“When fully appreciated, a hot cup of tea takes you on a global journey through imagination, its origin and distinctive taste. As a tea lover, I find teas to offer warmth and soothing effects. With the Sorrel Tea, a Jamaican tradition and Tea-Arte’s signature tea, I have found my bliss.”

~Daedrian McNaughton, Tea-Arte Gourmet Teas, Founder & T-E-O~

Art is a natural and prominent existence in our daily lives. Everything we do, see and use all represent some art form. Art is everywhere, including the very teas that we consume daily. If you examine the structure of a tea leaf, root or the entire plant itself, you will notice that it is intricately made up of curves, swirls, colors and all the elements of any work of art.

Art is not only defined in the structure of the plant, but also in the process in which tea is made from processing to consumption. Taking all these things into consideration, Tea-Arte was born.

Tea-Arte Gourmet Teas is a carefully curated selection of teas that are infused in Caribbean history and traditions with unique and distinctive blends from the exotic and tropical regions. Teas include, Ginger Rust, Peppermint Twist, Sorrel Passion, Aloe Vera, and Lemon Grass/Fever Grass.

TAG Tea’s culture is rooted in Caribbean history and traditions that extends to Europe, India, Africa, Asia and other regions. Thus resulting in Tea-Arte’s signature tea, Sorrel Tea, a Jamaican traditional beverage that has been passed down from our ancestors.  The plant which is native of India to Malaysia was carried to Africa, and said to have arrived in Jamaica and the West Indies by way of the slave trade in the 1707s. With that knowledge, this exotic bud became the signature tea of the Tea-Arte collection.

This vital botanical offers various health stimulant and serves as the base of most of our herbal blends with other tasty ingredients. In the Caribbean, Sorrel botanically known as Hibiscus Sabdariffa is steeped for a short period producing a brilliant rich, fruity red color solution that is tangy in taste and slightly acidic. Other spices like ginger and cloves are added to enhance its flavor.

The flower that was overlooked has reported to have several medicinal properties. In China, it is used to treat dandruff and stimulate hair growth. In other parts of the world it is an astringent and used to treat hemorrhoids and wounds, mild laxative, relax the uterus and reduce blood pressure. It is also used for indigestion, loss of appetite, respiratory problems, soothe colds and helps to reduce fever.

Growing up in a rural community in Jamaica, my mom was a housewife and could not afford health benefits for all her children. So, she was unable to take us to the doctors whenever we became ill. She depended heavily on folk remedies passed down from our ancestors. These home remedies were mainly teas brewed from every plant, root and flower imaginable to relieve our aches and pains. Some of those plants were tropical and were used by our ancestors and other herbalist as bush medicine or alternative treatment.

A dark reddish drink was a part of our daily dose and tonic while growing up. The tonic was an unsweetened liquid that was produced from boiling the sepal or flower of the Jamaican Sorrel. While the Jamaican Sorrel, a common home garden crop is mainly used in Jamaica and other Caribbean regions as a refreshing Christmas punch, it is used in various parts of the world in sauces, meals, teas and for medicinal benefits. I was anemic, and was told it was good for me; reporting it was very high in iron and a source of antioxidant.

According to a clinical trial funded by the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) and conducted by Nutrition Scientist Diane McKay in 2009, drinking hibiscus tea (hibiscus sabdiriffa) helps to lower blood pressure in pre-hypertensive and mildly hypertensive adults which affect one third of all U.S adults. High blood pressure is a risk factor for heart disease, stroke and kidney disease.

Teas have always been apart of our social culture and tradition in these West Indies. Our mission is to creatively enhance those simple and homey teas that we indulged in as children growing up in the tropical and exotic Caribbean communities. We create unique blends that are tasty, delicious and promotes healthy and wholesome living while staying true to our traditions. Our tea supplies come from small producing nations including Jamaica, Egypt and larger regions such as China, Mexico, Thailand, and India.

TAG(T’s) philosophy is simply to enjoy good teas that promote relaxation offer medicinal values and follows three basic steps, Brew~Sip~Enjoy. TAG-T is about herbs and leaves that were utilized by our ancestors to cure ailments long before modern medicines, and simply for enjoyment.

Brew~Sip~Relax: Maintaining a taste of the Islands

~Let’s make tea~