Tea Reviews | It's All About The Leaf

Posts Tagged ‘Tea Association’

Please bear with this review, it is going to be a longish one! I have been putting this off for some time now, simply because I am not really sure how to review the product in question.

A few months ago, Gina Wu, President and Founder of Tea GW mailed me 2 tea travel pillows. Here at It’s All About The Leaf, we will review anything tea related, and I was very happy to receive this product, as it is something truly different. I had never heard of such a thing! Turns out, neither had anyone else that I talked to.

I am in a tough position here. I can talk about (and will) the aesthetic of the pillows. I can talk about (and will) the quality of the pillows. However, what has kept me from doing this review until now, are the health claims.

Gina kindly included an article that she wrote for the Tea Association of the USA on the health benefits of Tea Pillows. Wu claims tea pillows have been used for millennia in Traditional Chinese Medicine. She says the health benefits include the killing of bacteria (non-beneficial I am going to assume), to aroma therapy resulting in calming, relaxing functions, to treating headaches and insomnia. My issue tho is a standard argument when it comes to health – there does not appear to be any research to back it up.

Now I am not one of those people that will believe any “research” put before me, in fact I believe that for every “fact” proven by science, it can be subsequently disproved in other research, especially when it comes to measuring health benefits. I personally believe in my Chinese herbalist. He cured my wife of really bad allergies, ragweed and hay-fever, with a rank, disgusting tasting/smelling tea concoction, and that cure has stuck for 3 years now. We are talking someone who was constantly dripping, sneezing, stuffed up from September until first hard frost. Now – nothing. So there is something to millennia old medicine, no doubt, but it needs to be rooted, I believe, in logic and reason.

So – to logic. The pillow is VERY wrapped up. I mean, cover, then sealed bag. How does the beneficial properties of the tea get out? With no direct contact to the tea leave, absorbing the essential oils, or vitamins or other compounds seems unlikely. Aroma therapy – perhaps, but I could find nothing, and I mean literally NOTHING online to do with a tea pillow except to do with selling them.

No herbalist (certified) or natural-path that I spoke with has heard of anything to do with this before. No other health claims/mentions on the inter-webs, anywhere. That does not mean that there is nothing to it, but it makes this product fall into a category of unproven for me at the moment, and I dislike the fact that a health claim can be made without any proof of any sort.

With that out of the way, on to the pillow! I was sent 2 travel pillows. One Lavender, one Tie Guan Yin (Oolong). The packaging was gorgeous. A nicely decorated box covered with Chinese symbols, and tied with a pretty tassel and coin, all calculated to make it look “authentic”.

I opened the Lavender pillow first, I had some trepidation about it, not sure if it would be a really strong scent of Lavender (which I dislike). However, it turned out to be a very subtle scent, and very nice and relaxing if I do say so! The Tie Guan Yin was my favorite tho, with a sweet, almost woodsy scent to it.

The pillows themselves are of extremely high quality. The covering is well stitched silk, smooth and comforting. The print is rich looking, not at all out of place as high-end decoration in a fancy house (which I do not have…). There is no evidence of sloppy or hurried stitching, even the zipper was a high quality zipper, and well hidden so as not to dig into your head when laying on it.

Using them was a bit tougher, as I could not stand to drive with it behind my head, had no airplane travel plans, and found them way to hard and overstuffed to sleep with. I do wish I could have tried the actual full sized pillows, and maybe then I could have better evaluated my personal experience related to the health claims.

Of course, I HAD to open it up. I found that the tea inside was contained within a bag that was sealed up – no tea bits, no matter how hard I pounded on them, would come out, and I was loath to cut it open to actually check in there – so I cannot confirm that there is actual tea involved here. Perhaps when the one I loaned out comes back I shall endeavor to open it up, and maybe make a cuppa? (too gross? What do you think?)

So the bottom line for me is, they are beautiful, they are expensive (the travel pillow is $40USD and the full sized pillow is $100USD), but you certainly get, quality wise, what you pay for. I reserve judgement on the health claims. I appreciate the chance to review the products, and they would make a great (tho expensive) gift for a tea fanatic that you are lost to get a gift for.

You can purchase the Tea Pillows directly from the Tea GW website.

Company Product Description: Artisans train for years to create blossoming tea flowers, and the Dancing Angels Flowering Tea represents the peak of that training. Each flowering tea is painstakingly hand sewn to ensure the each bud will open up and create a visual delight.

This flowering tea hails from the Anhui Province of China, where only the best leaves are chosen to wrap around a chain of Jasmine flowers, hanging like an arch over an Amaranth flower in the middle.

A succulent peach undertone characterizes this flowering tea, and it is as much of a joy to sip as it is to watch it unfold in the teapot. Each flower can be infused several times, and when you are finished brewing, you can replace the water in the pot or transfer the blossoming tea to a clear cup, add cold water and a touch of vinegar, and enjoy the blossom for days!

This Dancing Angels Flowering tea makes a great gift for friends, or can be enjoyed at a tea party where it will inevitably become the center of attention and conversation between you and your friends.!

REVIEW:

I was in a “Kids Choir” at our church when I was little and I always remember one of my first shows…we had to dress up like Angels and sing, dance, and act our way thru a Christmas Cantata.  I think I was 5 at the time.  I remember there being at least 2 Acts.  For some reason I had a sort-of Tea-Association with this Tea Experience.  When I tried this flowering tea for the first time I put it to the test for a total of 4 infusions…or should I say “Acts”?  Here are my findings…

ACT 1 – Infusion 1:
One this flower blooms it is HUGE!  It opened PERFECTLY and completely. The Red Floral Center’s color is so vibrant it looks like a strawberry from across the room. The liquid’s scent is sweet and wine-like. The color is pale but a pretty yellowish-white. My first sip was still very hot but I could instantly find the peachy tones – or should I say – they found me?

It’s sweet and peachy and floral-Jasmine towards the end of the sip. One of the better flowering teas I have EVER had! This is VERY flavorful especially for a flowering tea.

ACT 2 – Infusion 2:
The 2nd infusion was more flavorful than the first only infused about a minute longer. It was darker than the first infusion and, again, VERY tasty.  YUM.

ACT 3 – Infusion 3:
I could taste the Jasmine more than before.  TeaFrog says it’s good for 2 to 3 infusions but I am going to push the envelop!

ACT 4 – Infusion 4:
The 4th Infusion was lighter in color than the last 2 and sweeter but not much Jasmine than before but that’s okay with me.  One could probably try a 5th infusion if you were looking for a weaker or mellow tea. Regardless I am very pleased with this and would recommend it to anyone!

You can purchase the Dancing Angels directly from the TeaFrog website.