Nuclear Tea Shortage, Heavy Metal Tea
Here are two tea news oddities I recently stumbled across:
British Feared Nuclear Tea Shortage
Egyptian Tea Contained Heavy Metal
How odd! Have you seen any weird tea stories out there on the internet lately? If so, please link them!
Jul 23, 2008
UK Day
For some reason, I feel like talking about the UK today. Perhaps it's because I recently saw this funny little Cultural Guide to the UK that features tea (and is by the guy who did the Radiohead dot matrix printer remix). Or maybe the BBC tea documentary I saw in a fellow blogger's post the other day. Or the British dim sum menu (complete with hot tea, iced tea and tea cocktails) that my Londoner sister sent me last week. Or even the fact that I keep meaning to update my articles on afternoon tea and high tea with information from helpful British readers and from Ellen Easton's NYC Coffee & Tea Festival lecture and book "Afternoon Tea... Tips, Terms and Traditions." (Soon, soon...) Or the responses from people who read my recent Tea & Sympathy tearoom review, saying things like "I totally LOLed" (which I find to be a very humorous cultural juxtaposition in and of itself). At any rate, I suppose I've talked about it now. Readers, care to add anything? Interesting links? A story or two?
Jul 22, 2008
New Vee Tea Article
There's a new Vee Tea article up on World Tea News! It's part two of the American tea palate series. Excerpt:
Despite the shift toward ?pure? teas, blended teas are holding strong. Most sources linked flavored teas? popularity to palatial accessibility, but Pratt offered a more practical reason: ?Flavors are essential in places like most of the American West, where the water is so bad, real tea flavors are undetectable.?
Flavored specialty teas are here to stay, but sources said they are undergoing radical changes. According to Harrison, ?In the past, low-quality black tea was a carrier for an artificial fruit flavor. Now, there is an understanding for intelligent tea blending that goes way beyond fruit and fannings.?
Read the rest on World Tea News!
Jul 21, 2008
Tea and Robbery
Recently, I happened to see two articles about tea and, of all things, robbery. How odd! I thought it warranted a post.
The first article I saw was during research for my recent review of Tea & Sympathy Tearoom. It's a profile of a businessperson, but it tells a story about his father's experience with tea, sympathy and robbery. (You need to log in to the New York Times to read it.)
The second item was something I ran across while researching iced tea for a company's blog I work on. It was a recent news item about a woman in Japan who stopped a robbery with iced tea.
It's amazing how tea can serve as such a strong way of recognizing the humanity in others. Of course, this is part of the theme in Samovar's Passage to Peace video podcast series, but that's another story!
Jul 17, 2008
Healthy Summer Drinks
Tea is making a lot of "healthy" lists of Summer foods and drinks. Here are two recent articles on Dr. Weil's Summer drink suggestions and how to cut 100 calories with tea. Of course, if you're replacing soda with tea, you'll cut a lot more than that, but that's another story... If you want to learn more, you can read my article on iced tea. Enjoy your Summer teas!
Jul 15, 2008
Iced Matcha Lattes
Over the weekend, I went to a Brooklyn barbecue (Don't worry--they had veggie kebabs!) and made one of my favorite Summer tea drinks: Iced Matcha Lattes. All it takes is matcha, a bit of sugar, milk/soymilk, ice, and a whir of the blender. They're quick and they tend to go over very well at barbecues, parties, etc. (in part because they can be mixed with alcohol easily, but, hey, it's a party). One friend usually refuses to drink tea ("I just want coffee") and loved it. Another, a chef, liked it so much that he wants to make matcha ice cream later this Summer. Cool! How do you get your friends to love tea?
Jul 14, 2008
Tea at Google
Last week, I had the pleasure of eating lunch and drinking tea at the NYC Google office. For those who haven't heard already, Google takes exceptional care of its employees and includes fantastic meals as a company perk. A Google friend was kind enough to invite me for a meal (incredible raw beet-cabbage puree with cranberries, tasty polenta-crust pizza, fresh berries, raw vegan Swedish meatballs) and tea. Most of the food was local and they give employees the option of joining a crop share with a local farm. It was very interesting to see their tea offerings, as they are thought of as a more "energy drink and espresso" kind of place. They offered: ITO EN's Fruit Tea, ITO EN's Teas' Tea, Honest Tea, yerba mate, brewed tropical black tea (not actually very good), Mighty Leaf pyramid bags, and kombucha. Good selection! They used to carry ITO EN's Sencha Shot, but my Google guide said she hadn't seen it around in a while. Too bad--they're very good and they parallel the whole "energy drink" thing well. Perhaps they'll pick up Oi Ocha now that it's widely available in the U.S. They also offer a casual afternoon tea service with finger sandwiches, sweets, and Mighty Leaf. I think it would be really cool if they did cross-cultural afternoon teas that introduce employees to foods and teas from around the world! Apparently, they discussed it, but it hasn't come to fruition yet. I'll let you know if I hear any more on the topic.
Jul 16, 2008
Silver Tips Tearoom Blog
You may have noticed that I added another new blog to my blogroll. It's by a friend of mine, Anupa Mueller, and it's about her fantastic NY tearoom, Silver Tips Tea. She posts about going green, tea events, tearoom stories, tea recipes, Makaibari Estate and all kinds of other goodies. Be sure to check it out!
Jul 10, 2008
World Tea News'' Vee Tea Article
World Tea News just put out a new Vee Tea article. Yay! Excerpt:
As RTDs capture a larger share of the beverage market, they shape the palates of a new wave of tea drinkers. Today's RTD trends can give us a glimpse of what's on the horizon for hot tea.
The shift toward RTDs
Seth Goldman, TeaEO of Honest Tea, said, ?The single biggest thing feeding RTD growth is that people are moving away from sodas.? The primary reason: high fructose corn syrup.
Not sure if I mentioned it, but I am now a features writer for WTN. Part two (loose tea) will be out in a few weeks. Meanwhile, you can read up on RTDs and the American palate and
check out my profile. If you'd like me to write for your publication or company, you can contact me at vee (at) veetea (dot) com.
I'm off to have lunch and tea at Google today. More on that next week!
Jul 09, 2008
Slow Tea
The Slow Food Movement (kind of the opposite of fast food, with a focus on local, sustainable produce and the enjoyment of food as an essential element of culture and communion) has recently embraced tea, even when it is not grown locally. As you may already know, sustainability is an issue close to my heart, so this is a big deal to me. In my opinion, if a quality product can only be grown far away and it is a beneficial component of your diet and lifestyle, it can be OK if offset by other things (especially if it is fair trade and organic). I'm thrilled to see that tea will be included in the upcoming Slow Food Nation event in San Francisco this August-September. If you're in the area or planning on attending, they're looking for tea volunteers. From their latest post, "Tea People Needs: We need to work out a schedule with 5 tea enthusiasts plus 5 facilitators at each of the 5 sessions of the Taste Hall." If you are (or know) someone who can help, check it out!
Jul 08, 2008
Frozen Tea Treat
Wise Acre has launched a new line of frozen tea treats for adults called Frosteas.
The company's aim--"Take back the frozen dessert isle and make products for adults." For each recipe, they sweeten organic, fresh-brewed teas and tisanes with molasses or honey remember their mottos, "No fruit!" and "It must taste great in gin or vodka." Yum! In addition to the taste appeal, New Yorkers are instant fans of the company's "smart ass" attitude. Their president, Jim Picariello, says, "What other food companies call 'Quality Control,' we call 'Taste each batch and make sure it tastes awesome enough'." Hah! They are currently available primarily in East Coast chains like Whole Foods, Wegmans, and Hannafords, though they are hoping to expand to the Midwest soon. Unfortunately, their website is down (too popular?) but you can read more about their Frosteas here. Perhaps I can get my hands on some soon... I'll let you know how it is!
Jul 07, 2008
Cool Tea Blog
I recently got an email from a fellow tea blogger and wanted to share her blog. It's called My Tea Cups and it has some great content. The blogger herself is actually starting a tea tour in Philadelphia. Cool!
Jul 03, 2008
RTDs
Sorry for the late post today! I just sent off a new article on the American tea palate and RTDs to my editor. What do you think about the future of the American tea palate? And the proliferation of new types of RTDs available on the market? I'd love to hear your thoughts!
PS--Happy Fourth of July!
Jul 02, 2008
New Vee Tea Article
TeaMuse just put out a new Vee Tea tearoom review. Excerpt:
Tea & Sympathy is a small and perpetually crowded tearoom in the West Village's so-called "Little Britain" district. It has been serving up classic British fare such as bangers and mash, Welsh rarebit, treacle pudding and, of course, an abundance of (mostly flavored black) teas to British expatriates and Anglophiles alike for nearly two decades. At first taste, Tea & Sympathy is enough to make you wish the States hadn't caused that whole "Boston Tea Party" fuss and simply let the British carry on with their whole "world domination" bit unchallenged. However, by the end of the meal, you'll be glad to walk outside and know you are on American soil (or sidewalk, as the case may be).
You see, when the denizens of Boston decided to throw tea overboard ships as a symbol of rebellion against the British, they set off a chain reaction spanning down the East coast and resulting in the voluntary end of tea drinking for many a proud soon-to-be American. Tea was still consumed in some areas, notably in the form of iced green tea punches in the South, but lost its former status and was no longer culturally ingrained in the same way. An unseasonably hot summer at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis led one Mr. Richard Blechynden to mix a batch of iced tea, get (erroneously) named the "inventor of iced tea," and spread the consumption of iced tea across the US. (The numerous free samples he distributed outside NYC's Bloomingdale's later in the summer didn't hurt, either.) Still, it took a wave of new tearooms, often opened by immigrants from Asia and Europe, in the US in the late 20th century to help the custom of hot tea reach anything near its former glory. Tea & Sympathy is one of those tearooms.
You can read the rest of my new tearoom review on TeaMuse. Enjoy!
Jul 01, 2008
Tea Art
I recently had the pleasure of meeting a talented artist named Michele Brody who incorporates tea into her work. Some of her recent pieces include a copper-pipe Japanese-style teahouse and a roving tea cart. In each, she serves tea to guests in an interactive performance/installation piece. She makes an audio recording of her conversations and then writes excerpts of the conversations onto the tea socks in which the tea was brewed. The conversations often deal with people's personal tea memories, and can be quite profound.
If you'd like to get involved with this fascinating, ongoing piece of art, now's your chance. You're on a computer right now, and my guess is you're pretty handy with a keyboard. If you're also a good listener and you have a bit of time to spare, Michele needs your help! She's looking for people to help transcribe the teacart conversations from her most recent performance so she can use excerpts from the conversations on the tea socks. Here is a quilt made from previous conversations:
To get involved, call Michele at 646-522-9924 or email her at michele at michelebrody dot com for more details. Tell her Vee sent you and you want to help!
Jun 30, 2008
Fancy Food Show
The Fancy Food Show is in full swing at the Javits Center. I went last year, but am too busy with a few other projects to make it there this week. Did any of you readers out there make it? What were your impressions? More importantly, how was the tea???
Jun 26, 2008
Tea Sommeliers
Tea sommeliers are, virtually unheard of in the US until a few years ago, are popping up arounf the US more and more. A recent article in the Washington Times discusses the addition of a tea sommelier to the Park Hyatt Washington staff. From the article:
"Elizabeth Knight, former tea sommelier at the St. Regis Hotel in New York and author of several books on tea, says a few years ago, this type of job description did not exist. Tea drinkers' palates have grown more educated, along with their desire for knowledge about tea's origins, health benefits and taste.
'People are getting more interested in tea and more sophisticated about their choices,' she says. 'For a long time, going to tea was about scones and finger sandwiches. What was in the pot was almost an afterthought.'
Not so anymore, although pastries are still part of the experience at most tony hotels. Ms. Knight says she expects the field of tea experts and sommeliers to expand.
'Every city hotel serves tea because you have to be able to offer your guests a meal in between lunch and dinner,' she says. 'But it is getting more and more difficult for hotels to distinguish themselves from others. People expect more at every level about travel - what they eat, what they wear. It is not enough to just serve English breakfast blend.'"
How true! I'm looking forward to the availability of good tea and the presence of tea educators at more fine establishments around the US. As always, if you would like me to train your staff on how to prepare, serve, and educate your clients about tea or to aid you in selecting teas, vendors, and teaware for your establishment, contact me at vee at veetea dot com.
Jun 26, 2008
Back in NYC
Just arrived back in NYC. My roommate welcomed me home with some summery strawberry-rhubarb sorbet, made with goodies from our local CSA. I also received some exciting new tea samples in the mail. Yum! Its good to be back. :)
Jun 26, 2008
Staff Training
One of my projects in NC is staff training. The staff had a good working knowledge when I arrived, but I'm proud to say that by the time I leave, they will be more confident and capable in their tea knowledge, which means increased customer satisfaction and sales for the tearoom.
It seems that tearoom owners are getting more and more savvy in their tea selections, food menus, and creation of ambiance. In my many tearoom visits (whether they are for business or pleasure), the area in which I most often see tearooms is staff training. Sure, the owner can tell you all about how the teas are grown, processed, and brewed, or the stories behind their teas' names, or each tea's flavor profile and what pairs with what, but most of the staff members I've interacted with still simply offer a menu and a pot of tea (which may or may not be brewed correctly). For more and more clients, this simply is not enough. They need to learn about your tea (and have it brewed properly!) in order to enjoy it (and your tearoom) fully. Unfortunately, new business owners are typically swamped and barely have time for things like order placement, much less intensive staff training. This is why I offer staff training for tea businesses. I learn your tea menu and business philosophy, and then customize staff training sessions which:
*ensure your staff is brewing, serving, and cleaning properly
*cover the customer FAQs (and how to answer them in a confident, unscripted manner) in depth
*illuminate the growing, processing, taste, and chemical differences between the different tea types
*discuss the cultural and historical significance of tea around the world
*aid staff members in developing their own palates and understanding the flavor profiles of each tea you carry
*include handouts, visuals, one-on-one training/Q&A (optional), and after-training follow-up questions
*help increase sales, customer loyalty, and employee satisfaction/retention
*save your company time and money in the long-run
*empower and encourage staff members to learn more about the teas you carry each day they work
To arrange staff training for your tearoom, email me at vee at veetea dot com with your location and the basics of your tearoom.
Jun 24, 2008
NYC
I'm enjoying my tea work and my friends in Charlotte, but part of me can't wait to return to NYC. As grating and fast-paced as it can be, I miss it! The tea mind and the New York mindset are so different, but in a way, they can balance a person out. (Well, they balance ME out, anyway.) The pace makes me appreciate the time I take for tea even more. How does tea relate to your life in the city where you live?
Jun 22, 2008
Fridays
I've decided to take Fridays off from blogging. As much as I love blogging about tea, I'm too busy with other tea work to keep up. I'll still post Mondays through Thursdays, so there will be plenty of tea goodness to go around. I'll also keep you updated on some of the other tea writing I'm doing for other sites and publications. Thanks for reading!
Jul 02, 2008
Tea Videos
First, tea companies got websites. Then, some took the extra step and started blogs or forums. Now, the big thing is video. From YouTube's many flowering tea vids and ceremony demos to Twinings' and Dr. Tea's video posts and even various organizations' tea video competitions, tea videos are hot. As someone with a video editing background (I edited videos and animations through high school and college), I can't say I'm disappointed! Though it's not new, video is an exciting and vibrant medium. You can convey huge amounts of information quickly while keeping it easy (and even fun) to understand. I'm glad to say that I'll be taking a new step in the tea video world soon. I've been interviewed by the local TV news as a "tea expert" and I've worked with a professional video editor to make a video of my footage from India for an Indian tea tasting event, but this week I'm writing and narrating a tea video for Urbana Cityspa & Teabar to post on Citysearch. Fun! It seems that most tearooms have so much to share and simply lack the means to get it out there. I hope to work with other tearooms on similar projects in the near future--let's get those stories and unique features out there!
07/02/08--Update!
Oregon Chai has announced a new video contest. Here's how to compete for Digital Nirvana.
Jun 18, 2008
Tango @ the Teabar
What a fun event! Here are a few photos before I end my mate high and go to sleep. :)
Just as yerba mate is the national drink of Argentina, aflajores (pronounced alfa-CHOR-eys) are the national cookie. They are kind of like shortbread cookies with dulce de leche and coconut, though they are made differently in other parts of South America (no coconut, dipped in chocolate or white chocolate, etc.). Delicious! They went very well with the iced mate, which is how they are often consumed during a sort of Argentinian late-afternoon tea-meal.
Empanadas--an Argentine staple! I live near an empanada place in NYC and it is my favorite meal-in-a-hurry place in all of New York. These are baked rather than fried. Yum! You can see some of the crowd (there were 30-40 people total) in the background.
Here's a little more of the crowd. They loved the iced mint mate and the hot lemongrass mate. Yum! They didn't mind my speech or the wine tasting too much either. ;)
Tango @ the Teabar would not have been complete without the tango. These dancers were fantastic! They also did a rhumba. Cool!
Time for me to go to sleep. More tomorrow!
Jun 18, 2008
Yerba Mate
I'm preparing for the Urbana yerba mate/Argentine event today. (Mmm... alfajores, how I love your dulce de leche filling and coconut flakes.) I'll post pictures late this evening. Have a great day and enjoy your tea!
Jun 17, 2008
Tea Menus
While I'm in Charlotte, I'm working on a tea menu. Planning a tea menu is a tricky and never-ending process. Teas' and importers' quality levels and availabilities change from year to year. What was right for your client base when you opended may not be right for your current client base. New products come out, trends change, specialty teas gain popularity... there are many reasons to update your tea menu and a lot of ways to go about it. Personally, I love working on tea menus. Finding just the right teas for a certain group, comparing suppliers' and estates' teas to see what is the best match, making sure the menu is well-rounded and still focused on the core interests of the clients--these are challenges I am up for any day. Lately, I've been ordering and tasting dozens of samples. What a joy! I'll try to snap some photos for you soon. In the meantime, enjoy your tea! And if you're interested in having me help you develop or update your tea menu, let me know! (vee at veetea dot com)