Enhance Your Rosh Hashanah Celebration with Tea and Tradition
Introduction
Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is a time for reflection, renewal, and gathering with loved ones over symbolic foods and traditions. From incorporating tea into meaningful rituals to crafting honey cakes infused with Earl Grey or learning about cultural customs, these articles offer unique ways to deepen your celebration. Explore how thoughtful touches can transform your holiday into a richer, more personal experience.
With the pivot from August to September comes Labor Day, the Harvest Moon on September 20 and the official kick-off of autumn on September 22.
September and October are also the months when Jewish people around the world honor Rosh Hashanah, a two-day celebration of the Jewish New Year.
Rosh Hashanah involves a variety of traditions. The most famous of them is the blowing of the shofar, a musical instrument made from an animal horn. The horn is traditionally blown many times — during a traditional service, 100 or 101 on each day — at different periods during the holiday.
Other traditions involve food, most notably apples dipped in honey. Eating this dish is meant to symbolize a sweet year ahead.
We think the apple-honey combination is one of the world’s finest flavors. If you have never tried a warm apple tart drizzled with good honey, there’s nothing stopping you! Apples are just coming into season, and in Colorado we are lucky to have so many local honeys for sale.
With Rosh Hashanah just five days away (September 7), we want to explore teas we carry that contain apple pieces — apple adds lovely round flavors to teas. In addition, we can’t think about the places where tea and honey intersect without taking a close look at Yunnan Gold, a traditional Chinese black tea that offers profound honey-like flavors, even though it’s just black tea.
People around the world sweeten teas. As tea is naturally bitter, sweeteners soften the edges and if used judiciously can yield wonderfully flavorful beverages. Among all of the sweeteners out there, we especially prize honey. The flavors are complex and varied, and we love that it’s produced by precious bees!
Shanah tovah!
Enhancing Rosh Hashanah: The Warmth and Comfort of Tea in Holiday Rituals
Among the many ways to enhance the Rosh Hashanah celebration is the introduction of tea into the holiday rituals. Tea offers a moment of warmth and comfort that can help deepen the sense of connection and mindfulness during the festivities. Whether enjoyed alone for quiet reflection or shared with others as part of the meal, tea can be a wonderful complement to the symbolic foods of the season. Herbal teas like chamomile or mint can provide calming benefits, while flavored teas such as honey or apple blends can tie beautifully into the theme of sweetness and renewal.
Sweetening Rosh Hashanah: Honey Cake with Earl Grey Tea for a Unique Twist
Another creative way to celebrate Rosh Hashanah is through baking. A simple yet delicious honey cake made with Earl Grey tea adds a special touch to the holiday spread. The honey cake, with its rich, sweet flavor, is a traditional treat, and adding Earl Grey tea elevates it with a unique twist. The subtle hints of bergamot from the tea pair wonderfully with the honey, making it a perfect dessert for the occasion. This recipe not only combines the sweetness associated with the holiday but also introduces a fragrant, soothing element that complements the overall spirit of the season.
Creating Meaningful Memories: Thoughtful Touches to Enrich Your Rosh Hashanah Celebration
Incorporating these thoughtful touches into your Rosh Hashanah celebrations—whether through tea, baking, or simply gathering around the table with loved ones—can enrich the experience and create lasting memories. The beauty of Rosh Hashanah lies in the rituals and symbols that allow us to honor the past while looking forward to the future. Whether you’re crafting a warm tea ceremony or enjoying a homemade honey cake, these moments of intentionality help to mark the occasion and set the tone for a sweet, meaningful year ahead.
Rosh Hashanah Tea: Toasted Almond Fruit
We hesitate to include our excellent caffeine-free Toasted Almond Fruit tea (as well as the following tea, Holiday Apple Frost Green Tea), as some Jews refrain from eating nuts, especially almonds, during Rosh Hashanah. But many don’t abide by the no-nut practice. And once Rosh Hashanah is over, most of the rest of the calendar is pro-nut.
Just as apples and honey make for an ambrosial pairing, so do almonds with both apples and honey. Many fall desserts include almond paste, which punches-up sweet apple dishes with savory notes. What’s missing? Cinnamon. Good news: Toasted Almond Fruit includes the spectacular spice, one we leverage again and again over the autumn and winter for everything from the aforementioned apple tart to hot cocoa, snickerdoodles and comforting vegetable tagines.
Toasted Almond Fruit tea brews brilliant red. The bright color doesn’t come from apples, almonds or cinnamon. It’s the beetroot that gives Toasted Almond Fruit such glorious color.
As with all of the teas referenced here, do add a smidgen of Colorado honey to the hot beverage. We carry two superb Colorado honeys in all of our stores: Lazy Bee Ranch honey from southern Colorado and Copoco’s Honey from Fort Collins. You can find myriad other brands, including Highland Honey, Honeyville, Clark’s of Colorado and Bjorn’s Colorado Honey, for sale on shelves across the state.
Rosh Hashanah Tea: Holiday Apple Frost Green Tea
Toasted Almond Fruit does not contain Camellia sinensis, the shrub from which most of the world’s hundreds of traditional teas are based. But Holiday Apple Frost Green Tea finds its foundation in sencha, the most common style of tea in Japan. Matcha may get all of the fame, but it’s sencha that Japanese people drink with abandon. In fact, 80 percent of the tea produced in the island nation is sencha.
Tea artisans in both Japan and China arrest the oxidation process to craft green teas, a step that preserves the green color and influences the flavor of the brew. In China, tea farmers roast the tea leaves to stop the oxidation process. But in Japan, they rely on steam to stop oxidation. In general, the Japanese method yields green teas with grassier, more vegetal flavors and aromas. The bouquet and even flavor of some senchas can suggest seaweed. In a delicious way.
Our Holiday Apple Frost Green Tea does not conjure coastal environments thick with kelp and wakame. Instead, it might transport sippers to Thanksgiving, when cooks across the United States are creating delicious desserts with things like oranges, baking spices, apples and, yes, almonds again. This beautiful tea also contains rose petals.
Sencha may serve as the tea’s base, but apples add an important fruity element to this tea. Without them, it might taste like an orange-scented apple tart — minus the apples.
Honey? Of course. We find that teas dense with baking spices often embrace honey with particular ardor.
Rosh Hashanah Tea: Yunnan Gold
From the birthplace of tea, China’s Yunnan Province, comes Yunnan Gold, a world-famous tea that is a Ku Cha favorite.
Yunnan Gold gets its name from the leaves’ golden tips. Tea specialists in China harvest only the tender, golden tips of this prized tea from FengQing County in Yunnan. Once brewed, the tea is remarkably rich, with full sweet potato notes and flavors starkly reminiscent of honey. For the full apples-dipped-in-honey effect, we suggest biting apple slices between Yunnan Gold sips. In fact, you might try dipping the apples into the tea.
Once again, Shanah tovah! May your year be sweet indeed.
Final Thoughts:
Incorporating tea and thoughtful rituals into your Rosh Hashanah celebration offers a unique way to enhance the meaningfulness of the holiday. Whether through calming tea blends or creative baking, these small touches help deepen connections and honor the traditions that make this time special. By adding intention and mindfulness to your celebrations, you can create lasting memories and set the tone for a sweet and prosperous year ahead.
FAQs
What is Rosh Hashanah, and why is it significant?
Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year, marking a time of reflection, repentance, and renewal. It is a celebration of the creation of the world and the beginning of a new cycle, observed through prayers, meals, and rituals.
How can tea be incorporated into Rosh Hashanah celebrations?
Tea can be used as a thoughtful addition to Rosh Hashanah meals, either as a warm beverage to enjoy with loved ones or as part of traditional gift-giving. Unique blends like honey or apple-flavored tea can enhance the holiday’s symbolic meanings.
What teas are ideal for Rosh Hashanah?
Teas with honey, apple, or cinnamon flavors are popular for Rosh Hashanah because they symbolize sweetness and blessings for the new year. Herbal blends like chamomile or mint can also be enjoyed for their calming qualities.
How does tea symbolize aspects of Rosh Hashanah?
Tea, especially when flavored with honey, symbolizes sweetness and wishes for a sweet year ahead. It can also promote mindfulness and connection during holiday rituals.
Can I gift tea for Rosh Hashanah?
Yes, gifting tea is a meaningful gesture for Rosh Hashanah. Choosing a high-quality tea blend or a tea gift set can add a personal touch to your celebrations, perfect for friends or family.
What is the significance of honey in Rosh Hashanah traditions?
Honey is a symbol of sweetness and a wish for a sweet new year. It is often paired with apples, which are also symbolic of blessings and a fruitful year.
How do I make honey cake for Rosh Hashanah?
Honey cake is a traditional dessert for Rosh Hashanah. It’s made by combining honey with spices like cinnamon and cloves, often paired with tea or enjoyed alongside other festive foods.
What are the key ingredients in a Rosh Hashanah honey cake with Earl Grey tea?
A honey cake for Rosh Hashanah typically includes honey, flour, eggs, and warm spices, while adding Earl Grey tea to the cake infuses it with a subtle, fragrant flavor that pairs beautifully with the sweetness of the honey.
Can I customize a Rosh Hashanah tea blend at home?
Yes, you can easily create your own tea blend by combining ingredients like black tea, cinnamon, dried apples, or even a splash of honey. This allows for a personalized touch to suit your taste and the spirit of the holiday.
What are some alternative ways to celebrate Rosh Hashanah beyond traditional foods?
Beyond traditional foods, you can celebrate by adding meaningful rituals like tea ceremonies, reflecting on the past year, or participating in charitable acts. Creating a cozy, reflective atmosphere with warm beverages and quality time can enrich your holiday experience.
