Giving Back

There was a recent article on World Tea News that I thought you all might enjoy. (No, it's not mine! Sorry I've been posting my own writing so much... It's been on the brain lately.) It's about giving back through fair trade and philanthropy and it includes an interview with one of my favorite tea professionals, Anupa Mueller. in semi-related news, here's an article about a government initiative for organic tea estates in India. Cool.

Green Tea Girlie

So, I was doing some research for the series I've been working on for World Tea News about tea and sugar, and I happened upon the strangest thing. There's this YouTube weirdness from a woman calling herself Green Tea Girlie. Have you heard of it? Very weird... She does silly dances, tells rambling stories and tries to sell green tea/fruit powder. Most of them appear to be dances, but here's an especially weird video: The Going Green Song.
She's also referenced on a rather amusing (but very long) cooking show parody about baking green tea cookies in a trailer park (which is the first time I heard of her and just HAD to look her up). Ah, YouTube.

Tea Sweeteners Article on World Tea News

Part Two of my series on tea and sugar is up on World Tea News. Part One was about sweet tea in the U.S. and worldwide. Part Two is about tea sweeteners. Excerpt:

Let’s face it: America has gone foodie. In the past, customers added sweeteners to tea with no thought to the impact on flavor. Today, they are demanding a more sophisticated sweet tea.

Tea blenders say striking a balance between sweetness and tea taste is key. Rona Tison, ITO EN’s senior vice president of corporate relations, said the goal is to “keep the sugar level down” while “bringing out a profile that enhances the tea flavor.” Most sources advocated considering the unique flavors of both sweeteners and teas when pairing.


This is a very controversial topic, so it was very interesting for me to research. Everyone has a strong opinion on the matter, and very few of them seem to agree on much. Read more on tea sweeteners.

Can you read Japanese?

If so, check out this new blog by my tea friend in Japan! We send teas to each other that are easily found in one place, but harder to find in the other. She also sent me the tea seeds I sent to some of you. Even if you don't read Japanese, it's worth taking a look -- she has some good photos up.

When I Take My Sugar to Tea

Do you know the song, "When I Take My Sugar to Tea?" It's quite interesting -- it presents tearooms as an escape from daily life and a place where anything can happen. There are a few tearooms around the U.S. that have fantastic environments (usually more like high-end lounges and bars than traditional tearooms or coffee shops), and I wonder if tearooms will ever return to their former status of "happening place" again. I certainly hope so!

Here's a video of When I Take My Sugar to Tea. Enjoy!

New Vee Tea Article

So, it's about that time again... There's a new Vee Tea series on World Tea News! Part one is about sweet tea. Excerpt:

The tea industry often compares itself to the coffee industry, using Starbucks as a barometer for America’s consumption habits. Countless businesses vie to become the “Starbucks of Tea,” while many ignore the elephant in the room: sugar.

Starbucks introduced the nation to coffee with sugary blends such as its Frappuccino. According to Starbucks.com, 16-ounce Frappuccino Blended Coffees contain 31 to 60 grams (or 7.4 to 14.2 teaspoons) of sugar each.

Should the tea industry follow Starbucks’ sugary lead? It’s controversial, but traditional sweet teas are gaining momentum, and new variations are introducing more Americans to tea each day. Devan Shah, owner of International Tea Importers, put it simply: “America loves sweetness.”


You can read more on sweet tea in the U.S. and around the world on World Tea News. Part two of the series will cover sweetening trends and part three will discuss tea sweets. Yum!

Olympics Tea

A recent visit to one of my favorite tearooms gave me the chance to see a 2008 Olympics pu-erh cake for the first time. Pu-erh cakes can be used to commemorate all kind of occasions, from the Olympics to royal weddings to births to trade agreements. As pu-erh becomes more collectible worldwide, these kinds o commemorative cakes are likely to gain popularity. For this year's Olympics, even Coca Cola got in on the commemorative action. Crazy!

Seven Cups Tearoom, makers of the fantastic Seven Cups video podcast series, thought of a different way to celebrate the Olympics and tea in their Denver location: a competitive tea taste-a-thon. Winners receive Gold Medal Honey Orchid ea, Silver Needle or Iron Arhat Rock Oolong. Cool!