Wow what a winter! It feels at times like the icy wind is blowing right through you. Trade the chill for warm respite – visit our Market Barista. Your neighborhood Market of Choice has a cozy spot waiting, just for you. After a busy holiday season, it’s the perfect place to relax and unwind.

Try our organic loose-leaf tea from The Jasmine Pearl Tea Merchants, a local company that buys only the best tea and then perfectly blends them into a warm and delightful experience.

Available in nine varieties, my favorite is the Organic Feel Better Blend. Oh-so soothing to the sinuses, whether you’re fighting a cold or not. This chamomile tea is blended with herbs for a calming break whenever the winter blues got you down.

Another of my favorites is the Mint Medley leaf tea. I grew up surrounded by mint fields – there was fragrant mint everywhere. As kids, we would rub the peppermint leaves and smell them or pop one in our mouth for a refreshingly potent dose of mint oil. My dad even used mint straw in the garden to enrich the soil. We had many good memories at that house, so this tea really takes me back.

A lovely black tea first thing in the morning, Organic English Breakfast is balanced but not bitter like many you may have had in the past. It’s amazing how flavorful and fresh the loose-leaf tea is – I replace my morning cup of Joe with this from time to time.

Many of our varieties can be steeped up to three times. I recommend using our ceramic cups, available at the Barista counter for steeping more than once. The biodegradable cups won’t last long enough for repeated use and may leak.

Our Snow Buds Green Tea from China is very different than the tea grown in Japan. It’s interesting how tea, like all plants, absorb characteristics from the soil. This mellow tea is crisp, sweet and slightly savory.

The Genmaicha is a green tea that was developed in Japan during World War II – they added rice to the tea-leaf blend to help stretch the leaves, producing a surprisingly nutty flavor. The rice is toasted to round out the flavor of this blend. At times, it reminds me of a yummy broth.

For a strictly herbal tea, try the Organic Lemon Hibiscus blend. This distinctly pink tea is as beautiful in the cup as it is to the palate – the hibiscus lends this lemon delight a touch of a pucker.

I am always on the look out for something extraordinary and this tea from Jasmine Pearl has been a wonderful addition to our Direct Trade and locally roasted coffees.

Let us share some of our cozy treasures with you. Come explore the tastes of England, China, Japan and Taiwan. The difficult part is deciding which one to try first!