The Magazine of The Sierra Club
Tea, Green
Experts serve up their favorite herbal brews, all steeped in sustainability
DAVID KARR is the cofounder and director of Sebastopol, California's Guayakí, the top North American seller of yerba maté. His teas are organic, rainforest-safe, fair trade certified, and produced with solar power.
"TEN TEA's Organic Oolong is from Wuyi Mountain in China's Fujian Province and a favorite among gong fu tea drinkers. This handpicked oolong is organic, which is rare in the world of oolong teas but gaining in popularity. Prepare the tea according to the instructions and the resulting infusion will be full-bodied with floral notes and a long, nutty finish."
TEN TEA, Organic Oolong
$11.50 for 4 oz.
GRETCHEN ILER is a certified tea sommelier, a designation that requires three years of study and testing. She works as a consultant for tea companies, restaurants, and spas and lives in Lake County, Illinois.
"My favorite ecofriendly tea is the Pu-erh Ginger loose-leaf tea, imported from Yunnan, China, by RISHI TEA. It's USDA organic, fair trade certified, and harvested from ancient trees. A zesty combination of ginger and orange peel complements the pu-erh's earthiness. It's mellow, with a hint of citrus and just enough spiciness." RISHI TEA, Pu-erh Ginger
$4.50 per ounce
AHMED RAHIM is the CEO of Numi Organic Tea, a minimal-waste company that sells fair trade, pesticide-free specialty teas and herbs obtained directly from farmers. Rahim, a master tea blender, lives in Oakland, California.
"I admire the ability of TRADITIONAL MEDICINALS to produce excellent functional teas while committing to sustainable business practices. They are a pioneer in our industry, established in the mid-1970s and still a leader in reducing environmental impact. They have the world's largest solar-powered tea factory. Each winter I stock up on their Organic Echinacea Plus, which has a mild, minty taste and keeps me going through cold-and-flu season."
TRADITIONAL MEDICINALS, Organic Echinacea Plus
$5.49 for 16 tea bags
DIANA ROSEN is the founding publisher and editor of the Tea Talk newsletter and has written five books about tea, including Meditations With Tea: Paths to Inner Peace (Citadel, 2006). She lives in Los Angeles.
"Swaraj 'Rajah' Banerjee, the owner of MAKAIBARI TEA ESTATES, uses Rudolf Steiner's biodynamic farming techniques. His efforts show in resilient earth, glossy tea leaves, and a healthy workforce. Banerjee lives with his workers, supervising every step. His hand-processed Silver Tips tea has a delicate sweetness rarely found among Darjeelings; its lighter essence speaks to me. Prices vary but are always reasonable for such quality."
MAKAIBARI TEA ESTATES, Silver Tips
Price varies (around $8 per ounce)
BEATRICE HOHENEGGER is the author of Liquid Jade: The Story of Tea From East to West (St. Martin's, 2007). An Angeleno, she curated a recent exhibit at UCLA's Fowler Museum called "Steeped in History: The Art of Tea."
"My choice is the Organic Ceylon High Grown Black Loose Leaf Tea from EQUAL EXCHANGE. It's produced by the Small Organic Farmers' Association in Sri Lanka. I believe in supporting small-scale farmers with noncorporate models. Equal Exchange is a sustainable, democratically run cooperative. As for the tea itself, the rich, malty flavor of the Assam plant is my preferred morning taste."
EQUAL EXCHANGE, Organic Ceylon High Grown Black Loose Leaf Tea
$10.49 for 3 oz.
