Be glad I didn't go into more detail!Trioxin wrote:Wow. This thread is nearly as bad as the hotdog water pu-erh thread.
I wanted to update everyone that Adagio apologized and said it was due to the lack of chemical pesticides. I like the idea of lack of chemical pesticides, but there must be a way of using natural pesticides like insecticidal soaps instead.
Of course i am not a tea grower/producer so what do i know. I dont want soap in my tea either!
Anyway, Adagio apologized and made it right.
Of course i am not a tea grower/producer so what do i know. I dont want soap in my tea either!
Anyway, Adagio apologized and made it right.
Oct 20th, '08, 10:30
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Location: Back in the TeaCave atop Mt. Fuji
Maybe you brewed insect eggs. There may have been eggs vs live critters.chadg wrote:Pretty Gross to think i steep bugs the first time i tried it.
Insecticidal soap definitely leaves residue. Bleh.chadg wrote:but there must be a way of using natural pesticides like insecticidal soaps instead.
Of course i am not a tea grower/producer so what do i know. I dont want soap in my tea either!
The chief green method is the use of other insects. As mentioned above, insects are released in massive quantities, such as lady bugs.
I just received a large order from Adagio yesterday. I'm very pleased with all the samples (15 in total)!
Much to my amusement, I found a little dried up beetle in my 4oz (that's A LOT!) tin of peppermint. I've named him George. I picked him out and showed him to all my co-workers, before flinging little George into the garbage bin.
Now some people take finding a bug in their tea a bad sign. I don't! To me, a bug means that it doesn't contain nasty pesticides (they would do more harm that the bug), and that it's really a natural product.
As someone who eats fresh vegetables and fruit from the garden every summer, the odd bug is just normal. Some cultures regularly eat bugs, and it certainly doesn't seem to hurt them. It just goes to show that this peppermint was not created in some chemical vat by guys in haz-mat suits.
RIP George.
Much to my amusement, I found a little dried up beetle in my 4oz (that's A LOT!) tin of peppermint. I've named him George. I picked him out and showed him to all my co-workers, before flinging little George into the garbage bin.
Now some people take finding a bug in their tea a bad sign. I don't! To me, a bug means that it doesn't contain nasty pesticides (they would do more harm that the bug), and that it's really a natural product.
As someone who eats fresh vegetables and fruit from the garden every summer, the odd bug is just normal. Some cultures regularly eat bugs, and it certainly doesn't seem to hurt them. It just goes to show that this peppermint was not created in some chemical vat by guys in haz-mat suits.
RIP George.
I believe drinking tea makes me a better artist. But hey, I also believe I'm completely sane.
Hahah! I imagine he just died of dehydration, because he certainly didn't starve to death! (Unless he didn't like peppermint...it is pretty strong).Chip wrote:... but ... but, what killed George???
For all I know, maybe he was dead when he got shoved in there, which is all the better, really. No bug poop to worry about.
I believe drinking tea makes me a better artist. But hey, I also believe I'm completely sane.
Nov 1st, '08, 01:41
Adagio
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ilya
We at Adagio have received a few complains about bugs in last year's crop of chamomile tea. We purchase our chamomile from Egypt and due to the nature of organic products, some years prove more difficult to completely remove all the pests than others.
Each year, we try to purchase the chamomile with the very least amount of pesticides, but enough to keep the pests away. Too much, and customers (justifiably) complain about the chemicals. Too little, and customers (justifiably) complain about the bugs.
Apart from taking steps to neutralize the issue before the product reaches us in the states, we have added an additional step of storing the chamomile in a freezer to kill anything that does not belong. We hope this extra precaution will help reduce the instances of people getting more than they've paid for when they buy our chamomile.
Each year, we try to purchase the chamomile with the very least amount of pesticides, but enough to keep the pests away. Too much, and customers (justifiably) complain about the chemicals. Too little, and customers (justifiably) complain about the bugs.
Apart from taking steps to neutralize the issue before the product reaches us in the states, we have added an additional step of storing the chamomile in a freezer to kill anything that does not belong. We hope this extra precaution will help reduce the instances of people getting more than they've paid for when they buy our chamomile.
Last edited by ilya on Mar 19th, '09, 18:16, edited 2 times in total.
I guess he froze to death on his Arctic expedition ...geeber1 wrote:Too much caffeine?Chip wrote:... but ... but, what killed George???
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Jan 30th, '09, 05:40
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Organic Tea Cleaner Than Restaurant Prep
If you have problems with bugs in your organic tea I suggest you never eat in a restaurant again. Aside from those high gloss cooking shows on TV the reality is that most food preparation in the common restaurant makes a bug in your tea seem like a prize in your cereal. At least you were able to remove the bug upon inspection. I'll stop there so as to not gross anyone out completely. Just remember wherever you are...so are our pesky friends.
Jan 30th, '09, 16:16
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People have been eating bugs for millions of years.
We're still here (so far) I wouldn't worry about a couple
of bugs but would avoid anything obviously infested.
On another note, I plant to grow chamomile this summer.
I grew my own peppermint tea last year and ii is WAY better
than any other I've tried.
We're still here (so far) I wouldn't worry about a couple
of bugs but would avoid anything obviously infested.
On another note, I plant to grow chamomile this summer.
I grew my own peppermint tea last year and ii is WAY better
than any other I've tried.
“Take some more tea,” the March Hare said to Alice, very earnestly.
“I’ve had nothing yet,” Alice replied in an offended tone: “so I ca’n’t take more.”
“You mean you ca’n’t take less,” said the Hatter: “it’s very easy to take more than nothing.”
“I’ve had nothing yet,” Alice replied in an offended tone: “so I ca’n’t take more.”
“You mean you ca’n’t take less,” said the Hatter: “it’s very easy to take more than nothing.”
So what really did kill 'George'?
It's the oils in the mint.
They're naturally toxic to insects. In the Columbia Basin Federal Irrigation Project of the Pacific Northwest, they grow the motherlode mint for the food processing industry.
No chemical sprays are needed to control pests in these fields.
George probably crawled into the bag after processing and croaked, as it's unlikely that he originated with the harvested mint.
If restaurants want to control pests, all they need do is apply an otherwise innocuous chemical, sodium borate.
You know as Borax. Of the 17-Mule Team kind.
I helped spear-head use of it in the deep South many moon ago, after enduring toxic pesticide spraying for years. The sprays didn't work very well, even when used in combinations that were regularly rotated to supposedly prevent tolerance.
Thing is, it's not the cockroaches and ants that become habituated and resistant to these pesticides. It's the bacteria that live in their guts. Symbiotic bacteria are very resourceful at degrading toxins that would otherwise kill their hosts.
Fancy that, borax works on bedbugs, too. Very efficient, it gets rid of them as fast as they can hatch.
Just so you know.
They're naturally toxic to insects. In the Columbia Basin Federal Irrigation Project of the Pacific Northwest, they grow the motherlode mint for the food processing industry.
No chemical sprays are needed to control pests in these fields.
George probably crawled into the bag after processing and croaked, as it's unlikely that he originated with the harvested mint.
If restaurants want to control pests, all they need do is apply an otherwise innocuous chemical, sodium borate.
You know as Borax. Of the 17-Mule Team kind.
I helped spear-head use of it in the deep South many moon ago, after enduring toxic pesticide spraying for years. The sprays didn't work very well, even when used in combinations that were regularly rotated to supposedly prevent tolerance.
Thing is, it's not the cockroaches and ants that become habituated and resistant to these pesticides. It's the bacteria that live in their guts. Symbiotic bacteria are very resourceful at degrading toxins that would otherwise kill their hosts.
Fancy that, borax works on bedbugs, too. Very efficient, it gets rid of them as fast as they can hatch.
Just so you know.
I thought I'd throw in my two cents as well.
Chamomile is very prone to what is commonly referred to as "pantry beetles" or "warehouse beetles". If you store your Chamomile for an extended period of time (even in sealed containers) they will typically turn up.
This is just as likely to happen with any other tea retailer as it is with Adagio. In fact, a major tea distributor (that distributes to many smaller online tea retailers) use to post a disclaimer in their catalog that read "Herbs and Herbal blends take on infestations over a period of time anywhere from 2 to 3 months."
It's really completely natural.
And while many of you are freaking out about the litter critters, just consider that the average American eats over 4 lbs of insects per year, typically in bread and cereal where the lil' buggies are simply ground up with the grain.
Mmmmm... let's eat!
Chamomile is very prone to what is commonly referred to as "pantry beetles" or "warehouse beetles". If you store your Chamomile for an extended period of time (even in sealed containers) they will typically turn up.
This is just as likely to happen with any other tea retailer as it is with Adagio. In fact, a major tea distributor (that distributes to many smaller online tea retailers) use to post a disclaimer in their catalog that read "Herbs and Herbal blends take on infestations over a period of time anywhere from 2 to 3 months."
It's really completely natural.
And while many of you are freaking out about the litter critters, just consider that the average American eats over 4 lbs of insects per year, typically in bread and cereal where the lil' buggies are simply ground up with the grain.
Mmmmm... let's eat!
Mar 19th, '09, 11:29
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