I recently had the opportunity to explore Seattle's tea scene with a fellow Portland tea person who has been kind enough to show me around. It was a day trip, but we managed to check out quite a few spots:
Jade Garden - A dim sum place in Chinatown/"The International District" known for its delectable shrimp dishes. The jasmine pearls wasn't bad for a restaurant.
New Century - A charming tea shop, also in The International District. They have a gorgeous tasting area, complete with a carved old-growth tree tea table. I was impressed with their selection of teaware and picked up a basic gong fu boat while I was there.
The Teacup - A cafe-style tea shop with lots of regulars hanging out and plenty of people stopping in for a quick cup of tea. Good blended tisane selection. I've heard The Teacup's owner speak at The World Tea Expo, so it was fascinating to see in person what she had spoken about. Bonus - Brett (who is, I believe, the manager there) just got back from Taiwan and brought some of his finds with him. Awesome!
Floating Leaves - Not much to write home about in terms of ambiance, but my favorite in terms of tea selection. Very impressive Chinese and Taiwanese teas ranging from flowering teas to artisan oolongs. Bonus - The owner, Shiuwen, is extremely knowledgeable and has a great sense of humor. She also offers tours to Taiwan... and I have to say that I am seriously considering going on one soon!
Miro Tea - A cute, trendy tea cafe that, at first glance, reminded me a bit of Soy in NYC (across from Tea & Sympathy). I can't say much about it, as I was famished when I stopped in and ended up heading over to Root Table for dinner instead of teasing my appetite with Miro's crepes, etc., but I hope to visit again next time I'm in Seattle.
Speaking of next time... I hope to have time to sit down with Elin Head (who also writes for World Tea News) and Michael Coffey (of Tea Geek) and to stop by a few more tea places (Recommendations welcome!). I'll probably be in town for the Northwest Tea Festival, but perhaps sooner. We shall see!
Monday, February 22, 2010
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Another Year in Tea
Today is my 28th birthday. Age 27 was an eventful year! Here are a few highlights:
* Got to work with some great tea companies! From staff training to events to copy (mostly copy), I loved learning about what makes each tea business successful in its own, unique way... and helping them do better within their niche. It's incredible to see such a diversity within the growing world of tea in North America. I'm thrilled o be a part of it.
* Continued to work with World Tea News. No one else is taking a look at the tea industry the way they are, and it has been a joy to be a part of the team.
* Started writing for About.com as their Coffee.Tea guide. Figured devoting time to coffee is worth it if I can spread the love of tea. (I'm kidding! Kind of...) Continued to work toward my goal of exposing more people to great tea.
* Left NYC. Temporarily relocated to Charlotte, NC to help my mom open her second location of Urbana Cityspa & Teabar. When my work was done there, my husband and I traveled across the country to Portland, OR, a city much more suited to our lifestyles. (You can read about my journey, mostly my many stops for tea, on World Tea News.)
* Tasted some amazing teas. Got deeper into oolongs. Had a month of focused tastings. Sipped entire collections of tea from multiple vendors. Subscribed to Teance's teas of the month. Realized that, even if I tried, I could never get tired of tea.
* Worked hard. Lived well. Late last year, I realized that I was verging on burnout. After re-evaluating some priorities, making a commitment to only taking on clients I really want to work with and getting back into a regular exercise routine, I'm happy to say that burnout is no longer on my horizon. Might sound like a small task, but those who have been there will likely agree with me that it is not.
I hope that this year will be as much of an adventure as the last one (though I wouldn't mind moving less!). There are a few exciting projects in the works, including writing a book (the topic of which is currently secret), writing copy for several promising new clients and maybe even taking a trip to Japan and/or Sri Lanka. One of my goals for the year is to blog more, so I'll do my best to share news of these projects (and whatever else may come along this year!) here as it comes up. Until then! ~Lindsey Goodwin, Age 28
* Got to work with some great tea companies! From staff training to events to copy (mostly copy), I loved learning about what makes each tea business successful in its own, unique way... and helping them do better within their niche. It's incredible to see such a diversity within the growing world of tea in North America. I'm thrilled o be a part of it.
* Continued to work with World Tea News. No one else is taking a look at the tea industry the way they are, and it has been a joy to be a part of the team.
* Started writing for About.com as their Coffee.Tea guide. Figured devoting time to coffee is worth it if I can spread the love of tea. (I'm kidding! Kind of...) Continued to work toward my goal of exposing more people to great tea.
* Left NYC. Temporarily relocated to Charlotte, NC to help my mom open her second location of Urbana Cityspa & Teabar. When my work was done there, my husband and I traveled across the country to Portland, OR, a city much more suited to our lifestyles. (You can read about my journey, mostly my many stops for tea, on World Tea News.)
* Tasted some amazing teas. Got deeper into oolongs. Had a month of focused tastings. Sipped entire collections of tea from multiple vendors. Subscribed to Teance's teas of the month. Realized that, even if I tried, I could never get tired of tea.
* Worked hard. Lived well. Late last year, I realized that I was verging on burnout. After re-evaluating some priorities, making a commitment to only taking on clients I really want to work with and getting back into a regular exercise routine, I'm happy to say that burnout is no longer on my horizon. Might sound like a small task, but those who have been there will likely agree with me that it is not.
I hope that this year will be as much of an adventure as the last one (though I wouldn't mind moving less!). There are a few exciting projects in the works, including writing a book (the topic of which is currently secret), writing copy for several promising new clients and maybe even taking a trip to Japan and/or Sri Lanka. One of my goals for the year is to blog more, so I'll do my best to share news of these projects (and whatever else may come along this year!) here as it comes up. Until then! ~Lindsey Goodwin, Age 28
Sunday, January 31, 2010
A Month of Tea
January is almost over and my adventure of drinking a different tea every day for the whole month is also ending. It has been quite the journey! Here are a few discoveries from along the way...
* Tea has so many amazing aromas and flavor profiles to offer... it dizzies the mind. I knew this already, of course, but there's nothing like a month-long reminder of the fact. :)
* Changing caffeine levels in my diet was harder than I thought it would be! I went from drinking four cups of white tea, to one to two cups of green tea and oolong (depending on the type), to one to two cups black tea (depending on how overloaded my work schedule was at the time -- one was more my tolerance level by the end), to two to three cups of pu-erh (depending on how aged it was). Despite the changes in quantity, it was still a challenge finding that caffeine sweet spot between not enough and too much.
* Sometimes, you're simply in the mood for a certain type of tea. I thought I could overcome my tendency to be inordinately particular about my tea selections by the end of the month, but no... I still found myself craving teas that were not in my tasting routine.
* For me, different tea types are conducive to different activities. White tea is great for chilling out. Chinese green teas are good for before or after yoga and stretching. Japanese green teas are better for mental and physical tasks that need to be completed quickly. Oolongs are perfect for writing (which is part of why I drink them so often). Black teas are better for physical activity and gut decisions. Puers are more introspective and reflective. This exercise was a firm reminder of which teas help me the most in my daily life.
* This kind of exercise really does improve your palate. I was a doubter in the beginning. I thought, "I could just taste everything in a day..." but tasting one each day is like that "eat a single Oreo and truly enjoy it" thing they do for food addicts. It forces you to concentrate, to savor, to exist in the moment. Tea becomes far more profound when viewed in these discrete moments over time. It's a singular and a cumulative effect that's completely different from the many cuppings (and casual cuppas) I've enjoyed over the years.
* Planning a trip during my oolong tasting week was not the best decision I've ever made. (Still, the Fancy Food Show and time with friends and tea people in SF was worth it!)
* Sometimes, one tea a day is just not enough! I'm not talking about caffeine, here -- I'm talking about the need for different teas for specific reasons. I didn't make any rules about sticking to the one each day, but if I had, I would have broken them for three reasons: 1. Oolong really does help me write (and I swear it's not just a mental thing). 2. Sometimes, the cravings for specific teas can get out of hand. There is nothing quite like pu-erh by a roaring fire or watching the sun rise over a cup of Genmaicha. 3. I write about tea for a living. I can't exactly tell clients, "I'll get to cupping all these teas next month." (Well, I suppose I could, but it would be a really bad business decision.)
Writing this over my second cup of Imperial Tea Court's Imperial Pu-erh for the day, I am thoroughly satisfied with this "month of tea" experiment. Of course, for me, every month is a month of tea (this is just a different KIND of month of tea)... and I'm looking forward to drinking a wild-crafted white sage and mint tisane for focus after I finish the pu-erh (After all, I have serious deadlines and can't exist in a pu-erh-induced introspective state all day!)... but I'm really glad I did this and would definitely consider repeating it next year. Maybe by then, I'll have a few more people to actively share the adventure with! (Marilyn? Steph? Jan? Am I sensing potential for a Portland group here?)
* Tea has so many amazing aromas and flavor profiles to offer... it dizzies the mind. I knew this already, of course, but there's nothing like a month-long reminder of the fact. :)
* Changing caffeine levels in my diet was harder than I thought it would be! I went from drinking four cups of white tea, to one to two cups of green tea and oolong (depending on the type), to one to two cups black tea (depending on how overloaded my work schedule was at the time -- one was more my tolerance level by the end), to two to three cups of pu-erh (depending on how aged it was). Despite the changes in quantity, it was still a challenge finding that caffeine sweet spot between not enough and too much.
* Sometimes, you're simply in the mood for a certain type of tea. I thought I could overcome my tendency to be inordinately particular about my tea selections by the end of the month, but no... I still found myself craving teas that were not in my tasting routine.
* For me, different tea types are conducive to different activities. White tea is great for chilling out. Chinese green teas are good for before or after yoga and stretching. Japanese green teas are better for mental and physical tasks that need to be completed quickly. Oolongs are perfect for writing (which is part of why I drink them so often). Black teas are better for physical activity and gut decisions. Puers are more introspective and reflective. This exercise was a firm reminder of which teas help me the most in my daily life.
* This kind of exercise really does improve your palate. I was a doubter in the beginning. I thought, "I could just taste everything in a day..." but tasting one each day is like that "eat a single Oreo and truly enjoy it" thing they do for food addicts. It forces you to concentrate, to savor, to exist in the moment. Tea becomes far more profound when viewed in these discrete moments over time. It's a singular and a cumulative effect that's completely different from the many cuppings (and casual cuppas) I've enjoyed over the years.
* Planning a trip during my oolong tasting week was not the best decision I've ever made. (Still, the Fancy Food Show and time with friends and tea people in SF was worth it!)
* Sometimes, one tea a day is just not enough! I'm not talking about caffeine, here -- I'm talking about the need for different teas for specific reasons. I didn't make any rules about sticking to the one each day, but if I had, I would have broken them for three reasons: 1. Oolong really does help me write (and I swear it's not just a mental thing). 2. Sometimes, the cravings for specific teas can get out of hand. There is nothing quite like pu-erh by a roaring fire or watching the sun rise over a cup of Genmaicha. 3. I write about tea for a living. I can't exactly tell clients, "I'll get to cupping all these teas next month." (Well, I suppose I could, but it would be a really bad business decision.)
Writing this over my second cup of Imperial Tea Court's Imperial Pu-erh for the day, I am thoroughly satisfied with this "month of tea" experiment. Of course, for me, every month is a month of tea (this is just a different KIND of month of tea)... and I'm looking forward to drinking a wild-crafted white sage and mint tisane for focus after I finish the pu-erh (After all, I have serious deadlines and can't exist in a pu-erh-induced introspective state all day!)... but I'm really glad I did this and would definitely consider repeating it next year. Maybe by then, I'll have a few more people to actively share the adventure with! (Marilyn? Steph? Jan? Am I sensing potential for a Portland group here?)
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Off to SF Tomorrow
I'm headed out to San Francisco for a week starting tomorrow. Planning to meet with a number of tea people, which is always a treat. I'll also be checking out a few more coffee places for my work with About.com's Coffee/Tea site. If you have any suggestions for places to visit, I'd love to hear them!
Happy sipping!
~Lindsey
PS -- If you want to follow my SF coffee/tea adventures, you can check them out on the VeeTea Twitter page.
Happy sipping!
~Lindsey
PS -- If you want to follow my SF coffee/tea adventures, you can check them out on the VeeTea Twitter page.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Celebrating Tea in 2010
Happy New Year! I hope that your new year, like mine, has gotten off to a great start!
One of the things I look forward to each year is the idea of getting back to basics in January. I like to take the opportunity to simplify and clarify things in my life at the beginning of each year. I step back and look at my life and my business. I make goals and strategize on how to reach them. While looking at the big picture, I try to appreciate the little things.
This year, part of my simplification for January involves celebrating Hot Tea Month. Each day in January, I'm focusing on a different tea. For example, on New Year's Day, I drank a silver needle from Teance. The next day, I drank a silver needle from American Tea Room. Today, I drank a Bai Mu Dan. During the next week, I'll drink a different green tea each day... and so on it goes. Each day, I'll take on the simple act appreciating a different tea, but there's an overall goal to the exercise -- to re-educate my tea palate in a very straightforward way by reacquainting myself with a range of teas.
Of course, there are plenty of other ways to celebrate hot tea month. (In fact, I came up with a list of 31 ways to celebrate hot tea month for About.com.) How are you celebrating Hot Tea Month or using January as a time to rekindle your love of tea?
One of the things I look forward to each year is the idea of getting back to basics in January. I like to take the opportunity to simplify and clarify things in my life at the beginning of each year. I step back and look at my life and my business. I make goals and strategize on how to reach them. While looking at the big picture, I try to appreciate the little things.
This year, part of my simplification for January involves celebrating Hot Tea Month. Each day in January, I'm focusing on a different tea. For example, on New Year's Day, I drank a silver needle from Teance. The next day, I drank a silver needle from American Tea Room. Today, I drank a Bai Mu Dan. During the next week, I'll drink a different green tea each day... and so on it goes. Each day, I'll take on the simple act appreciating a different tea, but there's an overall goal to the exercise -- to re-educate my tea palate in a very straightforward way by reacquainting myself with a range of teas.
Of course, there are plenty of other ways to celebrate hot tea month. (In fact, I came up with a list of 31 ways to celebrate hot tea month for About.com.) How are you celebrating Hot Tea Month or using January as a time to rekindle your love of tea?
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Black Friday/Cyber Monday Tea Sales
Looking for an awesome deal on tea and teaware for the holidays? Check out this list of Black Friday & Cyber Monday Tea Sales I wrote for About.com. It includes deals from Adagio, Rishi, Samovar, Teance, teas, Etc. and more. If you have a tea company that's offering a deal for the holidays, please add it to the list! Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!!!
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Tea & Cheese Pairings
If you're reading this, you probably love tea and, more likely than not, you're a foodie. If you're a foodie, you probably love cheese. Lately, tea and cheese pairings have been a fascination of mine. I think there's no better time to share them than the holidays -- they're perfect for parties and meals as an alternative (or addition) to wine and cheese pairings. Whether you're a tea business owner looking to spice up your events or a host/hostess looking for a new culinary path for your guests, I think you'll enjoy this approach to pairing.
I recently wrote about the topic for World Tea News. Here's an excerpt from my article, with pairing advice from David Barenholtz (Le Palais Gourmet/American Tea Room), Cynthia Gold (Boston Plaza Hotel, lecturer at the World Tea Expo and other venues) and Mim Enck (East Indes Tea Company, lecturer at the World Tea Expo and other venues):
*Pair opposing flavors – the salty, fruity flavor of Taleggio with the peppery, chocolaty notes of Risheehat First Flush Darjeeling (Barenholtz), or sweet Lychee Black or Pouchong and with salty Gorgonzola or Shropshire Blue (Gold).
*Play on similarities – the grassy-sweetness of Nevat with grassy-sweet Japanese greens, or the herbaceous Vento d’Estate with the honey-hay notes of Golden Needle Yunnan (Barenholtz).
*Consider texture – the fat of a rich Brie with a brisk, palette-cleansing Darjeeling First Flush (Gold).
*Bring out sub-tones and sub-textures – well-aged Comte emphasizes the cleanliness and chestnut tones of Dragonwell (Gold).
* Follow the seasons – seasonally available Irish whiskey cheddar with cold-weather teas like Lapsang Souchong (Enck).
Yum! What are your favorite ways to pair tea and cheese? Interested in doing this with your tea business? Read more on World Tea News.
I recently wrote about the topic for World Tea News. Here's an excerpt from my article, with pairing advice from David Barenholtz (Le Palais Gourmet/American Tea Room), Cynthia Gold (Boston Plaza Hotel, lecturer at the World Tea Expo and other venues) and Mim Enck (East Indes Tea Company, lecturer at the World Tea Expo and other venues):
*Pair opposing flavors – the salty, fruity flavor of Taleggio with the peppery, chocolaty notes of Risheehat First Flush Darjeeling (Barenholtz), or sweet Lychee Black or Pouchong and with salty Gorgonzola or Shropshire Blue (Gold).
*Play on similarities – the grassy-sweetness of Nevat with grassy-sweet Japanese greens, or the herbaceous Vento d’Estate with the honey-hay notes of Golden Needle Yunnan (Barenholtz).
*Consider texture – the fat of a rich Brie with a brisk, palette-cleansing Darjeeling First Flush (Gold).
*Bring out sub-tones and sub-textures – well-aged Comte emphasizes the cleanliness and chestnut tones of Dragonwell (Gold).
* Follow the seasons – seasonally available Irish whiskey cheddar with cold-weather teas like Lapsang Souchong (Enck).
Yum! What are your favorite ways to pair tea and cheese? Interested in doing this with your tea business? Read more on World Tea News.
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