I was talking to my relatives back in India when I found out that Longview Highlands Tea Garden has a mishap recently. The factory of Longview Estate, completely burned down as a result of a huge fire. Fire brigade from Mirik and Siliguri were pressed into action but the factory turned into ashes before they could get there!

My Uncle Mr. R. S. Tiwari is currently overseeing the refurbishment of the entire tea plantation, and the factory was apparently undergoing major repairs. It appears that the cause of the fire was a short circuit in the electrical systems, and one reason why the blaze spread so quickly was that the factory was quite old and made of wood.

Thank fully, I learned that the engine room was saved by the factory employees, who rushed to the site in the middle of the night, to help out.

This is a major set back for Longview Tea Garden, one of the largest in the Darjeeling region, and one of my favorite places to visit. The FF seasons picking will start in March, and unless the company can get the factory up and running quickly, the estate is likely to see an impact on its production.

We carry some tea from the Longview Highlands, but I hope to have some nice new FF later but the quantity we’ll buy will depend on the demand for the tea. So, please, lets create some demand for Longview Highlands Estate tea so that we can support them in the time of their need.

The President of Jaya Teas, Dr. Madhulika Pareek, said on Friday that small businesses like Jaya Teas welcome President George W. Bush’s economic stimulus package to pull the country out of recession. “The last few weeks of turmoil in the housing sector and the decline in the stock market is a clear indication that the United States is experiencing a severe economic downturn”, said Dr. Pareek.

“Small business in United States is the economic engine of the United States, and any kind of stimulus package should contain elements specifically geared towards small business”, said Dr. Pareek. “I realize that many of our customers are hurting from this severe downturn, so today I announce an extension of our 20% discount until February 8, 2008. All tea and tea related merchandise sold on Jaya Teas website, will be available for a 20% discount, from now until February 8, 2008”, announced Dr. Pareek.

To read full press release, pleaes visit the link below for full transcript

Jaya Teas Welcomes President Bush’s Stimulus Package

My dear friend Supriya Raman wrote today drawing my attention to her weblog, Ode2Food which again highlighted for me how far Indian cooking has come in the United States! Once there was a time where you couldn’t find a Indian recipe book in the local library. But today, there has been a tsunami of Indian cuisine weblogs, each showing the reader that there are a myriad Indian ways in which food can be cooked and enjoyed. Power to the people!!

Alas, some one needs to tell this to my local Indian restauranteurs in New Jersey, for despite how many restaurants I visit, I find the same run-of-the-mill food that goes under the all encompassing “Punjabi” cuisine! Or go to the south Indian restaurants and you will find the same “Idli” or “Dosa”! So frustrating, to say the least.

But Supriya’s weblog demonstrated for me once again that one need not look too far to find delicious ways of enjoying Indian cuisine. Take the Sesame seed powder recipe that Supriya discusses on her blog. Would it be so difficult to offer this in the restaurant?

So why is it that Indian restauranteurs don’t want to offer the authentic Indian cuisine? I think there is one and only reason…restauranteurs are mortally afraid of veering away from the true and tried formula. If the clientele doesn’t like what is served, they may never return, so why take a chance on something new when the run-of-the-mill will earn you a quick buck? I sympathize with the restaurant owners, but come on, some body’s got to lead the way out of this!

Fat chance of that happening. So, I say to my American friends, if you want to taste the “real” Indian cuisine, don’t expect much from the local Indian restaurant. Instead, head over to the speciality Indian food blogs that discuss how food was “really” cooked in their household by their mothers and grand mothers, and try it out in your own kitchen. You may make a mistake or two, but once you have mastered the alchemy of Indian cooking, you will never need to taste the bland food that passes up for “authentic Indian food” in your local restaurant.

Thank you Supriya, for making my life just a bit more interesting with the Sesame Podi. I will try it immediately with my family.

BTW, I googled Gingelly Oil, and learned that its Sesame Oil, of which I have plenty in my kitchen since I use it in Chinese cooking.

Just added two new teas to our portfolio, the Woodlands organic green tea and Doke silver needle white tea. Both can be found on the website here.

White tea

Green tea

Buy now while the 20% discount is applied on all the teas, and enjoy!!

Jaya Teas is proud to announce its continued support of the “Tea & Symphony” Chamber Music Series organized by the Historic Highlands Mansions and Garden, in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania. The Tea & Symphony Chamber Music Series showcases world-renowned student performers from The Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. Performances will be held in the grand center hall of The Highlands, an 18th-century Georgian Mansion on Sunday, January 20 and Sunday, February 24, 2008. Both concerts will be held from 2-4 pm.

Jaya Teas participates in this music series by serving premium estate teas at this fund raising event. “At Jaya Teas we believe in giving back to the community where we do business” said Dr. Madhulika Pareek-Joshi, President, Jaya Teas, LLC. “We are very proud to be associated with such a noble effort, for third year in a row, that brings together the best in classical music, and our desire to preserve the cultural history of the United States”.

Seating for this very popular event is limited and advance reservations are required. Ticket prices are $20.00 for members and $25.00 for non-members, and the proceeds of the event go to support The Highlands Historical Society. The Highlands is located at the intersection of Sheaff Lane and Skippack Pike (Route 73) in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania. On-site parking is free. For reservations and detailed program information, please call The Highlands at 215-641-2687.

The Curtis Institute of Music was founded in 1924 to train exceptionally gifted young musicians for performing careers on the highest professional level. The Curtis Institute provides full-tuition scholarships for all its students, attracting the finest young musicians from all over the world. For more information, please visit http://www.curtis.edu/

The Highlands Historical Society exists to educate our community about the history and evolution of a Pennsylvania country estate, The Highlands, from 1794 to the present. Today, The Highlands is a beautiful 44-acre site with a late 18th century Georgian mansion and formal gardens. The Highlands is located at 7001 Sheaff Lane, Ft. Washington, PA. For more information, please visit http://www.highlandshistorical.org.

Jaya Teas, LLC is a Lawrenceville, NJ based company focused on bringing outstanding Indian teas to the citizens of the United States. Jaya Teas was started in 2004 by Dr. Madhulika Pareek-Joshi. As a new immigrant to the United States, Dr. Pareek struck by the fact that while the Americans had excellent selections of coffee, their selections of tea were rather appalling. Since then, Jaya Teas has brought to its US customers premium single estate teas, and boutique, hand made teas produced exclusively for Jaya Teas. Jaya Teas conducts seminars and tea tastings to educate people about the beauty and appreciation of teas. For further information about Jaya Teas, please visit http://www.jayateas.com/

Seasons greetings to all visitors to our site. To celebrate the heralding of 2008, Jaya Teas is offering 20% off coupon to all buyers. Please use coupon code “206E78″ at the time of check out and the coupon will deduct 20% from your total invoice.

Take advantage of this outstanding offer which will save you good amount of money! No other offer is valid alongside this offer. Offer valid only until January 31, 2008.

Happy New Year!

Click here to go to the shopping cart.