Memorial Day Weekend

Spring of 2006 is in full swing, and we are just coming from enjoying the Memorial Day weekend. But my heart is heavy thinking about all those soldiers risking their lives trying to keep the peace in Iraq & Afghanistan. War ended long ago, but peace is yet to come to both those troubled nations. Memorial day reminds us that we owe a debt of gratitute to the members of our Armed Services, who risk their lives to make it possible for us to drink cups of tea in peace. Please join us in praying that our soldiers come back home soon to their families and loved ones in good health.

Some Teas For Summer

Recently I became embroiled in a debate about the sensibility of drinking hot tea in summer. Honestly, that this might be controversial had not even occurred to me (afterall, there is no debate about drinking hot coffee in summer!). In India, where year around the temperatures can hover about 90-110 degree F, no one gives a second thought to drinking hot tea. I am not sure about the science of it, but a hot cup of tea is every bit as refreshing as a cold drink. Do you drink hot tea or cool tea? Click here and tell us your preference. The poll is listed on the right side of the blog.

Regardless of whether you prefer hot or cool tea, here is a tea in our collection that merit a mention. One is Puttabong Estate tea from the lush green hills of Darjeeling. This Puttabong is a summer tea with well sized bold leaf, blackish in appearence that produces a full bodied liquor. It is slightly high fired, and you will see a hint of toastiness in it. Being a delicate tea, I would recommend no more than 2-2.5 minutes of steep time. If you like your tea a bit astringent, I would recommend a time of 4.5 minutes.

Incidentally, Puttabong is an absolutely delighful tea to be had either cool or cold. What I do is, I brew a five cup pot (Teakanne Glass Tea Pot) of tea in the morning, and let it sit at room temperature. I replenish my cup with the tea as I need it. What I find is that as the tea sits around, it becomes a bit more complex, and a little sweeter! Try it, and see if you have the same experience.

What are the other teas that might be great summer teas? Here is the list:

Morning: Hot cup of Puttabong, Soureni, or Earl Gray

Afternoons: Try flavored teas - Apple, Mint, Passion Fruit

Evening: Try Mirik Leaf, or our signature Oolong

Meeting The Governor

I recently had the good fortune of meeting the Hon. Governor of New Jersey, Mr. Jon Corzine, at his home - the Drumthwacket Mansion. Mr. Corzine, being a business man, evinced a keen interest in our small business. But what came as a surprise was that Mr. Corzine is a tea officianado, and his daughter runs a small tea business of her own! Check out the pictures of stately Governors Mansion of the State of New Jersey, Drumthwaket. The second floor serves as the Governors official residence, while the lower level is used for state functions. The mansion is maintained entirely out of private funds, by the Drumthwacket foundation. You can read more about the mansion here.

Our Customers Comment...

About Our Service: "I have always enjoyed purchasing tea from Madhulika and Jaya Teas. I have never been disappointed"

About Jaya Reserve Oolong: "What a surprise this tea is. Great color, great aroma and what a wonderful taste. Just a real delight"

About the same Oolong, here is another comment: "This is the first Oolong I've tried, and it's heavenly! It's a beautiful light golden amber, with a fresh and delicate aroma, and the flavor is just plain delicious!"

About Our Company: "Your tea is wonderful and the service is too. Thank you for providing these great teas." (from a survey)

Comments, Questions?

We are very much interested in hearing from you. Tell us about the teas, comment on our newsletters, or just share a story with us. If you have a story to tell, and would like us to include it in our newsletter, write to customer service by simply clicking here.

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"Risk Free" Guarantee

You may or may not know this, but we named our company after my daughter Jaya. Needless to say, I would not put anything in the caddies that I wouldn't be proud to sell. Therefore, I offer all customers, a "No Questions Asked", money back guarantee. If you are dissatisfied for any reason, simply return the tea within 10 days of purchase, and I will refund your money without any questions. Learn more about our returns policy here.

Free Shipping

All purchases $65.00 are shipped free in Continental United States. Orders below $65 are shipped for a flat $4.25. International orders - we will tell you what it would cost you as shipping cost varies from country to country.

New Accessories

Jaya Teas 100% Cotton T-Shirt

This summer, enjoy our luxurious, 100% combed cotton T-Shirt. T-shirts are available in SM, M, L, XL, XXL sizes. Priced reasonably at $8 per T-shirt, these T-shirts won't last long, so order today!

Bags for brewing tea

For those in a hurry, or for those places where you cannot have your brewing equipment handy, a box of tea-sacs is the best innovation. No fuss, no muss - simply pour the loose tea into the T-sac and brew like you would with any other tea bag.

Inexpensive Tea Pots

Here is a starter tea pot, ideal for those who would like to get started with loose tea. The tea pot comes with a ceramic strainer making it easy to brew the teas. Priced at only $16 it will last you a life time.