Tsai Cold Brew: A New Kind of Greek Tsai
What do you get when you take the traditional tsai tou vounou (Greek mountain tea) and mix it with a modern tasty sparkling beverage? You get TSAI COLD BREW an exciting new delicious Greek beverage available in 3 flavors. Please welcome a Greek Canadian company all the way from Montreal Canada! Please meet Manny Favas owner of Tsai Cold Brew company. Sit down and relax and learn all about the tsai cold brew products and how this very dream started.
1. How did tsai cold brew products come together? What is the inspiration behind this brand?
Having grown up with the tea and knowing all of its unique health benefits was certainly the biggest inspiration and respect for our heritage. It’s all about continuing our healthy Greek tradition and sharing it with the world for the first time.
2. How did you blend the traditional tsai tou vounou with the modern flavors of citrus ginseng/ ginger & honey/ peach- apricot & turmeric? Are all 3 of these drinks caffeine-free?
The tea ( actually it’s an herb ) is naturally caffeine-free, one of a handful of teas in the world that is naturally without caffeine. The blending of the flavors was a long R&D process, a delicate balance of flavor profiles that would enhance the Greek tea in taste and benefits, making it more appealing to a North America’s audience. Of course, having a partner with a Ph.D. in food sciences certainly helps.
3. What are the benefits of the cold brew process? Can you explain to the general public what this means?
The easiest way to understand it is basically to use the example of how we all steep our tea…. we boil it for a few minutes, put a tea bag inside and wait for another few minutes before we drink it. The cold brew process is the exact opposite whereby we like the flavor of the tea steep in cold water over time, approx. 36 hours – This extraction process gives the tea a more refreshing profile, Also, It enhances the benefits of the tea, some of which are to help with the digestive process, good for the heart and respiratory system and great for a cold….just to name a few – A simple search on Google for Greek mountain tea will reveal a plethora of information and studies done on this wonderful tea from all over the world.
4. Where does your tsai come from in Greece? What are the benefits of tsai tou vounou? (For the general public who doesn’t know what Greek mountain tea is.) Can you explain the long process it takes for the farmers to pick the tsai from Greece and bring it over to Canada?
The Tsai comes from a region in Mount Olympus.
Yes this tsai comes from Greece and the benefits are many, it is great for digestion, excellent for the respiratory system it is great for colds, just to name a few. What is interesting about this tea which incidentally is not a tea, but a wild herb growing high altitudes in the mountains of Greece a truly unique product that is harvested today the way it was centuries ago… the tradition lives on.
5. Where do you currently sell your products? What is your most popular flavor?
Our products are currently selling in limited distribution Montreal Toronto and Vancouver, but once we solidify good distribution our points of sale will increase drastically. We have three flavors, ginger, and honey, citrus with ginseng and peach apricot with turmeric. Hard to see what is more popular it depends on where in the country and whether or not you’re in a restaurant or a park., it depends on the person‘s taste.
6. Any new flavors coming in the future?
We will be adding two new products shortly!
7. What are your future goals with Tsai Cold Brew company?
We will also be expanding our line of sparkling herbal beverages, thus creating a whole new category of healthy drinks. This is what we find exciting. Similar to what the Greek yogurt did 10 years ago.
8. Check out three exciting adult-friendly cocktails to make!
https://www.tsaibeverage.com/mocktails-cocktails
9. What is your favorite Greek quote?
There are a few that I like including some proverbs, but the one that stands out….”The secret of change is to focus all of your energy Not on fighting the old but building the new”
10. What does Greek culture mean to you in your own words?
My Greek roots, my Greek heritage, my way of thinking is a part of the Greek culture that I grew up in. So rich in history and tradition has helped to shape me as a person and the world that we live in today. The Greeks have always helped people throughout the centuries and have introduced many things to the world. My Greek culture you might see is a sense of pride. It is also my pleasure to be able to share my Greek culture with the world, and all that we have to offer, the Greek tea is just a part of that.
Connect with Tsai Cold Brew:
Website
Contact : mfavas@artevita.co – 514.918.5003
