On My Table and In My Cup November 5th-12th

Saturday morning and a bit of a later start for me today. We are to move in a a short while and I was up wrapping my china until the wee hours. I have been so busy I have yet to start this upcoming March release by Kirsten Weiss.

I did finish Ellie Alexander's A Batter of Life and Death earlier in the week, I was thrilled with it. Kicked myself for leaving it at an appointment on Tuesday and had to run back the next day and thankfully they had it. I was able to finish and review it, however I was not able to read on election night as I had wished.

I enjoyed Janice J. Richardson's second book in her Spencer Family Funeral Home series. It was a difficult week this week for some close families of mine loosing loved ones this past week, this series is incredibly comforting if you are someone who has ever lost someone close.  

A week ago I was at the Tea Festival in Vancouver and this weeks tea time adventures have been wonderful. I picked up and purchased several teas to try and have enjoyed a few this week.

Whistlers own Namasthe tea company joined my morning tea ritual this week. I enjoyed their breakfast blend and their booth at the festival so much! This is a tea to add to my rotation for sure.

One of the most exciting discoveries I had at the tea festival is the Wize Monkey Coffee Leaf Tea company, the taste of their teas were outstanding, crisp, fresh and invigorating. I am looking forward to seeing this company grow.

Yesterday we took time to honor the memory of all those who have fought for the freedom we so richly enjoy and those who continue to do so in these uncertain times. It is my hope you enjoy your weekend and that you will join me again here tomorrow of a cup of tea and a cozy review.
I would love to hear from you so please leave  me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Wize Monkey Coffee Leaf Tea, Simply Revolutionary!

I had the most extraordinary experience at the Vancouver tea festival, I discovered a very different kind of tea company, Wize Monkey, Coffee Leaf Tea. Yes you read that right, coffee leaf tea. Above in my cup is their Earl Grey, just one of five flavors offered by this unique and impressive company. I do not drink coffee as you can imagine I was skeptical at first, however three sips of tea in and I was amazed at how clean and fresh tasting Wize Monkey Coffee Leaf Tea truly is. Not made from the traditional tea leaf, there is no Camellia sinensis in these biodegradable pyramid sachets, making them a tisane technically, however just a few sips of this rich full flavored full body hot infusion and you will be pleasantly surprised  and perplexed that it could taste this good and that it is not made from the traditional Camellia Sinensis Leaf!  

While at the tea fair I tasted all but the Mango Party tea due to my Mango Allergy, and I was blown away with how much I enjoyed the delicate and smooth flavors of their Original, Minty Marvel, Jasmine and Earl Grey Tea. My friend tried the Mango party and agreed with others stopped at the Wize Monkey Booth that it was fantastic. 

I purchased the Wize Monkey Discovery Pack and brought it home to savor and try full cups of each flavor on my own and I choose the Earl Grey Sachet first. There is the right balance of bergmot flavor and yet no acidic taste even after leaving the tea bag in the pot steeping longer recommended 2-3 minutes. I also like that these tea bags can be reused up to three times with great flavor. I think it is important to note that this is a lightly caffeinated tea, making it a great choice for afternoons. It is Non-GMO, Handpicked, and farm-direct from Nicaragua. I asked one of the company founders to share a bit about the company so that you may see why I got as excited as I did, when finding this very unique and brilliant new company.

KMOT:  Thank you Max for joining us today,I was amazed with the products when I came to your both at the tea fair. What made me stop was the video stream you had playing from the plantation where your tea is made. Can you talk a little about the farm and your partnership with this plantation?  

WM: "Our partnership is essentially a vertical integration with the grower himself in order to ensure that we always keep the growers in mind and also to ensure we have the best possible product and ability to innovate as a team, instead of being buyer vs. grower, which is the norm across tea and coffee industries." 

KMOT: One of the things that caught my attention was the working relationship you have and are building with the farmer as well as your dedication to the workers. Creating jobs year round for these workers as you grow is going to make a monumental change to how the Nicaraguan workers live and their migration patterns can you expand a bit on how you have been able to grow?

WM: "Last year we had employed 25 people to work in the off-season for the harvest, and this year we've gone to over 100, so the impact is materializing as we speak. The locals are happy because they see the extra income as an opportunity to improve their situation and also learn a new trade and craft where they can add more value in regards to processing the leaf and creating the final product, versus just shipping half-processed beans to roasters in other countries and not capture the added value or learn that step of the trade."

KMOT: How did you choose the current flavors offered in the Wize Monkey line?

WM: The current flavours were chosen so that we have a diverse offering of fruity, effervescent, floral, citrus, and our original CLTea. That way, we're sure that everyone can enjoy at least one version of our award-winning Coffee Leaf Tea.

KMOT: Is there plans to offer your tea line loose leaf?

WM: "Eventually we'll get our flavours in loose leaf on the website, but for the moment our hands are incredibly full managing 7 different SKUs."

KMOT: Please share anything you would like my readers about your company and tea line. 

WM: "Creating this social venture has been such an incredible and enlightening experience. We have a very emotional and loyal connection to the people we work with in Nicaragua, and if we have an opportunity to thank them in any way or help them achieve their goals, we are obligated to do so. We've never faced harder challenges than this, in regards to creating a new product from scratch, and what motivates us is the work ethic of those we work with down south. Sometimes we're absolutely swamped and look at each other and ask ourselves if we're going to survive all this stress and pressure, but we remind each other to think of how hard our colleagues and extended family works in Nicaragua, and that fuels our passion to continue and overcome said challenges. All in all, we're incredibly grateful to be in the position to make actual long-term change as it's something that we're both very passionate about. And of course, it's pretty fun to discover and pioneer something that has never been done in history... needless to say it keeps us on our toes! " 

Thank you Max for sharing about Wize Monkey Coffee Leaf Tea. If you would like to learn more about how you can bring the Wize Monkey Coffee Leaf Tea to your own home, Please click here for the Wize Monkey Website.

Thank you so much for joining me here today for a cup of tea and a cozy tea review. I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com