Spotlight on Aromatherapy with Gabrielle "The Tea Lady" Jammal

Tea. What comes to mind when you read that word? Family farms? A gorgeous experience? Quality ingredients? This episode highlights one of the first trained tea sommeliers in the United States: Gabrielle Jammal, also known as "the Tea Lady". Once you spend time with Gabrielle you may never look at bagged tea the same way as she removes the "veil on the tea world"! Gabrielle is a tea sommelier who took tea tasting and experiences to new heights by creating a tea program at the esteemed Baccarat Hotel in NYC. This includes sourcing quality ingredients and selecting teas to entice and elevate client experiences. What does a high-quality Earl Gray taste like? Stick with Gabrielle to find out. You'll learn a LOT from her during this episode: from tea regions, the plant Camellia sinensis, what makes a quality tea and what makes white tea so special.  A core theme during our conversation is experience.  How every day is special and taking time to appreciate what we have, like a beautiful cup of tea served in a glass pot and cup, can be enriching. Yes, please use that nice glassware and don't keep it stuffed away in a cabinet!  Be curious and make mistakes (experiment!) to learn what you like and how you like it prepared.  Also, don't be afraid to step away from the supermarket and try new teas! Gabrielle encourages us to recognize that we have a lot of pull with our purchasing decisions. There are many businesses specializing in tea that can help you navigate the seemingly intimidating world of tea--seek out these suppliers for guidance or contact a professional tea sommelier like Gabrielle, The Tea Lady, to help you navigate the world of tea. Learn more about Gabrielle at GabriellleJammal.com and be inspired by her tea-centric posts Instagram as @the.tea.lady.