Silver Tips Tea Blog

June marks the official beginning of Summer – that wonderful season of time in the sun, long days, a book in your hand and a tall glass of iced tea nearby. Just as January is National Hot Tea Month, the month of June is dedicated to Iced Tea and June 10^th is Iced Tea Day. It’s certainly come a long way from the hot summer of the World’s Fair in St. Louis in 1904 when people went in search of cold beverages.  One enterprising merchant added iced to the steeped loose leaf black tea he had and brought instant refreshment to the crowds.

Iced Tea is simple to prepare and a healthful alternative to soda and sugary drinks.  It needs just a few teaspoons of loose leaf...

Chrysanthemums in your Tea?  Oh yes.  Flowers have been used in food for centuries.  In fact, the first mention of it goes all the way back to 140 B.C. The Romans and Greeks used the yellow calendula (also called marigold) and even the Bible mentions dandelions.  Ancient South American histories of the Aztecs also reveal the use of flowers for religion and rituals. The Mayans used the sacred water lily in many ways.

In the Victorian era, Floriography or the “language of flowers” was developed and heightened by the publication of flower dictionaries. Flowers took on new significance as they were used to convey messages, both positive or negative.  A lengthy list was compiled,...

If you're someone who sneezes through the Spring, suffers from runny eyes and the sniffles, you know how miserable this season can be. You're not alone.  Studies indicate that over 25% of the population is affected by allergies which can be triggered by pollen, animal dander, specific foods, air pollution, dust mites, mold and even ingredients in beauty products to name just a few. Why do allergies occur?  They do so when your specific...

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In the late 19^th century, the English basically had two meals a day – a hearty breakfast with meat and bread, and then dinner.  The Duchess of Bedford, it is said, needed an in-between meal to get her through this long period between these two meals.  She began serving finger foods around 5 o’clock and thus began ‘afternoon tea’.  A few years later, an enterprising Scotsman named...

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