Tetley Red Tea Launches In Canada

Tetley Brings Centuries Old African Secret to Canada With the Launch of New Tetley Red Tea
(from a press release)

A secret no more! Healthful, antioxidant-rich Red Tea, made from the rooibos plant exclusively found in the Cedarberg Mountains of South Africa, was first encountered by European botanists and brought to the "Old World" more than 300 years ago.

Now Tetley, Canada's tea leader, is set to re-introduce Africa's best kept secret with the launch of its exclusive new range of 100 per cent pure, antioxidant-rich and naturally caffeine-free Tetley Red Tea. Three exceptionally delicious flavours are set to hit Canadian store shelves starting October 2008 and include: Tetley Red Tea Pure Rooibos, Tetley Red Tea Vanilla and Tetley Red Tea Red Berry.

Expertly blended by Tetley, new Tetley Red Tea captures the essence of Africa at an affordable price. A unique and deliciously aromatic blend of the highest quality rooibos, new Tetley Red Tea is steeped in Tetley's 171-year tea-making tradition. An indulgent experience, its rich aroma and deep red colour come to life with an earthy flavour, featuring faint mineral tones and natural subtle sweetness; along with the unquestionable understanding that every cup delivers soothing, healthful refreshment.

Tetley Red Tea, made from authentic South African rooibos, is available across Canada in the tea aisle of most grocery stores, in a convenient 96 g box with 40 tea bags ($4.99). Tetley Red Tea Pure Rooibos, Tetley Red Tea Vanilla and Tetley Red Tea Red Berry come in 40g canisters with 20 tea bags ($3.29). All three are ideal for savouring at home or at the office and perfect for keeping you hydrated.

Tetley Red Tea

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Pumpkin And Yerba Mate Chai Smoothies At Robeks

Back by Popular Demand, Pump It Up Pumpkin(TM) and Yerba Mate Chai Smoothies
(from a press release)

Robeks Corporation, a national franchisor of premium fruit smoothies and healthy fare restaurants, prepares for the fall holidays by bringing back two favorite American flavors -- Pump It Up Pumpkin and Yerba Mate Chai Smoothies in 12, 24, and 32-ounce sizes. This limited time offer is available at all Robeks locations beginning October 13 until December 31, 2008.

At Robeks, nutrition is as important as taste. In the 12-ounce size, Pump It Up Pumpkin delivers seven grams of protein to power the body's energy, only one gram of fat, no cholesterol, one gram of fiber, 42 percent RDA of Vitamin A, and fewer calories than a piece of pumpkin pie. In just one 6.5 ounce serving of pumpkin pie, there are 19 grams of fat and more than 372 calories, according to www.dietfacts.com.

Rich in antioxidants, a 24-ounce Robeks Yerba Mate Chai Smoothie provides twice the amount of antioxidants of one cup of green tea or a serving of blueberries. Chai is the Hindi word for tea. Chai is known for its tantalizing blend of sweet spices, cinnamon, cloves, and vanilla. The combination of energy-giving nutrients with the harmonious flavors of Chai makes Yerba Mate a guest-pleaser.

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Green Tea May Delay Onset Of Type 1 Diabetes

Green Tea May Delay Onset Of Type 1 Diabetes
(from a press release)

A powerful antioxidant in green tea may prevent or delay the onset of type 1 diabetes, Medical College of Georgia researchers say.

Researchers were testing EGCG, green tea's predominant antioxidant, in a laboratory mouse with type 1 diabetes and primary Sjogren's syndrome, which damages moisture-producing glands, causing dry mouth and eyes.

"Our study focused on Sjogren's syndrome, so learning that EGCG also can prevent and delay insulin-dependent type 1 diabetes was a big surprise," says Dr. Stephen Hsu, molecular/cell biologist in the School of Dentistry.

They found it also worked well in their original disease focus.

In the mouse, EGCG reduced the severity and delayed onset of salivary gland damage associated with Sjogren's syndrome, which has no known cure.

more

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Steaz Organic Iced Teaz Coupon

I haven't run across Steaz Organic Iced Teaz yet in my part of the world, but you might have better luck. If you do you might want to take advantage of this Buy One, Get One Free coupon that the Steaz people have put on their Web site. It's in PDF format so you can just print it out and take it along with you.

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Tea-Drinking Gorilla & Rolling Stones' Ron Wood

If you're like me, you probably never knew there was such a thing as a tea-drinking gorilla. Unfortunately, Mumba, the tea-drinking gorilla discussed in this piece in the Toronto Globe and Mail, is no more. Mumba passed on recently at the ripe old age of 48. No specifics were offered on what type of tea Mumba preferred.

Speaking of monkey business, a new bio of Rolling Stone Ron Wood is due to hit the shelves soon. It will discuss his very Rolling Stones-like issues with alcohol and whatnot and will surely be filled with many other salacious bits. As for why it's called Fifty Tea Bags and a Bottle of Rum: A Memoir, some cursory research on my part wasn't able to uncover the answer to that. If you sort it out, feel free to leave a comment.

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Obama & McCain Tea Blends & More

As noted recently at the World Tea News site, Pearl Fine Teas has come up with two new tea blends to mark the upcoming Presidential election. There's the Drink for Change (Obama Blend), which is rooibos "with hints of Hawaiian fruit." If you'd prefer not to cast your vote for that one, try the Extra-Mavericky (McCain Blend), a black tea that "has a hint of smoke and is highly caffeinated."

Speaking of McCain, Obama and Pearl Fine Teas, be sure to check out Pearl's TeaLove blog, which has some clever tea-themed illustrations featuring the presidential aspirants. Look here and here.

Finally, have you ever wondered what Obama and Snapple Iced Tea have in common? Me neither, but if you're curious enough to click a link, try this one.

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Steaz Tea Leadz With Innovative Environmental Initiatives

Steaz Leadz the Way With Innovative Environmental Initiatives by Supporting NativeEnergy Carbon Offset Programs
(from a press release)

Steaz, the category leader in the healthy and organic beverage market has announced the company will offset the annual carbon dioxide emissions of its operations by participating in renewable energy projects funded by NativeEnergy, a high quality carbon offset provider focusing on new Native American, farmer-owned, and community-based projects.

The agreement will enable Steaz, producer of Fair Trade Certified Steaz Sparkling Green Teas, Steaz Diet Sparkling Green Teas, Steaz Energy and Steaz Organic Iced Teaz, to mitigate its environmental impact by an estimated 1,044 tons of carbon annually through Steaz's support of three community-based NativeEnergy projects, the Colonie Landfill Gas to Energy project, the Dovan Farm Manure Digester Project and the Cascade Sierra Solutions Truck Efficiency project.

Steaz

NativeEnergy


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A Little Tea With Your Coffee

I've never been a fan of coffee, but to each his or her own. Those who are not tea purists might be interested in a number of products that combine coffee with tea in some way or another.

Like kootee, although this tea that's made from the leaves of the coffee plant doesn't contain any coffee as we know it. Or you might go for some yuanyang, a beverage that mixes coffee with tea and which is said to be popular in Hong Kong.

Several coffee manufacturers have taken this notion to the next level, coming up with coffee blends that actually include tea. There's Spava, for instance, with a blend (Clarity) that includes white tea and one (Metabolism) that includes green. Or JavaFit Energy Plus, which tosses some green tea extract into the mix, and Fusion Diet FX, which tweaks the beans with green tea and yerba mate, among other things.

For more on this theme, check out this recent article in the Los Angeles Times.

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Free Tea Tied To Dow Jones Industrial Average

It probably hasn't escaped your notice that the economy, the markets and whatnot have been a bit out of sorts lately. To say the least.

The owners of San Diego's Infusions of Tea noticed the same thing. They decided, as their Web site puts it, to offer their customers "free cups of tea in the afternoon on any weekday that the Dow Jones Industrial Average closes at a loss of more than 100 points." That offer stands until the end of October.

More about Infusions of Tea here.

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New Superberry Teas From Zhena's Gypsy Tea

Zhena's Gypsy Tea Brews Double Dose of Wellness With New Superberry Teas For Women
(from a press release)

Zhena's Gypsy Tea -- a brand recognized for fostering the growth of the Fair Trade, organic movement, introduces healthful and delicious Pink Superberry Tea, specially blended for women. Marrying the antioxidant superpower of superberries with the naturally occurring catechin polyphenols already rich in green tea, each signature offering of Pink is a lush harmonious blend of superior top-tier sencha green tea, and juicy, succulent superberries, full of health-boosting, age-fighting nutrition.

Pink offers five, delicious and delighting USDA Certified Organic and Fair Trade Certified, tea experiences:

PomBerry Green Tea, with Pomegranate, Acerola Cherries and Blossoms.
CherryBerry Green Tea, with Cherries, Elderberries and Blossoms
WholeBerry Green Tea, with Cranberries, Blueberries and Strawberries
AcaiBerry Green Tea, with Acai Berries, Blueberries and Citrus
CacaoBerry Naturally Caffeine-Free Rooibos, with Raspberries, Cacao and Dark Chocolate

Zhena's Gypsy Tea


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Hot Dog Tea

Never heard of hot dog tea? That's probably not surprising unless you've been frequenting the TeaChat forum over the course of the past few months. During that time there's been a discussion going on over the merits - or lack thereof - of a delicacy known as hot dog tea. That's tea steeped with water that was first used to boil hot dogs.

If you're not rushing to try this one...you're probably not alone. Though I could imagine the result being somewhat reminiscent of Lapsang Souchong, a type of smoky black tea that some find to be an acquired taste.


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Bigelow Tea Partners With Boston Red Sox

Bigelow Tea Partners With Boston Sports Icons Red Sox Manager Terry Francona and the New England Patriots
(from a press release)

Bigelow Tea and the Boston Red Sox Major League Baseball team have recently joined forces to celebrate the enjoyment and health benefits of green tea. Terry Francona, manager of the Red Sox and avid tea drinker, has become the newest Bigelow Tea spokesperson, alongside his long-time friend, Joe Torre, Manager of the Dodgers. A fan of Bigelow Tea's Green Tea with Pomegranate, Francona starts off each of his ball games with a cup.

Bigelow Tea has also teamed up with Boston's very own Classic Rock WZLX, which is part of the New England Patriots Radio Network and one of the top stations in Boston, for an exciting contest offering one lucky winner and their guest an opportunity of a lifetime. The grand prize will be roundtrip airfare for two to Philadelphia, PA. for a tour of the Showtime NFL Studios and a visit with NFL Legend Phil Simms. Since retiring from the New York Giants, Simms, also a Bigelow Tea drinker, is currently a television sportscaster for the CBS network.

For more information on the contest go here.

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Vintage Tea Art, Posters & Menus

If it's vintage tea art and advertisements that get you all riled up, here are a few sites that feature posters based on that sort of thing. Look here and here. Or you can feast your eyes on Gregory R. Suriano's book, Tea Art: A Modern Look at Vintage Tea Graphics. For more on the latter, refer to Katrina's review at The Tea Pages.

For some insight into tea's role in restaurants way back when, take a look at this searchable version of the Miss Frank E. Buttolph American Menu Collection at the New York Public Library.

Image: New York Public Library

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Salada's Announces "Unbottle Your Tea" Campaign

Salada's "Unbottle Your Tea" Campaign Shows Health, Cost & Environmental Benefits of Drinking Freshly Brewed Tea over Bottled Tea
(from a press release)

Salada Tea recently announced the launch of its national "Unbottle Your Tea" educational campaign to promote the consumption of freshly brewed tea as a healthier, less expensive and more environmentally friendly alternative to bottled teas. Consumers that switch from drinking bottled tea to freshly brewed tea made with tea bags will take in approximately 95 percent more antioxidants, help decrease pollution and greenhouse gases, and save money.

Tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world next to water and over the last 10 years, sales of ready-to-drink tea have grown nearly 10 fold. The amount of plastic bottles wasted per year increased by nearly 1.5 billion pounds from 1998 to 2008, according to the Container Recycling Institute. Today, 200 million beverage containers are wasted each year, which is nearly double the amount recycled.

For more information, visit the Unbottle Your Tea Web site.

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Zenlet Green Tea Bracelets

Ever since green tea became shorthand for "miracle elixir that cures all ills" a number of offbeat products have come on the market that have attempted to cash in on this notion. Among the most peculiar - if you ask me - are Zenlet's Green Tea Bracelets.

Green Tea Bracelets, according to the manufacturer, allow "the green tea to absorb into your skin and body through a process called transdermal absorption. The bracelets should be worn for eight to twelve days before the green tea is completely absorbed. The bracelets are made with all natural ingredients and colors with no metal or plastic and environmentally safe."

Which is as good a gimmick as any, I suppose, but I'll stick with absorbing my green tea through my mouth for now.

Image: Zenlet.com

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All In This Tea Still Making The Rounds

All In This Tea has been mentioned in these pages before, but as the filmmakers noted in a recent email update, it's still making its way around the United States, playing in various venues. If you can't make it to any of these showings, you can also pick it up on DVD or perhaps catch it on one of the cable channels.

All In This Tea is a documentary film that follows "world-renowned tea expert David Lee Hoffman to some of the most remote regions of China in search of the best handmade teas in the world." The film is directed by Gina Leibrecht and Les Blank.

More info here.

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