When I first told a friend that I don’t like coffee, his immediate response was “Have you seen a doctor about that?” This reaction was neither uncommon nor unwarranted. After all, how can someone not like coffee? It comes in so many varieties! You can even add chocolate! But at the end of the day, I’m just not a java person (no matter how much I’d like the caffeine boost.) I happily start my mornings with a mug of tea rather than the standard cup of joe. It’s for this reason that I am so excited to share with you the release of a new product from Numi Organic Tea: the Artisan’s Tea Blending Kit.
Those of us who wait patiently for tea leaves to steep rather than watch the coffee pot drip full know that the best teas are all about the subtleties of flavor, and Numi recognizes and caters to that sentiment with their new product. The Artisan’s Tea Blending Kit invites tea enthusiasts not to settle for the prepackaged tea assortments, but rather to experiment with their beverage by mixing organic and free trade ingredients on a quest to become “tea alchemists.” Each kit includes a variety of herbs, spices, flowers and fruits that allow consumers to blend to their hearts’ content. The product encourages purchasers to let their creativity bubble over as they mix and match tastes and scents into unique combinations to be enjoyed solo or shared with friends. The kits even include a handmade glass teapot that aficionados can use to flaunt their creations.
Created by Ahmed Rahm, CEO and “chief alchemist” for Numi, known in the industry for his skilled tea blending, each Artisan’s Tea Blending Kit comes in an eco-friendly box and includes:
- 10 premium organic ingredients: green tea, black tea, white tea, rooibos, Moroccan mint, rose, lemongrass, orange peel, cinnamon and ginger
- 1 handmade glass teapot
- 20 tea sacs
- Recipe booklet
When researching for this post, I also came across the information that in addition to the release of the new product, Numi also recently became the first and only company to receive verification of its packaging and tea bags by the Non-GMO Project, a non-profit organization committed to preserving and building sources of non-GMO products, educating consumers and providing verified non-GMO choices. Thirty varieties of Numi’s organic teas will now boast the prized Non-GMO Project Verification mark on their packaging. I discovered that Numi attempts to embrace sustainability in every step of the farming, production and packaging process, which is why the company attempts to avoid certain industry trends like the commonplace diamond shaped “see-through” tea bags, which are typically sourced from GMO corn or petroleum based nylon, and unnecessary plastic overwrap on their boxes. Numi’s tea bags are made with natural hemp-based unbleached filter-paper, are printed with soy-based inks, and are biodegradable and home compostable. Numi attempts not only to encourage its customers to have fun and be artistic with their drinks, but also to provide quality, Earth-friendly products in the process. If, like me when I started writing this, you don’t know what GMO means (genetically modified organisms, for the record,) you can check out the links at the end of the post for more information.
While I have old favorites I tend to return to time and time again (nothing says morning quite like English Breakfast!), I love trying new tea flavors. My “tea cupboard” is already overflowing with a dozen varieties I couldn’t resist trying, but when the Artisan’s Tea Blending Kits hit shelves this fall, I know I will certainly follow Numi’s advice and let the “creative-tea” flow!
(Numi’s Artisan’s Tea Blending Kit will be available this September at NumiTea.com, Amazon.com and select outlets with a suggested retail price of $34.99-$39.99.)
(Information on GMOs is available atwww.NonGMOProject.org, to learn more about Numi Organic Tea visitNumiTea.com.)
