Wild Raspberry Hibiscus Tea

This tea is an enchanting blend, lightly sweet and fragrant with the flavor of fresh picked Northwest raspberries. Naturally caffeine free. Raspberries grow wild in the cooler regions of the northern hemisphere and in some parts of the southern hemisphere as well. The ancient Greeks were the first to cultivate raspberries. They called the fruit "idaeus" because it grew wild and abundantly on the slopes of Mount Ida, as it still does today. Thus it is fitting that "Rubus idaeus" is the botanical name of the primary species for both the wild and cultivated raspberry.

The genus also includes the blackberry, which is very similar to the raspberry. Both berries come in a variety of colors from white through yellow, orange, pink, purple, red and black. Thus color is not the distinguishing feature, rather the size of the fruit is. The blackberry fruit is larger than the fruit of the raspberry.

The color of the raspberry is determined not only by its species, but also by climate. Raspberries from Northern India and the Himalayas are black, while yellow and white raspberries grow in Europe and parts of Asia. The wild red raspberry which grows in the United States is sweeter than other species.

Raspberry jams, jellies, syrups and vinegars are famous around the world, as are raspberry desserts such as ice cream, sorbet, pastries, and pies. However, a bowl of fresh raspberries may be the best raspberry dessert of all. Most people do not realize all the health benefits raspberries offer. One cup of raspberries contains 31 mg of vitamin C, and it is a good source of vitamins B-12 and B-6. Raspberries are also high in fiber, low in calories and contain no fat or cholesterol.

At Stash tea we blend the highest quality, most flavorful botanicals for our Wild Raspberry herbal tea. We combine ruby red hibiscus from China, lemongrass from Peru, Valencia orange peel from the United States, rosehips from Chile, and rose petals from Pakistan. Then we add pure, natural flavor extracts from fresh ripe raspberries. The result is a delicious, fruity tea that is both sweet and tangy and very flavorful. This tea can be enjoyed any time of the day since it has no caffeine. It also makes a great thirst-quenching iced tea.

The Stash Tea Company is a privately-held company headquartered in Tigard, Oregon, a suburb of Portland. Founded in 1972, Stash Tea originally operated out of an old Portland Victorian style house, supplying loose herbal teas and bulk herbs to natural food stores. Starting in 1975, the company broadened its focus to include bagged teas and then began to sell a full line of traditional, specialty blend and herbal teas directly to fine restaurants and through a mail order catalog to consumers.

Today, Stash Tea is one of the largest specialty tea companies in the United States. The company derives its name from an entertaining aspect of tea folklore. In earlier centuries, tea was a valuable commodity traditionally transported by clipper ship. The ship's captain often was presented with some of the finest teas for his personal use. This supply was his "stash," stowed carefully as his "private reserve". Today, the term is still used to denote anything put away carefully because of its preciousness.