O'Tea & JIGYASU

JIGYASU Collection at O'Tea Brussels

2006-06-25T09:58:52+02:00

Dear Bloggers,

Following the success of our expo for JIGYASU products back in April 2006, we have modified our first floor into an indian designer boutique, featured with Manraj Chawla, famous designer in Delhi for crochet products.

In addition, we have selected a collection of bags from indian designer and greats jewellery products from Jaipur.

Kicking off is Monday 26 of June.

Mansi

JIGYASU: Photo Shoots from Manraj's collection

2006-05-02T19:33:00+02:00

Dear Customers,

We have been delighted to see "happy" customers over the expo, so Mansi and I have decided to convert, by June 2006, the first floor into an Indian Jigyasu Corner.

Here are some samples that were proposed for the expos:

1st Floor Expo

Coussin 's Cover

Lady's Tops

Sari's Model

In the meantime the collection presented during April 27, 28, 29 are still available at O'Tea 1st Floor.

Mansi & Romain

Did you know that......

2006-04-24T21:00:58+02:00

The word perfume comes from Old provincial French perfumar, per through and fumar to smoke, which explains the art of perfumery believed to have begun in the Middle East with the burning of incense.

The use of incense dates back to biblical times and may have originated in Egypt when aromatic trees were imported from Arabia to be used in religious ceremonies.

More people in the United States and all over the world are using incense as a home or personal fragrance to create a feeling of tranquility and well-being and an extra dimension in gracious living that opens up a whole new world of spiritual awareness and understanding.

So all important is the sense of smell that unlike other nerve cells in the brain, eyes and spinal cord, which if damaged are lost forever, the olfactory neurons constantly replace themselves.

One way to make your home more inviting, interior decorators point out, is to create an atmosphere with relaxing music, a fire in the fireplace and a soft fragrance in the air.

That Israeli archaeologists discovered a 2,000-year old fragrant oil in a cave near the Dead Sea that they believe may have been used to anoint kings.

That Cleopatra used pillows filled with rose petals to induce sleep.

Aromatherapy, has been practiced since ancient times as a panacea in the treatment of severe diseases, infections and indispositions.

That a peppermint fragrance tends to reduce stress and sleepiness.

That some unpleasant odors have been used to suppress the appetite of those who are overweight.

That humans, like other animals, will attract or repel each other depending on their scents and body odors.

Quotable Quotes:
A woman who wears no perfume has no future. Paul Valery.

Memories, old sentiments and associations are more readily reached through the sense of smell than through any other channel. Oliver Wendell Holmes.

As other spirits are borne away on music, mine my beloved, floats on our perfume. Baudelaire.

Romain S.

Origin & History of Incense

2006-04-24T20:51:08+02:00

Webster's dictionary defines incense simply as a word derived from the French encens, or encensen from the Latin incensus to cause (a passion or emotion) to become aroused.

1 Material used to produce a fragrant odor when burned.
2 The perfume exhaled from some spices and gums when burned; Broadly: a pleasing scent.

It is all that and much more.

The use of incense dates back to biblical times and may have originated in Egypt where the gums and resins of aromatic trees were imported from the Arabian and Somali coasts to be used in religious ceremonies. It was also used by the Pharaohs to counteract unpleasant odors, drive away demons and gratify the presence of gods.

The Babylonians used incense extensively while offering prayers to divining oracles. It was imported into Israel in the 5th century BC to be used in religious offerings. It spread from there to Greece, Rome and India, where both Hindus and Buddhists still burn it in their rituals and at festivals. And it was one of the gifts of the three wise men from the East to the infant Jesus.

Brought to Japan in the Sixth century by Buddhist monks who used the mystical aromas in their purification rites, the delicate scents of Koh (Japanese high quality incense) became a source of amusement and entertainment with nobles in the Imperial Court during the Heian Era 200 years later.

During the Shogunate period in the 14th century, samurai warriors would perfume their helmets and armor with incense to achieve a proud aura of invincibility as they prepared to meet their foe and their fate. But it wasn't until the Muromachi Era during the 15th and 16th century that the elegant art of incense appreciation spread to the upper and middle classes of Japanese society.

What the Japanese call Koh-Do, or incense appreciation, has long been the spiritual nourishment of Japanese culture. Fast becoming a popular custom in the United States and all over the world for those seeking quiet reflection and peace of mind, this elegant art not only creates a feeling of tranquility and an added dimension in gracious living but also opens up a new world of temporal and spiritual awareness.

Modern practitioners of this elegant art now use incense to enhance the ambiance of their homes or offices, to entertain guests, to celebrate special occasions, to relax the body and calm the mind after a trying day and to soothe tired nerves before retiring.

From the beginning of time, man has consciously or unconsciously sought to improve his environment and his appearance with pleasing fragrances. In Japan, Koh (high quality incense) not only does this effectively but also has the power to move, comfort and inspire the user.

Romain S.

Introduction to Indian Clothes JYGYASU at O'Tea

2006-04-24T20:05:31+02:00

We are holding an event at O'Tea, on our 1st level on April 27-29, 2006.

We would like to present you in "avant-premiere" the summer collection of Manraj Chawla, Indian Designer for Crochet.

Profile
A childhood passion coupled with a keen sense of style and fit, Manraj is a natural born crochet designer. Inspired by the after school teachings of her father, she relies on the lessons she learned while helping to make the family's clothing when designing her new collections.

Manraj's career as a designer of evening casual outfits seems pre-ordained. An artist from the start, Manraj always took pleasure in drawing, and realizing the ideas that once only existed in her imagination.

A master of the contemporary-crochet look after almost 4 years with her own label “Jigyasu”, Manraj's designs are timeless in their elegance. Avoiding trends, she instead expands on prior collections. She works closely with her customers during trunk shows to get an accurate picture of what crochet lover’s desire. Looking back on her previous successes, Manraj diversifies her future collections based on what was missing in the past.

For Appointement, please liaise with Mansi at 04.96.68.48.02

O’Tea Bruxelles – 715, Chaussée de Waterloo – Shopping La Bascule – 1180 UCCLE

Our first anniversary

2006-04-08T23:10:00+02:00

Dear Customers & Visitors,

We have been very glad to celebrate our first year.

Here are the Pictures of customer events:

Happy Anniversary O'Tea

Client's Event

O'Tea Owners

Romain & Mansi

Special thanks to Ashley Lyon, our talented Photograph.

Chai is a popular way to prepare tea, with ....

2006-03-12T10:28:13+01:00

The term 'chai' doesn't refer to an actual kind of tea or a specific drink, but a style of preparing it. Chai tea is usually served with a milk or cream, and is heavily spiced. Common spices in chai are cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, ginger, pepper, and allspice.

Chai has come to North America, UK, Belgium from India, and has gained much popularity at coffeehouses and tea shops everywhere.

Masala Chai
A personal favorite. This is another basic chai recipe, but the hint of cinnamon makes a world of difference.

Kashmiri Chai Tea
The powdered almonds add a nutty touch.

Thai Iced Tea
Better for warmer weather, this iced chai tea is rich and creamy and lightly spiced.

If you want quality black teas, look to India

2006-03-12T10:15:40+01:00

Not only does India produce the most tea in the world, it grows some of the very best. Nearly every part of the country has a tea-growing region. Approximately 4% of the national income of India comes from its tea, there are over 14,000 tea estates.

The geography of India allows for many different climatic conditions, and the resulting teas can be dramtically different from each other.

There are 3 main kinds of tea produced in India:

Assam
Assam tea comes from the North Eastern section of the country. This heavily forested region is home to much wildlife, including the rhinocerous. Tea from here is rich and full-bodied. It was in Assam that the first tea estate was established, in 1837.

Darjeeling
The Darjeeling region is cool and wet, and tucked in the foothills of the Himalayans.
The tea is exquisite and delicately flavoured, and considered to be one of the finest teas in the world. The Darjeeling plantations have 3 distinct harvests, and the tea produced from each 'flush' has a unique flavour. First flush teas are light and aromatic, while the second flush produces tea with a bit more bite. The third, or autumn flush gives a tea that is lesser in quality.

Nilgiri
This tea comes from an even higher part of India than Darjeeling. This southern Indian region has elevations between 1,000 and 2,5000 metres. The flavours of Nilgiri teas are subtle and rather gentle. They are frequently blended with other, more robust teas.

Besides the different kinds of tea that come from India, there is also a very unique style of making tea. It's called chai. There are lots of various recipes to make chai, but the basic ingredients are: black tea, milk, sugar, and spices. It's the combination of spices that make chai so wonderful. The most common are cardamom, ginger, cloves, cinnamon and even pepper. If you're tired of plain tea, give chai a try.

Namaste !

2006-03-12T10:01:30+01:00

Hello virtual void. Welcome to a blog about Tea. Yet another one? Yes - there's probably a healthy colony of tea blogs and sites out there. For one thing, it took some guesswork before finding a reasonable name related to tea for this blog that wasn't already taken by all the other tea connoisseurs, tea drinkers.

So what's O'Tea? It's just Indian tea, Ceylan teas, Chai (the third word being for the Tea+Spices that you find in India). It sounded neat. To me.

And the point is? Besides talking about tea, if you're reading this you'll probably have as good a chance of unraveling that question as I do.

But the original idea, as I sit here and drink a darjeeling high-mountain 2nd Flush, from one of my Indian Kettle or tea pots, is to write thoughts on teas, and present you my tea concept located in Brussels, Belgium - and reviews on what I find or happen to think of while sitting in front of a computer being woken up by the morning's pick of tea.

So, hope you enjoy. Feel free to leave a comment if one comes to your mind.

If you found it too virtual, you can also visit the shop located in 715 Chaussée de Waterloo - Galerie Bascule - 1180 Bruxelles for a warm cup of tea.

On the time for Tea

2006-03-12T09:50:34+01:00

There are as many times for tea as there are types of tea. And while I'm also thinking of 'time' in the sense of 'occasion', what I mean to write on just now is the time as the 4th dimension of tea preparation and enjoyment.

Tea lends itself remarkably well to being part of personal rituals and ceremonies. It can be a perfect way to center one's focus and relax -- to ease and refresh the mind. It can also be a quick mug to warm one's hands on.

Some even believe it can be a caffeine fix, created by drowning a tea bag (something often better described by the word 'bag' than 'tea') on water that's been boiled completely flat and poured onto a polystyrene cup (that often has more aroma than any remains of tea enconsed in the aforementioned bag). Let's make this one clear. It can't.

But, returning to my actual topic for today -- the time of brewing is something that many people seem to pay far less attention to than perhaps they ought. The more common extreme is probably the assumption that there is no such thing as brewing time but, rather, a single 'point', dividing 'not strong enough' and 'strong enough', without further points marking when the tea becomes 'over-brewed', 'way too brewed to drink' and, finally, 'only good for dyeing fabric'.

This unfortunate misconception leads to tea leaves forgotten in their pots and tea drunk well past its prime. Once the tea is brewed, the leaves should be given their deserved rest. This also gives you the opportunity to see the texture and color of the wet leaves, as well as their scent (it's often interesting to note the difference in what parts of the scent are more pronounced before and after brewing).

No need to take my word for this -- brewing time is very much a matter of personal taste. The most amazing thing is just how much effect it can have on the taste and quality of the tea. Most full-leaf teas can be brewed for any amount of time between 2 to 5 minutes. Just don't get me started on water temperature. Yet. For now, let me write a few general advise I've found to be useful:

1) Experiment with brewing time for each different tea. While most stores will recommend a brewing time, taste is a very individual experience, so find your ideal for each type of tea.

2) If you want stronger tea, use more tea. Brewing a tea for longer will change the taste and make it richer in tannin, but it won't necessarily make it stronger. If you think your tea is too weak, try using more of it before you try increasing the brewing time.

3) Size matters. Full-leaf tea with whole leaves can be brewed for a longer time and will often yield a more complex flavor. The smaller the leaf size, the quicker the tea will brew, so adjust the brewing time accordingly. Should you choose to brew commercial, mass-produced tea bags, keep in mind that what's inside those bags is usually the 'fannings' (tea dust -- the stuff that was too small to be used in anything else gets swept up at the end of the day and made into tea bags.

However, the directions printed on those tea bags are generally hand-me-downs from when there was actual tea in there somewhere, and claim that one should brew it for 2-3 minutes. Usually, 30sec will get all you really want out of one of those. (It's a matter of surface area, for the engineers out there.)

4) Light on the caffeine? Tea does have caffeine, but if you want to reduce it a bit, you can do a quick 'home de-caf'. Turns out caffeine is more soluble in water than most of the other components of tea, so a lot of it comes out onto the water in the first 30 seconds or so. Assuming you're brewing a tea that can be brewed for longer than 30 seconds, you can do a first 'wash': pour hot water on the tea leaves, leave it for 30 seconds, then toss the water out and pour fresh hot water. Brew it for the full time you usually brew the tea. It loses a little bit of flavor, but it loses the caffeine a lot more.

5) Try it again. Good teas can often be brewed more than once, though the brewing time should usually be increased a bit. The flavor may be weaker, but sometimes a second brewing will bring out notes that were obscured in a first brewing, so it's fun to experiment.