The Pineapple is native to southern Brazil and Paraguay. It was first discovered by a European in November, 1493, by Christopher Columbus, (is there anything he didn’t discover?!) He brought some back to Europe with him and the rest, as they say, is history. The Pineapple came to be so coveted by European nobility for its sweet flavor and grand appearance that King Charles II of England once posed for an official portrait receiving one as a gift. Pineapples were a big hit in colonial America as well – but early Americans appeared to prize the fruit more for its appearance than its taste. In some cases merchants even rented them by the day to Southern matrons who would use them to decorate their tables - pineapples being highly regarded as important symbols of hospitality. Serve this fabulous tea to guests and carry on the tradition. A dash of sugar helps to bring out the natural sweetness of the fruit. Serve over ice for a real Southern treat!

 What type of tea do we use, how do we flavor the tea and why do we use natural flavors?

•  We only use high grown teas from the top 3 tea growing regions of Sri Lanka - Nuwara Eliya, Dimbula and Uva. These three high-grown districts produce flavorful teas that have classic ‘Ceylon’ tea character which is noted by floral bouquet and flavor notes, touches of mild astringency, bright coppery color and, most importantly - perfect for use as the base tea of our flavored teas. (We have tested teas from various other origins around the world as base stock for our flavored teas, but none of these teas made the grade.) Dimbula and the western estates of Nuwara Eliya have a major quality peak during Jan/Feb, whereas Uva and the eastern estates of Nuwara Eliya have their peak in July/Aug. This ‘dual peak period’ allow us to buy the best for our flavored tea blends several times during the year, ensuring top quality and freshness.

• We use flavoring oils not crystals to give the tea drinker an olfactory holiday before indulging in a liquid tea treat.

• We specify natural flavors. High quality tea tastes good and natural flavors do not mask the natural taste of the high grown Ceylon tea. (The norm for many making flavored tea is to use overpowering artificial flavors, which can be used to hide lower quality tea). Natural flavors do not leave an aftertaste giving the tea a clean and true character. It should be noted that natural flavors tend to be somewhat ‘soft ‘ and the flavors slightly muted, but for many this is a refreshing change and one of the desired attributes of our naturally flavored teas.