Teas Etc - Tea Blog

World Tea Expo 2

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 11:46:00 +0000

Saturday kicked off with my presentation "Holding a Successful Tea Tasting" which was well attended, 102 people and the second highest attendance this year. We spent 1 1/2 hours talking about the power and particulars of successful tastings. All in all a good class despite the missing interactive elements.

Off to the show floor for another fabulous day talking tea, conducting in booth tastings and samplings, and the ever popular winners circle. WTE created a venue for the North American Tea Championship winners to showcase teas with attendee's contributing by selecting the people's choice awards.

Chris conducts tastings. His passion for tea is captivating.

Attendees enjoy our Friday black tea tasting with me. Thanks to all who attended over the 3 days at expo.

Chris conducts all our sessions in the Winner's Circle.

Until next time,

Beth

Location:Las Vegas

World Tea Expo

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 01:49:00 +0000

World Tea Expo was awesome once once again this year! Thanks to the Jage's, Kim & George, for providing specialty tea with a platform to meet, share, learn and sell tea.

I started the expo with New Business Boot Camp, teaching alongside some of my favorite people in the industry, Jane Pettigrew, Charles Cain, and Kristine Snider among others. 100 enthusiastic, curious attendees filled my Marketing class for a couple of hours of interactive learning. I love what groups come up with.

Set up was the next adventure. We weren't as prepared for this aspect of the show this year. With a 10 X 30 booth we needed to reconfigure things and got it all done with enough time to hit the buffet at the Cosmopolitian.

We have a new cupping table that warrants a separate post, coming soon.

Friday morning rock'd! Teas Etc was once again hosting the Core Conference Tea Break and once again we were serving loose leaf quality teas....as it should be after all it is World "Tea" Expo. Attendees responded as anticipated, happy to be drinking great tea while taking part in awesome tea education. Most returned multiple times to try a different varieties; chocolate covered strawberry pu'erh, coconut almond green, oriental beauty oolong, golden monkey organic and more. We even ran out of the pre-Qing Ming Dragon Well.

Friday morning's energy set the positive tone for the rest of the day,and the rest of the show.

The next stop was our vendor presentation in the special events pavillion. I was overwhelmed with pride to see the new company video produced by Taylor Rabow, on the big screen. Great job T! We handed out tea, gave away tee shirts and answered questions on a variety of Teas Etc topics. The event was definitely a success. We appreciate everyones participation.

Thanks to everyone who stopped by the booth to taste tea, participate in cupping's, and visit with all of us.

Pictures to follow in a separate post, cause I'm learning to use drop box.

Until next time, Beth

Location:Las Vegas

The Chinese New Year

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 16:59:00 +0000

To learn more about what really goes on in China, then and now, I decided to talk with Amy Zhang who runs our Nanjing office. Amy was kind enough to share with me her personal memories and experiences about the New Year and her candid sentiments on how this special tradition has changed.

Amy Reflects

The Spring Festival, the popular modern day term used for the holiday, is the most important festival for the Chinese people and the time when all family members get together, just like Christmas in the West. Everyone travels home for the holiday making this the busiest time for travel, overloading airports, rail stations and buses for close to half of a month.

The Spring Festival falls on the 1st day of the 1st lunar month and it's believed to have originated in the Shang Dynasty (1600 BC- 1100 BC) from the peoples' sacrifice to gods and ancestors at the end of an old year and the beginning of a new one. While the festival last fifteen days, the most important of these is New Year's Eve and the three days following. The country has a national holiday that lasts seven days and there is a mandatory closing of businesses and government during this time.

Many of the customs that accompany this holiday are still followed but others have weakened. Placing red decorations on doors and windows and lighting firecrackers originated as a way to scare off monsters. Today hanging red scrolls and red paper cut outs send messages of good luck, harmony, prosperity and peace for the year ahead. Firecrackers, the custom most often tied to the celebration, was banned sometime ago as officials took security, pollution and noise into consideration. They have been replaced by soundtracks, balloons being popped or most often hanging decorations that look like fireworks.

Prior to the festival, many families make laba porridge, a delicious porridge made with glutinous rice, millet, seeds of Job's tears, jujube berries, lotus seeds, beans, logan and gingko. There are eight ingredients in the porridge signifying family togetherness, safety, wealth and happiness.

Preliminary Eve, on the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month, families make delicious food to enjoy, but this used to be the time when the sacrifice to the kitchen god took place. This was when my grandmother would make a special cake called "hearth cake" and she would use a special sugar made of maltose and gingeli named "hearth sugar," this cake and sugar was used to symbolize feeding the god of hearth assuring more food for the family in the coming year.

"Seeing in the New Year" begins after that. This is a time when stores are bustling and everybody is out purchasing necessities for the upcoming celebration. They buy rice, flour, chicken, duck, fish, meat and fruits, candies and various nuts. They are also buying decorations for the house, shoes and clothing for the children, as well as gifts for friends, relatives and the elderly. In China red means "new" and "lucky" and many of the clothing and decorations purchased will be red.

Before the arrival of the New Year people clean their homes from top to bottom, inside and out. Once spotless, the decorating begins creating an atmosphere of rejoicing and festivity. All the door panels will be adorned with Spring Festival red scrolls with Chinese calligraphy expressing the home owners' wishes for a bright future and good luck for the New Year. Pictures of the god of wealth will also go up on front doors to ward off evil spirits and welcome peace and abundance.

The Chinese character "fu", meaning blessing or happiness, is a must. The character is displayed right side up or upside down. Upside down fu or reversed fu means "fu comes" so either way good wishes are articulated. Two big red lanterns are raised on both sides of the front door and red paper cuttings and bright colored New Year paintings with auspicious meanings are hung in windows and on walls.

People attach great importance to the Spring Festival Eve and families will eat a more luxurious than usual dinner together. Dishes with chicken (ji), fish (yu) and bean curd (doufu) must not be excluded from the meal because for the Chinese these mean auspiciousness, abundance and richness. In my family, the gatherings were held by my grandmother. My father would hang the pictures of the gods on the eve of the New Year while my grandmother baked flour cakes shaped like different animals.

Under my grandmother's direction, both my mother and father would prepare chicken, fish, fruit, dumplings and candy as an offering to the gods and my ancestors as a way of honoring them. The entire family would pray together humbling ourselves before pictures of both gods and ancestors where we had offered up the food. After praying, we began our celebratory meal together and when finished we would sit together chatting, drinking tea and watching TV.

More recently the Spring Festival Party is broadcasted on China Central Television (CCTV) and is essential entertainment for Chinese people both at home and abroad. Customarily each family will stay up to see the start of the New Year.

When I woke up on the day of the New Year I got dressed up in my new clothes and my first greeting of the day was to my parents. We always ate dumplings that day and all the children received gifts from parents and grandparents wrapped in red paper. Sometimes we would receive money in red envelopes. The eating and celebration continued with many great dinners that include regional dishes that were meaningful and delicious. These few days are spent having fun with relatives, friends, colleagues and classmates and we exchange the gifts that we have selected and chat leisurely.

The lively atmosphere not only fills every household, but permeates to streets and lanes. A series of activities such as lion dancing, dragon lantern dancing, lantern festivals and temple fairs are held. The Spring Festival then comes to an end when the Lantern Festival is finished.

My grandmother passed away many years ago and with her passing many of the rituals that I knew as a child also left us. Praying to our ancestors and the gods is not done in my family anymore as many of the younger generation do not remember how to celebrate the gods as it was once done.

The New Year celebration in China has become much less about the old ways and is more about consuming the days with shopping at the malls to buy different kinds of gifts and clothes. It's a pity that the important holiday traditions have become weak but I will always have wonderful memories of the past celebrations with my grandmother which someday I hope to pass on to my own family.

Raspberry Rose Petal Tea Cocktails

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 00:57:00 +0000

We weathered the delays caused by the recent snow storm in Atlanta and made our way to the Teas Etc showroom for the January Gift Show at AmericasMart. Not sure what to expect we have been pleasantly surprised to see good traffic and many of the buyers we had meetings with.

Excited to introduce some new teas we sampled the Honeybell Blossom white, Pear Spice white, Fig Formosa and the brand new Citrus Pu’erh, just to name a few, all were well received.

We agreed to participate in an 8th floor promotional event taking place on Friday and Saturday evenings, the 2 days when permanent showrooms are open until 8pm. The weather threw us a bit of a curve ball with supply shipments arriving late so we did the best we could with what we had.

We served Raspberry Rose Petal Tea Cocktails, (Raspberry Rose Petal won 2nd Place in the Flavored Herbal Category, 2010 North American Tea Championship.) This cocktail is different than a marTEAni, a martini created with a tea base & vodka, it is more of a punch style cocktail.

The drinks were a big hit so I thought I would share the recipe here. Please note that this recipe is a modified version of one I saw in a magazine sometime ago.

Ingredients

6 cups Raspberry Rose Petal

12 cups boiling water

4 cups sugar

2 cup vodka

6 tablespoons of fresh squeezed lemon juice

4 tablespoons of fresh squeezed lime juice

2 cup cold water

Lemon/lime wedges for garnish

Squeeze lemons and limes and chill juice. Chill vodka.

Combine boiling water, Raspberry Rose Petal and sugar together and stir until sugar dissolves. Allow this to steep for 30 minutes. After steeping strain the brewed tea, bring to room temperature and then chill.

After chilled combine the brewed tea mixture with lemon and lime juice, vodka and additional water. Serve over ice with garnish.

This cocktail would be perfect served at an afternoon wedding, brunch, summer tea party, garden, book & woman’s club, wedding or baby shower or any type of event were you want to serve a cocktail that is not strong and overpowering. The recipe could be modified to be stronger and still taste good, by adding an additional cup of chilled vodka.

Try the recipe and let us know what you think!

Until next time, Beth

Oriental Beauty Oolong in TaoYuan

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 14:59:00 +0000

There are three areas in Taiwan where Oriental Beauty is grown and harvested. MiaoLi, HsinChu and TaoYuan. Today I'm in TaoYuan visiting Tea Master Lin.

This meeting clearly illustrates the importance of "visiting and knowing your source." Mr Lin, a third generation tea farmer and producer, grows his teas "organically" avoiding the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticide. Instead he uses nature, such as ground cover that boarders the garden and keeps weeds at bay, to manage his tea gardens. Based on his current annual production it is doubtful that Mr. Lin's tea gardens will be organic certified in the near future.
Mr. Lin has won many local and regional competitions for his Oriental Beauty. Just this year, his Oriental Beauty took 1st and 2nd place in the tea competition.

First stop was Mr. Lin's tea factory where I experienced a new and delicious cold brew technique. Mr. Lin started our cupping session with a Taiwan black tea that he produces, added cold water and "steeped" it about one minute. The taste was incredible - light with sweet honey notes that lingered in the mouth long after the tea had been swallowed. I was told that this tea can be infused this way about 12 times. Be interesting to experiment when I get back to the States.

Next up is a Green tea made from the same cultivar that Mr. Lin uses for Oriental Beauty. This delivered a very smooth green tea taste with very light cream notes and not a hint of astringency. This was followed by several grades of Mr Lin's Oriental Beauty.

The "greener" tea bushes will be ready for harvesting in about two weeks. Mr Lin believes that what ends up in your cup is based on;

30% on the tea plant
40% on the processing
30% on the brewing of the leaf

Mr. Lin had to set up at a local expo for local products grown in the TaoYuan area. We headed out for lunch and plans to meet at the expo.

The expo was great, think green market meets rock concert all interspersed with fireworks and screaming vendors. Yes, it was loud, however it was great to see 6 or 7 tea vendors, produce vendors and the like. We plopped down at Mr Lin's booth and continued cupping teas and expanded our discussion about tea and our individual involvement in the world of tea.

All and all a great day in the TaoYuan region of Taiwan. I'm looking forward to offering Mr. Lin's teas to.

More to follow

Newman

Bao Zhong Oolong Tea and Wen-Shan Tea District

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 22:30:00 +0000

Rain, rain and more rain accompanies my travel in the mountainous area around Pin Lin in Wen-Shan where we source our Baozhong oolong tea - which we are out of. As my hosts and I wander up the mountain road, we come across Mr Cheng tending to his tea garden, actually hand weeding among the tea bushes

He stops his labor and invites us to join him in his house/factory for tea. The walls of his "cupping room" are filled with certificates and awards from local tea competitions.

Good to be out of the rain, we are joined by Mrs. Cheng who starts brewing gongfu style. (I'll add a video clip later, seems I'm having trouble with the upload)

Mr Cheng harvests 3-4 times a year and produces approximately 600kg of Baozhong Oolong per harvest. He is "old school" in that he does not have a retail store to support the sale of his tea, rather he sells it to wholesalers. He will start the November harvest in the next couple weeks which should be ready for sale in late November.

Next stop was the tea museum in Pin-Lin. Aside from the history of tea and tea making equipment, the main attraction was the restaurant. All dishes were prepared with tea oil or had tea leaves as part of the recipe. My favorite was a simple dish of tofu cooked with tea leaves, sesame seed, salt and scallions. Cooking with tea is very popular in the states, but this was the fist time I had seen raw tea leaves as an ingredient.

The afternoon took us to Yi-Lan on the Eastern coast of Taiwan. Here we visited with Tea Master Lung. He produces a rolled oolong, but not in the style of a Tung Ting or Ali-Shan, It is a loosely rolled oolong tea. He uses a Jin Xuan cultivar for this teas. During our visit, he was kind enough to prepare an aged oolong that was out of this world - I'm not sure if he knew how old it was. We also were treated to jello made with tea..

All and all an exciting day experiencnig tea in several ways that were new to me. Today I'm off to TaoYuan to visit a tea garden that produces Oriental Beauty oolong and is undergoing organic certification, a tea exhibition in the area (NW Taiwan) and possibably a factory that produces tea oil.

Newman

Oriental Beauty Oolong Tea

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 22:41:00 +0000

My travels yesterday took me to Miao Li and Hsin Chu County where Oriental Beauty oolong teas are grown and produced.

First stop was a delightful restaurant in Hsin Chu. The restaurant was part of a tea garden, tea factory and tea retail shop. Many of the smaller tea growers (3000 - 5000kg or less) produce their own teas then sell them through their own retail stores. The local tea competitions have been an important factor in driving awareness and business to these small growers, but this is a topic that deserves its own blog entry.

After lunch, my host and I were treated to a sampling of the gardens award winning teas. The tea was prepared gonfu style by Mr Ku, who at 21 is a third generation tea producer. Their garden produces approximately 1,500kg of oriental beauty per year. It is all sold via their retail tea shop.

Next stop was in Miao Li county to meet with Tea Master Deng. He grows and produces the Plum Blossom oolong that we are crazy about.

Master Deng has won 18 Oriental Beauty tea competitions during his career. He generously prepared a 1st place and 3rd place Oriental Beauty for us. Once again gongfu style. The taste of ripe fruit, honey and a slight wood note (considered smoky by my host) coupled with an exceptional mouth feel were amazing and were prominent through the 8th infusion. I lost count after that. I've posted a little unedited video clip shot with my iPhone.

Master Deng produces approximately 1000kg of Oriental Beauty per year. Most of this tea is purchased locally due to his reputation based on his competitive successes.

Last stop of the day was in Hsin Chu to visit Tea Master Hsu. He produces the Oriental Beauty that we offer at Teas Etc. Like most of the small grower/producers, he supports his tea sales with a retail outlet. I had the privilege to cup several outstanding Oriental Beauties. Now comes the hard part, which one to source and offer our customers.

Tomorrow I'm off to Pin-Lin in the Wen-Shan area in search of Bao Zhong and then on to Yi-Lan to visit and cup high mountain oolongs.

More to follow

Newman

Taiwan, Tea and Travel

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 02:36:00 +0000

I love travel, especially the alertness of the senses upon landing at a new destination - which in my case happens to be Taiwan. The high humidity (think Florida, so no big deal for me), the smell of spices and food from small shops, the lovely sing-song sound of the local dialect, even the buzz of the motor bikes. However, it is tea that I really look forward to.

If I had to proclaim a tea category that was a favorite at Teas Etc, it would be oolongs.

For the next two weeks, I'll be based out of Taipei City visiting with existing growers that produce our Plum Blossom Oolong, Oriental Beauty, Fanciest Formosa, Tung Ting and Baozhong oolongs, and meeting a new growers.

Next week I'll meet up with the Taiwan Oolong Study Tour sponsored by the Taiwan Tea Manafactures' Association. This is an intensive 6 day immersion into the growing, harvesting and producing oolong teas including the history of tea in Taiwan. One thing I've learned for certain in the tea business - there is always more to learn - and I'm psyched to participate in this in depth study.

Must run, I'm off to Miao Li and Hsin Chu.

Newman

Bohea Black Tea, Part of Americana

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 23:35:00 +0000

There's a story behind every tea...

Bohea Black Tea made a big splash in American history when it was symbolically tossed overboard at the Boston Tea Party.

342 chests of tea were thrown into the harbor by revolutionaries, including Paul Revere.

Bohea, the original Lapsong Souchong, embodies a smoky aroma, fired oak notes and a sweet layered finish.

Celebrate your independence – try Bohea Organic Black Tea for a cup of Americana.

Enjoy,
Newman

World Tea Expo

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 17:03:00 +0000

The 2010 World Tea Expo was super exciting!

I love expo for a number of reasons. Obviously there is the business benefits. Expo also provides an opportunity to connect with so many awesome tea people. It's a chance to see firsthand new products, see who is new in the tea world and to socialize with so many tea folks in way you cant online or over the phone.

Among those awesome tea people is Jason Walker of Walker Tea Review. I had the pleasure of meeting Jason, thanks to my husband Newman, a couple of years ago via telephone and finally in person at the 2009 expo.

Jason's obvious devotion to the leaf is inspriring. Having lived and worked for a period of time in China Jason was introduced to quality teas at the source. Upon his return to the US he began sharing his tea thoughts with others through Walker Tea Review. Jason has a serene, thoughtful approach to tea and posses a geniune openess to learn and share his insight with others.

I had the pleasure of sitting down with Jason at World Tea Expo to taste and talk about the Bolivian teas.

Here is the video link

On a somewhat related note -
Several months ago some controversy surfaced regarding the relationship of online tea reviewers/bloggers with the companies that provided them samples for review, and what impact that may have on the review results.

You could not meet anyone with higher integrity, honesty and dedication to accurately sharing his opinion, whether I agree with him or not, about the teas he reviews.

Jason Walker of Walker Tea Review, Chris (in the black) & Nathan (in the blue) of Teas Etc, serving and talking tea at the Teas Etc booth at WTE - is this the future of tea?

Until next time, Beth

Cold Infusion Methods to Eliminate Bitterness

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 22:04:00 +0000

In response to Tiffany's experience with cold brewing I have two methods to try that I have found will resolve the problem of bitter tea.

The first is the most environmentally, and economically, friendly just reuse leaves that you have already enjoyed in a hot infusion earlier in the day.

Toss the used leaves into a glass pitcher, add water and let it sit. I prefer using an oolong or black tea for the most pronounced flavor with this method.

Time is less important than if you are using dry leaf so 4 hours, overnight, a couple days whenever you get back to it the tea will be perfect. Note the viscosity, or mouth feel, of the liquor when cold brewing like this. It makes for a nice cup and there is literally no waste. Re-infuse 2-3 times depending on your personal taste or strength preference.

The other way to avoid a bitter cup is to wash the leaf before you cold brew. In essence you are doing the same thing as above just not enjoying that first hot cup. Instead steep the leaves for up to 10 min., let them cool and continue as illustrated above.

My preferred method is the first one. I just leave the cold brewed leaves in the pitcher for weeks and every time I pour myself a glass or two I replenish the water in the pitcher and start all over again. At that point I start to add about 1/8 dry leaf to whatever is in the pitcher already. Then once again I let it sit. Unfortunately Astringency can be more pronounced in some teas, so my suggestion here is more of a guideline than a hard and fast “rule.” They way I was taught in Taiwan is not to use a tremendous amount of leaf, believe it or not the tea still delivers a nice character.

Tiffany, thanks for the question, and good luck.
-Chris-

My Discovery of Cold Infusion

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 13:00:00 +0000

Steeping hot tea is great. Various methods and styles peaked my interest and I am constantly curious of just how far I can push the leaf.

Recently while traveling in Taiwan I discovered cold brewing. Since then I have been passionately exploring this new facet of steeping and have discovered some interesting outcomes.

Cold infusion seems to be gentler on the leaf slowly drawing out flavors and mouth sensations. I wonder, is this due to the extend steeping time or the more gentle extraction? What I am certain of is that the resulting cup character is astounding and especially refreshing during these hot Florida summer days.

I am excited to continue to experience cold infusing teas and will be working to further formalize my techniques. I would encourage others to explore cold infusions and share their results with me and the Teas Etc blog community.

Cold brewing has done a lot to change the way that I experience tea. It has opened up possibilities that had never occurred to me before, introducing tea flavors and mouth feel that are entirely new.

- Chris -

Life is Full of Change

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 23:16:00 +0000

Change is inevitable. Change can be positive. It is time for change with the Teas Etc blog!

I understand that to operate a blog that is useful and interesting at minimum you must post regularly. No matter how hard I have tried I am just unable, due to my very busy schedule, to post on a consistent basis.

In our most recent discussion about this issue we collectively determined that having some of the other folks at Teas Etc begin posting was a good solution. Not only will readers benefit from regular postings the most positive advantage will be the varied points of view and tea interests of the other contributors.

Beginning this week, Newman and Chris Johnston will both begin posting. Chris's travels and young perspective on tea will add great energy. Newman's historical insight, interest in the online tea community, and current trade events will add depth for readers.

Along with my periodic travel postings I will begin contributing short posts on the business of tea with topics such as organic, marketing, private label, and regulatory updates.

Hopefully this new collaboration will generate fresh ideas and renewed interest in the Teas Etc blog making it an enjoyable and insightful read.

Until next time, Beth

December, the Holidays and Looking to the Year Ahead

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 22:05:00 +0000

Once again we have survived the holidays. Grateful to have been busy the month of December was a blur. I must admit that I look forward to a time when it is, personally, less hectic. Having already mastered the ability to avoid the holiday frenzy, because of the years I have spent too busy to partake, I should actually know how to really enjoy this special time of year.

As we bring the fiscal tasks of 2009 to a completion we are pleased at the end results and feel even closer to our 2010 goals! As an eternal optimist I have avoided the "bad" economy mindset, which is what works for me. That said what is most encouraging is the refreshing optimism of many other people, particularly the buyers at our recent show in Atlanta.

Our big January gift & gourmet show in Atlanta was great. The foot traffic was up significantly and buyers, both large and small, seem to be looking for new revenue generators and tea fits perfectly. Overall expectations are for a positive year ahead which translated into sales and some cool new partnerships.

2010 will bring other changes to Teas Etc the first of which began in December with our strategic planning. Exciting new product additions include new private label packaging options and some fun, innovative products that include tea.

Also new this year will be my writing contribution to Fresh Cup magazine. I will be writing a marketing column quarterly with my first article, The Benefits and Strategies to Holding a Tea Tasting, in the March issue.

Another change in 2010 will be the relocation of the World Tea Expo. Co-locating with Natural Grocers at the Las Vegas Convention Center the show opens June 10 with New Business Boot Camp the two days prior on the 8th & 9th. Registration has opened and the education program has some exciting new sessions. I really enjoy going to World Tea for a variety of reasons. Some of the less obvious ones are the opportunity to see other exhibitors that I don’t make time for during the rest of the year.

My trip to Asia is coming together nicely. We have a ton of new arrivals from the late summer/fall harvests, monsoon varietals and the freshly scented jasmines. Excitement about the development of new grower relationships overseas and the anticipation of many more teas to taste as spring arrives and the launch of our new flavored line scheduled for the second quarter of the year. 2010 looks to be a successfully, tasty year at Teas Etc.

Until next time, Beth

Fall Into Oolong Teas

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:00:00 +0000

Cupping the underrated, overlooked or possibly misunderstood, fall harvests has been particularly tasty this year. While I am always partial to oolongs I have to say that I have found this season's selections to be really good.

Frequently asked "what's your favorite tea?" elicits a response that is somewhat generic “I can't choose just one." The truth is that so many factors play a part in what type of tea I am in the mood for; energy level, time of day, what I am doing, what I have or have not eaten, if I am cheerful, cranky, super busy and what lies ahead. Whatever the case may be I can most often select an oolong that will fit the bill.

So while I definitely do not have a "favorite" tea, oolongs would be my overall favorite varietal. The incredible nuances and subtleties of the category offer something delightful for every palate.

A good oolong has helped me demonstrate the special qualities that exist in premium loose leaf teas on more than one occasion. They perfectly illustrate the dramatic difference in what is commonly consumed in the US versus what is available. Unadulterated oolongs perfectly illustrate the incredible taste that exists in specialty teas with nothing but Mother Nature’s magic at work. They have the ability to peak a newcomer’s curiosity and help develop love for tea.

Mango Ceylon was my first introduction to premium teas followed by, 5 days later, Formosa oolong. Looking back I suppose I didn’t stand a chance of escaping destiny and frankly I am glad I didn’t.

With new suppliers and new selections I am excited about sharing these teas and hope that you enjoy them as much as I have.

Until next time, Beth

Tea Happenings

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 02:45:00 +0000

There has been so much happening at Teas Etc in the past few months, sometimes I forget to stop and smell the tea.

Its important, at least for me, to remember to pause, breathe and get back in touch with the journey. That's what this is about, enjoying the journey.

Although its easy to digress back into a "racing to the destination" mindset I prefer to avoid it. If I "arrive" there is no where else to go, right?

So as my travels have slowed down, somewhat. Annual inspections are complete. New team members have been hired. Customer proposals are in the works and I am looking forward to the arrival of some exceptional teas over the next 3-4 weeks. I have a lot to be grateful for and I am not sure but I dont think it gets any better than this.

Until next time, Beth

World Tea East

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 21:36:00 +0000

World Tea East was held in Boston this week located with Natural Products Expo East. World Tea Expo held tea classes on Wednesday and Thursday to quench the thirst of East Coast tea professionals. Sessions were held on a variety of topics like Nigel Melican’s talk on Tea & Sustainability, Lisa Richardson, of Lisa Knows Tea, presented another delicious Tea & Chocolate Pairing class and Elizabeth Knight infused attendees with her extensive experience with a Tea Purchasing class.

I was pleased to have been included as an educator presenting Holding a Successful Tasting and the session on the Value of Specialty Tea. Both presentations were well attended.

The show opened on Thursday to heavy traffic in the World Tea Pavilion. This section dedicated just to tea was created by World Tea Expo to highlight the importance of tea to the natural products industry.
Teas Etc was surrounded with great neighbors. Village Tea Company, the young hip new line of specialty tea, was bringing lots of energy to the floor with their cool new team and brand. Directly across the aisle was Rishi Tea and East Indies Tea Company was right behind us. We had lots of neighborhood tea gatherings and were definitely in good company.

The pavilion created a real sense of “community.” I had the chance to get to know some tea people that I was acquainted with but had never really had a chance to chat with. We all shared tea, food, supplies and lots of laughs.

I was equally as pleased to meet attendees like GongFu Girl, of tea blogging fame. She shared information on the newly formed Association of Tea Bloggers (ATB) developed to unify communication, information sharing & accuracy. They will foster dialog with the overall tea community and attempt to substantiate factual tea facts and dispel myths by incorporating the expertise and assistance of tea professionals. Look for guidelines at the organizations website.

I had the pleasure of chatting with Cynthia Gold, Tea Sommelier for The Boston Park Plaza Hotel where a tea tasting was held on Wednesday. Unfortunately due to my schedule I was unable to attend but heard from those who attended that it was a delightful event with some of Cynthia’s private tea stash.

I also met tea educators Laurie Bell from DC & Verna Hamilton of NYC. A big shout out to Verna for her help with the comparative cupping’s held in our booth.

We cupped blacks, whites and oolongs and were excited to host all those who stopped in by for the tasting. It was fun reviewing the obvious and subtle differences in the teas. We will hold these events again at World Tea Expo, Las Vegas 2010.

World Tea East gave us an opportunity to connect with new and existing customers. We had fun visiting with David & Anne Walker and meeting Nigel. We had lots of laughs with Matt Papera who stopped by the show to say “hi.” We enjoyed our stay at the Omni and our lobster dinner at “No Name.”

Sunday rolled around with rain from the south which interfered with our plans to walk Boston’s Freedom Trail so I was forced to shop for comfortable shoes before packing and heading home.

Until next time, Beth

Anxi Iron Buddha Tea Ceremony

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 01:30:00 +0000

Day 3 at the fair has tea ceremonies throughout the day. We start our day with front row seats to the Anxi Iron Buddha Ceremony, a Ti Kuan Yin tea is brewed in a traditional ceremony.

It's a beautiful, artful ceremony. I have some pictures below and will have someone post video on the Teas Etc Facebook page asap.

Until next time, Beth

Day 2 Pictures

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 22:59:00 +0000

A First, Being Interviewed by a Chinese News Broadcast

Amy is translating my interview. I wonder if it will be my mouth moving and Amy's voice speaking Mandarin? :)

Enjoying Tea with our Organic White Tea Supplier

Old World Traditional Costume from Yunnan Province

More Tea - Day 2

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 20:00:00 +0000

Day 2 at the fair went according to plan. We tasted tea the entire day. We met with current suppliers and a couple of interesting new potential suppliers. I have come across some good teas, purchased some gifts to take home and had fun trying new varieties like purple puerh.

I had my first encounter with Guizhou teas, a Chinese province that is situated to the east of Yunnan, bordering Hunan to the east and Chongqing to the north. Not well known Guizhou produces high grown green teas and according to my sources these teas are not commonly exported. Multiple environmental conditions attribute to the teas quality and characteristics primarily the high mountain, moist growing conditions. Look for limited quantities of Guizhou teas in the future at Teas Etc.

By 3pm we are refusing anymore tea and decide to call it a day and get in some sight seeing. We forgo the scheduled tour and head out on our own. After some shopping in HK we jump in a taxi and go to Kowloon, directly across from HK and physically part of mainland China yet considered a territory, to view the "Symphony of Lights". The best view is from Kowloon looking back across Victoria Harbor to HK island. The HK skyline is impressive during the day and even more so at night. The light show is nice but its the skyline that makes this trip worthwhile. After the show we jump on the Star Ferry to cross the harbor back to the hotel.

Tomorrow is another busy day so we call it a night.
Pictures to follow in a seperate update.

Until next time, Beth

Hong Kong Tea Fair - Day 2

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 09:55:00 +0000

Update
Uninterrupted sleep was not in the cards for me. While I feel the jet lag I am anticipating the day ahead and the combination does not equal sleep for me.

While Amy sleeps I head down to the lobby hoping to find something to eat, that's not in the cards either. So I found a confey chair, in the somewhat dark and deserted lobby, knitting and planning the day ahead.

Amy and I will spend the entire day meeting with suppliers, tasting and gathering teas to see if there is anything we want to add to our current inventory. Its rare that I dont find at least one new interesting tea that I have not had before. Once work is finished then we are off to act like tourist enjoying a boat ride in Victoria Harbor and then maybe we will hit one of the night markets, weather permitting.

Until next time, Beth

Hong Kong Tea Fair- Day 1 Pictures

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 00:25:00 +0000

The internet is cooperating so here are the promised pictures.

Japanese Tea Ceremony

Puerh Teas

Puerh from ancient trees

Hong Kong Tea Fair - Day 1

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 23:34:00 +0000

Hong Kong Update

I am sitting in the VIP lounge at the International Tea Fair sipping a cup of oolong tea. There is a range of suppliers at the show. The show is set up by region so you can head to the “Yunnan” area knowing that you will be able to cup a variety of Puerh teas.

They have held tea ceremonies of all types

I watched the Japanese ceremony which was lovely.
(My attempt to upload pictures of the cermony and puerh teas has been unsuccessful. I will upload asap in a separate post)

I am really excited about the “Korean” tea section. I have already made some good connections and hope to offer some Korean tea in the near future.

I am curious as to whether or not the US market will pay the price for Korean teas and if they will enjoy them? They are brewed much lighter than Chinese greens and have obvious differences in processing and subsequently taste.
If you have tried Korean green tea post a comment on your thoughts?

Day 1 It’s a Wrap

Being categorized as a VIP definitely has its advantages. It has helped get decent accommodations, as opposed to the first hotel I stayed in last night. I was able to attend the evening networking reception where tea was abundant.

One thing that struck me funny however is the VIP lounge where coffee is the predominant beverage? You have to search for a teabag to brew and the staff immediately assumes you want coffee…strange for a tea fair I thought.

Amy’s plane was late so we ended up meeting at the hotel around 7. We enjoyed a light snack and caught up on some of the happenings. I am feeling tired so I am heading to bed, hopeful that I will be able to sleep through the night.

Until next time, Beth

Recent Blog Interviews

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 20:17:00 +0000

I want to take this opportunity to say "thank you" to Jamie at Tea on Tap and Jason at Walker Tea Review for their recent interview opportunities!

Check out their respective tea blogs and other tea interviewees. Tea on Tap and Walker Tea Review.

I am preparing to head overseas for a trip to meet with suppliers and seek out some new tea preparation goodies.

I will also be attending a tea fair with growers from several countries we are seeking sources for tea.

Another highlight of my trip is a visit to a traditional Chinese medicine trade show.

Will be blogging about my travels, tea finds and the latest tea wares. What do you think the US tea market needs in accessories?

Until next time, Beth

Online Tea Tastings

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 19:35:00 +0000

Teas Etc is pleased to be participating in a unique online tea tasting program that kicks off August 11th!

Our congratulations go out to Jason Walker of Walker Tea Review who developed this unique program in an effort to further advance the understanding of tea to enthusiasts everywhere.

Jason's love for tea began while living and working in China. His travels to various regions afforded him the chance to taste alot of tea while learning from a diverse group of experts. Developing his palate and his knowledge he returned to the US with a passion for tea that was destined to be shared. He began Walker Tea Review with written tea reviews eventually moving into video reviews. The videos feature Jason discussing, brewing and tasting a wide range of teas.

The popularity of the reviews prompted Jason to consider how to reach this vast internet audience with an interactive, educational tea tasting experience of their own. His newly developed concept is unique. Participants will order teas in advance, watch his video to see preparation ideas and tasting tips and then have a chance to interact with other participants, sharing notes and ideas on the teas.

I had the pleasure of meeting Jason at this year's World Tea Expo and have gotten to know him over the past several months. His passion for tea is easily recognized. His soft spoken demeanor and obvious tea knowledge create a comfortable atmosphere for novice and hard core enthusiasts to learn more without feeling intimidated.

Jason with Lisa Richardson of Lisa Knows Tea (right)and Lynayn Mielke East-West Tea Emporium (left), at World Tea Championship, May 2009.

We commend Jason for his forward thinking love of tea and wish him tremendous success. Check out Walker Tea Review and the new Tasting Program by clicking here.

Until next time, Beth