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The market for loose leaf tea in the United States is growing strongly as tea drinkers from all walks of life rediscover the taste, health benefits and value of loose leaf tea. But one must ask the question: why is loose leaf tea less popular in the United States than in the rest of the world? The answer lies in the combination of the political and economic history of our country and the presence of the low quality tea bag. The Colonies Reject Loose Leaf Tea : Although tea drinking originated in China, consumption of tea based on good taste, health benefits and the sense of well being one achieved by tea drinking spread to the western world. The American colonies embraced the habit of tea drinking after tea was introduced by Dutch traders in the 17th and 18th centuries and became one of the largest tea drinking regions in the world on a per capita basis. Colony consumption of tea dwarfed that of the parent country England. The French and Indian War, or Seven Years War, a...

The first Sweetest Day in history took place in October of 1921 in Cleveland, Ohio. Organized by a committee of candymakers, all sorts of candies were delivered to poor people throughout the city to put forth the message that that October Saturday was the "sweetest day of the year." Having evolved since then, people today celebrate this United States holiday with greeting cards, flowers, candy of course, and all sorts of sweet recipes. So why not bake up some treats in honor of your loved ones this holiday? Here's a list of the sweetest Sweetest Day treats on Recipe4Living to help you out: Strawberry Cream Pie French Kisses Giant Cherry Heart Dessert Chocolate Raspberry Crumb Bars Pink Perfection Chocolate Mousse Falling-in-Love Pie Strawberry Baked Meringue Sundae Berry Lite Mousse Pink Peppermint Pie Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake Strawberry Cream Pie This is an easy pie to whip up with fabulous results. Make sure to use fresh strawberries for that s...

The UK is known as a nation of tea drinkers, one Polish person once asked me if we drank tea at 3 oclock everyday as some sort of ritual! Most of us dont realise that this tea is often grown on tea plantations in the developing world where the crops are sprayed with many chemicals and pesticides and the workers that pick the leaves are not only exposed to this danger but are often paid a pittance of a wage as well. Organic and Fairtrade tea, coffee and cocoa are growing in popularity as people realise the benefits of spending those extra pennies per box and the payback in both health and human terms. Why buy organic tea, coffee or cocoa? Consumers usually decide to buy because production is carried out using sustainable farming practices, specifically not allowing deforestation to occur as part of plantation farming techniques. Some producers go down the Fairtrade route, which gives the consumer further altruistic benefit in terms of assurance that the workers on the tea...

The Orange Family The familiar oranges are the most popular of our citrus fruits. They are nutritional, versatile, and keep well. Popular varieties include Valencia, navel, temple, and blood oranges. The navel orange is best as an eating orange since its sweet pulp tends to turn a little bitter when the juice is exposed to air. Valencia oranges are enjoyed for both eating and juicing. The blood orange is a hybrid with an orange and red rind and reddish flesh and some people think, a touch of raspberry-like flavor. The temple orange is a flavorful orange-tangerine hybrid. As with most citrus fruits, choose oranges that are heavy for their size indicating juiciness and those without soft spots or defects in the skin.     • Orange tip: If you are squeezing oranges for morning juice, stop and grate the zest from several first. The zest can be frozen for months to be used in a variety of recipes from cookies to casseroles.     • Orange tip: When grating th...

If you are just as interested in travel as you are in food, then the history of French foods is one in particular that you are going to want to become more familiar with. The history of French foods is one which actually begins as far back as 1400 A.D., when the first French cookbooks imitated Moorish cuisine and sugar, which was still considered very much as being a luxury, was what was used to sweeten the various dishes. 1600 During the 1600s it was Royal patronage which truly promoted French cooking, with various dishes of fish and fruit being the most popular. There are many examples, particularly from this time that go to show just how important food has always been in France. For instance a butler once killed himself because his lobsters arrived late.  It was also during this time in French history that Dom Perignon invented the art of making champagne, as he began storing his wine in bottles that were strong enough to contain the petulance of secondary fermentation...

When it comes to the nightly meal of the day – dinner meals easily become a victim of repetitive entrees and side dishes. Some individuals and families find themselves stuck in a rut, preparing some of the same meals on a weekly basis – fish on Friday, Meatloaf Monday, bland corn, white rice, and lifeless mashed potatoes. To keep dinner fun, fresh, and in many cases, exciting – there are plenty of ways to stop the boredom that comes with fixing and eating the same dishes. A few ideas include: 1) Try New Recipes Whether you scan the cookbooks lining the library shelves or browse the infinite number of online resources, there are plenty of recipes awaiting the eager cook. New recipes add excitement and new flavors that not only add spice to the dining room table, but also awaken the taste buds. You never know if you don’t like something if you never try it. Why not experiment with veal or make your first gumbo?  2) Try New Ingredients   Sometimes you can transf...

For the ultimate seafood experience, it's tough to top the sweet flavor of a tender lobster. For the ultimate seafood experience, it's tough to top the sweet flavor of a tender lobster.  Here are some succulent suggestions from the experts at Red Lobster on easy ways to crack and eat this delectable dish.  Step 1: Where to begin? The claws, with meat that is tender and flavorful, are generally the best place to start. After removing the two front claws, use a nutcracker to crack them open and a lobster fork to remove the meat. Step 2: The tail meat is considered the sweetest part of the lobster. Turn the lobster on its back, holding the body with one hand and the tail with the other. Gently twist the tail to detach it. Remove the end flippers. Using a fork, you can then pull out the juicy meat. Step 3: There's plenty of meat in the body of the lobster. Flip it over and unhinge the back by cracking it apart lengthwise and pull out the tasty meat wit...

Plain coffee is fast becoming a thing of the past. It's now quite simple to whip up a gourmet hot beverage for guest, family, or just for yourself. Nowadays there are a number of coffee clubs and circles in which coffee drinking has become somewhat of a social club. These social clubs meet in the community or on the Internet. Where did the good old days go where you could get just a regular, good cup of coffee all across America. It's all because there is a big craze over coffee these days. People are almost worshipping the coffee bean now. People get a thrill out of ordering and buying special coffees from specialty stores. They really like grinding their own coffee beans. They like visiting places such as Costa Rica and bringing back their special blends. And "coffee tasting" seems to be about as popular as "wine tasting". They even have furniture and home interior designs with a coffee theme. This would make great gifts for the coffee buff. ...