, it seemed natural for me to start a tea company here in the U.S.,” said Dr. Pareek-Joshi.  “My husband too comes from a tea family. His great grandfather started a family tea garden, Soureni Tea Estate in Darjeeling, which was then passed down through generations. Since my husband was actually born on this tea garden he likes to say that its not blood but tea that flows through his veins,” she added.

In 2004, filled with lifelong experience and newfound ambition, Dr. Pareek-Joshi and her husband created Jaya Teas. Jaya, which means “victory” in Sanskrit (and also happens to be name of their daughter), pledges to bring to the U.S. market some of the best teas Indian gardens have to offer. Today, Jaya Teas operates a successful tea business out of their headquarters in Lawrenceville, New Jersey.

“With increasing popularity of single estate teas, some people tend to depend solely upon the name of the estate as a mark of quality. However, even if the tea is from the same estate, it might actually be a blend of superior high grown and inferior low growth teas,” said Dr. Pareek-Joshi.  “Our teas are hand-selected by members of our family in India who, collectively, have more than 50 years of experience in the Indian tea industry.”  Because of their unwavering dedication to quality, Jaya Teas guarantees every single purchase with a no questions asked, money-back guarantee of satisfaction.

The owners of Jaya Teas go to great lengths to ensure that the tea you receive is the freshest, highest quality tea. 

• All teas are personally selected by family members.
• Teas are vacuum-packed right at source to seal in the freshness.
• The delicate teas are air freighted from India to U.S. to reduce the exposure to high temperatures.
• Teas are packed in heavy-duty tin caddies designed to keep the tea dry.

Jaya Teas offers a wide variety of teas including: Single estate Darjeeling teas such as Gopaldhara, Castleton, Avongrove, Makaibari, Single estate Assam teas such as Boisahabi, Banarhat, Marangi, Mokalbari estates, Kangra Valley teas like Manhjhee Valley tea, and teas from South India such as Craigmore Estate tea.

Besides marketing well-known estate teas, Jaya Teas manufactures its own teas such as the famous Mirik Leaf tea, manufactured using the age-old process of shade drying the tea.  Recently Jaya Teas introduced “Nut Tea” which includes nut peal of the Tea nut, which adds an unusual character to the tea. Jaya Teas has just introduced a line of handcrafted pyramid shaped nylon tea bags for many of the estate teas providing the connoisseur of premium teas the opportunity to brew the teas conveniently. All of the above teas are available for wholesale and retail purchase on the company website.

This month’s special is Avongrove First Flush tea. Avongrove Estate is a high elevation estate located above 2200 feet and rising up to 5800 feet elevation. This majestic estate is recognized as a quality mark among Darjeeling teas.  This particular tea is very delicate muscatel tea that produces light golden clear liquor with sweet fruity aroma. The green infusion is full of tips indicating the delicate nature of the leaf.

**SPECIAL OFFER FOR FIRST TIME CUSTOMERS**
SAVE $5 off your first order. Enter code 2815FF at checkout.

For Jaya Teas, it not simply about selling tea, it is about the quality of the tea.  “You will not find fancy packaging or bright colors to seduce you. But you will be wonderfully satisfied with the quality of our teas and the experience they deliver,” said Dr. Pareek-Joshi.

Pink. Many people associate this color with happy occasions like the birth of a baby girl, sprinkles on a birthday cake, or a beautiful sunset sky.  For others, the color pink symbolizes something different—strength, friendship, and hope.  Hope for a cure for breast cancer.

Kathi Zollman knows about the power of pink first hand.  When diagnosed with breast cancer in 2002, she received many pink gifts and cards from friends and family to let her know that she was in their thoughts. “I’m not a pink person” she admits, but has since come to realize just how powerful the color can be and what it symbolizes to those in the fight of their life. Today, Kathi is a survivor on a mission. She is committed to give hope to those who feel defeated and to do her part to help find a cure.

Roast Master and breast cancer survivor Kathi Zollman worked with Paramount Coffee to create Caffe Rosa, which premieres this month.   “Being a survivor takes a certain level of responsibility,” said Zollman. “I developed Caffe Rosa understanding this responsibility and with a simple mission,” she added, “to help breast cancer survivors find strength in themselves as they continue to heal spiritually, emotionally, and physically.”

Caffe Rosa is a full-bodied certified organic coffee created to provide funding for breast cancer survivorship programs like yoga, massage therapy, exercise classes, and lifestyle seminars. “As a Roast Master, I created Caffe Rosa specifically for these important initiatives. As a survivor, I gave it a name that would embody the strength and inspiration I find in each pink rose,” said Zollman.

For each bag of Caffe Rosa coffee that is sold, Paramount Coffee will donate $1 to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure—the world’s largest and most progressive grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists.  http://cms.komen.org/komen/index.htm

With its rich aroma and bold flavor, this “pink coffee” will connect you to this important cause and the amazing individuals on their journey toward survival.

A 1 lb. bag is $9.99 at www.cafferosacoffee.com.

The coffee calendar is a yearlong wall calendar celebrating the history, culture and politics of coffee. The calendar pages feature dates highlighting coffee's long history of trade, rebellion, fashion, scandal, innovation, land use, flavor, and economy designed and illustrated by Ricardo Levins Morales.  The calendar is 12” x 9” and retails for $12.95.  Visit www.thecoffeecalendar.com for more information.

About the Artist:  Mr. Morales was born and raised in the coffee growing region of western Puerto Rico, in the mountain township of Maricao.  His home was on the remains of on old Spanish coffee plantation and the rhythm community life was set by the coffee growing cycle. He moved to Chicago with his family when entering his teen years. He held a variety of jobs in manufacturing, service and agriculture, eventually ending up in the screen-printing industry. All the time he developed his artistic skills in connection with community groups and social causes. He has maintained his connections with his community of origin in Maricao. He was a founding member of the Northland Poster Collective, a major center for socially committed art based in Minneapolis, Minnesota where he lives with his family. His art can by viewed at www.ricardolevinsmorales.com.  Calendar art shown courtesy of Ricardo Levins Morales.

A feast for the eye and a temptation to the palate, Hot Drinks is one cool book! It contains 50 fun and fabulous recipes dispersed among five unique sections:

• chocolates and coffees
• teas, tonics, and tisanes
• merry-making cocktails
• welcome cups and party punches
• winter warmers and sweet dreamers.

Hot Drinks includes some of the classics like Hot Buttered Rum or the traditional Hot Toddy yet also includes wonderful winter weather warmers such as Mayan Hot Chocolate, Moroccan Mint Tea, Swedish Glögg and Mistletoe and Holly (shown on the book’s cover).  The recipes vary in difficulty and number of ingredients, with nearly all being quite easy to create.
 
So, this winter, if someone asks you if you would like a Highland Fling, don’t be alarmed.  They are not asking you to break your sacred wedding vow; they are offering you a hot and delicious beverage made of orange juice, sage, lemon juice, and Drambuie.

Hot Drinks makes a great holiday or hostess gift.

Published by Ten Speed Press.  October 2007.  $16.95.  Hardcover.

To order, visit www.CooksShopHere.com

The Story Of Tea:
A Cultural History and Drinking Guide
By Mary Lou Heiss and Robert J. Heiss

Written in an easy and accessible style, The Story of Tea is a treasure to behold.  At over 400 pages, The Story of Tea may resemble a textbook, but readers will be pleasantly surprised at what lies between its covers.

Part history lesson, part travel journal, The Story of Tea is a true celebration of tea.  Starting with a brief history of tea, the authors guide the reader on an interesting journey from the early medicinal uses for tea to the modern age and changes in the world of tea.  Readers are then lead along the tea trail, from the lush forests of China, where tea cultivation first flourished, to the Buddhist temples of Japan, to the vast tea gardens of India, and beyond.  Beautiful color photos add to the reader’s experience.

After a thorough examination of the tea bush and tea production, more than thirty essential tea varietals are profiled, organized by leaf style, and accompanied by a color photo.

The Story of Tea also includes chapters on brewing the perfect cup, tea customs and culture, the health benefits of tea, ethics in the tea trade, and cooking with tea (both sweet and savory recipes are included).

To educate and entertain, The Story of Tea will be enjoyed by both the beginning tea enthusiast and the seasoned tea professional. 

A portion of the proceeds from the book sales is being donating to Mercy Corps, a Charity Navigator 4-Star rated humanitarian organization that, among all of the good work that they do, has programs in place to specifically help tea growers in Darjeeling and Assam India.

Published by Ten Speed Press.  October 2007.  $29.95.  Hardcover.
To order, visit www.CooksShopHere.com

About the Authors:
Mary Lou Heiss and Robert J. Heiss have owned and operated Cooks Shop Here, a purveyor of fine tea and other specialty food products located in western Massachusetts since 1974.  The authors will autograph your copy or write a personal message when requested.