We at Yogi have been making – and sipping – delicious, functional teas for more than 30 years. We believe in using whole spices and botanicals for their natural goodness and we complement them with intriguing, delightful flavors – qualities that make all of our teas uniquely Yogi.
The Yogi story began in 1969 when Yogi Bhajan, an inspired and inspiring teacher of holistic living, started teaching yoga in America. He shared the wisdom and knowledge of Ayurveda and healthy living that he had mastered in India with his students while serving a specially spiced tea, which they affectionately named “Yogi Tea.” Included in the recipe were five traditional Ayurvedic spices: cardamom seed, cinnamon bark, clove bud, ginger root and black pepper. When blended and brewed, these delicious and aromatic spices leave you feeling vibrant and alive, while supporting overall well-being. Intrigued by the complex flavor and inherent health benefits of this unique combination of spices, it wasn’t long before several of the yogi’s students were inspired to brew their own “Yogi Tea.”
In 1984 this grassroots endeavor blossomed into the Yogi Tea Company. Packages of the dried spices began to appear in natural foods stores throughout Southern California and in Europe. By 1986, Yogi Tea was distributed nationwide in the United States in three flavors. As demand increased, the spices were more finely ground, packaged and sealed into individual tea bags.
Over the years, Yogi has continued to expand and evolve our tea offerings to address specific needs by creating specialized herbal formulas, blended for both flavor and purpose. Today, Yogi offers 11 tea blends in Japan, many of which are created using the five original Yogi spices. In Japan, Yogi is most commonly sold in specialty stores, such as Premium Food Supermarkets, Import Food Groceries and Organic Food Stores.