Just wanted to post a quick note that I'll be speaking at the 2010 World Tea Expo about how to create mouthwatering tea menus. The presentation spans from early development (like tea selection and signature drink development) to final touches (like menu design and tea description writing). I've worked with companies including Samovar Tea Lounge, urbana cityspa & teabar, Narien Teas, Tula Teas and Takashimaya in these areas and I look forward to sharing what I've learned over the years about how to set your tea menu apart.
The session is intended for those who are developing their tea menu, making changes to their tea selection or developing printed materials or web content to showcase their products. You can read more about it (and sign up) on the World Tea Expo site. If you know of others who may be interested in attending, please pass this information along!
Showing posts with label World Tea Expo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label World Tea Expo. Show all posts
Thursday, April 15, 2010
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.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Kevin Rose Tea Interview
At the World Tea Expo, I had the pleasure of interviewing a number of tea celebs. The interviews will be popping up on World Tea News over the following weeks. Here's the first of the interviews I conducted: talking tea with Kevin Rose of digg.com. More soon!
Monday, May 11, 2009
World Tea Expo
This post is dedicated to the World Tea Expo. It was, as usual, fantastic. Here are a few highlights from my week in Vegas, from the Expo and otherwise:
Seeing so many tea people -- I love learning about what everyone is up to, talking tea and connecting with people and ideas in the industry. Connections took the forms of chatting between classes, touring the show floor, interviewing like mad, holding a TweetUp, sending the obligatory "where are you now" texts to find fellow attendees... I only wish I'd had more time to spend with everyone!
Trying new teas -- ITO EN's new shincha (sold out already), Hawaii-grown teas from Sherri Miller, oolongs from Teas, Etc. and much more... Along with the people, this is one of my favorite things about the Expo each year!
Interviews -- I held about two dozen interviews over the course of the Expo. Some were informal talks, some were sit-down-with-a-recorder interviews and some were video interviews. The videos were with notables like James Norwood Pratt, Jane Pettigrew, Bruce Richardson, Kevin Rose and Steve Schwartz. They'll start showing up on World Tea News soon.
Classes -- My favorite class was Rona Tison's Japanese green tea cupping course. Tasty! A few of my other favorites were with Charles Cain (TeaGschwendner USA), Michale Cramer (Adagio) and Elisabeth Knottingham (The Teacup in Seattle, WA), who held a fantastic class on hiring and keeping great employees.
Leaving the Strip -- Sometimes Vegas is just so... Vegas-y. This year, I got off the strip on a few occasions. Downtown Vegas' First Friday with my husband, my World Tea News boss and her husband (and his beautiful flower shop, set to open soon) was fantastic. Red Rock Canyon was gorgeous! And tapas with the Gamila Teastick crew was was tastier (and cheaper) than most of the strip fare.
What was your favorite part of the Expo? What are you looking forward to about next year?
Seeing so many tea people -- I love learning about what everyone is up to, talking tea and connecting with people and ideas in the industry. Connections took the forms of chatting between classes, touring the show floor, interviewing like mad, holding a TweetUp, sending the obligatory "where are you now" texts to find fellow attendees... I only wish I'd had more time to spend with everyone!
Trying new teas -- ITO EN's new shincha (sold out already), Hawaii-grown teas from Sherri Miller, oolongs from Teas, Etc. and much more... Along with the people, this is one of my favorite things about the Expo each year!
Interviews -- I held about two dozen interviews over the course of the Expo. Some were informal talks, some were sit-down-with-a-recorder interviews and some were video interviews. The videos were with notables like James Norwood Pratt, Jane Pettigrew, Bruce Richardson, Kevin Rose and Steve Schwartz. They'll start showing up on World Tea News soon.
Classes -- My favorite class was Rona Tison's Japanese green tea cupping course. Tasty! A few of my other favorites were with Charles Cain (TeaGschwendner USA), Michale Cramer (Adagio) and Elisabeth Knottingham (The Teacup in Seattle, WA), who held a fantastic class on hiring and keeping great employees.
Leaving the Strip -- Sometimes Vegas is just so... Vegas-y. This year, I got off the strip on a few occasions. Downtown Vegas' First Friday with my husband, my World Tea News boss and her husband (and his beautiful flower shop, set to open soon) was fantastic. Red Rock Canyon was gorgeous! And tapas with the Gamila Teastick crew was was tastier (and cheaper) than most of the strip fare.
What was your favorite part of the Expo? What are you looking forward to about next year?
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Shincha
Yesterday, I received an email announcing the arrival of Shincha (first flush, "New Tea" sencha from Japan) from ITO EN.
Here's a taste of ITO EN's two Shincha offerings (from ITO EN's email):
Chiran Yutaka Midori Shincha
This YUTAKA MIDORI varietal is grown in the CHIRAN region of Kagoshima Prefecture. The warmer climate of the southern most island lends a more flavorful and vegetal quality to the teas grown here. This CHIRAN YUTAKA MIDORI SHINCHA is no exception, with an intoxicating aroma and vibrant green color, that only hints at the wonderful flavor that awaits you.
Tanogashima Shincha
Tanegashma Shincha comes from a small island off the coast of Kyushu. This Shincha is noted for its deeper flavor and rich palate, ending in a clean finish. With a complexity that is both unusual and delightful in a Shincha, Tangegashima is one that we hope you will enjoy this spring season.
What a wonderful heralding of spring! I can't wait to see more first flush teas at the World Tea Expo and at various retailers over the next few weeks as they are plucked, processed and imported fresh from the source. What's your favorite first flush tea? Is the first flush your favorite?
Here's a taste of ITO EN's two Shincha offerings (from ITO EN's email):
Chiran Yutaka Midori Shincha
This YUTAKA MIDORI varietal is grown in the CHIRAN region of Kagoshima Prefecture. The warmer climate of the southern most island lends a more flavorful and vegetal quality to the teas grown here. This CHIRAN YUTAKA MIDORI SHINCHA is no exception, with an intoxicating aroma and vibrant green color, that only hints at the wonderful flavor that awaits you.
Tanogashima Shincha
Tanegashma Shincha comes from a small island off the coast of Kyushu. This Shincha is noted for its deeper flavor and rich palate, ending in a clean finish. With a complexity that is both unusual and delightful in a Shincha, Tangegashima is one that we hope you will enjoy this spring season.
What a wonderful heralding of spring! I can't wait to see more first flush teas at the World Tea Expo and at various retailers over the next few weeks as they are plucked, processed and imported fresh from the source. What's your favorite first flush tea? Is the first flush your favorite?
Monday, April 27, 2009
Chanoyu News
Sadly, Mr. Hisashi Yamada (founder of the NYC Urasenke Chanoyu Center) passed away last week. You can read a bit about his fascinating, tea-centered life in his obituary (the first I've ever written) and in this NY Times profile.
If you're interested in learning more about the art of chanoyu, be sure to check out the Modern Teaism demo at the World Tea Expo!
Also, if you're interested in architecture and/or design, be sure to check out this tiny teahouse by Terunobu Fujimori. It's the fourth pageview into the sampling Tashcen has provided. You can see more of his tea architecture on Dezeen.
If you're interested in learning more about the art of chanoyu, be sure to check out the Modern Teaism demo at the World Tea Expo!
Also, if you're interested in architecture and/or design, be sure to check out this tiny teahouse by Terunobu Fujimori. It's the fourth pageview into the sampling Tashcen has provided. You can see more of his tea architecture on Dezeen.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Random Fun Links, Part One?
None of these warrant a full post on their own, so I bring you: RANDOM FUN LINKS
This is probably part one in an ongoing series of me being too lazy to write cohesive blog posts because I'm too busy writing even less cohesive articles and copy. (I hope I'm kidding about that last part, but too busy to know for sure!)
This book is awesome. Read it.
Good Magazine says tea is more sustainable than coffee. Rad.
I officially declare this the cutest tea packaging of all time.
Bryan Stafford gets added to the World Tea News blogger list. Welcome!
Samovar on How to Get Into Tea. Forward it to the uninitiated.
The World Tea Expo is NEXT WEEK. I'll be there. Will you?
This message was brought to you by...
a giant tea cozy.
Enjoy your tea!
This is probably part one in an ongoing series of me being too lazy to write cohesive blog posts because I'm too busy writing even less cohesive articles and copy. (I hope I'm kidding about that last part, but too busy to know for sure!)
This book is awesome. Read it.
Good Magazine says tea is more sustainable than coffee. Rad.
I officially declare this the cutest tea packaging of all time.
Bryan Stafford gets added to the World Tea News blogger list. Welcome!
Samovar on How to Get Into Tea. Forward it to the uninitiated.
The World Tea Expo is NEXT WEEK. I'll be there. Will you?
This message was brought to you by...
a giant tea cozy.
Enjoy your tea!
Thursday, April 9, 2009
World Tea Expo
After attending an awesome webinar today (Charles Cain talking about how to purchase tea), I'm am getting really excited about the upcoming World Tea Expo. I'll be attending classes, interviewing some top tea experts, watching demos, writing for the show dailies, leading a tearoom owners' roundtable and orchestrating a TweetUp (follow me on Twitter to attend). My classes are:
Hire & Keep Great Employees (A challenge for most businesses, tea or otherwise...)
Focused Tasting: Oolong (I went to last year's oolong tasting an wanted to go again. Oolong is such an amazing tea!)
Focused Tasting: Puer (Attended Guang Lee's (non-tasting) session on puer last year and wanted to learn more, especially after writing about puer for World Tea News.)
Sell Your Tea Online Successfully (One of their most popular classes. I can see why!)
Skill Building: Japanese Green Tea Cupping (With the fabulous Ms. Rona Tison of ITO EN -- I'm sure it will be amazing!)
Model a Successful Teashop (With Charles Cain. Once again, I'm sure it will be great.)
Price It Right and Sell it Smart (I think this is an important topic, especially now. Can't wait to learn more!)
When we're closer to the event itself, I'll tell you more about who all I'm interviewing. Hint: It's going to be awesome!
Are you attending? What are you taking? What are you looking forward to the most?
Hire & Keep Great Employees (A challenge for most businesses, tea or otherwise...)
Focused Tasting: Oolong (I went to last year's oolong tasting an wanted to go again. Oolong is such an amazing tea!)
Focused Tasting: Puer (Attended Guang Lee's (non-tasting) session on puer last year and wanted to learn more, especially after writing about puer for World Tea News.)
Sell Your Tea Online Successfully (One of their most popular classes. I can see why!)
Skill Building: Japanese Green Tea Cupping (With the fabulous Ms. Rona Tison of ITO EN -- I'm sure it will be amazing!)
Model a Successful Teashop (With Charles Cain. Once again, I'm sure it will be great.)
Price It Right and Sell it Smart (I think this is an important topic, especially now. Can't wait to learn more!)
When we're closer to the event itself, I'll tell you more about who all I'm interviewing. Hint: It's going to be awesome!
Are you attending? What are you taking? What are you looking forward to the most?
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Cutting Costs in the Tea Industry
Is your tearoom getting your bank account down? Check out my new article on cutting costs without sacrificing quality. Excerpt:
Cutting costs is all the rage in a recession, but poorly chosen cuts blight productivity, quality and consumer confidence. Tea business owners can make positive cuts, however, if they know what to skip snipping and where to trim.
Costs of goods
With today’s food costs, it is essential that tea shop owners look at costs with “big business manager” eyes, said Dean Jablon, CEO of The Mulberry Tea House, who will speak on the topic at the upcoming World Tea Expo.
Jablon advised evaluating every menu item’s cost. Other sources recommended rectifying under-priced items by adjusting serving and purchase sizes, and making deals.
Jesse Jacobs, owner of Samovar Tea Lounge, scrutinized how products were being prepared and found that about half the time, teas were brewed with an incorrect amount of leaves – most often too much.
“Even a quarter teaspoon too much can make a huge difference when you’re talking about 1,000 pots of rooibos,” Jacobs said. He implemented staff training for standardized, accurate production.
You can read the rest on World Tea News. Check it out and make some (good) cuts!
Cutting costs is all the rage in a recession, but poorly chosen cuts blight productivity, quality and consumer confidence. Tea business owners can make positive cuts, however, if they know what to skip snipping and where to trim.
Costs of goods
With today’s food costs, it is essential that tea shop owners look at costs with “big business manager” eyes, said Dean Jablon, CEO of The Mulberry Tea House, who will speak on the topic at the upcoming World Tea Expo.
Jablon advised evaluating every menu item’s cost. Other sources recommended rectifying under-priced items by adjusting serving and purchase sizes, and making deals.
Jesse Jacobs, owner of Samovar Tea Lounge, scrutinized how products were being prepared and found that about half the time, teas were brewed with an incorrect amount of leaves – most often too much.
“Even a quarter teaspoon too much can make a huge difference when you’re talking about 1,000 pots of rooibos,” Jacobs said. He implemented staff training for standardized, accurate production.
You can read the rest on World Tea News. Check it out and make some (good) cuts!
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Earl Grey Variations
Earl Grey is, unarguably, a classic. It's a great way for tearooms to comfort inexperienced tea drinkers who just want a "normal" cup of tea. However, twists on Earl Grey can be a crack in the wall to opening more traditional and/or habitual customers up to new and different tea types. I've noticed quite a few variations on the market lately and received samples of two different Earl-Grey-inspired blends in the last few weeks. Here are my tasting notes:
Mighty Leaf's Earl Green: The leaves and the brew are both very dark for a green tea. At first I wondered if I might have received Earl Grey by mistake! Once it brewed, I know it was green from the aroma. The perfumey bergamot tops out the fragrance, but some subtle astringency from the green tea remains. It's a little over-flavored for my tastes, but not bad. I still prefer Rishi's Earl Green, even though it's technically a Pouchong.
David's Cream of Earl Grey: I'm still sifting through a group of samples from David's Tea, a new-ish company out of Canada. Cream of Earl Grey isn't unique to David's, but it's a very good blend. The flavors are balanced and sophisticated. I wish the black tea at the base were of slightly higher quality, but it's a wonderful choice for those who usually prefer flavored teas. I'll be reviewing more teas from David's (including a fantastic Japanese green and a few rooibos blends) soon. And I'll go ahead and say it now: I LOVE their marketing materials and web design!!!
I'm hoping to try a few samples from Serendipitea's Earl Grey variations and from the World Tea Expo soon. In the meantime, what are some of your favorite Earl Grey variations? I'd love to try them, too!
Mighty Leaf's Earl Green: The leaves and the brew are both very dark for a green tea. At first I wondered if I might have received Earl Grey by mistake! Once it brewed, I know it was green from the aroma. The perfumey bergamot tops out the fragrance, but some subtle astringency from the green tea remains. It's a little over-flavored for my tastes, but not bad. I still prefer Rishi's Earl Green, even though it's technically a Pouchong.
David's Cream of Earl Grey: I'm still sifting through a group of samples from David's Tea, a new-ish company out of Canada. Cream of Earl Grey isn't unique to David's, but it's a very good blend. The flavors are balanced and sophisticated. I wish the black tea at the base were of slightly higher quality, but it's a wonderful choice for those who usually prefer flavored teas. I'll be reviewing more teas from David's (including a fantastic Japanese green and a few rooibos blends) soon. And I'll go ahead and say it now: I LOVE their marketing materials and web design!!!
I'm hoping to try a few samples from Serendipitea's Earl Grey variations and from the World Tea Expo soon. In the meantime, what are some of your favorite Earl Grey variations? I'd love to try them, too!
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Sen So'Oku, Chanoyu "Rock Star"
I recently had the chance to interview tea master Sen So'Oku, who Rona Tison ("The Matriarch of ITO EN") dubbed a tea "rock star." Fun! Here's an excerpt (where WTN = me):
WTN: Have the reasons for studying tea changed?
Sen: Several generations ago, people learned the way of tea to learn etiquette and how to behave, but today people are interested in learning in order to acquire knowledge about tea and art, in order to enjoy.
WTN: Is there a renaissance of tea culture in Japan?
Sen: There is a lot of interest in tea. Magazines for young people that have nothing to do with traditional art and tea are doing stories about tea ceremonies. You could call it trendy or a mini-boom, but there are many people in creative businesses, like art directors, art curators or artists, who want to get involved in tea.
WTN: Is chanoyu more expressive than it was?
Sen: There was a time when the tea ceremony was very rigid and people’s impression of it was very formal, so young people especially didn’t like it and stayed away from it. That attitude is changing. Now, you can be creative with tea. In order to make a new style or be expressive, you have to have the basic form. I think there will be two directions of tea in the future. One direction is, you keep and protect the tradition of tea. The other is to enjoy the tea in a contemporary setting, to make a special moment in ordinary life.
You can read the full article on World Tea News. He'll be presenting at the World Tea Expo. I saw his lecture and demo at The Japan Center in NYC and I highly recommend you check him out in Vegas!
PS -- It looks like I am a finalist for Top Tea Cocktail, though the final results will be announced next week. Thanks to all of you who voted and passed on the link!!!
WTN: Have the reasons for studying tea changed?
Sen: Several generations ago, people learned the way of tea to learn etiquette and how to behave, but today people are interested in learning in order to acquire knowledge about tea and art, in order to enjoy.
WTN: Is there a renaissance of tea culture in Japan?
Sen: There is a lot of interest in tea. Magazines for young people that have nothing to do with traditional art and tea are doing stories about tea ceremonies. You could call it trendy or a mini-boom, but there are many people in creative businesses, like art directors, art curators or artists, who want to get involved in tea.
WTN: Is chanoyu more expressive than it was?
Sen: There was a time when the tea ceremony was very rigid and people’s impression of it was very formal, so young people especially didn’t like it and stayed away from it. That attitude is changing. Now, you can be creative with tea. In order to make a new style or be expressive, you have to have the basic form. I think there will be two directions of tea in the future. One direction is, you keep and protect the tradition of tea. The other is to enjoy the tea in a contemporary setting, to make a special moment in ordinary life.
You can read the full article on World Tea News. He'll be presenting at the World Tea Expo. I saw his lecture and demo at The Japan Center in NYC and I highly recommend you check him out in Vegas!
PS -- It looks like I am a finalist for Top Tea Cocktail, though the final results will be announced next week. Thanks to all of you who voted and passed on the link!!!
Monday, March 23, 2009
Tea Cocktails
Today is your last chance to vote for Vee Tea for the Top Tea Cocktail contest at the World Tea Expo! Vote Oolong Champagne and help me be a finalist!
Also, you can check out another tea cocktail I created on Samovar's blog for St. Patrick's Day. I'm happy to announce that I'm now posting on their blog along with noted tea writers James Norwood Pratt and Jennifer Leigh Sauer. Exciting!
Also, you can check out another tea cocktail I created on Samovar's blog for St. Patrick's Day. I'm happy to announce that I'm now posting on their blog along with noted tea writers James Norwood Pratt and Jennifer Leigh Sauer. Exciting!
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Oolong Champagne
I still need about 50 votes to be a finalist in Top Tea Cocktail. Vote for Oolong Champagne and help me get there!
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Vote for Vee Tea
I've entered the Top Tea Cocktail competition for the World Tea Expo. You can help me become a finalist and concoct one of my three cocktails (Oolong Champagne, Bad Monkey or Las Vegas Iced Tea) at the Expo -- with the chance to be published in Imbibe Magazine (one of my FAVORITES). Please vote here and help me become a finalist! If you also pass it on to your interested friends, that would be even more awesome of you! Voting ends on Monday. Thanks, and Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Quick Update
I'm finally getting to the point in moving that I feel (mostly) settled. It has been a long process, as I moved from NYC to Charlotte, NC, and also moved in with my husband (we had never lived together before), continued my usual load of freelance work and started up a new freelance assignment upon arrival. Now that I'm more settled, I'm looking forward to three things:
Seeing my local friends more often (I'm from here, so I still have friends here)
Exploring the city (It has changed so much since I moved away!)
Posting more here about my recent tea adventures (which include tasting the Honest Tea's new yerba mates and Green Tea Mango and Numi's puerhs, doing Urbana staff training and getting ready for the World Tea Expo)
Seeing my local friends more often (I'm from here, so I still have friends here)
Exploring the city (It has changed so much since I moved away!)
Posting more here about my recent tea adventures (which include tasting the Honest Tea's new yerba mates and Green Tea Mango and Numi's puerhs, doing Urbana staff training and getting ready for the World Tea Expo)
Monday, December 1, 2008
Art of Tea Sale
I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I did, and the masala chai was a big hit, as was my friend Matt's pomme puree. Yum! What was your favorite food this Thanksgiving?
Art of Tea, who won a number of awards at last year's World Tea Expo, is having a 24-hour online sale for 24% off your order. Enter code 24GIFT. Ends tomorrow!
Art of Tea, who won a number of awards at last year's World Tea Expo, is having a 24-hour online sale for 24% off your order. Enter code 24GIFT. Ends tomorrow!
Monday, June 16, 2008
Chocolatea, Tea & Chocolate
One of the products I really enjoyed at the World Tea Expo was Chocolatea tea chocolates. It would seem that the chocolate and tea trend is growing quickly. At the Expo last year and this year, Pearl Dexter's tea and chocolate pairing course was a big hit. More and more tearooms are blending the two on menu items such as tarts, cookies, and chocolate-tea cocktails. Smile Chocolatiers brings the two into one line of products with Chocolatea, very dark, dark, milk, and white chocolate bars with powdered teas and tisanes as flavors.
At a choclate event at the International House in Charlotte, NC (my hometown, where I am currently visiting for tea lectures and tastings), I got to talk about the relationship between tea and chocolate, and to give out samples of Chocolatea bars. The Rosemary is a love it or hate it flavor (I love it). The Coconut Green Tea is also quite popular. Personally, I find that the White Tea (in very dark and dark) doesn't allow the flavor of the tea to shine through, but people liked the flavor and the antioxidants. As I've said before, good tea chocolates can be hard to find. I was thrilled to find these at the Expo, even if I don't lovelovelove every single flavor.
The areana of tea and chocolate pairings is fascinating to me and I'm glad to see it advancing. My lecture at the International House briefly covered the parallels in tea and chocolate's histories and production, and then addressed their similarities in health and mood benefits and in flavor profiles. Later, I discussed the major flavor profiles of tea and (using Pearl Dexter's "friends" and "lovers" paring philosophy*) discussed pairing tea and chocolate. The lecture also covered how tea blenders make chocolate teas, some of the major tea chocolates on the market, and how to make tea chocolates in your own kitchen (something many of the chocoliers at the event were interested in trying). It was a fun lecture to give and it seemed that the group of about 80 got a lot out of it, too. Here's a photo of the event as the room started to fill up:
If you're in Charlotte this Wednesday, come check out my yerba mate tasting (with an Argentine wine tasting and tango dancing demo) at Urbana. Call 704.543.1700 for more details. You can also arrange a personalized tasting (with a focus on tea history, processing, benefits, flavor profiles, pairings, or whatever other tea interests you may have) of six of Urbana's 100 teas with me through the 25th by calling Urbana.
*Of course, I credited Pearl during the lecture.
At a choclate event at the International House in Charlotte, NC (my hometown, where I am currently visiting for tea lectures and tastings), I got to talk about the relationship between tea and chocolate, and to give out samples of Chocolatea bars. The Rosemary is a love it or hate it flavor (I love it). The Coconut Green Tea is also quite popular. Personally, I find that the White Tea (in very dark and dark) doesn't allow the flavor of the tea to shine through, but people liked the flavor and the antioxidants. As I've said before, good tea chocolates can be hard to find. I was thrilled to find these at the Expo, even if I don't lovelovelove every single flavor.
The areana of tea and chocolate pairings is fascinating to me and I'm glad to see it advancing. My lecture at the International House briefly covered the parallels in tea and chocolate's histories and production, and then addressed their similarities in health and mood benefits and in flavor profiles. Later, I discussed the major flavor profiles of tea and (using Pearl Dexter's "friends" and "lovers" paring philosophy*) discussed pairing tea and chocolate. The lecture also covered how tea blenders make chocolate teas, some of the major tea chocolates on the market, and how to make tea chocolates in your own kitchen (something many of the chocoliers at the event were interested in trying). It was a fun lecture to give and it seemed that the group of about 80 got a lot out of it, too. Here's a photo of the event as the room started to fill up:
If you're in Charlotte this Wednesday, come check out my yerba mate tasting (with an Argentine wine tasting and tango dancing demo) at Urbana. Call 704.543.1700 for more details. You can also arrange a personalized tasting (with a focus on tea history, processing, benefits, flavor profiles, pairings, or whatever other tea interests you may have) of six of Urbana's 100 teas with me through the 25th by calling Urbana.
*Of course, I credited Pearl during the lecture.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Red & Green, Organic Tea
At the Expo, I was very glad to see that Red & Green Co launched a new line of organic teas (scroll down about 3/4 of the way). I have spoken with the owner, Chongbin Zheng, at his San Francisco location at length about his committment to quality tea and I am very glad to see the addition of this new line. I also quite like the packaging. (In addition to running Red & Green, Chongbin is also an internationally exhibited painter. He designs his packaging and much of his teaware himself.)
On Monday, I responded to a Wired Magazine article advocating that environmentalists "forget organics." It suggested that local produce is the better way to go. The two are not usually mutually exclusive, but in the case of regular produce that can be sourced locally, I opt for local over organic. However, there are many proucts that are simply not available locally or can not be well-produced locally. In the US, there are some areas that produce tea. I'm even trying to grow some in my living room, though we'll see whether or not that works out. However, the simple fact of the matter is that the growing conditions in the US are not condusive to producing quality teas. Tea's ideal environment is high elevation, hot, and humid. Unless you count my third-floor, no-AC apartment as "high elevation," I don't think it qualifies. Likewise, other tea growers in the US simply do not have the environment necessary for good tea. So how can you reduce your environmental impact if you can't buy quality tea locally? Buy organic tea. Simple. I'm glad to see another line out there to make it that much easier for us!
Have a good weekend, and enjoy your tea!
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Expo Sample Reviews
Today, I'm going to review samples from Linde Lane. They gave out standardized goodie bags to everyone who came to their booth, which is a good way to get your products out there. Included in the doggie bag were two of their "Kids Tea," their TEAthbrush, and decks of tea playing cards. I'll be reviewing the first three items and giving the last one out to a lucky reader.
Many people want to give their kids tea, but are concerned about which herbs are safe and whether or not they should give their kids caffeine. Once the safety and caffeine concerns are out of the way, they have to deal with kids' finicky flavor preferences--sweet and simple is usually best, but that's not what most adults look for in a good tea. Linde Lane takes the guesswork out off the equation by providing "Kids Tea," which are just what they sound like (and what they would look like with an appropriately placed apostrophe)--"teas" for kids. They have simple flavor profiles and no caffeine. I tried both flavors: Rock A Bye Baby (chamomile mint)* and Strawberry Shortcake (flavored rooibos). Rock A Bye Baby was comparable to a VERY simple version of a tisane I used to serve at Urbana Cityspa & Teabar called Serene. (Serene also has jasmine blossoms, lavender, and lemon myrtle to round out the taste.) Strawberry Shortcake smelled and tasted, well, just like strawberry shortcake without the cream. From Linde Lane's site:
"Now you can have your own Strawberry Shortcake, in a teacup. Our tea taste (sic) like strawberry shortcake without the whip cream; but you can easily fix that. After you have served your warm tea, spray beautiful floral buds of whip cream into each cup to delight children."
Super!
The TEAthbrush was astoundingly popular amongst Expo attendees. It's a nice toothbrush with some text about how tea is good for teeth and regular brushing removes tea stains. The only thing that made the actual toothbrush different from most was its "mouth cleaner"--a ribbed back on the opposite side of the bristles. So, why is it a TEAthbrush instead of a toothbrush? It comes in three varieties: rooibos, black, and green! However, unlike the TEAth Floss, these types are colors, not flavors. Regardless, it will nicely complement your coffee-flavored sleeping pills.
So, who wants some tea playing cards? First to claim them via email or blog comment gets them. (Don't worry--they aren't flavored either.)
*A chamomile-soaked washcloth can help with teething, but if your baby has allergies, it may be unsafe to give him/her chamomile. Of course, kids hate being called babies, so there's an air of mystery surrounding Rock A Bye Baby's name.
Many people want to give their kids tea, but are concerned about which herbs are safe and whether or not they should give their kids caffeine. Once the safety and caffeine concerns are out of the way, they have to deal with kids' finicky flavor preferences--sweet and simple is usually best, but that's not what most adults look for in a good tea. Linde Lane takes the guesswork out off the equation by providing "Kids Tea," which are just what they sound like (and what they would look like with an appropriately placed apostrophe)--"teas" for kids. They have simple flavor profiles and no caffeine. I tried both flavors: Rock A Bye Baby (chamomile mint)* and Strawberry Shortcake (flavored rooibos). Rock A Bye Baby was comparable to a VERY simple version of a tisane I used to serve at Urbana Cityspa & Teabar called Serene. (Serene also has jasmine blossoms, lavender, and lemon myrtle to round out the taste.) Strawberry Shortcake smelled and tasted, well, just like strawberry shortcake without the cream. From Linde Lane's site:
"Now you can have your own Strawberry Shortcake, in a teacup. Our tea taste (sic) like strawberry shortcake without the whip cream; but you can easily fix that. After you have served your warm tea, spray beautiful floral buds of whip cream into each cup to delight children."Super!
The TEAthbrush was astoundingly popular amongst Expo attendees. It's a nice toothbrush with some text about how tea is good for teeth and regular brushing removes tea stains. The only thing that made the actual toothbrush different from most was its "mouth cleaner"--a ribbed back on the opposite side of the bristles. So, why is it a TEAthbrush instead of a toothbrush? It comes in three varieties: rooibos, black, and green! However, unlike the TEAth Floss, these types are colors, not flavors. Regardless, it will nicely complement your coffee-flavored sleeping pills.
So, who wants some tea playing cards? First to claim them via email or blog comment gets them. (Don't worry--they aren't flavored either.)
*A chamomile-soaked washcloth can help with teething, but if your baby has allergies, it may be unsafe to give him/her chamomile. Of course, kids hate being called babies, so there's an air of mystery surrounding Rock A Bye Baby's name.
Friday, June 6, 2008
Expo Media
If you attend the World Tea Expo in future years, be sure to peruse the media (magazines, books, CDs, and DVDs) available there. Some items are hard to find elsewhere, or would require shipping costs. Some of them are at a lower price or even free during the Expo. Here are a few of the magazines and books I picked up there. I also got "The Meaning of Tea," which I will likely review soon.
Have a good weekend and enjoy your tea!
Have a good weekend and enjoy your tea!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
