Archive for November, 2011

China: Tea exports rise but domestic consumption on the decline

Posted by Admin in General Tea News, Tea Culture / Ceremony, Tea Industry News on November 28, 2011

China Daily, by Li Woke, 21 Nov 2011

Tea exports rise but domestic consumption on the decline

Two European travelers examining green tea products at a tea shop in Beijing

The Chinese are gradually losing the traditional tea-drinking habit in favor of coffee, largely because of the length of time it takes to brew a decent cup, experts say.

“I prefer coffee to tea,” said Wang Yan, a 25-year-old downtown girl in Beijing. “Drinking coffee refreshes me and makes me feel chic.”

The history of Chinese tea is a long and gradual story of refinement. The original idea is credited to the legendary Emperor Shennong, who is said to have lived about 5,000 years ago. One summer day in 2737 BC, while visiting a distant part of his realm, he and the court stopped to rest. During the break, his servants began to boil water for the court to drink. Dried leaves from a nearby bush fell into the boiling water, and became infused. Being of a scientific nature, the emperor was interested in the new liquid, drank some, and found it tasty.

Thereafter, tea and China developed an extremely close relationship, with a culture springing up alongside its consumption based on a combination of Confucian, Taoist and Buddhist traditions.

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Green tea may trim “bad” cholesterol: study

Posted by Admin in Tea Health Benefits on November 28, 2011

Reuters, 18 Nov 2011

A woman pours hot water to make green tea at a traditional tea house in Boseong, about 397 km (246 miles) south of Seoul, September 23, 2007, which is a famous place in Korea for its extensive and beautiful green tea fields, and has the nation's largest tea outputs. REUTERS/Han Jae-Ho Green tea, taken in a capsule or drunk in a cup, may shave a few points off “bad” cholesterol readings, according to a U.S. study involving more than a thousand people.

The findings, published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, showed that green tea trimmed 5 to 6 points more from people’s total cholesterol and “bad” LDL cholesterol levels than dummy capsules or other treatments.

The trials tested either green tea itself or capsules containing green-tea compounds called catechins, which are thought to decrease cholesterol absorption in the gut.

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Sri Lanka’s October tea output falls 15%

Posted by Admin in Tea Industry News on November 28, 2011

Reuters, 18 Nov 2011

Sri Lanka’s tea production fell in October for a seventh straight month due to adverse weather and a high base effect, the island nation’s state-run tea board said on Friday.

Tea production in October recorded 23.69 million kilogrammes (kg) against 27.88 million kg in the same month last year. The output in the first 10 months has slipped 2.3 percent to 269.89 million kg from 276.15 million in the same period last year.

“The main reason is the climatic conditions and also last year we recorded the highest production that is also a reason for the steep drop,” Sri Lanka Tea Board Director General H.D. Hemarathna told Reuters.

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The subtle mystique of Japanese tea bowls

Posted by Admin in Tea Culture / Ceremony on November 28, 2011

Boston Globe, by Nancy Shohet West, 17 Nov 2011

Among a select subset of potters, the Japanese tea bowl is an object of some mystique. As Belgian artist Lou Smedts once wrote, the tea bowl embodies the Zen concept that the value of art should lie not in its monetary value but in its function. “Usefulness holds the true value of both objects and human beings,’’ wrote Smedts. “Who and what is used is what has value. Think of that when you see a tea bowl.’’

With this notion, Smedts curated an exhibition of tea bowls shown in numerous venues throughout Europe, but among the 70 artists invited to contribute work only one was an American: Newton potter and instructor Steven Branfman, author of several books on the Japanese ceramic technique known as raku. And Branfman was further honored when Smedts invited him to curate the first American version of the show, now on exhibit at Branfman’s Needham gallery.

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Xixiang, the Northwestern Tea Town

Posted by Admin in General Tea News, Tea Culture / Ceremony on November 28, 2011

City Channel of CRI Online, Nov 18 2011

XIXIANG COUNTY, China: The people of the county have been growing tea for 2,200 years and have developed a deep and distinct tea culture. Tea is also the theme of many local art forms, including songs, dances and poems.

Xixiang, the largest tea growing county in Northwest China, today has tea gardens covering a total area of more than 150 square kilometers, producing 5,500 tons of tea a year, with annual output value of 650 million yuan ($102.4 million).

It has received a number of honors, such as national base of high-quality tea, China famous tea town and excellent government contribution for tea industry development. As China’s top eight teas, the Xianhao tea has won nationwide fame for its color, shape and taste.

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Starbucks, looking to grow Tazo Tea brand, will move its operations to Washington

Posted by Admin in Tea Industry News on November 28, 2011

The Oregonian, by Benjamin Brink

tazo tea portland.JPG

Starbucks will uproot Tazo Tea’s Portland operations within the next year, deciding more than a decade after it bought the brand to move production to Kent, Wash.

The Seattle coffee giant said Tazo Tea’s inner eastside spot wasn’t big enough to meet the growing demand for the tea. As part of the move, it’s spending millions to expand and upgrade the Washington plant, which will help streamline and expand its operations.

It’s all part of Starbucks’ strategy to grow Tazo Tea from a $1 billion business and tap into its worldwide market potential, spokesman Alan Hilowitz said.

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Loose Tea Bag from a Coffee Filter

Posted by Admin in General Tea News on November 28, 2011

Instructables, Nov 2011

Loose Tea Bag from a Coffee Filter

I enjoy tea multiple times a day, and I just started getting into drinking delicious loose teas. My boyfriend brought me home from Florida some amazing loose tea blends from a store called Teavana. However, my tea ball broke.

This is a great, quick, and easy way to make a disposable tea bag for my loose tea leaves. It takes only a matter of minutes, and are perfect for single serve tea’s. The best thing is that it is made from coffee filters which is always in our house.

Once you complete this you will have a cute teabag, which mimics the shape of a Lipton Teabag, and filled with your own personal tea leaves! Enjoy your tea

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Tea made from panda feces expected to be most expensive brew in the world

Posted by Admin in General Tea News, Tea Industry News, Tea Product News on November 28, 2011

New York Daily News, by Rheanna Murray, 15 Nov 2011

epa02238386 A panda approaches an icy birthday cake at the Shanghai Safari Park in Shanghai, China, on 06 July 2010. People hold a celebration for two pandas born after the Sichuan Earthquake. Ten young pandas from Sichuan are in the park in a mission to entertain tourists during the World Expo. EPA/Liu Xingzhe

The world’s most expensive cup of tea is packed with cancer-fighting elements, but it’s not without a stomach-turning catch — the tea leaves get a boost from panda feces.

Wildlife expert An Yashi is launching the special blend of green tea, which could cost up to $36,000 per pound, Australia’s SBC.com reported.

Yashi, a college lecturer at Sinchuan University, said using panda excrement to fertilize the tea plants has a health-promoting upside because it contains nutrients from one of the bear’s favorite meals — bamboo.

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How to make Masala Chai (Indian Chai Tea)

Posted by Admin in Tea Culture / Ceremony, Tea Recipes on November 28, 2011

Instructables, Nov 2011

How to make Masala Chai (Indian Chai Tea)

Commonly called Chai tea by westerners, a name which is kind of like saying ATM Machine, Masala Chai or Chai is a distinctive style of milk-based tea consumed through-out the Indian sub-continent and into southeast Asia. Chai has a warm spice note in combination with the heat and soothing properties from the warmed milk that make it very relaxing to consume. In India, chai is consumed at any time and weather. It is not only consumed with meals but is also commonly served to customer in shops (such as jewelry stores) or purchased from roadside vendors called chai wallahs.

» Recommended Chai: Yogic Chai

This drink is incredibly simple to make and is the perfect drink for a cold winter day. The recipe I am following was taught to me by my wife (who is from India), who learned it from her mother (who still lives in India). It is a more simple, everyday, home version of the chai encountered in Indian restaurants.

For those who are looking for a fun and easy alternative to the traditional holiday drinks. Try adding cinnamon and nutmeg to the ginger and cardamom for a festive, rich and warming holiday drink.

» Buy Loose Leaf Masala Chai, Chai Teabags or Masala Chai Mix at Chai Buyer

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New Tea Comparison Website Launched

Posted by Admin in General Tea News, Tea Industry News, Tea Product News on November 22, 2011

Tea News Direct Exclusive

A website showcasing thousands of varieties of tea and tea-related products has been relaunched. Tea Selector offers visitors a convenient way to browse the whole world of tea.

“We’re excited about this new website” said Tea Selector’s Richard Fray. “We’ve spent a long time researching thousands of products and we think we’ve put together a simple way to compare the baffling number of teas now on the market.”

Tea Selector breaks products down into categories which include Loose Leaf Tea, Teabags, Tea Samplers, Iced Tea and Bubble Tea, with many sub-categories so you can really target what you’re looking for. You can also search for famous and not-so-famous tea brand, as well as explore the worlds of tea wares and accessories, tea gift baskets, gourmet tea foods, tea books and more.

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