Conan O’Brian tries to live the life of a Chinese delivery food man in NYC for a day and meets a lady who offers him Yerba Mate.
You might remember our previous post on Yerba Mate – a traditional South American infusion.
Check out the video which is quite funny:
http://teamcoco.com/video/conan-delivers-chinese-food
Happy Tea Break.
Tania
Nowadays, you can find all sorts of beauty products made with Tea - perfumes, exfoliants, face masks, shower gels, shampoos and others. This is not only to do with the different and refreshing fragrant notes you get from Tea, but also to do with its healthy properties.
Including Tea in beauty products is actually a recent activity, dating only from the 1990s. Green Tea was the first to be used and I believe it is the most used in beauty products. However, black tea and others smoked teas inspired amazing creations.
You can find Tea beauty products in big well known brands like Bvlgari and Kiehl’s and/but also in more accesible brands like Body Shop and Lush.
Happy Tea Break,
Mariana!
My dear colleague Beatriz sent me an infographic with some Tea trivia. Can you believe that 3 billion cups of Tea are consumed daily worldwide?
Happy Tea Break.
Tania
Dear friends,
Today we celebrate love. What is better than being surrounded by love? As Mahatma Gandhi said - ”Where there is love there is life.“ So, use today, to let the ones you love, know how you feel!
Source: Uploaded by user via Agne on Pinterest
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Happy S. Valentines day,
My Tea Break!
The art of drinking Tea was first introduced to Japan in the 9th century. Tea was brought over to Japan by monks who studied in China. Over the centuries, Tea drinking became ingrained in the Japanese culture.
The most well-known historical figure in Japanese Tea ceremony is Sen no Rikyu (1522-1591). He was the first to emphasize key aspects of the Japanese Tea ceremony such as the principles of harmony, respect, purity, tranquility which are still central to today’s Tea ceremony practice.
Traditional Tea House in Japan
The place in which the Tea ceremony happens, the teahouse, also helps to elicit these principles from guests. This structure and specifically the room in it where the Tea ceremony takes place is called chashitsu. The architectural space called chashitsu was created for aesthetic and intellectual fulfillment. They are usually small and simple wooden structures located in remote and quiet areas.
Environmental Graffiti listed five modern Tea houses, which includes an inflatable igloo, a tea house on stilts, a cube, a round house and an eco-friendly bamboo hut.
1. Kengo Kuma’s inflatable Teahouse is located in the garden of the Museum für Angewandte Kunst in Frankfurt.
2. Terunobu Fujimori’s Teahouse on Stilts sitting high up amongst the tree tops on crooked stilts and Located in Chino, Nagano Prefecture. To get up there, guests must climb a ladder leaning against one of two chestnut tree trunks, remembering to take off their shoes half-way up.
3. Toshihiko Suzuki’s Souan Teahouse is made from aluminum on the exterior, with circular cutouts to allow natural light to enter the room, while rice-papered walls on the inside evoke a sense of calm. This Tea house is located in the architect’s atelier in Yamagata Prefecture.
4. This Round Tea House built from oak and burnt larch wood in Prague, Czech Republic, was created through a collaboration between David Maštálka from A1 Architects and sculptor Vojtech Bilisic. The round house leads guests to gather around the hearth where the tea is being made.
5. Naomi Darling created this lovely Eco-friendly Teahouse in the woods of Stoney Creek, Conneticut, which features local and recycled materials.
I am already planning the future “Mariana & Tania” Tea House. 
Happy Tea Break.
Tania
When I moved to Lausanne I met Valerie, by coincidence. I have got to known her better for the past months, as well as her big passion for Tea. I have a big admiration for Valerie – her hard work, creativity, simplicity, and mainly the fact her life is lead by her passion. Thank you for your example!
Tekoe is a great concept with simple lines and high quality Tea – from plain Teas as Sencha, Houjicha, Darjeeling, Assam; to the most well known blends like English Breakfast, Earl Grey; and also, their own (amazing) creative blends! You can be sure that at Tekoe you will be very well welcomed by all the great staff.
In this interview you get to know a little bit more about Valerie and Tekoe. Enjoy!
Tekoe shop, Bern
M&T. When and how did you begin your Tea journey? I began my tea journey a long time ago, when I was 16 and I had been offered a cup of tea with a beautiful loose leaf tea. I had never tried before. It was magic. I never drank coffee.
M&T. What can you tell us about Tekoe? Tekoe is a concept of new, modern and urban tea bars and tea shops. It is a place where you can discover the best teas of the world and original blends. A place where you can have a tea at any time.
M&T. How do you explain the path to your success? Passion, hard work, honnesty and quality. I think because of the quality of the tea and all the “heart” we put in our tea selection and tea blends, plus our ethics for business, people really like our tea shops and the service we have. It has been a lot of work but it’s a beautiful human adventure. The original and unique blends we create are also a key in our success. Being creative is something important for us and we are trying to “amaze and surprise” our clients every day with new ideas.
M&T. What has been Tekoe’s best achievement? To have people come to our shops saying “I had no idea what a good tea was before I tried yours”. To have clients who never drank tea before and now are drinking tea every day. Including young people. To give people the possibility to have a good and healthy beverage in their daily life and still having “fun” while discovering new teas.
M&T. What do you want people to feel when they drink a Tekoe cup of Tea? Emotions! Peace, well-being, escape and indulgence.
Haute-nendaz
M&T. Which has been the most wonderful Tea plantation you have ever been? It’s difficult to say because usually the plantation area in the high mountains are all gorgeous. It’s a breathtaking and peaceful landscape and it’s a real pleasure to share the passion of people who work in the tea plantations. I have a sincere and deep respect for them. They are part of the landscape.
The Darjeeling plantations are amazing with the Himmalyan chain in the background, but Sri Lanka, Fujian, Yunnan, Shizuoka are also beautiful and many others.
M&T. Can you describe how Tea makes you feel in one word? A good cup of Tea makes me feel at peace.
M&T. Do you have a Favourite Tea? NO, I don’t have only one favourite tea…I love Gyokuro, Maofengs, Dragon Pearls, Yunnan, Qimen, Ceylan, Darjeelings…etc. Depends on my mood, the time of the day, the season. This is what I love about tea. The diversity is so rich that you can always find a tea for yourself. I rarely drink flavoured teas. I prefer genuine teas.
M&T. What is a perfect cup of Tea? The one that gives you pleasure and emotions.
For more information abou Tekoe, please check their website: http://www.tekoe.com/
Happy Tea Break,
Mariana!
Boulan is a Tea room and gourmet corner located in Monte Estoril, Portugal. It
Boulan Wallpaper
has a very cozy atmosphere and is a great place to gather with friends and family. On a warm day, the tables in the courtyard are highly desirable. Inside you can also enjoy the minimalist design (I am in love with their wallpaper since the first day) and a pleasant background music. The staff is also very friendly. The keyword in this place is quality and you can feel it in the service, the environment and more importantly in the products offered.
The Tea menu is varied with a selection of Mariages Mariages Frères and Kusmi Tea so you can go from the classic Marco Polo, Casa Blanca or Darjeeling Imperial from Mariages Frères to the more exotic blends like the Kusmi Four Red Fruits, Bouquet of Flowers, Boost or Chocolate . If you want a caffeine-free Tea I highly recommend the Organic Green Rooibos from Kusmi.
Their snacks, pastries and sweets are excellent including their homemade scones. Boulan can also be a great spot for a brunch or a light lunch.
At the end if you feel like buying some Tea or accessories there is a wide range of teapots and tea assortments.
If you have the change go and visit Boulan Tea Room at Av. do Lago, n.4 in Monte Estoril . For more information please visit their Facebook page.
Happy Tea Break.
Tania
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Já conhece o Boulan? Uma casa de chá moderna localizada no Monte Estoril. Para além de acolhedor é o local perfeito para se encontrar com amigos e família. Nos dias mais quentes pode escolher uma mesa na esplanada mas lá dentro usufrui da decoração minimalista (o papel de parede está na minha lista de compras desde o primeiro dia em que entrei), sempre com uma música de fundo agradável e um serviço muito simpático. A palavra qualidade sente-se no serviço, no ambiente e nos produtos.
O menu de chá é variado com uma excelente seleção de Mariage Frères e Kusmi. A escolha vai desde os clássicos Marco Polo, Casa Blanca ou Darjeeling Imperial da Mariages Frères até misturas mais exóticas como o Four Red Fruits, Bouquet of Flowers, Boost ou Chocolate da Kusmi. Se procura algo sem cafeína o Organic Green Rooibos da Kusmi é uma excelente opção.
Para acompanhar o seu chá não faltam excelentes bolos caseiros, torradas de pão alentejano ou os scones caseiros feitos no momento. Para além de um excelente sítio para beber um chá, o Boulan oferece também um menu de brunch ao fim de semana e almoço todos os dias sempre c um menu variado e saudável.
No fim se quiser comprar chá ou acessórios existe uma grande variedade de bules e conjuntos de chá.
A morada é Av. do Lago, n.4 in Monte Estoril e para mais informações visite a página de facebook.
Happy Tea Break.
Tania
