Special K's Corner

Introducing our new addition to Gloria's Tea Cuppe, Kasia Vermaire author of Special K's Corner.  Dilmah Tea Sommelier Champion, First Lady Tea Sommelier of The Netherlands.  A health coach and food inspirator.

Dear followers,

First of all, I feel really honored to be part of the American blog and want to thank Gloria for the wonderful way of sharing with each other!

I was so excited find an email from Gloria, with so many positive enthusiasm about the Tea and what I have done in The Netherlands, that its more than just a pleasure to share this knowledge with you all . I think America is such a progressive and open minded country that will kick off soon with many things I will share.  For us European countries, and such a small one as The Netherlands, America is an example for us, in many good ways.  So being part of this, is a real honor.

  Of course, no matter where we live these days, health is becoming more and more important for us all.  The lifestyle we live nowadays and the over consuming market, has reached its negative border...... we see our health going downwards.  We don't eat, drink and live the way we are actually born to live, so that's why I think we all have to get in action and see how we can change this negative circle into a positive one: be fit and healthy again, and moreover, feel that as well!  Health is something that has many aspects, it involves our nutrition, our physical movement and our mind.

I always like the famous Latin quotation:"Mens sana in corpore sano" often translated as "a healthy mind in a healthy body".   without those three to be balanced, we can't reach optimal health.  so what I do, is getting your mind inspired, get to use all your senses again, feel, breath, smell, taste and touch, this what I want.  You have to be inspired and fired up inside to take steps to change your habits and lifestyle in another direction.  Nobody can do that for you, even the best guru in the world or doctor cannot fix it for you, neither I as a health coach.  But what I can do, is inspire you, inform you, and give you tools to accomplish it.  That's the same way how I started, and the only way you can continue.  So I feel very blessed to share this with you, and please feel free to share it with me.  I'm so happy when I can see when you invent other recipes or share thoughts with me about a Tea experience or a new ingredient you have discovered.

So to get started right away, I have here my winning recipe: 
the Chai t'ccino, which is a Cappuccino made from Chai Tea.
Let's get started!

Warm smiles from me,

Kasia 
Please scroll down to bottom of Blog to turn off music playlist  to watch video

 

 CHAI t'CCINO

Indredients: 

Boiled spring water

Dilmah Chai: Gentle Ceylon Spice Tea

Skimmed Milk

Mix of spices: grounded cardamom, cinnamon, ginger and anise.

Organic Palm Flower Nectar: Coconut sugar 

Garnish:

Organic dried figs

Organic walnuts

Instructions:

Boil your spring water and pour into your cappuccino cup with the Chai gentle Ceylon spice tea.  Let it soak for 3-5 minutes, so you have a good strong tea that brings out all the flavors of the Indian spices.  The color should be nice dard red, with golden fragrance on the borders.

Mean while, you pour the skimmed milk into a milk foam machine, I would say about 150ml(5oz) for a nice cup of Chai tea.  You can also use soy milk if you prefer, as long as it is a low or non fat milk, because then you get a real nice whipped cream texture.

Then when your milk has turned into a nice foam, you get the tea bag out your cup, and gently pour this whipped milk on top of your cup, like you would do in a Cappuccino.

Mix the grounded spice altogether with the coconut sugar and put it into a dispenser, I would suggest using more cinnamon and anise, and a little less ginger and cardamom, as they are quite strong spices, so you don't want to get them to strong into the topping.  Make it as sweet as you like by adding the coconut sugar.  Now, you can use any fancy symbols to make a nice picture on milk foam,  but you can also just sprinkle a nice layer of the spice mix & coconut sugar on top of your Chai t'ccino.

Serve this altogether with a fig and a walnut. Just open your fig, and place the halve of a walnut in between.  Eat a part of this delicious healthy sweet treat, and then take a nice sip of your Chai t'ccino and don't feel embarrassed to lick off the nice whipped milk off your lips!

Health Benefits:

Coconut sugar is a healthy sugar because of the low glycemic index, which means it doesn't make you blood sugar peak too high at once.  Figs are an excellent sweet satisfying snack to combine with the Chai t'ccino and are a great source of iron and vitamin C. They also stimulate your intestines in a positive way because of the fibers.  In terms of food pairing, it is interesting to know that the walnut combines very well with cardamom and black tea. Besides that, it is always a good thing to combine sugars with fat, as the good fats & protein from walnuts will balance out the sugars from the fig so that they again will be released slower into your body.  Chai tea contains black Ceylon tea and contains lots of antioxidants called polyphenols, that have positive health benefits.  The spices, combined in this Chai tea, are known as ayurvedic medicinal spices.  The cardamom for example acts positively on our brains and has a calming effect, the peppermint and ginger will influence our digestion in a good way.

Theegek blog(link)  Kasia's Blog, Amsterdam, Netherlands

US Troops drinks Dilmah Tea

US Troops will enjoy a cuppa of Dilmah Tea. 
Dilmah the finest tea on earth. Troops will have Dilmah tea time, to reflect on families, relax in times of peace and turmoil, and time to recollect themselves.
Donated Wednesday, August 11, at the Naval Base, USO office in Jacksonville, Florida,  Executive Director of USO, Jax and Paz( USO board and local hotel owner/philanthropist), John Shockley(center)  and with Dilmah Tea/Unity Brands Group, President, Praful Mehta(left). 

Dilmah Tea donated for the troops and for the USO lounge at 
Jax Airport. 

Dilmah Tea a Ceylon single origin tea. Enjoyed in 94 countries now in the USA.

Dilmah Tea is the freshest tea you can drink hot or cold. Why is it so fresh?

Dilmah tea is harvested and packaged within days and straight to the consumer. No matter where an American Soldier, Military Personnel, or Military Civilian Contractor are based, every cup of Dilmah Tea is just as fresh as it was harvested. The benefits are twice the antioxidants than competitors on store shelves. 
Dilmah Return to Real Tea!

Find your Dilmah supplier near you:Unity Brands Group 

Dilmah takes 1st Place in Tea Championship!

 


First Place Award! Dilmah Tea/ Unity Brands Group LLC announces Dilmah Pure Chamomile Flowers has won First Place in the Unflavored Herbal Blends category of the Hot Tea Class.
Took place at the North American Tea Championship 2010 

Congratulations!

To choose the recipient of this award, the judging panel of professional cuppers assessed each submission through blind organoleptic analysis of the following characteristics: dry leaf; brewed color; brewed aroma; brewed flavor; brewed mouth-feel; brewed harmony.  The ratings of each characteristic were then used to calculate an overall numerical value on a 100-point scale, and winners were determined by rank.  Tasting over 215 teas.  

Dilmah Pure Chamomile Flowers received an 84-Very Good: a tea with superior characteristics.

The Hot Tea Class is evaluated twice a year; July for spring teas and February for fall teas.

Dimah Tea founded by Merrill J. Fernando in 1988.  Returning to real tea. An 100% Pure Ceylon Tea. Unblended tea not like other competitors that dominate store shelves. Dilmah is the world's first fully vertically integrated family tea company.  Grown in the beautiful hills of Sri Lanka and then packaged within days of harvesting then off to the market place to the consumer.  Optimum freshness and high antioxidants than other brands.
Not only is Dilmah the finest tea on earth, it's also the world's first Ethical tea, where  many "fair trade"profits made in the USA; very little flows back.  Earnings from Dilmah remain in Sri Lanka, are shared with workers and the community and are reinvested to help make tea a sustainable crop and  brings a higher quality of life in developing country. MJF Charitable Foundations created, where 10 percent of the proceeds go back to the community, for programs like the hearing impaired and blind school for children, small entrepreneur program, and the conservation of endangered animals and their habitat to name just a few.  Dilmah Home Website
Unity Brands Group was founded in 2007 by Praful Mehta, an exclusive U.S.distributor of Dilmah and a veteran of the specialty food industry. Praful has developed a unique niche in the industry and gained strong business relationships with the retailers, distributors and brokers across the country while developing strong partnerships with companies from North America, Europe and Southeast Asia. 

What is this flower all about?

Chamomile (Chamomillae romanae)

It is a one-year plant, which reaches a height of approx. 55.cm. Chamomile contains essential oils such as angeloyl, methacryl and flavenoids.
Health Benefits

The Chemiewerke Hamburg Pharmacy of West Germany found that it reduces gastric acid and helps prevent ulcers.  It also promoted tissue regeneration after patients had operations on implicated in ulcers and the skin swelling, puffy eyes and headaches brought about on by allergies, nervousness, and depression.  It is given to children for digestive and hyperactive problems.

History

Chamomile is known for its health benefits, a gentle and relaxing herb enjoyed by Europeans as a tonic and aromatherapy. Ancient Egyptians dedicated it to their sun god.

The daisy-like Chamomile flower has an uplifting aroma reminiscent of apples.  The Greeks named Chamomiles "kamai melon" (ground apple) inspired by its distinct apple like fragrance and the Spanish called it Manzanilla or "little apple".

Begin your bedtime tea ritual with Dilmah Pure Chamomile Flowers, naturally caffeine free, with its soothing aroma and very delicate flavor.

This infusion is gentle and delicate and should be enjoyed straight, without milk or sugar.  If desired, add a dash of honey to sweeten, and a mint leaf as a garnish. 

Dilmah Pure Chamomile Flowers is available in two series. 
Dilmah Infusions Pure Chamomile Flowers in The Dilmah Exotics and
Dilmah Pure Chamomile Flowers in t-series   Luxury Bag and Loose Leaf



Congratualations!  Dilmah and Unity Brands Group LLC.  Pure Chamomile Flowers a tea with superior characteristics.

Dilmah School of Tea

 

Tea is so misunderstood. Camellia Sinesis is her proper name but she is given the short  name tea.  She is picked by hand masterfully, two leaves and a bud.  Then she is stereo typed and given her classification. Black, green, white and/or a special oolong.  Then she blossoms with character and  personality.  Without choice an arrange marriage with H20 and she is complete.  The ranges of colors she pulls off is just amazing.  Mahogany, celadon, vanilla cream, and gets away with burnt umber. 
She is aromatic in every way sometimes like a rose, woodsy, smokey and with surprise like maple.  Personality!  So complex. She can change from one tea to the next.  Talk about learning how to read her.  After you get to know her better you will expect her to be bold, pungent, astringent and other times she is bright, brisk, flowery and a bit fruity.  On the other hand she could be just bitter.  Camillia Sinesis you just love her no matter how she comes.
Tongue in cheek. A little bit of Tea 101.
The first international school of tea launched in October of 2009 partnered with the Institut Paul Bocuse in Lyons, France as a tribute to Dilmah Founder Merril J. Fernando his 60th year in tea.  The objective is to educate and/or train in tea history, food matching with tea, tea cuisine and beverages, health benefits, art of brewing, tea manufacturing, the aspect terroir in tea and what impact an ethical tea brings to tea workers in a developing country and sustaining its environment.   The School of Tea has the objective to share the passion for tea with tea drinkers and tea aficionados.  
Dilmah School of Tea was held in Colombo, Sri Lanka this July of 2010 after The Chef and the Tea maker Event, Dilmah's School of Tea 12 day field trip. 
The International Tea Culinary Experience objective with the MJF Charitable Foundation is to fulfill the dreams of aspiring chefs in the North and East of Sri Lanka.  Sri Lanka had the misfortune of had been ravaged by 30 years of conflict.  The truth is war effects the human spirit and encouragement always comes when serving others through hospitality.  The 12 chefs hosted a table of 10 and the revenue from the event will be matched by the MJF Foundation and utilized to establish at least 25 culinary entrepreneurs in Jaffna, Trincomalee, Batticaloa, Arugambay and Ampara.
Dilmah's philosophy - Business a matter of human service.  Merrill J. Fernando's pledge to  assist the underprivileged in underdeveloped areas for more than 475 businesses through the Foundation's Small Entrepreneur Program.




Here is Shane Yardley's planned menu-
 New Zealand Shane Yardley, head chef at Bistro Lago at the Hilton Taupo, his dishes include roast green tea spiced king prawns accompanied by mango and coconut and a cinnamon tea and citrus crusted venison fillet, roasted courgettes and fennel served with cinnamon, juniper jus.  His hot beverage is a special leaf tea sweetened with kiwi bush honey.  




Dilmah School of Tea will be shared with tea aficionados  in  restaurants, cafes, and hotels and just like Shane Yardley he will share it back home.