In honor of Black History Month (and as an indirect nod to our new tea-loving President and other African American leaders) I decided to write about black-owned tea businesses for World Tea News. It was a fascinating article tor research. There are some wonderful tea businesses out there that are owned by African Americans. They run the range from blenders to bottlers to tea rooms, and had some very interesting things to say about tea and African American community/identity. Here's an excerpt from the piece:
Urban Tea Loft (Chandler, Ariz.)
CEO: Glynis Legrand
Years in business: 1 ½
Products: More than 100 loose-leaf teas, foods with and without tea as an ingredient, tea cocktails, tea soaps and lotions
Purpose: To get people to try and enjoy tea in many forms
How she got started: A former Fortune 25 company manager, Legrand started a journey into tea when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2002. She attended The World Tea Expo to learn more about tea for her own health and decided she belonged in the industry.
Community impact: Legrand said African Americans make up a very small percentage of the local population, but a sizeable percentage of her clients, thanks to word of mouth and events like “Soul Food Saturdays.”
Landmarks: Awards from Phoenix Magazine, participation in the 2008 Super Bowl celebrity-gifting lounge, board membership at The Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health
Goals: To set up Internet sales and expand to additional locations
Glynis was just one of the five African American tea business owners profiled in this article. Read more on black-owned tea businesses on World Tea News.
Showing posts with label tea as an ingredient. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tea as an ingredient. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
BISCOTTEA Gluten-Free Review
As I said a few days ago, I recently sent out a press release for BISCOTTEA's new line of gluten-free shortbread with baked-in tea. Today, I'm putting on my reviewer hat and reviewing the new products.
I have to say that I have had some less-than-stellar GF products in the past. Usually, I won't do PR or write copy for a company unless I've tried the products I'm writing about, but I know the BISCOTTEA brand and trusted that they wouldn't release anything that didn't meet their (and my) standards. I'm glad I trusted my instincts on this one! The samples I received yesterday were incredible -- flavorful, crunchy, buttery and delicious. While I didn't do a side-by-side tasting, I found the GF version to be nearly indistinguishable from the original. (The only thing I could discern was a slight cornstarch texture to the crumbs that differed from the original, but it wasn't a detriment and the mouth-feel was otherwise the same.) Although I'm not usually a "dunker," I tested the GF BISCOTTEA for those of you who ARE dunkers, and it held up very well. So far, my favorite flavor is the Earl Grey with Darjeeling, but it was a close call. The Blueberry with White Tea and the Chai flavors are also wonderful.
Aside from the great taste and texture, I was really glad to know that the GF line is batch-tested for gluten levels with a tolerance of only four parts per million, especially given the recent Whole Foods gluten scandal. It's an issue many of the GF bloggers I talked with had voiced concerns about, so it's good to know there are more (safe!) options out there for those who are particularly sensitive to gluten.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Tea and Chocolate Pairing in NY
You've heard me talk about pairing tea and sweets before, but on Thursday, those of you n NYC will have an additional chance to try it. Lola's Tea House (Pelham) and Chocolations (Mamaroneck) will be hosting a tea and chocolate truffle tasting at Lola's from 7-9 PM (reservations suggested, $10 a person). Yum!
If you're interested in sweets with tea as an ingredient in NY, check out Amai's tea cookies and Tafu's tea cupcakes and other tea sweets.
If you're interested in sweets with tea as an ingredient in NY, check out Amai's tea cookies and Tafu's tea cupcakes and other tea sweets.
Monday, January 12, 2009
BISCOTTEA Gluten-Free Shortbread
I had the pleasure of working with BISCOTTEA on a press release for their new gluten-free line of Scottish-style shortbread. I'll be reviewing samples in a few days. In the meantime, here's the release:
BISCOTTEA® to Launch Line of Gluten-Free, Tea-Flavored Shortbread at Winter Fancy Food Show
January 10, 2009 -- BISCOTTEA’s popular line of tea-flavored, Scottish-style shortbreads is expanding to include three flavorful gluten-free varieties. The hard launch will be at The Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco, CA, January 18 through 20. The new gluten-free varieties were a “Top Pick of the Week” on The Nibble, which called them “a real find for anyone in need of a gluten-free treat,” and include three flavors from BISCOTTEA’s established line-up: Chai Spice, Blueberry with Organic White Tea and Earl Grey with Organic Darjeeling Tea. They are available in giftable 5.6-ounce boxes and convenient “grab-and-go” two-cookie packs for lunches and snacks on-the-go.
Seattle-based BISCOTTEA has experienced rapid growth since opening 16 months ago thanks to the singularity of their product. Their buttery, Scottish-style shortbreads are baked with organic tea, were featured on The Food Network's "Unwrapped" and have been a consistent “Top 10” amongst food reviews throughout 2008. The original varieties include the flavors in the gluten-free line, plus Honeybush (a relative of rooibos or “red tea”) and Mint.
The decision to launch a gluten-free line came from co-owner Nicci Milner’s work with children with autism. According to Nicci, “It was evident in my work with kids with autism that they show great progress when they are on a gluten-free diet. The increasing number of children with celiac disease needing gluten-free diets motivated us to develop sophisticated GF shortbreads that replicate the crunchy mouth-feel and rich flavors of our wheat-based BISCOTTEA.” The resultant GF line provides safe, delicious treats to a growing population of people with gluten sensitivity or intolerance. Each batch is tested for gluten by an independent testing agency, and BISCOTTEA reports that its gluten-free shortbreads have less than four parts per million of gluten. A portion of each sale will benefit autism research.
If you’d like more information about this topic, please email Lindsey Goodwin at Lindsey.Goodwin@gmail.com or call her at 347/558-5846. You may also visit BISCOTTEA at the upcoming Fancy Food Show or schedule an interview with BISCOTTEA’s founder Laurance Milner by emailing Lindsey at Lindsey.Goodwin@gmail.com.
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BISCOTTEA® to Launch Line of Gluten-Free, Tea-Flavored Shortbread at Winter Fancy Food Show
January 10, 2009 -- BISCOTTEA’s popular line of tea-flavored, Scottish-style shortbreads is expanding to include three flavorful gluten-free varieties. The hard launch will be at The Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco, CA, January 18 through 20. The new gluten-free varieties were a “Top Pick of the Week” on The Nibble, which called them “a real find for anyone in need of a gluten-free treat,” and include three flavors from BISCOTTEA’s established line-up: Chai Spice, Blueberry with Organic White Tea and Earl Grey with Organic Darjeeling Tea. They are available in giftable 5.6-ounce boxes and convenient “grab-and-go” two-cookie packs for lunches and snacks on-the-go.
Seattle-based BISCOTTEA has experienced rapid growth since opening 16 months ago thanks to the singularity of their product. Their buttery, Scottish-style shortbreads are baked with organic tea, were featured on The Food Network's "Unwrapped" and have been a consistent “Top 10” amongst food reviews throughout 2008. The original varieties include the flavors in the gluten-free line, plus Honeybush (a relative of rooibos or “red tea”) and Mint.
The decision to launch a gluten-free line came from co-owner Nicci Milner’s work with children with autism. According to Nicci, “It was evident in my work with kids with autism that they show great progress when they are on a gluten-free diet. The increasing number of children with celiac disease needing gluten-free diets motivated us to develop sophisticated GF shortbreads that replicate the crunchy mouth-feel and rich flavors of our wheat-based BISCOTTEA.” The resultant GF line provides safe, delicious treats to a growing population of people with gluten sensitivity or intolerance. Each batch is tested for gluten by an independent testing agency, and BISCOTTEA reports that its gluten-free shortbreads have less than four parts per million of gluten. A portion of each sale will benefit autism research.
If you’d like more information about this topic, please email Lindsey Goodwin at Lindsey.Goodwin@gmail.com or call her at 347/558-5846. You may also visit BISCOTTEA at the upcoming Fancy Food Show or schedule an interview with BISCOTTEA’s founder Laurance Milner by emailing Lindsey at Lindsey.Goodwin@gmail.com.
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Thursday, September 4, 2008
Wabi-Sabi Cupcakes
One of the cool samples I got to try for my latest World Tea News article was an assortment of the brand-new Wabi-Sabi cupcakes from TafuNY. Yum!
My favorites were the milky, nutty Chocolate Genmai and the roasty, complex Sweet Chestnut Houji (a fan favorite, I'm told). TheMatcha was pretty classic, basically exactly what you'd expect it to be, and the Chocolate Matcha was a pleasant balance of rich sweetness and mild astringency. The Kokutou Genmai was very unique (in a good way), but I wasn't such a big fan of the Raspberry Houji. All of them were very snackable (2-3 bites each). Have you tried the Wabi-Sabi cupcakes or been to TAFU? What about other tea-based sweets? What do you think?
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