Picking Tea Leaves and Choosing Better Beverages for Back to School
Cindi Bigelow demonstrates how to pick tea
Cindi Bigelow picking tea at America’s only tea garden, the Charleston Tea Plantation. Photos Courtesy of Olsonography
As your children head back to school, they are going to need fresh resources for the many reports that they will need to write. Why not have them write about “How to pick tea leaves?” I had a chance to learn tea leaf picking when I won a trip from Bigelow Tea to Charleson, SC, for writing “Around Grandma’s Table.“ I was fortunate enough to visit with Cindi Bigelow, President of Biglow tea and her parents David and Eunice Bigelow, Co-Chairman and Co-CEOs. The Bigelow’s three generation commitment to their brand is one of the many reason I prefer Bigelow tea.
David and Eunice Bigelow, Cindi Bigelow
These are tea bushes:
Aren’t you surprised how low and orderly they are? I was expecting big bushes.
Tea does not normally grow in the US. Tea grows in mountainous areas like China, India, Japan, Sri Lanka (Ceylon), and Taiwan (Formosa). The Charleston Tea Plantation is the only tea garden in US. Its grounds include 127 acres of Camellia Sinensis tea plants, a working Tea Factory and a charming Plantation Gift Shoppe.
This is the part on the Camellia Sinensis tea plant that is picked and processed into tea:
Cindi Bigelow shows us the portion of the tea bush that needs to be picked to ensure proper tea quality
Two leaves and a bud. That’s what is needed. Pickers just snap off a 2 leaves and a bud. It seems like a breeze. But watch as Cindi Bigelow describes in the video the process of tea picking and plucking.
**Having video issues. Video coming shortly***
Returning to School with Bigelow Tea
As parents and children start back for this new school year, let’s take a look at why it makes sense to choose tea as a beverage over soda.
Bigelow tea is a great alternative to soda and can be incorporated into every facet of your day. At breakfast, reach for a nice warm cup of Earl Grey or Constant Comment tea, maybe the kids would like a Vanilla Caramel tea instead? At snack time a nice Green tea with Pomegranate can be a flavorful treat. For lunch, an unsweetened ice tea provides cool refreshment. Iced tea is also a great solution when playing afternoon sports. Herbal teas taste great with dinner, dessert or right before bed.
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While the healthy benefits of tea over soda is a big thing to me, one of the things that interests me the most is the cost. Bigelow Tea is such a great price that it really can be much more economical than buying soda.
I love that tea helps bring out the palette and enhance subtle flavors, but being calorie free is also great too! I would have loved to go on a tea picking tour with Cindi Bigelow, so jealous!
I am addicted to tea and love all the combos they come up with. Definitely need to run out and grab some more because I just check and we are out!
I love tea and really do not drink soda at all. I only drink it if I have to for help with a stubborn migraine! I love unsweetened iced tea…and so do my kids! They are not allowed to drink soda. 🙂
I love my tea. It is cultural – we drink 5 cups a day. And it is way better than soda
I’ve never been much of a soda drinker. However, I do love a good glass of herbal tea or naturally flavored iced tea.
i refuse to drink any soda its just plain terrible for your body and health! i love drinking herbal teas and use many as remedies like peppermint tea when my stomach is upset.
A) I love Bigelow Tea and B) I love these photos from your trip…so jealous! It looks amazing!
I always have a cup of chamomile tea before bed time. It’s a ritual for me.
Teas are such a better alternative for kids and with all the great flavors that are becoming available I think it is a win win situation. I had no clue that tea was grown here in the US and loved the photos of The Charleston Tea Plantation. Thanks for the additional information on how to pick tea. I love learning about things like this.
I am a tea drinker too and have stopped drinking soda for almost a year now. Tea is my go to drink whenever I am feeling sluggish or sick, it perks me up!
And to see the comparison between tea and soda, I am glad I stopped drinking soda.
I love tea. We always have it in the house, even the kids drink it about once a day.
I seriously LOVE bigelow herbal Tea!! I use it all the time for stress relief and for herbal treatments of colds, allergies and stuff like that. I had no idea they grew so much in the US. That is very cool!
And those stats between tea and soda! WOW! Definitely Bigelow tea is the better choice for your health. Especially for hydration! It is so true that Soda dehydrates and tea hydrates. SO very important.