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Happy New Year! No, not 2010 - that's so last month. This month it's time to usher in 4707, the year of the Metal Tiger. Here in North America you can start beating the drums and cymbals the evening of February 13, while in Europe and Asia, the auspicious day is February 14. Chun Jie (Spring Festival, or what we in the West know as Chinese New Year) is a celebration of family, good fortune, and new beginnings, and here in the teahouse we're ready to help you make 4707 the best year ever, with lucky decorations, fine tea and teaware, exquisite new teapots, and more. Gong xi fa cai! Read on for details.
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Year of the Tiger Zodiac Bing Cha
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Spring Festival is the time to decorate your home and place of business with lucky charms and images of good fortune, prosperity, and abundance. There's no better decoration for tea lovers than our Lucky Knot Zodiac Bing Cha, which includes a zodiac animal and lucky characters embossed into a cake of real tea! (For maximum luck, display your zodiac tea, don't drink it.) Choose this year's animal, the Tiger, or your own Chinese zodiac sign. If you're not sure which Chinese year you were born in, look it up on our handy chart. Our Lucky Knot Zodiac Bing Cha comes handsomely gift boxed and ready for holiday giving.
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Snow Plum Blossom Tea Caddy
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Mei hua, the plum blossom, is China's revered harbinger of spring, the first flower to grace the garden even when there's still snow on the ground. A symbol of renewal and perseverance, the plum blossom is one of the most common Spring Festival decorations. This year, bring plum blossoms to your tea table with our snow-white porcelain Snow Plum Blossom Tea Caddy. Exquisitely crafted in Taiwan, this delicately beautiful caddy will hold approximately two to three ounces of your favorite fine tea and add a touch of elegance to your tea nook. Order today, quantity is very limited.
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Newest Imperial Yi Xing Teapots
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We're pleased to unveil three fine teapots for your consideration in the new year. Commissioned by Imperial Tea Court Teamaster Roy Fong and made by skilled artisans from the best quality yi xing clay, these unique pots will reward you with beauty, elegance, and a lifetime of great tea. Only the finest tea and teaware earn the distinction of our Imperial imprimateur.
The Imperial Yang Tong Yi Xing Teapot is modeled after a famous Qing Dynasty example. Meticulously handcrafted, it features hand-wrought copper detailing. The ping zi ni body enhances the pot's ability to absorb the essence of the tea you brew in it and gain a lustrous patina. An excellent pot for either puerh or oolong tea, the Yang Tong holds a generous 30 ounces and is ideal for serving family, friends, or esteemed business contacts.
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The Imperial Yi Li Zhu (Single Pearl) Yi Xing Teapot has returned! Based on a classic design, this exquisite small zi sha pot must be cradled in the palms of your hands to be fully appreciated. Its tactile allure can't be communicated with words alone. A superb choice for either puerh or oolong teas, the 8-ounce Yi Li Zhu is a timeless beauty that will augment your experience of fine Chinese teas for many new years to come. The pot comes with its own traditional-style cloth sack that can be used to protect or carry it. |
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At last, a fine yi xing teapot for green tea lovers! The Imperial Shu Bian Yi Xing Teapot is another new addition to our teapot collection. This fine duan ni (tan clay) pot is designed to make it easy to drink from the spout - the ultimate "personal teapot." Roy commissioned this small (6-ounce) pot during his visit to Yi Xing last summer, once again borrowing from a famous historical example. The squat design and wide mouth suggest that the Shu Bian is a great companion for green tea. The pot comes with its own traditional-style cloth sack that can be used to protect or carry it.
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Hong Bao Collection: Great Tea Gifts in Lucky Envelopes
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Hong bao (red envelopes) are to Spring Festival what stockings are to Christmas: tantalizing containers for generous surprises. This year we're packaging some of our most intriguing teas in traditional hong bao so they're ready for giving - unless you decide to treat yourself! Read on for our Year of the Tiger Hong Bao Specials. (Note: hong bao design will vary with each order.)
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Nothing makes more sense for the hong bao treatment than our 2009 Harvest Imperial Da Hong Pao. We patiently waited years until we found a da hong pao (big red robe) worthy of this famous variety's reputation. The outstanding 2009 harvest features the potent roasted character expected of a da hong pao, but there's a sweet, floral aroma and caramelized notes that add depth and interest. A fine tea that will delight anyone who loves the robust flavor for which Wu Yi oolongs are renowned. Conveniently and affordably packaged in 8-gram sampler packs that make one or two gaiwans or teapots (depending on size and desired intensity). For Spring Festival, each sampler will be shipped in a hong bao.
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Ba Bao Cha (Eight-Treasure Tea) is a classic Chinese beverage, healthful and delicious, and there's no better way to start the new year right than by sharing an aromatic pot of Ba Bao Cha with friends and family. We make our own recipe from scratch, with dried fruit and flowers including hong zao (red dates), long yan (dragon eye), go ji (wolfberries), shan zha (hawthorn fruit), chrysanthemum blossoms, rose buds, rock sugar, and a bit of tea. Conveniently packaged in large teabags that will infuse a family-sized teapot; six teabags are included in a reusable lucky red tin.
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Our spectacular Blossoming Teas make impressive gifts, and all the more so when they're enclosed in festive hong bao. Hand-tied from tea and real flowers, they're also delightfully fragrant and delicious. Hong bao gift packs contain three "blossoms" that, when infused, unfurl into a miniature bouquet in your cup. Choose from Flower of Prosperity, Valentine Rose, Dancing Blossoms, or Lychee Blossoms. |
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Start the New Year with a "Newborn" Sheng Bing Cha
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Like Western New Year, Spring Festival celebrates a fresh start. What better way to mark the arrival of the Year of the Tiger than with a "newborn" sheng bing cha (fresh puerh cake) that's delicious to drink now, as you ring in the holiday, but will also improve with age. Our newest sheng bing cha is a potently fruity tea from He Kai Shan in Yunnan Province that tastes great today but also has the structure to mature for many more decades. Once you taste this tea you'll understand why we're excited. Anyone who has the opportunity to savor our 2008 Harvest He Kai Shan Sheng Bing Cha is indeed fortunate!
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If one of your new year's resolutions is to learn more about Chinese tea, Roy Fong's new book, Great Teas of China, is a great place to start. The book covers more than a dozen of China's most renowned teas, with in-depth information on how each tea is grown and processed. At the same time, Roy tells enthralling stories about his introduction to the teas in the book, his travels as a tea merchant in China, and the unexpected turn of events that put his life on the path of tea. A great resource and pocket guide, slim enough to take on your travels, Great Teas of China also includes brewing suggestions and a full glossary. Truly a future classic in the literature on tea.
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Join the Tea Club and Receive Great Tea All Year Long
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It's not too late to join the Tea Club! Looking for a special gift that will make your favorite tea lover remember you fondly all year long? Or an ongoing treat for yourself? Join one of our tea clubs and our teamaster, Roy Fong, will select the teas for you. Our Four Seasons Tea Club provides you with a different tea four times a year, while our Six Month Tea Club sends you a new tea every other month. But the best deal is our Year of Tea Club, which gives you a new tea every month. If you join any of our clubs, you will receive a free gift with our compliments. Sign up today and take advantage of this special value!
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If you're in the San Francisco Bay Area, stop by one of our teahouses and treat yourself to some of the world's finest tea and organic hand-made dim sum. Ask our knowledgeable staff for what's new in the tea world and relax while we handle the cooking and brew you a delicious cup of tea.
Thoughts, suggestions, requests, and ideas are always welcome. Let us know how we can improve our products, services, or support. Call us at 800-567-5898 or email us at customerservice@imperialtea.com.
Respectfully Yours,
Imperial Tea Court
(c) 2010 Imperial Tea Corporation |
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