Archive for 'In the News'

Chinese New Year 2013 – Year of the Snake

Your Christmas decorations and New Year celebrations are probably long gone by now. You’re back at work and there’s a whole year ahead with few celebrations around the corner, right? WRONG! Chinese New Year is 10 days away! On February 10th, the Chinese Lunisolar Calendar marks the start of a new Chinese year. The calendar is represented by one of the 12 creatures of the Chinese Zodiac and this year, it’s Year of the Snake. If you know someone born this year, they will be Year of the Snake. The last three birth years to fall on Year of the Snake were 2001, 1989 and 1977.

This year, like any, will be filled with highs and lows. It is said the highs and lows will be quite intense, and for those born in the Year of the Snake, it’s an exciting time for work, relationships and realisation. Chinese New Year festivities technically last for 15 days, and you can bet we’ll be celebrating at Oriental Teahouse! (Tune in to our Facebook page for updates). But here’s a little tip if you’re planning on having a celebratory Chinese New Year dinner of your own: tradition says that the higher you toss your salad on the night, the greater your fortune will be in the New Year.

Would you rather drink gunpowder or panda poo?

Tea is certainly an affordable luxury. Unless you buy panda dung tea. Yep – you read the correctly – we said panda poop. A Chinese businessman is planning to sell his panda poo brew for $200 a cup, or $3500 for 50 grams.

Dung from nearby panda breeding centres is being used to grow the tea in Ya’an, in the Sichuan province. The tea is pricey because of its health benefits, which come from the bamboo that make up the panda’s diet. Pandas only absorb about 30 per cent of the nutrients in bamboo, meaning there is plenty of it left in their droppings for you to ‘drop’ into your cuppa.

It is said that bamboo fight cancer, is an antibacterial, reduces cholesterol, decreases heart disease, is full of antioxidants, is beneficial for hair, nails, muscles and bones, and more! But if you can’t make it to China or would rather save for a holiday (or the idea of drinking panda poop simply doesn’t appeal to you), we recommend you try our gunpowder green tea, which has similar benefits and will set you back $7.50 for 50 grams instead of $3500!

“Oriental Teahouse, you’ve saved the day again.”

No really, the pleasure is all ours.

I’m pretty for a reason.

Over on our Facebook page we asked you What do you use your teapot for?. Not surprisingly, many use our teapots for decoration but have you ever thought of using TEA as decoration?

Our Artisan teas are a historically rich form of tea elaboration that captures the fancy of tea enthusiasts.  Our tea – Blooming Romance is hand-formed from intrtricate bundles of exquisitely elongated white Jasmine tea buds that gracefully unfurl to release silk thread-strung flower blossoms of Globe Amaranth and Chrysanthemum. Such are to brew open and bloom into the likeness of a beautiful flower.

It’s flavours on the palate is smooth, sweet, gentle and soft. The aroma on the senses, is clean and floral.  Once is it brewed and enjoyed as a beverage, the ‘bloomed’ flower can be enjoyed as a delicate bouquet centrepiece. Set it in cold water (changed daily) and you can enjoy its graceful beauty for about a week.

Greatest Father’s day gift

What has been the greatest Father’s day given or been suggested to by given?? A quick google search will show you that tech gifts are in the top 10. Then there’s car accessories and anything gadgety. After a quick chat with some of the dad’s here in Dumpling HQ, and posing this question to their dads…”What would be the greatest gift of all?”

TIME.