Rose Petals - Organic

Light floral notes and pleasant lingering finish.

HEALTH PROPERTIES:  

CAFFEINE LEVELS:  Caffeine Free

TEA SOURCING:  Ingredients sourced from Egypt (Nile River Delta)

INGREDIENTS: Rose petals* *Organic Certified Organic by Pro-Cert Organic Systems (Organic Equivalency with COR, NOP, EU, JAS)

ETHICS:  Ethical Tea Partnership and GMO free

THE STORY OF ORGANIC ROSE PETALS

Aesthetic Roman Gardens, heavily seeded with roses, were pervasive in the Roman times, but crumbled as the Roman empire shrank and collapsed.  Catholic and Christian monks, during the dark ages, took over the mantle of gardening from the Romans, pioneering agriculture, and keeping herbal lore alive.

Each monastery had its own orchard, vegetable garden and a hortus conclusus, or closed garden. The closed garden was used to grow herbs that were both spiritual and curative. Lilies and roses formerly woven into the wreaths of the Roman gods Isis and Aphrodite were now used to worship the Madonna. The importance of these gardens was such that around the year 800, the emperor Charlemagne sent each of his intendants a list of those plants that were to be cultivated in his empire. The document was known as De Capitularis and of the ninety plants listed the iris and rose were first and second, followed by sage, rosemary, cumin, mint, mallow and coriander.

These plants played important roles, both culinary and medicinal.  Rose petals and buds were used by women to enhance the beauty of their hair and skin. Not surprising, knowing that following the rose blooming a rose hip develops, and a rose hip contains a multitude of vitamins which have properties that enhance one's skin amongst its other properties. There are more different kinds of roses than of any other plant in the herb category, and they all provide rose hips of one description or another. One variety of rose is even called 'Tea Rose' named for the resemblance of its fragrance to black tea.

Rose petals alone make a delicate, floral brew, but petals are often used to decorate, and provide a floral scent to other teas.  Try rose petals mixed with a white tea for a refreshing light drink.

BREWING INSTRUCTIONS

BREWING INSTRUCTIONS FOR HOT TEA: Infuse one slightly heaping teaspoon for each 8 ounce cup with water brought to a boil for 3-15 minutes.

NUMBER OF CUPS: 15-20 cups from each 50 grams of tea, with a single use of the leaves.  Loose leaf tea is traditionally infused 3 times, with a different flavor profile following each infusion.  Accordingly, each 50 gram bag can make up to 60 cups of tea.