Flourish Magazine

38 FLOURISH • SPRING 2014 themselves. And she pays a premium to source the highest-quality certified organic and certified Fair Trade ingre- dients from humanely run gardens and farms all over the world, including many local co-ops. "Organic and Fair Trade certifications increase the price, but they also improve quality of life for tea farmers and their families," explains Korn. "Wouldn't you pay 5 cents more per cup if it meant that you could nurture yourself without pesti- cides and provide education and medical care to an impoverished child?" Korn founded Desta (which means "joy") in 2011 but only recently opened her showroom to the public. She uses informal tea "cuppings" to educate her customers about the unique personality and preparation requirements of each varietal. Green tea, for example, tastes bitter if steeped at high temperatures or for too long. Herbals are more forgiving, but even then, the goal is to release fla- vor and nutrients, not scald the precious ingredients with boiling water. To demonstrate this lesson, Korn pre- pares three teas: Hojicha, a roasted Japa- nese Green tea; Pu-erh (pronounced puh- whair), a highly revered black tea that's oxidized like all other black teas but then also aged; and Spiced Mint, one of Korn's hand crafted herbal blends. While we wait for the water to boil, Korn invites me to inhale the scent of the dried teas and closely examine their physical dif- ferences. The Hojicha leaves are brown and twig-like while the Pu-erh's resemble tiny bits of crinkled, dried porcini mush- rooms. The Spiced Mint blend conjures a spice bazaar, with whole cardamom pods, allspice cloves and fennel seeds nestled in a bed of shredded mint, holy basil and licorice root. We wait until each tea is properly steeped and then we sip and enjoy. The Hojicha's nutty, nori-like taste favors a lukewarm preparation, while the Pu-erh, a digestif often served with heavy meals, reminds me of a mature Cabernet Sauvi- gnon. The Spiced Mint, luscious with an exotic aroma, warms me up, physically and spiritually. "Tea gives us permission to pause," Bellingham reflects. "We can put our lives on hold for a few moments and sim- ply enjoy the earth's abundance." Excellence in customer service is our top priority. We take pride in product and safety knowledge, with an emphasis on organic & eco-friendly products. We thank you for shopping local with Baby World! The Region's Big Tea Players The north Bay is home to large tea companies that make it part of their business to spread the gospel of tea: The Republic of Tea (www. republicoftea.com) is known for its disc-shaped tea bags and distinctive flavors. Check out their new Downton Abbey(R) and HiCaf collections. Mighty leaf Tea (www.mightyleaf. com) designed the tea pouch to preserve the flavor of loose leaf tea on the go. Highly regarded for the quality of its teas, Mighty Leaf gets creative with recipes for using tea in food prep and cocktails. Sebastopol-based Guayaki (www. guayaki.com) introduced the U.S. market to Yerba Mate', a beverage made from the leaves of the celebrated South American rainforest holly tree. Experience yerba mate in its traditional format at the company's Mate Cafe, in the Barlow. Sebastopol-based Traditional Medicinals — www. traditionalmedicinals.com — is the fifth-largest bagged tea company in the world. Visit the website to learn why their teas are considered herbal supplements. (Hint: it has to do with how they are formulated and the FDA-approved grade of ingredients they use).

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