Sonnentor Organic Teas Happiness is

In the Far East, tea has been consumed for millennia. In contrast, the popular hot beverage has only been available in Europe for almost 400 years. In 1606, the first boxes of precious tea leaves reached the port of Amsterdam. While tea was received positively in Holland and northern Germany, it had a difficult start in the rest of Europe. In France, the introduction of tea in the middle of the 17th century even triggered a heated debate among medical professionals. Some doctors were convinced that the exotic hot drink would be bad for health. However, the advocates were able to
prevail and soon, tea was consumed throughout Europe. Initially, the interest was limited to the circles of the nobility. Many royal courts of the 18th century were enthusiastic about the giant empire in the Far East and their regents raved about exotic China. Numerous noblemen had the walls of their castles and palaces decorated with Chinese motifs. Augustus the Strong commissioned the construction of a whole castle in the ”Chinese style“ in Pillnitz.

Because of the great fascination with every Chinese things, an art movement was born in Europe in the 18th century named Chinoiserie. However, The Europeans strongly romanticized about the daily life of Chinese. In order to immerse further into the Far East worlds, exotic some regents have hung up painted wallpapers and built exotic pavilions in the castle parks. Wrapped in colourful silk robes, tea was then drunk out of the finest porcelain cups. The tea pavilions were especially popular with younger courtiers – even with those who preferred coffee or hot chocolate. In order to drink tea authentic on oriental sofas, comfortable clothes were needed. In the common stiff dress uniforms or sweeping corset dresses one could only stand or sit straight. The silk robes, which were often worn when going to the tea pavilions, were cut relatively wide. This had the further advantage of putting on and taking off without any help of somebody. Court ladies could therefore use the tea time for rendezvous without their maids knowledge.

In the English teahouses, on the other hand, things were more civilised. Anyway, tea in the UK became a daily drink much faster than in the rest of Europe. There were various reasons for this triumph. First, in 1784 the tea tax was reduced from 119% to 12.5%. In addition, foreign ships were allowed to import tea. While the broad ships of the British East India Company needed almost one year to travel from China to England, the fast American clipper ships made the whole distance in less than 100 days. Since the large amount of tea on the market pushed down the price, tea became an indispensable part of British everyday culture. However, the black tea that is so popular on the island has not been around for very long at all. From the 16th to 18th century mainly green tea was exported from China to Europe. But during the long sea journey it lost much of its aroma. In the tea plantations of the English colonies, especially in India and Sri Lanka, the focus lied on black tea. Green and black tea comes from the same tea plant. In order to produce black tea, the leaves of green tea are rolled. This causes the cell walls to break open, oxidize with oxygen and turn green tea leaves into black ones. Hereby the shelf life is increased and a flavour is developed that most Europeans appreciate until today. For this reason, mainly black tea was shipped to Europe in the last 150 years.

Regardless of the colour, tea remains a noble hot beverage. Hardly anything radiates as much peace and serenity as a cup of tea. As tea leaves contain caffeine, they also have an invigorating effect. That's why tea is a treat for breakfast. Before going to bed or in quiet moments, you should not drink stimulating tea. Then it's time for a soothing cup of herbal tea. The organic herbal spice teas from the Happiness is series by Sonnentor combine great flavours with unique messages. The mixture Happiness is Pure Lightness with green oat, stinging nettle and cardamom is intended to leave everyday life behind. Happiness is Blossoming is a blend of rose, echinacea and primrose, which convinces with a fine flowery and spicy taste. Happiness is Zest for Life with turmeric, cinnamon and saffron inspires to explore new paths. This tea goes well with exotic soups and curries. The mixture Happiness is Free Spirit with burnet, field pansy and spruce
needles is, with every sip, reminiscent of a morning walk through the forest. The tea helps to escape the daily hectic rush for a short moment. The organic herbal fruit tea Happiness is Being a Woman with lady's mantle, rosemary and cranberries convinces with a tart, fruity and sweetish taste. It fits in every situation of life and harmonizes wonderfully with dishes of Mediterranean cuisine. Take a break and enjoy the fragrance and warmth of special moments and happiness in a cup of tea Sonnentor Happiness Organic Teas.