Once upon a time, Byzantium was one of the most powerful cities of cultural convergence in the world. It was where the greatest, and most fabled trade routes in the world crossed and connected, where the East and West met and blended, and where vital ideas were shared that would eventually give birth to the European Renaissance.
Byzantine Art is especially iconic, probably most easily recognized by of its use of flat, two-dimensional images embossed upon shining gold backgrounds. Think of those flat images of Mary and baby Jesus, or the Saints, with rich, shining gold discs radiating behind them. When I think of Byzantium, I think of the rising sun, a blaze of golden domes, Lord Byron, and the poetry of W.B. Yeats: “A starlit or a moonlit dome disdains / All that man is, / All mere complexities, / The fury and the mire of human veins . . .” (“Byzantium”). Meaning, the architecture, the sublime Art of that golden city transcends the fleeting chaos of human life, and touches upon something truly spiritual, timeless, and enduring.
Artemis Teas’ Byzantium botanic tea is inspired by this timelessness and beauty, and by this important melding of art and ideas. The black teas highlighted in this blend embody the ancient art of tea-making in Asia, as well as the ancient art of Western herbalism. Akin to the city, our Byzantium tea brings together ideas, traditions, and plants of East and West in a golden botanic formula to awaken the mind and body, arouse curiosity, and thoroughly satisfy the palate with its rich notes of milk chocolate, wild clover, and ripe cherry shot through with the faintest hint of Eastern spice . . .
Byzantium is a perfect choice for breakfast. Its caffeine content is more robust than other blends; however, the herbs in this formula provide their own beautiful magic: they awaken the body and mind by arousing the the various organ systems from their nightly stupor, or from a general sluggishness and inaction. Red clover is a gentle lymphatic herb that moves lymph, and helps cleanse the blood. Safflower petals delicately warm the blood and increase circulation.
What makes this tea particularly rare, however, is its use of both uncommon, and uncommonly fine black teas. One of my very favorites is our Laoshan Black Tea, grown in Shandong Province, China, on a small 15 acre family tea farm situated at the base of a Taoist Holy Mountain. Ocean mists naturally shade the growth of this tea, and the consistently cool weather of Northern China gives this tea its uniquely sweet, chocolatey aromas. The tea is entirely hand-picked, then left to oxidize in the sun for three days, after which it is promptly gathered and hand-finished in a small family workshop. The finished tea leaves are deep black, delicately curled, and glossy, and yield unique notes of chocolate brownie, pumpkin, minerality, cinnamon, honey, and ripe cherry.
In addition to our rare, Laoshan black tea, Byzantium also shines with our gorgeous, organic Yunnan Golden Buds. China’s Yunnan Province has been producing teas for more than 1700 years, and one of its very finest offerings are its Golden Buds. This tea is easily identified by its rich golden yellow hue, and the downy fuzz or fine hairs present on every bud. The tea buds are golden because they do not yet have much chlorophyll in them, and instead are rich with antioxidants. The aroma is rich—reminiscent of cacao, vanilla, honey, and resinous wood. A refined palate might detect aromatic notes of leather, moss, or wicker, and the brew is a rich amber with deeper notes of sweet molasses and malt. The tea is prized for its aromas, its lack of bitterness or astringency, and its ability to stimulate without causing jitters.
Byzantium Taste Notes: toasted marshmallow, milk chocolate, wild clover, honey, and ripe cherry, with a delicate hint of Eastern spice.
Health profile: Rich in isoflavones; beneficial for skin health, blood purification, and cancer prevention. Avoid if pregnant or if using blood thinners. Byzantium is formulated to gently awaken the lymphatic system, warm and stir the blood, and stimulate healthy liver function.
Text and Photography Copyright © 2024, Andrea Lawse. All Rights Reserved.