CUP CHARACTERISTICS: Pungent, cool, fresh, menthol. Infused leaf is bright green, tending yellowish.
INGREDIENTS: Peppermint leaves
ANTIOXIDANT LEVEL: Medium
CAFFEINE LEVEL: None - Caffeine Free Herb
INFORMATION:
If you've fallen in love with Peppermint (Mentha piperita), you're in good company, figuratively speaking. According to a myth from Ancient Greece, this cool herb gets its name from the nymph Menthe. So beautiful was Menthe that the god Pluto fell in love with her on sight. Naturally, this didn't thrill his wife Persephone, who turned Menthe into a plant, so that she would be trod upon for the rest of time. Distraught, Pluto tried to reverse the spell but found he could not. What he could do however was infuse Menthe, (the plant version) with the sweet aroma we all know and love.
In Victorian England, Peppermint was also prized for its ability to promote love, this time within the home. Stories maintain that in certain parts of Britain, it was common to add a few sprigs of peppermint to wash water, before mopping the floors to remove stains from wood, and cleanse the hearth from negativity.
In the Willamette Valley where this finecut Peppermint is grown, farmers have come to love Peppermint for its ability to provide family income for generations. In the old days, legend has it that barrels of peppermint oil, made from fresh Willamette leaf, were stored in bank vaults while holding out for prices to go up. (And go up they did.to this day a barrel of Willamette peppermint oil can be worth $10,000.) Why so valuable? Consider that a single pound of Willamette peppermint oil can flavor upwards of 40,000 sticks of gum, or 1500 tubes of toothpaste - you do the minty math.
We love this Willamette Valley Mint because it makes what we believe to be the finest mint tea known to humankind. Exceptionally clean, sharp and loaded with minty character, you're going to fall head over heels for this one in no time.
Why drink Peppermint Tea?
According to nutritionists and natural health practitioners, caffeine free Peppermint tea can aid digestion, soothe the mind and soul and ease inflation in the body. Rest easy.!
IDEAL BREWING TEMPERATURE: 100ºC/212ºF
HOT BREWING METHOD:
Bring filtered or freshly drawn cold water to a rolling boil. Place 1 slightly heaping teaspoon of loose tea for each 7-9oz / 200-260ml of fluid volume in the teapot. Pour the boiling water into the teapot. Cover and let steep for 3-7 minutes according to taste (the longer the steeping time the stronger the tea).
ICED TEA BREWING METHOD (Pitcher): (To Make 1 Liter/Quart):
Place 6 slightly heaping teaspoons or 6 tea bags into a teapot or heat resistant pitcher. Using filtered or freshly drawn cold water, boil and pour 1¼ cups/315ml into the pot. Steep for 5 minutes. Quarter fill a serving pitcher with cold water. Pour the tea into your serving pitcher straining the leaves or removing the tea bags. Add ice and top-up the pitcher with cold water. Garnish and sweeten to taste. A rule of thumb when preparing fresh brewed iced tea is to increase the strength of hot tea since it will be poured over ice and diluted with cold water. (Note: Some luxury quality teas may turn cloudy when poured over ice. This is a sign of luxury quality and nothing to worry about.)