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56 Tea & Coffee Trade Journal | www.teaandcoffee.net Medica Classic," which was compiled during in the Eastern Han Dynasty (A.D. 25–220) and is attributed to the mythical Emperor Shen Nong, the Divine Laborer. This comprehensive first-ever written herbal classic, which also mentioned the tea plant (Camellia sinensis) in its list of 270 beneficial plants, described chrysan- themums as an herb for rejuvenation and prolonging life. Today, chrysanthemum infusion is still used in Chinese medicine to help treat a variety of ailments like eye conditions, dizziness, inflammation, rheumatism, and illnesses aggravated by blockages arising from a deficient Qi, or energy circulation. Past to Present Applications While chrysanthemums are cultivated in Japan and Korea, there are also sever- al established local varieties in China that range from pure white to pale and bright yellow. The most popular are those grown in the Huang Shan area, in Chu Zhou and Bo Zhou in the Anhui Province and those grown in Tongxiang near Hangzhou in the Zhejiang Province. They are commonly displayed in their big cartons on the tea markets as part of the tea and plant selection. Looking at the Western markets of late, chamomile has constantly been pres- ent in European herbal catalogs and is sold either as loose flowers by weight or in infusion bags, pure or blended with other herbals. The launch of the company Celestial Seasonings in 1969 in Boulder, Colorado incorporated local plants col- lected in the Rocky Mountains; one of the two original recipes, Sleepy Time, still a bestseller after 47 years, is made from chamomile. There are chamomile tea bags in every portfolio of the tea and herbals industry majors, and now there are also a variety of ready-to-drink (RTD) retail products, such as the Teas' Tea unsweet- ened Herbal Chamomile Tea. Barry Cooper, founder and CEO of Cooper Tea, located in Boulder, Colo., discussed the days in the 1980s when he was in charge of sourcing herbals for Lipton. "In the Western tea world there were four important herbs–cham- omile, peppermint, hibiscus and rose- hip–and one important spice, cinnamon, all of which interested Lipton," Cooper explained. "There was little information [about the herbs] available at that time, and my mission was to investigate where they were grown and how they were har- vested and processed. We had to catch up with traditional knowledge, which had been left aside when science took over medicine in Europe during the early 20 th century and hence allowed for use of herbals to decline. There has been a huge comeback during the past 30 years, and herbals are again thriving as part of Western lifestyle, both for wellness and for gourmet pleasure." In China and the Asia Pacific area, the use of herbals seems to have maintained continued pace as part of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TMC). Modern times have brought along highly improved convenience, with the food and bever- age majors like Yeo's from Singapore or Pokka from Japan having launched many RTD formats (from cans to packs to bottles) that contain the infusions of (Above) three chrysanthemum varieties. (Left) Michel Pierre with his book in his "herboristerie," or herbal shop. chamomile & chrysanthemum Learn More at WorldTeaAcademy.com! Professional Training Online Certification