Photo courtesy of The Republic of Tea.
The most popular brewed beverage gets new healthy (for you and the planet) additions.
After water, tea is the most consumed beverage in the world. Besides soothing properties and delicate taste, an abundance of antioxidants, vitamins and other compounds makes tea a tonic that boosts the immune system, reduces cell damage and improve blood sugar levels, among other health benefits.
The tea world is buzzing about the increasingly healthy and sustainable options finding their way into the marketplace these days. And The Republic of Tea, a top seller of premium teas from around the world, has just upped the ante with its first teas created using biodynamic (or beyond organic) principles, under which growers use holistic methods to maintain high environmental and farming standards when creating healthy ecosystems for plants—that grow and thrive without relying on fertilizers or other chemicals—while adhering to strict post-harvest handling and processing guidelines.
Biodynamic Organic Heirloom Chamomile Tea (36-bag tin, $13) is grown in a small garden at the base of the Italian Alps, harvested at nighttime (when the essential oils reach their peak potency) and naturally dried using only thermal energy created from the farm’s other crops. Biodynamic Organic Darjeeling (50-bag tin, $13), from a tea farm in northern India, an area known for its high-quality black tea, is produced utilizing renewable energy and natural techniques resulting in rich, fertile soil that brings out the flavor of the tea. The two teas are USDA organic, gluten-free and kosher-certified.
Available at select specialty food retailers in the U.S., via mail-order catalog (800-298-4TEA) and at republicoftea.com.
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Biodynamic… because burying sheep skulls and flayed mouse skins under the right phase of the moon is even more “green.” I always wonder if vegans know.