The Best Tea Companies (updated - 2014!)

Winter is prime tea-drinking season. Nothing is more beautiful than curling up by the fire with a book and a cup of tea while the snow falls outside. As C. S. Lewis said, "You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me."

My favorite part of tea is that it's composed similar to an eau de parfum: you start with the "base notes" of the tea itself, whether it's rooibos from South Africa, black tea from India, Japanese sencha, or leaves from some other exotic locale; you then add "heart notes" or a fusion of fruit, spices, or fragrant flowers to add complexity; and finally, you top it off with an accent of something to draw in whomever catches a whiff... vanilla, lavender, a dash of mint... As with perfume, the possibilities are endless!

Zab and I have been tea connoisseurs for years now, so we're sharing with your our list of international favorites: brands, flavors, packaging, &c. Enjoy, and let us know your own favorites in the comments section! We're always eager to broaden our knowledge of this timeless, global beverage.

1. Tazo

Starbucks has made this tea company international famous, but did you know they have WAY more flavors than we've been led to believe? You have to check out their website, which has a fantastic aesthetic and beautifully-arranged teas. We're familiar with the classic "mood" flavors, like "Rest" and "Passion," but they also have "Thrive" and "Focus," the latter of which is "a cleverly invigorating mix of malty black tea, roasted yerba maté, orange essence & cocoa peel." They also carry their own variety of smoky Lapsang Souchong, as well as blends such as Phoenix Mountain (a honey & orchid flavor), Dragonwell (creamy green tea with subtle chestnut flavor), and Blush Berry Black (a ravishing blend of black teas with strawberry, black raspberry & blueberry).

2. Harney & Sons
Zab & I have been drinking Harney & Son's "Caribe" tea for as long as we've known each other! To this day the smell and taste of it remind me of afternoons hanging out on Zab's back porch on a sunny day after school. I'm going to put the entire description of this one here, it's just too delicious: "Breathe in the sweet aroma of Caribe, a light fusion of green and black teas enhanced by tropical flavors. The exotic tea mellifluously fuses hibiscus, guava, coconut and strawberry, accented with marigolds and cornflowers. The first sip tastes of green tea, trailed by an impressive array of fruit and floral surprises, revealing endless tropical notes tucked into each sip. A favorite for many, Caribe is an inventive and exotic blend softened into a serene escape."  Another timeless flavor of theirs is "Paris," which is "a fruity black tea with vanilla and caramel flavors, and a hint of lemony Bergamot." We also are very fond of their spin on Earl Grey tea, "Winter White Earl Grey," which is made with Chinese Mutan white tea and comes in a beautiful robin's egg blue tin.

3. Mariage Frères
Founded in 1854 by brothers Henri and Edouard Mariage, this French emporium now boasts an incredibly broad and varied selection of blends. Their classical black tin collection includes mixes such as the popular "Marco Polo" ("a mysterious blend that will take you to distant lands and unforeseen territories...") and "Thé de Lune." They also have their own unique Earl Grey blend, "Earl Grey Provence," which incorporates notes of lavender.

4. Argo
Whenever I'm home in Chicago I always try to get to an Argo Tea. This Chicago-based company has taken over the city (and spread to St. Louis, NYC, and Boston) and is giving Starbucks a run for its street corners. Not only does it have its signature drinks for the regulars (my usual is their White Tea Acai Squeeze), they also sell packaged blends for every type of tea. Some of my top picks are Fruit Sangria, Pomegranate White, and Earl Grey Crème, all of which are sold loose leaf.

5. Løv Organic
This French tea company fooled me for a while with it's Scandinavian aesthetic - I thought it was based in Copenhagen for some time.  Their all-organic loose leaf tea blends vary from the fruity to the smoky, and they all come in adorable tins in vibrant colors.  My favorite of the moment is "Winter in Løv", one of their collection with plays on their name, which actually means "leaf."

6. Le Palais des Thés
Another fairly recent find, this international tea company offers incredibly impressive blends that convey the nuances and care of designer perfumes. Their Thé du Hammam is "inspired by a Turkish recipe using green teas that evokes the characteristic fragrances used to perfume a hammam: roses, green dates, berries and orange flower water. Sprinkled with flower petals in the pure Eastern tradition, its extraordinary fragrance comes from a subtle combination of Chinese green tea and rich, fruity aromas." Their Thé des Concubines recreates the atmosphere of a Chinese tea house by blending "green and black teas from China with rich, fruity notes of cherry, mango and vanilla." Nearly every tea can be bought in multiple types of packaging, such as 3.5oz pouch, a box of 20 tea bags, or a gorgeous metal canister. I've currently got my eye on their Thé N°25 Collection, particularly their N°25 Black Tea Holiday Edition, which is a Christmas blend of black tea with "orange, cinnamon, vanilla, rose and almond."

7. Teavana
The ultimate tea-shopping experience! Seriously. It's hard to describe the sheer volume of eclectic flavors that Teavana offers, but I'm going to give it a shot. Their variety of white teas include "Dragonheart," a fusion of pomegranate and bamboo; "Youthberry," one of many superfruit-enhanced teas, and two of Zab's favorites: "Snow Geisha," which is flavored with delicate rose petals, soft white tea leaves, luscious cherries and candied cranberry, and "White Ayurvedic Chai," a modern twist on chai tea flavored with naturally sweet cinnamon with spicy pepper and robust clove. Teavana also has some crazy flavors of blooming tea, from "Pineapple Kawaii" to "Peach Momotaro" to the ancient and revered "Silver Yin Zhen Pearls White Tea," which are much smaller than the large blooming teas. In the oolong category they have so many mouth-watering blends that I don't even know what to do with myself, so here's the full list. Can I just throw a few of the oolong titles out there? "WonderBerry Chocolate Truffle," "Strawberry Rose Champagne Oolong," "Maharaja Chair Oolong," "Yumberry Wulong Oolong," and "French Spice Quartet Oolong"...

8. Tea Forté
Tea Forte's signature pyramid infusers showcase their huge variety of flavors quite nicely. Their black teas include some of my favorite flavors such as "Hazelnut Truffle," "Ice Pomegranate Blackberry," and "Orchid Vanilla." This company also has a unique line of antioxidant-amplifying beauty teas called "Skin Smart." Each gorgeous box contains a unique flavor of teabags which "support the detoxifying effect of abundant plant-based polyphenols and catechins, a strong tool in skin recovery and the fight against visible signs of skin ageing."

9. Twinings
Who can forget the English father of all tea companies? The founder of Twinings, Thomas Twining was born in 1675, and started his brand during an era of colonialism, mercantilism, and the domination of the East India Company. Today, they not only have some of the best versions of the most classic tea blends (their Earl Grey is hands-down the most time-perfected version I've ever had, especially English-style with milk and sugar), but also have launched a line of organic and fair-trade certified tea blends. Their chamomile with mint and lemon sounds like a deliciously healthy choice.

10. Kusmi
Tea therapy in every tin! Parisian Kusmi Tea has adorable colorful tins for all their flavors. I've currently got my eye on their Ginger-Lemon Green tea, a healthy blend to cure even the most finicky of colds. Kusmi also randomly has a collection of Russian teas: we like "Petrushka" and "St. Petersburg."

11. Tea Leaves
This is our newest discovery! The packaging and marketing aesthetic this company has is so wonderful. The individually-wrapped whole leaf pyramid teabags are fantastic, but they also offer loose tea in black tins. The blends are all numbered like Bellocq's, and a couple of our favorites are No. 7445 (Auberge Herbal Blend) and No. 3060 (Mango Oolong).

12. Bellocq
This one is one of my latest discoveries. Each of their teas is numbered (like a perfume!), and each is more exotic than the last! Some of my favorites are No. 45, The White Wolf (A refined and delicious blend of organic white peony, cedar, vanilla, and mint. Also wonderful iced.), No. 54, Gypsy Caravan (A beguiling blend of organic Indian and Chinese black teas, rambling rose and tongue tingling chile give way to soulful smokey notes reminiscent of a distant campfire. Full-bodied and smooth with delicate floral notes and a wistful, smokey finish. Gypsy Caravan is well-suited to holiday afternoons in a comfortable chair in front of the fire.), and No. 39, Hindu Holiday (Rich and smooth organic / fair trade South African rooibos, cardamon, fragrant cassia, and spicy ginger adorned with garlands of rose, jasmine and marigold petals.). Their bestselling tea is No. 1, Bellocq Breakfast, a blend of organic Indian, Chinese and Ceylon black tea with "round toasted notes of honey, malt and a touch of leather." For every tea, you can choose whether you want it in a yellow Bellocq box or a silver, yellow, or navy caddy.

13. Dammann Frères
Founded in 1692 in Paris, when Mr. Damame was granted the exclusive privilege of selling tea in France by Louis XIV, Dammann produces very high-quality teas with beautiful packaging.  

Traditional British Scone Recipe

After returning from a month spent in beautiful London, I have been craving the traditional British scones that are such a part of life there. The scones sold here in the US are quite unlike British scones: they are very sweet and incorporate all kinds of fruit and flavours (from blueberries to cinnamon to pears and cheese!). British scones are simple, perfectly balanced, and unparalleled, and to get them here in the US, I have no choice but to make them myself! There's also no better way to spend an autumn or winter afternoon than enjoying freshly baked scones, hot tea, and a cosy book....      

I've been using this recipe to craft my own traditional British scones since I've been back in the US, and they're pretty close to what I was able to get in the UK. I sometimes allow for a few twists in the ingredients (substituting in gluten-free flour, for example), and some people prefer plain rather than 'fruit' (sultana raisin) scones, so feel free to adjust as you prefer!

Ingredients:

• 1 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (or whole wheat/gluten free, if you prefer)
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 5 tablespoons sugar
• 5 tablespoons butter (I use Kerry Gold unsalted because it's Irish and so soft and creamy!)
• Half a cup of sultana raisins (or just golden raisins if you can't find sultanas in the US... I haven't been able to)
• Three-quarters of a cup of milk (I usually use whole milk or even half-and-half to get richer scones)
• One egg yolk for glaze
• Fruit preserves and clotted cream for serving, if desired

Method:

Preheat your oven to 400 Fahrenheit.

Mix the first three ingredients in a large mixing bowl until well blended. 'Cut' the butter into the dry mixture using either your hands (my choice!) or a pastry blender, until the mixture is crumbly and there are no more large chunks of butter. Try to avoid warming the butter beforehand - you should use cold, firm butter for this step. This can be difficult when you use typical US butter, which is why I use Kerry Gold - it's much softer even when refrigerated.

Desired texture once the butter has been cut in  

Once the butter has been 'cut' in, add the raisins (if you don't want plain scones), mix, and then add in the milk or half-and-half. Knead lightly with your hands until well mixed - but don't overdo it! Less is more here, and over-mixing will keep the scones from being light and fluffy. You want the dough to be quite moist.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured, flat surface and flatten to about a three-quarter or one-inch thickness. Use a round cookie cutter (about two inches in diameter) to cut the dough into circles. If you don't have a round cutter, that's fine (I don't!) - just use the bottom of a round glass that's about two inches wide to lightly mark the top of the dough, then cut the circles out with a sharp knife. This works just as well. Place the scones an inch or so apart on a greased baking sheet.

Isolate the egg yolk from the whites in a small bowl and whip with a fork. Use a brush (your fingertip will work too!) and lightly glaze the tops of the scones. This will create a lovely golden glaze once the scones are baked - but use only a very little (just until the tops are shiny) or the scones will come out soggy. Then pop them into the oven for 15 minutes, until golden brown.

Beautiful! Scones are best eaten warm, so either enjoy them right away or heat up for a minute in a toaster oven if you'll be eating them later.

Here's a bonus tutorial for serving scones the proper British way. Cut the scone in half lengthwise, so you have two flat circular pieces. Spread with a sweet fruit preserves or jam - I prefer Bonne Maman Wild Blueberry Preserves - and then top with a dab of clotted cream, if you can find it. You can substitute whipped cream too, but clotted cream (kind of like a mix between whipped cream and butter) is the traditional way to go. The Fresh Market carries Double Devon Cream, but it's difficult to find elsewhere in the US. After having my scones this way in the UK (which is how they're always served), I can't eat them any other way! And don't forget the tea!

affordable and unique favours for a natural wedding

My baby (well, no longer baby!) sister is getting married this summer, and there are suddenly thousands of opportunities for creative little crafts. My sister wants her wedding to be very natural, with a particular herb/lavender theme. So many wonderful possibilities! One of my tasks over the past month has been to come up with wedding favour ideas, and I found these five options from various sources. They are all DIY, but are very simple and will add a more personal and unique touch to the wedding. I love the fact that they can be used everyday, by anyone, but are still items that the recipient might not have already.

The best part: they're relatively cheap to make! Each favour can be made for around $2 a piece; for my sister's wedding (where the guest list is close to 250!), one of these options will cost less than $500 for the entire event.

The trickiest part of these favours is the packaging. Several require a glass bottle, which can be expensive, but buying small 2-oz. bottles from wholesale sellers online is actually quite affordable. I looked at SpecialtyBottle.com and SKS Bottle and Packaging, and both have options for small glass bottles under $0.70 a piece.

Favour ideas:

Herb-Infused Sea Salt from Martha Stewart Weddings: Use rosemary, lavender, or Herbs de Provence for this long-lasting and useful favour. All you need is kosher sea salt, dried herbs, and an airtight container - combine, warm over the stove for a few minutes, cool, and you're ready to go. I found bulk sea salt for less than $2.50/lb. at SaltWorks and natural herbs at Frontier Co-Op.

Lavender Honey from The Herb Gardener: Another simple recipe: just infuse the honey with dried lavender, heat, and cool. Honey can be expensive, but I found natural clover honey for less than $5/lb at Anna's Honey.

Herb-Infused Olive Oil from Martha Stewart Weddings: Like the other favours, this is a useful gift that will last some time and can be used by anyone. Add a few snips of some dried rosemary (or your favourite herb mixture) to olive oil, and you're done! This looks beautiful in the bottle too.

Homemade Tea Favours: Creating your own unique tea blend for your wedding (or a bridal shower!) is a wonderful option for a different and special gift. You can buy bulk, whole-leaf black, green, or white tea and dried herbs from grocery stores, or online sellers (Mountain Rose Herbs, Mighty Leaf, and Frontier Co-Op, to name a few). Try a lavender-infused Earl Grey tea, green tea with mint, or a rose white tea. Then bind up the mixture in loose-leaf disposable tea bags (you can find many bulk options on Ebay and Amazon) and tie with string and a cute label. Voila!

Mini Potted Plant Favours: This is such a precious and unique idea for a natural wedding. I'd recommend picking a type of cactus, since they're pretty much indestructible, even if the new owner doesn't have time to take care of a plant. You can get mini cactuses and plants from sellers like Cactus Limon or SanPedroCactus on Etsy for less than $1.50 a piece. Pot the little plant in either a tiny glass jar or terrarium, or come up with another unique method (wrapping the roots in a mini burlap sack and tying with twine, planting in a mini pot and wrapping with brown paper, etc.). Another great idea for this favour is to also use it as a place or escort card at the reception: label each plant with the guest's name and table number, and then they can take it home as a favour after the event!

afternoon tea: delicious chocolate-almond scone recipe

I frequently mourn the fact that Eli and I live in the US, where afternoon tea is not a widespread tradition. We both drink quarts of tea a day (morning, afternoon, and evening!) and have extensive collections of tea from all over the world. Scones are an essential companion to tea, but they are also delicious for breakfast, as a snack, or for dessert. This is my classic recipe for delicious, fluffy chocolate-almond scones. Eli and I (and our families and friends!) have enjoyed this treat for years.

Note: Though this recipe calls for chocolate chips and almonds, you can switch these ingredients out with all kinds of fruits, nuts, or other flavours. Fresh blueberries or dried cherries are classic alternatives, but a unique variation that I really love is chopped bartlett pears, shredded asiago cheese, and dried rosemary for savoury scones.

Ingredients (makes eight scones):

• 2 cups all-purpose flour) you can also substitute whole-wheat or gluten-free flour for a healthier alternative, though the stick of butter later on kind of defeats any attempts at healthiness...)
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter, softened (one stick)
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoons almond extract
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup diced almonds (optional)

Method:

Preheat oven to 400F.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Cut butter in with two knives (or a pastry cutter, which is much easier; just knead it in if neither of these seem to work) until only small lumps remain. Mix in chocolate chips and buttermilk. The recipe includes almond extract, which adds a lot of almond flavour and fragrance on its own, but you can also add in the optional diced almond pieces for additional almondy-ness!

Turn onto a lightly floured surface to knead. Knead as little as possible, just until everything stays together, then form into a one-inch thick circle. Cut most of the way through the circle to form eight pieces, but leave them adjoined. Cooking the scones all together like this will ensure that they retain more moisture and don't dry out, which they might if they are cooked individually.

Lightly dust the top of the circle with granulated sugar (makes a slightly crunchy and sweet crust on the scones after they've baked!) and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until they are soft golden, and you can insert a knife into the center and it comes away clean. Let them cool for a little while, but try to taste them while they're still fresh from the oven. They do store well for about a week in the refrigerator.

Enjoy!!