First, the Mull River Farm holds a special place in our hearts because the packaging of the blends happens in the Mull River Farm Commercial Kitchen. A huge shout out for the kindness and support you have provided to help bring the Cape Breton Tea Company into a thriving company!
The Mull River is a beautiful spot where music, dance, and friendship happen all along the river. At Dance Debut, in Michelle’s dance programs, they celebrated 13 Production versions of the “Mull River Shuffle,” a song recorded by the Rankin Family. The dancers performed it across Canada and Scotland. If you attend a wedding or graduation on Cape Breton Island, there is always a “Mull River Shuffle” to pick up the hooting and hollering on the dance floor.
Now I believe you can understand the power of this special blend. In production, we were trying to create a blend that would be good hot or cold, without adding milk or sweetener, and we believe we have achieved that. The addition of honeybush softens the black tea and creates a nice full body to the blend.
For those looking to enhance their tea to a full Chai, you can add a drop or two of honey or maple syrup to sweeten it further, and you can add milk, almond milk, oat milk, or coconut milk. To create the full Chai, boil the water and make a concentrate with a teaspoon of herbs to 1/4 cup of water. In a saucepan warm up the milk to steaming, but not boiling, and add your sweetener. Once the concentrate has steeped for 5 – 10 minutes depending on your desired strength, add it to the steamed milk. Garnish with a cinnamon stick, add a little whip cream to the top, and sprinkle with cinnamon or nutmeg. For those wanting a cold chai, make the concentrate as above and add it to cold milk and add your sweetener. Garnish as desired.
Although the tea blend has the honeybush with it, by adding honey or maple syrup, the spices in the blend become stronger to taste and the whole flavour is enhanced.
Golden Rod has been added to this blend for the essence that it represents. It is a thriving plant with bright yellow flowers. Despite adversity and challenge, it supports the ability to thrive with positivity and encouragement. Within the Chai blend it creates the space for your wishes and desires to be heard and supported.
Black Eyed Susan petals begin bright yellow also and turn to burnt orange in the drying process. This plant is about transformation, removing old habits and thought patterns that might keep you in a continuous circle with no growth and no end. With Golden Rod, you can see how this special blend will bring joy, sunshine, hope, and possibility to your day, thoughts, and actions.
Mulled Wine can be made with one bottle of wine warmed on the stove with 4 teaspoons of Mull River Chai tea herbs or concentrate. Orange slices can be added and cinnamon sticks if desired. Sugar may be added with honey or maple syrup as the recommended sweetness source. Adjust to taste.
