Stash Cherry Almond Dessert Tea

Cherries belong to the genus Prunus, which also includes plums, peaches, apricots, and almonds. Cultivated cherries come from two wild species native to western Asia - Prunus avium, a sweet cherry variety, and Prunus cerasus, a sour cherry variety. Both sweet and sour cherries have existed for thousands of years. The classical Greek name was "kerasos", from which "cherry" is derived. Today the cherry is grown principally in France, Italy and in the United States, primarily in California and Washington. There are more than 1200 varieties of this fruit.

The almond comes from the beautiful almond tree, Prunus amygdalus, and is delicately flavored and highly versatile. Almond trees have existed since prehistoric times and they only grow in warm climates. California is the main producer of almonds, followed by Spain and Italy. Well-known varieties of the almond include the "Jordan" and the "Valencia", which are both semi-hard shell Spanish types, the California papershell "Nonpareil" and the softshell "Ne Plus Ultra" varieties.

Almonds fall into two categories--sweet and bitter, and both categories are cultivated. Sweet almonds are grown as dessert nuts and to enjoy plain. Bitter almonds are easier and cheaper to grow but contain prussic acid and can be consumed only after removal of this acid. Almonds are used mostly for cooking and are very popular in the confectionery industry in desserts such as marzipan, nougat and macaroons.

For our delicious Cherry Almond Dessert tea, we combine the sweet flavor of plump red cherries and rich almonds with fine black teas from China and India. The result is a smooth, cordial-like tea that is rich in flavor and aroma. This tea may be enjoyed any time of the day but is especially pleasant in the evening as a dessert, with a touch of sugar added.

Caffeine

Caffeinated