Filed under: Commentary
Tea Versatility
By Jimmy Foglio
This rare combination of South American mate’ energy and the mellow caffeine-free African rooiboos is the consummate fuse of two traditional drinks, producing a cleansing antioxidant rush to supplement its refreshing taste.
Last summer I was introduced to rooiboos, and found it an excellent way to unwind the summer evenings. But due to its mild personality, I started to wonder if it would kin well with a caffeinated splash. It turns out that mate’ is the creative match to accentuate the rooiboos flavor and generate what I would recommend as a versatile mid-day punch that certainly stamps one’s individuality.
Try this blend with pasta (it works best with non-traditional red sauces), grilled cheese, or anything with dairy, even ice cream. The depth of flavor will accentuate and top off any light meal to bring it to a successful conclusion!
Filed under: Commentary
By Tripp Pomeroy
It seems like deja vu, as new, seemingly unbelievable, death toll figures are coming out of Myanmar, where just days ago a cyclone now appears to have killed more than 100,000 people. A sickening feeling sinks in, like it did with the tsunamis more than two years ago, as I try to comprehend the fear, suffering and sadness the men, women and children of Myanmar are experiencing today… and I feel this as I write this very posting.
Only this time, I must confess, I’m not as shocked as I was with the tsunamis. In fact, earlier this morning, I was driving my children to school, talking with them about what, at the time, was an estimated death toll of 22,500 human beings. I was trying to have them imagine what Americus would look and feel like if it was wiped out by a hurricane and lost so many lives. They struggled to feel it. So did I. After all, Myanmar is a far away place of which we know very little. On top of that, it seems like our media covers tragedy 24/7… am I becoming numb or hardened?
Regardless of what I am experiencing at the moment, or perhaps because of what I am experiencing in my daily life, I feel compelled to write this piece. I want to remind myself and others to be wary of complacency when it comes to fighting poverty. Time is, in fact, of the essence.
It’s so easy to lose a sense of urgency when working to alleviate poverty. This might be because of poverty’s chronic nature, or the sad realism that our own lives consume so much of our energy and attention.
So, how does this relate to our work as a Fair Trade coffee roaster? Well, the beauty of Fair Trade’s lofty ideals, despite what critics might pose, is that they provide the very daily reminder that I believe we need if we are to start chipping away at poverty. They generate an awareness of poverty and call us out from our complacency. Because Fair Trade drives our work, day in and day out, we are forced to think about it, discuss it, and share it with others, virtually non-stop. And when we think, talk and share Fair Trade, we train our focus on our producer partners and their communities, and the conditions in which they live.
Our allegiance to Fair Trade guides us, reminds us that everything we do is directly connected to working with our producer partners. On a deeper level, it reminds us that poverty never sleeps. Our overt, intentional commitment to Fair Trade keeps us in check, forcing us to remember that too many people around the world are suffering and that we have a moral obligation to TRY to do something about it – not every once in a while, or when cyclones hit places like Myanmar, but every day. Fair Trade reminds us about what we’re working for and inspires us to keep working on it, no matter what the odds.
Wouldn’t it be great if it didn’t take a death toll of 100,000 from a cyclone to remind us that time is of the essence? The beauty of Fair Trade is that it doesn’t have to.
An excerpt from A People’s History of the United States: 1492-Present:
When John F. Kennedy took office, he launched the Alliance for Progress, a program of help for Latin America, emphasizing social reform to better the lives of people. But it turned out to be mostly military aid to keep in power right-wing dictatorships and enable them to starve off revolutions…From military aid, it was a short step to military intervention…In Guatemala, in 1954, a legally elected government was overthrown by an invasion force of mercenaries trained by the CIA…the invasion put into power Colonel Castillo Armas, who had at one time received military training at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas…The government the United States overthrew was the most democratic Guatemala had ever had.”
From Howard Zinn, “A People’s Histpry of the United States,” Harper Perennial, New York, 1980, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2003 by Howard Zinn, New York.
Filed under: Commentary | Tags: Black tea, Darjeeling, Tea, Tea Article
By Jimmy Foglio
Cafe Campesino will be offering a new line of fair trade, organic loose leaf teas in the near future.
To lend tribute to Jason Schwartzman’s brilliant portrayal of the somber and unpredictable Jack Whitman in The Darjeeling Limited, this month’s profile turns in cool metaphor to the prize tea of the Indian Himalayans. What better time to taste the Himalayas than summer?
High in the Indian state of West Bengal grows Darjeeling, a rare black tea (or hybrid of two or more such variations, depending on the strain). It has an honored pedigree, with an exceptional character and boost to accompany the scarcity.
Darjeeling’s unique identity evolves from high-altitude growth, with the cooler climate, thinner air and cloud cover all functioning as variables that compile its combination of delicate flavor and subtle, fruity aroma. The Himalayan cloud cover produces its own ecosystem, blocking moisture away from the Tibetan plateau while it condenses to nourish life on the Southern side. As a general rule, the higher the tea is grown, the more richly concentrated the flavor. And much like our shade-grown coffee, teas generated under cloud cover are more concentrated and embody the inherent characteristics of their regional ecosystem.
Many Darjeeling plants have been imported from the highlands of China, and are quite resistant to the elements. But yield is sacrificed with these non-native plants, making overall productivity lower, and providing one intriguing explanation for the title of the 2007 film, hence the word choice, “limited.” The high popularity and low output also open the door for shrewd marketers to exploit the Darjeeling name due to a lack of government restrictions. It should be noted that authentic Darjeeling tea is hand picked with exceptional human effort every four to eight days during the short growing season, and because the plants yield only a fraction of what other Assam region tea plants typically produce, you will generally find that prices reflect these factors.
As a black tea, it is moderate in strength, but excellent in flavor. Overall, the balance between the two makes it an outstanding breakfast tea, which the English have utilized as such since 1853. The tea is versatile enough to play with at lunchtime, or perhaps even with a light weekend supper, as it soaks up carbohydrates and functions as a low-calorie desert substitute.
The Darjeeling that Cafe Campesino offers is from the organic Makaibari estate, which is an active opponent of deforestation and maintains healthy soil as part of a progressive permaculture philosophy.
Try Darjeeling Black