Sunday, October 21, 2007
Tea Personality
Tea meets fortune telling, or perhaps Myers-Briggs—this master tea taster will create a tea blend based on your personality—or your friend's personality, or your company's...for the low low price of 27 pounds.
Penguin Tea Timer
I need this little gadget--I have a bad habit of forgetting my teabags and making my cups of tea all tannin-tastic. Check him out.
Monday, June 4, 2007
CONVERSATION: Gas ovens
Woke up at six-something this morning and stumbled sleepily upstairs to be awakened abruptly by the sickly sweet odor of GAS! MY GAS OVEN'S GOING TO KILL ME! IT'S GOING TO KILL ME! I'M DEAD!
Having grown up with electric ovens that turn OFF like NORMAL things when you're not using them and don't have tiny, insidious spurts of gas oozing out all the time ready to KILL you if their pilot lights go out, I am majorly freaked out by gas appliances. Okay, so at home our dryer and heater were gas, but they never threatened to kill me. My oven now likes to scare me every couple months, spreading gas across the living room and convincing me that the spark that turns on a light switch will erupt in a huge fireball, and any attempt to relight the pilot lights will send me to a fiery grave.
Though it was better than those two times in Chapel Hill when I was awoken by an overflowing toilet.
Having grown up with electric ovens that turn OFF like NORMAL things when you're not using them and don't have tiny, insidious spurts of gas oozing out all the time ready to KILL you if their pilot lights go out, I am majorly freaked out by gas appliances. Okay, so at home our dryer and heater were gas, but they never threatened to kill me. My oven now likes to scare me every couple months, spreading gas across the living room and convincing me that the spark that turns on a light switch will erupt in a huge fireball, and any attempt to relight the pilot lights will send me to a fiery grave.
Though it was better than those two times in Chapel Hill when I was awoken by an overflowing toilet.
Sunday, June 3, 2007
TEA: Milky tea is just as healthy
Tea—Milking It (Science News Online)
Janet Raloff
I'm a serious tea drinker. I'll down it hot or cold, plain or with lemon. Like most Americans, however, I don't regularly add milk. But when my colleague David Lindley, an editor here at Science News, was growing up, his family certainly did.
Being a Brit, David comes from a culture that holds considerable reverence for this brew and might be accused of being fussy about its preparation. When I add milk to tea, which I do only occasionally, I'm not careful about the amount. It's typically a big slosh—and always added after the tea is fully brewed and sitting in a mug.
In the Lindley household, by contrast, "a little milk was put into the bottom of a cup—just a touch," before any tea was added, David notes. And his mom invariably made tea in the pot, brewing it from some black, loose-leaf variety.
Because adding milk to tea is routine in the United Kingdom, a team of Scottish researchers decided to investigate the potential health significance of this practice. Their concern: Because milk can bind to some of tea's antioxidants, it might prevent them from countering free radicals.
These radicals can wreak havoc on DNA and other components of cells. And with the onslaught of age, disease, and pollutant exposures, our bodies find it harder to keep those radicals in check. The result: Studies have begun linking excessive free-radical production to a host of chronic disorders, from cancer and diabetes to heart disease.
Against this backdrop, Janet A.M. Kyle and her colleagues at the Rowett Research Institute purchased different teas from local stores, brewed them up, and then assayed their antioxidant activity. In a paper published online and in an upcoming Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, they report finding some brand-related differences in the inherent antioxidant activity of a brew. The good news: Adding milk doesn't alter that activity.
Moreover, they found, adding milk to tea doesn't diminish the amount of antioxidants—such as the epigallocatechin gallate, which many commercial teas tout as EGCG—that ends up in tea-drinkers' blood. So, it appears one can safely boost the protein content of your brew, by adding milk, without sacrificing tea's antioxidant bounty.
Rich in antioxidants
When it comes to quashing free radicals, tea provides an antioxidant bonanza. Best known are its catechins, a family of compounds whose star, EGCG, has been linked not only to weight loss but also to diminished cancer risk.
Teas also contain polyphenolic chemicals, another class of antioxidant compounds that appear capable of lowering an individual's risk of heart disease and cancer. Tea's chief polyphenol constituents are quercetin and kaempferol. However, because milk can bind to these, there had been concern that such chemical pairings might limit the polyphenols' biological activity or even their uptake by the body.
To test that, Kyle's group purchased six locally popular teas and evaluated the composite antioxidant activity of each. They boiled water and added 3 grams of tea leaves—the amount in a typical U.K. tea bag, but 50 percent more than is found in typical European tea bags—for each brewed cup. Chemical assays showed that the brews' levels of polyphenols and catechins rose steadily for about 7 minutes.
"Except for the cheapest supermarket brand," Kyle notes, "we got similar results for these teas." The low-cost outlier proved lower than the name brands in terms of the free-radical-quenching punch it delivered, mostly owing to its low concentrations of polyphenols.
The researchers selected the tea that had exhibited the strongest antioxidant performance for their follow-up human trials. On three separate occasions, each of 9 healthy men in their mid-20s to mid-30s avoided tea for at least a day, fasted overnight, and then drank a test beverage for breakfast.
On one morning, each man got two cups of black tea that had been steeped for 7 minutes. Together, the cups contained 300 ml of tea mixed with 100 ml of hot water. Another day, volunteers got 300 ml of tea mixed with 100 ml of skim milk. On the remaining test day, each recruit downed 300 ml of hot water that had been doctored with 100 ml of milk. (Didn't the latter taste ghastly? "It did," Kyle concedes, "and I'm very grateful to my volunteers for actually drinking it.")
Before and at various points over a 3-hour period following the consumption of each day's beverage, Kyle's group sampled the volunteers' blood to measure polyphenols, catechin levels, and the blood's ability to quash free radicals. While the gross, milky hot water had no effect on these parameters, both brews showed equivalent increases in circulating antioxidants and radical-thwarting prowess, which peaked about 60 minutes after tea had been consumed.
Kyle says her group now hopes to examine tea's antioxidant performance in a larger group of people and for a longer period. She's hoping it proves substantial because the only other source of the antioxidant chemicals being looked at in her study come from fruits and vegetables—and "we don't eat a lot of those in Scotland," she says, "but we do drink a lot of tea."
And what about David: After 24 years in the United States, does he still blend a touch of milk with his tea? No, he says. Milk is for black tea, which doesn't much agree with his constitution. Today, his brews are "mostly green and herbal teas."
By the way, David's not just one of our editors. The author-physicist also has 6 books under his belt. On Feb. 20, Doubleday published his latest—Uncertainty: Einstein, Heisenberg, Bohr, and the Struggle for the Soul of Science.
Editor's note: David Lindley played no role in assigning or editing this article.
Janet Raloff
I'm a serious tea drinker. I'll down it hot or cold, plain or with lemon. Like most Americans, however, I don't regularly add milk. But when my colleague David Lindley, an editor here at Science News, was growing up, his family certainly did.
Being a Brit, David comes from a culture that holds considerable reverence for this brew and might be accused of being fussy about its preparation. When I add milk to tea, which I do only occasionally, I'm not careful about the amount. It's typically a big slosh—and always added after the tea is fully brewed and sitting in a mug.
In the Lindley household, by contrast, "a little milk was put into the bottom of a cup—just a touch," before any tea was added, David notes. And his mom invariably made tea in the pot, brewing it from some black, loose-leaf variety.
Because adding milk to tea is routine in the United Kingdom, a team of Scottish researchers decided to investigate the potential health significance of this practice. Their concern: Because milk can bind to some of tea's antioxidants, it might prevent them from countering free radicals.
These radicals can wreak havoc on DNA and other components of cells. And with the onslaught of age, disease, and pollutant exposures, our bodies find it harder to keep those radicals in check. The result: Studies have begun linking excessive free-radical production to a host of chronic disorders, from cancer and diabetes to heart disease.
Against this backdrop, Janet A.M. Kyle and her colleagues at the Rowett Research Institute purchased different teas from local stores, brewed them up, and then assayed their antioxidant activity. In a paper published online and in an upcoming Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, they report finding some brand-related differences in the inherent antioxidant activity of a brew. The good news: Adding milk doesn't alter that activity.
Moreover, they found, adding milk to tea doesn't diminish the amount of antioxidants—such as the epigallocatechin gallate, which many commercial teas tout as EGCG—that ends up in tea-drinkers' blood. So, it appears one can safely boost the protein content of your brew, by adding milk, without sacrificing tea's antioxidant bounty.
Rich in antioxidants
When it comes to quashing free radicals, tea provides an antioxidant bonanza. Best known are its catechins, a family of compounds whose star, EGCG, has been linked not only to weight loss but also to diminished cancer risk.
Teas also contain polyphenolic chemicals, another class of antioxidant compounds that appear capable of lowering an individual's risk of heart disease and cancer. Tea's chief polyphenol constituents are quercetin and kaempferol. However, because milk can bind to these, there had been concern that such chemical pairings might limit the polyphenols' biological activity or even their uptake by the body.
To test that, Kyle's group purchased six locally popular teas and evaluated the composite antioxidant activity of each. They boiled water and added 3 grams of tea leaves—the amount in a typical U.K. tea bag, but 50 percent more than is found in typical European tea bags—for each brewed cup. Chemical assays showed that the brews' levels of polyphenols and catechins rose steadily for about 7 minutes.
"Except for the cheapest supermarket brand," Kyle notes, "we got similar results for these teas." The low-cost outlier proved lower than the name brands in terms of the free-radical-quenching punch it delivered, mostly owing to its low concentrations of polyphenols.
The researchers selected the tea that had exhibited the strongest antioxidant performance for their follow-up human trials. On three separate occasions, each of 9 healthy men in their mid-20s to mid-30s avoided tea for at least a day, fasted overnight, and then drank a test beverage for breakfast.
On one morning, each man got two cups of black tea that had been steeped for 7 minutes. Together, the cups contained 300 ml of tea mixed with 100 ml of hot water. Another day, volunteers got 300 ml of tea mixed with 100 ml of skim milk. On the remaining test day, each recruit downed 300 ml of hot water that had been doctored with 100 ml of milk. (Didn't the latter taste ghastly? "It did," Kyle concedes, "and I'm very grateful to my volunteers for actually drinking it.")
Before and at various points over a 3-hour period following the consumption of each day's beverage, Kyle's group sampled the volunteers' blood to measure polyphenols, catechin levels, and the blood's ability to quash free radicals. While the gross, milky hot water had no effect on these parameters, both brews showed equivalent increases in circulating antioxidants and radical-thwarting prowess, which peaked about 60 minutes after tea had been consumed.
Kyle says her group now hopes to examine tea's antioxidant performance in a larger group of people and for a longer period. She's hoping it proves substantial because the only other source of the antioxidant chemicals being looked at in her study come from fruits and vegetables—and "we don't eat a lot of those in Scotland," she says, "but we do drink a lot of tea."
And what about David: After 24 years in the United States, does he still blend a touch of milk with his tea? No, he says. Milk is for black tea, which doesn't much agree with his constitution. Today, his brews are "mostly green and herbal teas."
By the way, David's not just one of our editors. The author-physicist also has 6 books under his belt. On Feb. 20, Doubleday published his latest—Uncertainty: Einstein, Heisenberg, Bohr, and the Struggle for the Soul of Science.
Editor's note: David Lindley played no role in assigning or editing this article.
TEA: Indian Scientists Invent Fake Nose To Smell Tea
Model nose invented by CDAC for tea testing
Kolkata, Jun 03: Good news for the tea tasters! The Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC) has developed a model "nose" which can help detect complex odours and manufacture better quality tea.
Speaking to UNI, ITA Secretary General Manojit Das Gupta here today said that the instrument, invented by the CDAC, uses sensors to detect and differentiate complex odours.
''An odour stimulus generates a characteristic fingerprint or pattern and based on these patterns the teas can be classified, identified and graded as odour lends flavour to tea,'' he said.
Tea tasters, who manually taste teas by sipping it, rolling it on their tongue and inhaling the smell could now see their jobs being done with this "nose", which can also act as a "tongue".
Its computing system was capable of sensing compounds of tea and predicting scores (or quality standards), which otherwise is manually handled by tea tasters.
He said the equipment was demonstrated recently during a workshop.
The instrument would be available to the growers at Rs 50,000 and the equipment could help improve quality.
--- UNI
Kolkata, Jun 03: Good news for the tea tasters! The Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC) has developed a model "nose" which can help detect complex odours and manufacture better quality tea.
Speaking to UNI, ITA Secretary General Manojit Das Gupta here today said that the instrument, invented by the CDAC, uses sensors to detect and differentiate complex odours.
''An odour stimulus generates a characteristic fingerprint or pattern and based on these patterns the teas can be classified, identified and graded as odour lends flavour to tea,'' he said.
Tea tasters, who manually taste teas by sipping it, rolling it on their tongue and inhaling the smell could now see their jobs being done with this "nose", which can also act as a "tongue".
Its computing system was capable of sensing compounds of tea and predicting scores (or quality standards), which otherwise is manually handled by tea tasters.
He said the equipment was demonstrated recently during a workshop.
The instrument would be available to the growers at Rs 50,000 and the equipment could help improve quality.
--- UNI
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
TEA: London not Blair's cup of tea
London is not quite Blair's cup of tea
By Joe Murphyand Nicholas Cecil, Evening Standard
London: Tony Blair had London cafe owners steaming - after claiming they cannot make a good cup of tea.
The Prime Minister landed in hot water by moaning that it was impossible to find a decent cuppa in the capital any more. "I fear you may be right," he said when asked if he agreed that good mugs of tea were impossible to track down. "It's got to be properly strong, it's got to have the right colour. The trouble is, not many people do it like that."
"This is a British tradition that must not be lost. If I were running for office again, I'd make it a major part of any platform," he said.
But a spokesman for The Ritz, where afternoon tea costs £36 (Dh261) a head, said: "We are confident the several hundred cups of tea we serve a day are great."
A Downing Street spokeswoman declined to reveal who made the tea for Blair at No 10, but insisted: "It's always tea in his tea mug."
How to make the perfect brew
The Tea Council's official guide to the perfect cuppa:
Use a good quality loose leaf or bagged tea, stored in an air-tight container at room temperature.
Use freshly drawn boiling water - the water needs to contain oxygen to draw the best flavour from the tea. Let the tea brew for two to four minutes.
It does not matter if milk is poured first or last when using a pot. But milk must be poured last if brewing from a bag in a mug or it will cool the water too quickly.
By Joe Murphyand Nicholas Cecil, Evening Standard
London: Tony Blair had London cafe owners steaming - after claiming they cannot make a good cup of tea.
The Prime Minister landed in hot water by moaning that it was impossible to find a decent cuppa in the capital any more. "I fear you may be right," he said when asked if he agreed that good mugs of tea were impossible to track down. "It's got to be properly strong, it's got to have the right colour. The trouble is, not many people do it like that."
"This is a British tradition that must not be lost. If I were running for office again, I'd make it a major part of any platform," he said.
But a spokesman for The Ritz, where afternoon tea costs £36 (Dh261) a head, said: "We are confident the several hundred cups of tea we serve a day are great."
A Downing Street spokeswoman declined to reveal who made the tea for Blair at No 10, but insisted: "It's always tea in his tea mug."
How to make the perfect brew
The Tea Council's official guide to the perfect cuppa:
Use a good quality loose leaf or bagged tea, stored in an air-tight container at room temperature.
Use freshly drawn boiling water - the water needs to contain oxygen to draw the best flavour from the tea. Let the tea brew for two to four minutes.
It does not matter if milk is poured first or last when using a pot. But milk must be poured last if brewing from a bag in a mug or it will cool the water too quickly.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
TEA: Nontraditional Tea Parties
Host a nontraditional tea party
by Beth J. Harpaz, The Associated Press
published May 12, 2007 12:15 am
NEW YORK — You’d expect a book called “Tea Party” to provide instructions for a proper afternoon tea, complete with white linen napkins, polished silver and tiered trays of scones, finger sandwiches and petits fours.
But Tracy Stern’s book also provides inspiration for plenty of parties that stray from that cliche, including one for men with black-tea martinis and sausage sandwiches.
Advertisement
Or a zany Mad Hatter-style tea party (a very merry unbirthday) with mismatched plates and cups, ham-banana sandwiches and cherry tarts. And a fall harvest dinner with chai tea, squash soup and an apple-cranberry crisp.
Stern’s “Tea Party” (Clarkson Potter, $27.50) offers recipes and ideas for 20 such themed events. And that’s just the start of her repertoire.
“I could have written five books,” said Stern, whose company, Tracy Stern SALONTEA, sells specialty teas and tea-infused beauty products. “My head is filled with the fantasy of creating tea parties for adults.”
As a child, Stern collected teacups and was obsessed with giving tea parties. As an adult, she turned that passion into a business. In addition to her book, published in April, and her products, she’s lined up investors for a chain of stores called Tea Party, with plans to open the first store later this year in Manhattan.
Stern’s ventures come at a time when the tea industry is booming. Ten years ago, there were 200 specialty tea rooms and retail shops; today there are 2,200, according to the Tea Association of the USA. Statistics from the Tea Association also show that consumer purchases of tea have increased for 15 straight years, with away-from-home consumption increasing 10 percent annually for a decade. Strong growth is anticipated for the next five years.
“Tea is undergoing a renaissance,” said Joe Simrany, president of the Tea Association. Simrany said reasons include increasing awareness and popularity of specialty teas; ready-to-drink teas; and health benefits. (Tea is high in antioxidants.)
In creating her book, Stern, a married mother of two in her late 30s, drew on her experiences as a tea maven. After studying art at the University of Tampa in Florida, she opened the Royal Tea Room in Tampa, with handpainted tea cozies and her own blends of tea. She later sold the business and moved to New York, where she hosted formal teas at a hotel and organized tea parties for charities and corporate events, including creating drinks mixing tea and alcohol to launch liquor products.
The stores she envisions opening will sell her teas and beauty products, along with teacups and teapots she’s designed using antique china for inspiration. The stores also will serve tea and sweets.
“This is the place you’re going to want to be that will be a respite from the crazy city,” said Lauren Freedman-Bolton, CEO of Tracy Stern Inc., who helped Stern devise a business plan and secure financing for the stores. “It will stimulate your senses, but it will also be very calming.”
The same could be said of the tea parties Stern outlines in her book, which include gatherings celebrating New Year’s Day, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, engagements, baby showers and bridal showers. In addition to recipes, each theme includes ideas for invitations, decor and activities.
For a bridal shower tea, Stern suggests a spa theme, with little plastic tubs for foot soaks in mineral salts and chilled eye masks. Guests even could chip in and hire a manicurist, pedicurist or massage therapist to come. The menu includes serve-yourself buffets: a sophisticated salad bar and a frozen yogurt and sorbet bar.
While her menus and themes are unorthodox, Stern is a purist when it comes to actually making the tea.
“I’m not doing the tea bag,” she declared. “I feel the tea leaf needs to open and unfurl to get the full flavor.” And microwaving a cup of water for tea is a no-no as well. Stern wants the water boiled, then steeped with loose tea.
She added that inviting friends for tea always “makes them feel special,” whether it’s in your home, a fancy hotel or a cozy cafe. “Grabbing a cup of coffee,” she said, “doesn’t have that same special cachet.”
Some easy tea party ideas from Stern:
• For a beach theme, make the table pretty using seashells filled with salt or sequins. Stick a flower in a conch shell.
• For an elegant centerpiece, decorate a branch with crystal teardrops and uplight it with candles.
• Fill clear glasses with the colored aquarium stones sold in pet stores.
• Use cookie cutters to cut sandwiches into bite-size shapes, such as hearts.
• If you own a variety of teacups but not a complete set, use glass plates to mix and match for a modern-vintage look.
• For place settings, put two glass plates together and press a pansy or palm frond between them. If it’s a birthday or shower party, insert a photo of the guest of honor between the plates.
• Use chilled brewed tea to create interesting cocktails. Stern’s black-tea martinis, recommended for a “Gentlemen’s Tea,” are made from 2 ounces of vodka, 2 ounces of chilled brewed black tea and ice. (Dip the moistened rim of the glass in chopped tea leaves and sugar before you pour.)
• Make edible place settings using canned, refrigerated soft breadsticks, which you can shape into your guests’ initials before baking.
• Set the tone for your party with creative invitations. For a garden party, enclose a small packet of flower seeds with each invitation. For a French-themed soiree, use postcards of Paris.
by Beth J. Harpaz, The Associated Press
published May 12, 2007 12:15 am
NEW YORK — You’d expect a book called “Tea Party” to provide instructions for a proper afternoon tea, complete with white linen napkins, polished silver and tiered trays of scones, finger sandwiches and petits fours.
But Tracy Stern’s book also provides inspiration for plenty of parties that stray from that cliche, including one for men with black-tea martinis and sausage sandwiches.
Or a zany Mad Hatter-style tea party (a very merry unbirthday) with mismatched plates and cups, ham-banana sandwiches and cherry tarts. And a fall harvest dinner with chai tea, squash soup and an apple-cranberry crisp.
Stern’s “Tea Party” (Clarkson Potter, $27.50) offers recipes and ideas for 20 such themed events. And that’s just the start of her repertoire.
“I could have written five books,” said Stern, whose company, Tracy Stern SALONTEA, sells specialty teas and tea-infused beauty products. “My head is filled with the fantasy of creating tea parties for adults.”
As a child, Stern collected teacups and was obsessed with giving tea parties. As an adult, she turned that passion into a business. In addition to her book, published in April, and her products, she’s lined up investors for a chain of stores called Tea Party, with plans to open the first store later this year in Manhattan.
Stern’s ventures come at a time when the tea industry is booming. Ten years ago, there were 200 specialty tea rooms and retail shops; today there are 2,200, according to the Tea Association of the USA. Statistics from the Tea Association also show that consumer purchases of tea have increased for 15 straight years, with away-from-home consumption increasing 10 percent annually for a decade. Strong growth is anticipated for the next five years.
“Tea is undergoing a renaissance,” said Joe Simrany, president of the Tea Association. Simrany said reasons include increasing awareness and popularity of specialty teas; ready-to-drink teas; and health benefits. (Tea is high in antioxidants.)
In creating her book, Stern, a married mother of two in her late 30s, drew on her experiences as a tea maven. After studying art at the University of Tampa in Florida, she opened the Royal Tea Room in Tampa, with handpainted tea cozies and her own blends of tea. She later sold the business and moved to New York, where she hosted formal teas at a hotel and organized tea parties for charities and corporate events, including creating drinks mixing tea and alcohol to launch liquor products.
The stores she envisions opening will sell her teas and beauty products, along with teacups and teapots she’s designed using antique china for inspiration. The stores also will serve tea and sweets.
“This is the place you’re going to want to be that will be a respite from the crazy city,” said Lauren Freedman-Bolton, CEO of Tracy Stern Inc., who helped Stern devise a business plan and secure financing for the stores. “It will stimulate your senses, but it will also be very calming.”
The same could be said of the tea parties Stern outlines in her book, which include gatherings celebrating New Year’s Day, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, engagements, baby showers and bridal showers. In addition to recipes, each theme includes ideas for invitations, decor and activities.
For a bridal shower tea, Stern suggests a spa theme, with little plastic tubs for foot soaks in mineral salts and chilled eye masks. Guests even could chip in and hire a manicurist, pedicurist or massage therapist to come. The menu includes serve-yourself buffets: a sophisticated salad bar and a frozen yogurt and sorbet bar.
While her menus and themes are unorthodox, Stern is a purist when it comes to actually making the tea.
“I’m not doing the tea bag,” she declared. “I feel the tea leaf needs to open and unfurl to get the full flavor.” And microwaving a cup of water for tea is a no-no as well. Stern wants the water boiled, then steeped with loose tea.
She added that inviting friends for tea always “makes them feel special,” whether it’s in your home, a fancy hotel or a cozy cafe. “Grabbing a cup of coffee,” she said, “doesn’t have that same special cachet.”
Some easy tea party ideas from Stern:
• For a beach theme, make the table pretty using seashells filled with salt or sequins. Stick a flower in a conch shell.
• For an elegant centerpiece, decorate a branch with crystal teardrops and uplight it with candles.
• Fill clear glasses with the colored aquarium stones sold in pet stores.
• Use cookie cutters to cut sandwiches into bite-size shapes, such as hearts.
• If you own a variety of teacups but not a complete set, use glass plates to mix and match for a modern-vintage look.
• For place settings, put two glass plates together and press a pansy or palm frond between them. If it’s a birthday or shower party, insert a photo of the guest of honor between the plates.
• Use chilled brewed tea to create interesting cocktails. Stern’s black-tea martinis, recommended for a “Gentlemen’s Tea,” are made from 2 ounces of vodka, 2 ounces of chilled brewed black tea and ice. (Dip the moistened rim of the glass in chopped tea leaves and sugar before you pour.)
• Make edible place settings using canned, refrigerated soft breadsticks, which you can shape into your guests’ initials before baking.
• Set the tone for your party with creative invitations. For a garden party, enclose a small packet of flower seeds with each invitation. For a French-themed soiree, use postcards of Paris.
by Beth J. Harpaz, The Associated Press
published May 12, 2007 12:15 am
NEW YORK — You’d expect a book called “Tea Party” to provide instructions for a proper afternoon tea, complete with white linen napkins, polished silver and tiered trays of scones, finger sandwiches and petits fours.
But Tracy Stern’s book also provides inspiration for plenty of parties that stray from that cliche, including one for men with black-tea martinis and sausage sandwiches.
Advertisement
Or a zany Mad Hatter-style tea party (a very merry unbirthday) with mismatched plates and cups, ham-banana sandwiches and cherry tarts. And a fall harvest dinner with chai tea, squash soup and an apple-cranberry crisp.
Stern’s “Tea Party” (Clarkson Potter, $27.50) offers recipes and ideas for 20 such themed events. And that’s just the start of her repertoire.
“I could have written five books,” said Stern, whose company, Tracy Stern SALONTEA, sells specialty teas and tea-infused beauty products. “My head is filled with the fantasy of creating tea parties for adults.”
As a child, Stern collected teacups and was obsessed with giving tea parties. As an adult, she turned that passion into a business. In addition to her book, published in April, and her products, she’s lined up investors for a chain of stores called Tea Party, with plans to open the first store later this year in Manhattan.
Stern’s ventures come at a time when the tea industry is booming. Ten years ago, there were 200 specialty tea rooms and retail shops; today there are 2,200, according to the Tea Association of the USA. Statistics from the Tea Association also show that consumer purchases of tea have increased for 15 straight years, with away-from-home consumption increasing 10 percent annually for a decade. Strong growth is anticipated for the next five years.
“Tea is undergoing a renaissance,” said Joe Simrany, president of the Tea Association. Simrany said reasons include increasing awareness and popularity of specialty teas; ready-to-drink teas; and health benefits. (Tea is high in antioxidants.)
In creating her book, Stern, a married mother of two in her late 30s, drew on her experiences as a tea maven. After studying art at the University of Tampa in Florida, she opened the Royal Tea Room in Tampa, with handpainted tea cozies and her own blends of tea. She later sold the business and moved to New York, where she hosted formal teas at a hotel and organized tea parties for charities and corporate events, including creating drinks mixing tea and alcohol to launch liquor products.
The stores she envisions opening will sell her teas and beauty products, along with teacups and teapots she’s designed using antique china for inspiration. The stores also will serve tea and sweets.
“This is the place you’re going to want to be that will be a respite from the crazy city,” said Lauren Freedman-Bolton, CEO of Tracy Stern Inc., who helped Stern devise a business plan and secure financing for the stores. “It will stimulate your senses, but it will also be very calming.”
The same could be said of the tea parties Stern outlines in her book, which include gatherings celebrating New Year’s Day, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, engagements, baby showers and bridal showers. In addition to recipes, each theme includes ideas for invitations, decor and activities.
For a bridal shower tea, Stern suggests a spa theme, with little plastic tubs for foot soaks in mineral salts and chilled eye masks. Guests even could chip in and hire a manicurist, pedicurist or massage therapist to come. The menu includes serve-yourself buffets: a sophisticated salad bar and a frozen yogurt and sorbet bar.
While her menus and themes are unorthodox, Stern is a purist when it comes to actually making the tea.
“I’m not doing the tea bag,” she declared. “I feel the tea leaf needs to open and unfurl to get the full flavor.” And microwaving a cup of water for tea is a no-no as well. Stern wants the water boiled, then steeped with loose tea.
She added that inviting friends for tea always “makes them feel special,” whether it’s in your home, a fancy hotel or a cozy cafe. “Grabbing a cup of coffee,” she said, “doesn’t have that same special cachet.”
Some easy tea party ideas from Stern:
• For a beach theme, make the table pretty using seashells filled with salt or sequins. Stick a flower in a conch shell.
• For an elegant centerpiece, decorate a branch with crystal teardrops and uplight it with candles.
• Fill clear glasses with the colored aquarium stones sold in pet stores.
• Use cookie cutters to cut sandwiches into bite-size shapes, such as hearts.
• If you own a variety of teacups but not a complete set, use glass plates to mix and match for a modern-vintage look.
• For place settings, put two glass plates together and press a pansy or palm frond between them. If it’s a birthday or shower party, insert a photo of the guest of honor between the plates.
• Use chilled brewed tea to create interesting cocktails. Stern’s black-tea martinis, recommended for a “Gentlemen’s Tea,” are made from 2 ounces of vodka, 2 ounces of chilled brewed black tea and ice. (Dip the moistened rim of the glass in chopped tea leaves and sugar before you pour.)
• Make edible place settings using canned, refrigerated soft breadsticks, which you can shape into your guests’ initials before baking.
• Set the tone for your party with creative invitations. For a garden party, enclose a small packet of flower seeds with each invitation. For a French-themed soiree, use postcards of Paris.
by Beth J. Harpaz, The Associated Press
published May 12, 2007 12:15 am
NEW YORK — You’d expect a book called “Tea Party” to provide instructions for a proper afternoon tea, complete with white linen napkins, polished silver and tiered trays of scones, finger sandwiches and petits fours.
But Tracy Stern’s book also provides inspiration for plenty of parties that stray from that cliche, including one for men with black-tea martinis and sausage sandwiches.
Or a zany Mad Hatter-style tea party (a very merry unbirthday) with mismatched plates and cups, ham-banana sandwiches and cherry tarts. And a fall harvest dinner with chai tea, squash soup and an apple-cranberry crisp.
Stern’s “Tea Party” (Clarkson Potter, $27.50) offers recipes and ideas for 20 such themed events. And that’s just the start of her repertoire.
“I could have written five books,” said Stern, whose company, Tracy Stern SALONTEA, sells specialty teas and tea-infused beauty products. “My head is filled with the fantasy of creating tea parties for adults.”
As a child, Stern collected teacups and was obsessed with giving tea parties. As an adult, she turned that passion into a business. In addition to her book, published in April, and her products, she’s lined up investors for a chain of stores called Tea Party, with plans to open the first store later this year in Manhattan.
Stern’s ventures come at a time when the tea industry is booming. Ten years ago, there were 200 specialty tea rooms and retail shops; today there are 2,200, according to the Tea Association of the USA. Statistics from the Tea Association also show that consumer purchases of tea have increased for 15 straight years, with away-from-home consumption increasing 10 percent annually for a decade. Strong growth is anticipated for the next five years.
“Tea is undergoing a renaissance,” said Joe Simrany, president of the Tea Association. Simrany said reasons include increasing awareness and popularity of specialty teas; ready-to-drink teas; and health benefits. (Tea is high in antioxidants.)
In creating her book, Stern, a married mother of two in her late 30s, drew on her experiences as a tea maven. After studying art at the University of Tampa in Florida, she opened the Royal Tea Room in Tampa, with handpainted tea cozies and her own blends of tea. She later sold the business and moved to New York, where she hosted formal teas at a hotel and organized tea parties for charities and corporate events, including creating drinks mixing tea and alcohol to launch liquor products.
The stores she envisions opening will sell her teas and beauty products, along with teacups and teapots she’s designed using antique china for inspiration. The stores also will serve tea and sweets.
“This is the place you’re going to want to be that will be a respite from the crazy city,” said Lauren Freedman-Bolton, CEO of Tracy Stern Inc., who helped Stern devise a business plan and secure financing for the stores. “It will stimulate your senses, but it will also be very calming.”
The same could be said of the tea parties Stern outlines in her book, which include gatherings celebrating New Year’s Day, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, engagements, baby showers and bridal showers. In addition to recipes, each theme includes ideas for invitations, decor and activities.
For a bridal shower tea, Stern suggests a spa theme, with little plastic tubs for foot soaks in mineral salts and chilled eye masks. Guests even could chip in and hire a manicurist, pedicurist or massage therapist to come. The menu includes serve-yourself buffets: a sophisticated salad bar and a frozen yogurt and sorbet bar.
While her menus and themes are unorthodox, Stern is a purist when it comes to actually making the tea.
“I’m not doing the tea bag,” she declared. “I feel the tea leaf needs to open and unfurl to get the full flavor.” And microwaving a cup of water for tea is a no-no as well. Stern wants the water boiled, then steeped with loose tea.
She added that inviting friends for tea always “makes them feel special,” whether it’s in your home, a fancy hotel or a cozy cafe. “Grabbing a cup of coffee,” she said, “doesn’t have that same special cachet.”
Some easy tea party ideas from Stern:
• For a beach theme, make the table pretty using seashells filled with salt or sequins. Stick a flower in a conch shell.
• For an elegant centerpiece, decorate a branch with crystal teardrops and uplight it with candles.
• Fill clear glasses with the colored aquarium stones sold in pet stores.
• Use cookie cutters to cut sandwiches into bite-size shapes, such as hearts.
• If you own a variety of teacups but not a complete set, use glass plates to mix and match for a modern-vintage look.
• For place settings, put two glass plates together and press a pansy or palm frond between them. If it’s a birthday or shower party, insert a photo of the guest of honor between the plates.
• Use chilled brewed tea to create interesting cocktails. Stern’s black-tea martinis, recommended for a “Gentlemen’s Tea,” are made from 2 ounces of vodka, 2 ounces of chilled brewed black tea and ice. (Dip the moistened rim of the glass in chopped tea leaves and sugar before you pour.)
• Make edible place settings using canned, refrigerated soft breadsticks, which you can shape into your guests’ initials before baking.
• Set the tone for your party with creative invitations. For a garden party, enclose a small packet of flower seeds with each invitation. For a French-themed soiree, use postcards of Paris.
Thursday, May 3, 2007
TEA: Reagan and Prince of Wales and tea
An excerpt from a newspaper called the Scotsman:
Ronald Reagan's private diaries reveal that he also managed to fret about a social faux pas, such as when the Prince of Wales - "a most likeable person" - visited the White House and his tea was served American-style.
"The ushers brought him tea - horror of horrors, they served it our way with a tea bag still in the cup. It finally dawned on me that he was just holding the cup and then finally put down on a table. The prince said: 'I didn't know what to do with the little bag'."
Ronald Reagan's private diaries reveal that he also managed to fret about a social faux pas, such as when the Prince of Wales - "a most likeable person" - visited the White House and his tea was served American-style.
"The ushers brought him tea - horror of horrors, they served it our way with a tea bag still in the cup. It finally dawned on me that he was just holding the cup and then finally put down on a table. The prince said: 'I didn't know what to do with the little bag'."
Sunday, April 29, 2007
CONVERSATION: Spring in Pittsburgh
SPRING!!!!!! And about gosh darn time, too.
The leaves were already full out in North Carolina before we even had daffodils--but this week spring finally fell in and the leaves are popping out, all new and delicate and that awesome fresh green that's impossible to duplicate, the green that will dullen in a couple weeks into the dark, tired summer green. The flowering trees have leafed out now, but there are still a lot of daffodils, and the TULIPS! I had no idea Pittsburgh was such a tulip city. I guess Pittsburgh's weather might be like Holland--because they're everywhere! Red, pink, yellow, white, multicolored, crazy exploded ones that look like roses, little tight buds that only open up the slightest bit--bursting and waving in borders, bobbing in the breeze. I love tulips! I want to run into a whole field of tulips and fall down and watch them waving above me.
ALSO, last week was Dandelion Week. All abruptly, every dandelion shot up, and every house without a Lawn Valet (i.e. every house not in the posh places of Squirrel Hill and Shadyside) became a field of yellow polka dots. Although they're weeds, they really look pretty nice until they go to seed, and then the lawn looks like a mess of fluff and dying stalks.
A couple days ago it was cold and rainy, and to cheer myself I tried to convince myself it was Londony, as opposed to dreary That worked for awhile until it got REALLY DAMN COLD. But while it was still fairly warm, I noticed how the rain made all the spring greens and pinks and whites pop like crazy mad, like someone had opened the landscape in Photoshop and jacked up the saturation. Lovely! Then it got colder and I stopped noticing the colors. Brrrr!
The leaves were already full out in North Carolina before we even had daffodils--but this week spring finally fell in and the leaves are popping out, all new and delicate and that awesome fresh green that's impossible to duplicate, the green that will dullen in a couple weeks into the dark, tired summer green. The flowering trees have leafed out now, but there are still a lot of daffodils, and the TULIPS! I had no idea Pittsburgh was such a tulip city. I guess Pittsburgh's weather might be like Holland--because they're everywhere! Red, pink, yellow, white, multicolored, crazy exploded ones that look like roses, little tight buds that only open up the slightest bit--bursting and waving in borders, bobbing in the breeze. I love tulips! I want to run into a whole field of tulips and fall down and watch them waving above me.
ALSO, last week was Dandelion Week. All abruptly, every dandelion shot up, and every house without a Lawn Valet (i.e. every house not in the posh places of Squirrel Hill and Shadyside) became a field of yellow polka dots. Although they're weeds, they really look pretty nice until they go to seed, and then the lawn looks like a mess of fluff and dying stalks.
A couple days ago it was cold and rainy, and to cheer myself I tried to convince myself it was Londony, as opposed to dreary That worked for awhile until it got REALLY DAMN COLD. But while it was still fairly warm, I noticed how the rain made all the spring greens and pinks and whites pop like crazy mad, like someone had opened the landscape in Photoshop and jacked up the saturation. Lovely! Then it got colder and I stopped noticing the colors. Brrrr!
Friday, April 20, 2007
CONVERSATION: Mobot races
I got ridiculously sunburned today watching the robots race. It was the ultimate Carnegie Mellon stereotype--tiny robots racing down the sidewalk while a Computer Science professor dressed in a kilt and brandishing a sword revved the crowd up to cheer the robots on. The robots have to be able to recognize a white line curving down the sidewalk to get through fourteen gates. Only one robot got through all the gates, but it took too long to be counted (over four minutes.) Two robots couldn't even get moving, and their creators were working frantically over to the side, laptops covered in coats to be visible in the unexpected sunlight. One robot failed to find the line and kept racing in circles and once straight into the registration booth.
The robot that won was called Plan B (Plan A had failed two weeks earlier) and featured a finger-like "gate sensor" and a sensor shade made of cardboard and egg carton packing foam.
Now I feel like I'm really a Carnegie Mellon student :) I wonder if any of the mobot teams need an English student to write documentation for them?
The robot that won was called Plan B (Plan A had failed two weeks earlier) and featured a finger-like "gate sensor" and a sensor shade made of cardboard and egg carton packing foam.
Now I feel like I'm really a Carnegie Mellon student :) I wonder if any of the mobot teams need an English student to write documentation for them?
TEA: IngenuiTEA pot
I recently got a new teapot that BLEW MY MIND. It's called IngenuiTEA from Adagio, and it's just crazy exciting. The review below explains how it works, and if you go to adagio.com you can see a video of it in action.
Review: the IngenuiTEA microwavable tea pot
Ladies, gentlemen, I am in love. I am head over heels - with the IngenuiTEA microwavable tea pot. Resembling a transparent plastic beer stein, you fill the IngenuiTEA with 500ml of water and then place in the microwave. Heat until boiling. Put in two spoonsful of loose tea and let steep the appropriate time. Then center the IngenuiTEA over your teacup and use your cup's rim to push up the base. Tea is then dispensed from the bottom of the pot straight into your cup, and filtered nicely by a fine (and removable) mesh cone inside the pot. It is amazingly convenient and the tea it makes is pretty good too.
The filter is easily removable and the entire rig is easily cleaned. Sturdy and lightweight enough to carry around with you, and at $16 USD, inexpensive enough that you might want to just leave one at work and not worry overmuch if someone kips it. Made by Adagio, whose ardent hope is to make tea as office-convenient as coffee.
Next week I'll review the triniTEA, their innovative tea machine which times the tea steeping and keeps the tea hot for you. [GT]
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
TEA: Tea cures cancer
Two cups of tea a day cuts risk of some skin cancers
PAT HAGAN
TWO cups of a tea day may slash the risk of skin cancer, according to new research.
Scientists found that tea-drinkers were at least 65 per cent less likely to get certain types of tumour.
The findings, published in the European Journal of Cancer Prevention, show tea appears to protect the body against squamous cell carcinomas and basal cell carcinomas.
These types of tumours are not as dangerous as malignant melanomas, which have a high mortality rate, but do affect nearly 70,000 people in Britain every year.
They are usually caused by too much exposure to the sun's rays and grow slowly over a period of months or even years.
Squamous cell carcinomas normally appear on the face and turn into an ulcer-like growth that does not heal.
Basal cell carcinomas normally show up as a painless lump that gradually expands in size.
Although they do not normally spread through the body, they still need to be removed through surgery.
Tea is packed with powerful disease-fighting chemicals and its ability to ward off illness is well known. Studies have found it can protect against heart disease, ovarian cancer and stress.
In the latest study, carried out at Dartmouth Medical School in New Hampshire, scientists analysed more than 1,400 patients aged between 25 and 74 with the types of tumour.
They compared their diet, drinking habits and lifestyle with a similar group who did not have cancer. Regular tea drinkers were 65 per cent less likely to have squamous cell carcinoma and almost 80 per less at risk of a basal cell carcinoma.
PAT HAGAN
TWO cups of a tea day may slash the risk of skin cancer, according to new research.
Scientists found that tea-drinkers were at least 65 per cent less likely to get certain types of tumour.
The findings, published in the European Journal of Cancer Prevention, show tea appears to protect the body against squamous cell carcinomas and basal cell carcinomas.
These types of tumours are not as dangerous as malignant melanomas, which have a high mortality rate, but do affect nearly 70,000 people in Britain every year.
They are usually caused by too much exposure to the sun's rays and grow slowly over a period of months or even years.
Squamous cell carcinomas normally appear on the face and turn into an ulcer-like growth that does not heal.
Basal cell carcinomas normally show up as a painless lump that gradually expands in size.
Although they do not normally spread through the body, they still need to be removed through surgery.
Tea is packed with powerful disease-fighting chemicals and its ability to ward off illness is well known. Studies have found it can protect against heart disease, ovarian cancer and stress.
In the latest study, carried out at Dartmouth Medical School in New Hampshire, scientists analysed more than 1,400 patients aged between 25 and 74 with the types of tumour.
They compared their diet, drinking habits and lifestyle with a similar group who did not have cancer. Regular tea drinkers were 65 per cent less likely to have squamous cell carcinoma and almost 80 per less at risk of a basal cell carcinoma.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
TEA: World Tea Expo
Photo Release -- Over Two Hundred New Tea Products to Debut at 2007 World Tea Expo
Healthy, Delicious, Environmentally Conscious and Innovative Products are Leading the Way
LAS VEGAS, April 16, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- The World Tea Expo is brimming with excitement to share the news that retailers, cafe and tea salon owners, restaurateurs, and F&B managers have all been waiting for: Exhibitors have just unveiled the new products they will introduce at the 2007 World Tea Expo, taking place in Atlanta, June 9, 10, and 11 at the Georgia World Congress Center.
A REAL energy drink
Photos accompanying this release are available at
http://www.primenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=3603
and
http://www.primenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=3602
For the first time ever, the World Tea Expo will feature a New Products Showcase, where innovation and convenience will sit alongside tradition and quality. Kimberly Frost Jage, VP of Sales & Marketing for the World Tea Expo notes, "The primary growth in consumer demand for tea is higher quality products, like specialty teas and all-natural Ready-to-Drink teas (RTDs). Healthy, delicious, environmentally conscious and innovative products are leading the way, fulfilling the need, and can all be found at this Expo."
Here's a glimpse of what 5,000 expected buyers are coming to see at the 300+ exhibitor booths.
Specialty Teas
Red & Green Company, known for selling some of the very finest teas in the world, introduces its Reserved Ti Kwan Yin, oolong aged 16 years and smoked every two years to achieve a complex fruity taste and smoky palate.
From Rishi Tea comes a new line of direct trade premium Japanese green teas. The line features a variety of classic sencha, matcha infused teas and gourmet blends like ume shiso and yuzu citrus. Teacraft Ltd. presents Antlers D'Amour, a very rare and unusual white tea from Africa handmade using only tender stems. Anyone who breathes in the floral aroma will fall in love with white tea.
Ready-to-Drink (RTD) Teas
Ready-to-Drink teas are one of the fastest-growing categories in the tea market. From DongSuh comes all-natural green tea in a can, brewed with the finest green tea leaves grown in BoSung, Korea. ITO EN remains on the cutting edge of RTD Teas, this time with the introduction of Cafe Sepia in two varieties: Matcha Latte and Tea Latte.
Chocolate and Confections
Quality tea deserves quality honey. Bee-Pure Honey comes direct from the beekeeper and is available in Vanilla -- mixed with real vanilla bean -- or Plain.
Torn Ranch introduces new Tea Infused Chocolate Indulges in both milk and dark chocolate. These dreamy treats combine rich chocolate with teas from around the world. Berkshire Bark is an irresistible new chocolate bar in four varieties that combine a generous bounty of whole roasted nuts, fresh citrus zest, and dried fruits bound together by top quality Belgian chocolate.
Whole Body and Health
New from Androgiennei is Evening Earl Grey Tea Soap, which nourishes the skin with the invigorating combination of black tea and bergamot oil; and Evening Oolong Orange Tea Soap, treating the body to an infusion of fragrant oolong tea and orange essence. An innovation from tea-maven-about-town Tracy Stern is Bathtea -- sachets of homeotherapeutic blends of medicinal herbal teas and organic botanicals.
CHI TEA Organic Green Tea Extract is a super antioxidant. A 30-drop dose of the concentrated extract is equivalent to 12-15 cups of regular green tea. Ener-Chi Tea is a delicious Natural Energy Elixir offering a unique blend of herbs and vitamins to provide a sustained energy boost and increase the metabolism.
Tea-Based Culinary Products
Salt of the Earth, made by Blessed Botanicals, is a versatile and delicious all-purpose salt seasoning blend accented with rooibos. It's a blend of French grey sea salt and organic herbs including nettles, marjoram, basil, tarragon, onion, garlic, and other secret ingredients.
Tzu The brings something fresh to the world of energy bars with its new line of T-Bar Green Tea Nutrition Bars. The all-natural and organic cold-processed whole grain bars each contain 1.5 grams or 3 grams green tea leaves. They are also high in antioxidants, fiber and essential vitamins and minerals.
Tea Accessories
The Tea House Times presents CelebriTEA mugs for ChariTEA. Twelve celebrities, including Nicole Kidman, Samuel L. Jackson, and George Clooney, designed mugs with messages of hope for the future. Mug sales raise money for charities tackling key global issues.
Bodum's new temperature-safe borosilicate glass Bistro Iced Tea Maker can be used with both hot and cold brewing methods. Simply add loose leaf tea, fill halfway with hot water and steep, and then remove the infuser, replace the lid, fill with ice and serve. Tzu The introduces the innovative T-Buddy, a portable tea bottle with built-in infuser for full-leaf teas or herbal infusions; hot or cold. It's ideal for home, office or outdoor activities.
The Teapresso LT machine series from KLub Manufacturing Corp. brews loose leaf tea just like an espresso machine, bringing the intensity and immediacy of espresso to tea drinkers. Great for coffee and tea houses, the Teapresso is capable of making both espresso and tea at once, using independent systems. From Riensch & Held comes the easy brew finum Filter Stick, a stylish tea filter holder perfectly sized for one cup of tea. It's simple to handle, reusable, and durable.
The personal Tea HPLC Analysis Kit from ChromaDex will enable tea buyers and shop owners to determine the identify and quality of teas, tisanes, and herbal extracts.
Dee Sharp Jewelry Designs offers beautifully handcrafted tea jewelry, including a new sterling silver Teapot Thimble. Makes a whimsical gift for either the thimble or teapot collector. Casablanca Market brings exquisite teacups and trays handmade by expert artisans in Morocco. Use the set to serve traditional Moroccan tea, or use for coffee, wine, or juice. All products are Fair Trade.
This is just a glimpse of all the new products that buyers will discover first-hand at the show. To see all the new items to be showcased at the World Tea Expo, go to: http://www.worldteaexpo.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=81&Itemid=139
Healthy, Delicious, Environmentally Conscious and Innovative Products are Leading the Way
LAS VEGAS, April 16, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- The World Tea Expo is brimming with excitement to share the news that retailers, cafe and tea salon owners, restaurateurs, and F&B managers have all been waiting for: Exhibitors have just unveiled the new products they will introduce at the 2007 World Tea Expo, taking place in Atlanta, June 9, 10, and 11 at the Georgia World Congress Center.
A REAL energy drink
Photos accompanying this release are available at
http://www.primenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=3603
and
http://www.primenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=3602
For the first time ever, the World Tea Expo will feature a New Products Showcase, where innovation and convenience will sit alongside tradition and quality. Kimberly Frost Jage, VP of Sales & Marketing for the World Tea Expo notes, "The primary growth in consumer demand for tea is higher quality products, like specialty teas and all-natural Ready-to-Drink teas (RTDs). Healthy, delicious, environmentally conscious and innovative products are leading the way, fulfilling the need, and can all be found at this Expo."
Here's a glimpse of what 5,000 expected buyers are coming to see at the 300+ exhibitor booths.
Specialty Teas
Red & Green Company, known for selling some of the very finest teas in the world, introduces its Reserved Ti Kwan Yin, oolong aged 16 years and smoked every two years to achieve a complex fruity taste and smoky palate.
From Rishi Tea comes a new line of direct trade premium Japanese green teas. The line features a variety of classic sencha, matcha infused teas and gourmet blends like ume shiso and yuzu citrus. Teacraft Ltd. presents Antlers D'Amour, a very rare and unusual white tea from Africa handmade using only tender stems. Anyone who breathes in the floral aroma will fall in love with white tea.
Ready-to-Drink (RTD) Teas
Ready-to-Drink teas are one of the fastest-growing categories in the tea market. From DongSuh comes all-natural green tea in a can, brewed with the finest green tea leaves grown in BoSung, Korea. ITO EN remains on the cutting edge of RTD Teas, this time with the introduction of Cafe Sepia in two varieties: Matcha Latte and Tea Latte.
Chocolate and Confections
Quality tea deserves quality honey. Bee-Pure Honey comes direct from the beekeeper and is available in Vanilla -- mixed with real vanilla bean -- or Plain.
Torn Ranch introduces new Tea Infused Chocolate Indulges in both milk and dark chocolate. These dreamy treats combine rich chocolate with teas from around the world. Berkshire Bark is an irresistible new chocolate bar in four varieties that combine a generous bounty of whole roasted nuts, fresh citrus zest, and dried fruits bound together by top quality Belgian chocolate.
Whole Body and Health
New from Androgiennei is Evening Earl Grey Tea Soap, which nourishes the skin with the invigorating combination of black tea and bergamot oil; and Evening Oolong Orange Tea Soap, treating the body to an infusion of fragrant oolong tea and orange essence. An innovation from tea-maven-about-town Tracy Stern is Bathtea -- sachets of homeotherapeutic blends of medicinal herbal teas and organic botanicals.
CHI TEA Organic Green Tea Extract is a super antioxidant. A 30-drop dose of the concentrated extract is equivalent to 12-15 cups of regular green tea. Ener-Chi Tea is a delicious Natural Energy Elixir offering a unique blend of herbs and vitamins to provide a sustained energy boost and increase the metabolism.
Tea-Based Culinary Products
Salt of the Earth, made by Blessed Botanicals, is a versatile and delicious all-purpose salt seasoning blend accented with rooibos. It's a blend of French grey sea salt and organic herbs including nettles, marjoram, basil, tarragon, onion, garlic, and other secret ingredients.
Tzu The brings something fresh to the world of energy bars with its new line of T-Bar Green Tea Nutrition Bars. The all-natural and organic cold-processed whole grain bars each contain 1.5 grams or 3 grams green tea leaves. They are also high in antioxidants, fiber and essential vitamins and minerals.
Tea Accessories
The Tea House Times presents CelebriTEA mugs for ChariTEA. Twelve celebrities, including Nicole Kidman, Samuel L. Jackson, and George Clooney, designed mugs with messages of hope for the future. Mug sales raise money for charities tackling key global issues.
Bodum's new temperature-safe borosilicate glass Bistro Iced Tea Maker can be used with both hot and cold brewing methods. Simply add loose leaf tea, fill halfway with hot water and steep, and then remove the infuser, replace the lid, fill with ice and serve. Tzu The introduces the innovative T-Buddy, a portable tea bottle with built-in infuser for full-leaf teas or herbal infusions; hot or cold. It's ideal for home, office or outdoor activities.
The Teapresso LT machine series from KLub Manufacturing Corp. brews loose leaf tea just like an espresso machine, bringing the intensity and immediacy of espresso to tea drinkers. Great for coffee and tea houses, the Teapresso is capable of making both espresso and tea at once, using independent systems. From Riensch & Held comes the easy brew finum Filter Stick, a stylish tea filter holder perfectly sized for one cup of tea. It's simple to handle, reusable, and durable.
The personal Tea HPLC Analysis Kit from ChromaDex will enable tea buyers and shop owners to determine the identify and quality of teas, tisanes, and herbal extracts.
Dee Sharp Jewelry Designs offers beautifully handcrafted tea jewelry, including a new sterling silver Teapot Thimble. Makes a whimsical gift for either the thimble or teapot collector. Casablanca Market brings exquisite teacups and trays handmade by expert artisans in Morocco. Use the set to serve traditional Moroccan tea, or use for coffee, wine, or juice. All products are Fair Trade.
This is just a glimpse of all the new products that buyers will discover first-hand at the show. To see all the new items to be showcased at the World Tea Expo, go to: http://www.worldteaexpo.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=81&Itemid=139
Sunday, April 15, 2007
TEA: Tea can save your life!
Tea against cancer, dental caries
Sunday, Apr 15, 2007
Did you know that the polyphenols in tea helps to reduce caries in teeth?
Researchers say so and they also say that cell cultures and animal tests have also shown that these phytonutrients may protect against various cancers. A Swedish study published recently says the protection against cancer extends to humans as well.
Researches questioned more than 61,000 women aged between 40 to 76 about how frequently they consumed certain foods and upon revisiting the group 15 years later found an inverse relationship between drinking tea and the risk of ovarian cancer.
Women who drank one cup a day lowered their risk by 24 per cent compared women who never or seldom partook. Those who drank two or more cups a day lowered their by 46 per cent.
Sunday, Apr 15, 2007
Did you know that the polyphenols in tea helps to reduce caries in teeth?
Researchers say so and they also say that cell cultures and animal tests have also shown that these phytonutrients may protect against various cancers. A Swedish study published recently says the protection against cancer extends to humans as well.
Researches questioned more than 61,000 women aged between 40 to 76 about how frequently they consumed certain foods and upon revisiting the group 15 years later found an inverse relationship between drinking tea and the risk of ovarian cancer.
Women who drank one cup a day lowered their risk by 24 per cent compared women who never or seldom partook. Those who drank two or more cups a day lowered their by 46 per cent.
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