Soothe Sayer

The world’s most flavorful peppermint comes from the Pacific Northwest, where the summers are hot and dry. Ours is harvested just before it begins to flower, when the oil content is highest. After cutting, the plant is allowed to field dry. Then the stems are removed and the mint is sorted into uniform leaf sizes. With intense menthol and rich chocolate notes, Pacific Northwest peppermint is a real wakeup for your senses.

Cacao nibs come from the Theobroma cacao tree and are one of the main raw ingredients used for making chocolate. Whole cacao beans are shelled, fermented and then broken down into chopped bits of cocoa seeds. These nibs then go through an additional roasting step, resulting in a more flavorful and less bitter tasting cacao nib.

Ginger, used in many cultures to enliven food and drink, is also known for its healthful qualities. A light stimulant, it can treat cold symptoms and sore throat. Ginger is cultivated most prominently in India, China, Indonesia and West Africa. After the plant flowers and the leaves die off, the roots are dug, washed, peeled and sun dried. Ginger’s spicy-sweet flavor adds spark and complexity to our Big Hibiscus.

Nutmeg is a spice made from the seed of the genus Myristica. Myristica fragrans is a dark-leaved evergreen tree cultivated for two popular spices derived from its fruit: nutmeg, from its seed, and mace, from the seed covering. Nutmeg has a distinctive fragrance and a warm slightly sweet taste; it is used to flavor many different dishes and beverages.

Elderberry is the deep red fruit of the elder tree and a superfood that has been used for its health benefits for hundreds of years. It is known to be high in antioxidants and many believe it can relieve colds, fight the flu, and boost the immune system.

Licorice root comes from a herbaceous perennial that has been used medicinally for thousands of years in both the East and West. In modern times it has also become used as an ingredient in various tea blends. Licorice root is utilized to give body and sweetness to our holiday blend, Silent Night.

The wild cherry tree has a reddish-brown bark that has traditionally been used for its wellness-supporting properties. Wild cherry bark is often used as a remedy for coughs (it is a common ingredient in cough syrup) and is known to support the respiratory system as well as a host of other immunity boosting benefits.

Echinacea is spiny flowering herb in the daisy family that is native to areas east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States. It has long been used in medicinal practices and is thought to support the immune system and fight infections, especially the common cold and flu.

Known as the “King of Spices,” the best black pepper is grown in southern India near Cochin. The berries of the perennial black pepper vine are harvested when unripe, then sun-dried until they blacken. Quality is determined by oil content and appearance. Black pepper is spicy, pungent and often has a light salty characteristic—an important feature in chai blends. After the black pepper has been harvested, it is steam distilled to produce the essential oil.