Zoomdweebie's & 52teas.com

How can you go wrong with a name like Zoomdweebie’s? They are the Wichita, Kansas-based tea merchants, who recently created 52teas.com.

As Zoomdweeber Frank says about 52teas.com, "we are creating a different limited edition custom blend tea every week. The best part is, we are asking our customers to sign on to our forums and tell us what THEY want us to blend. So we really are, “Suggested by you; blended, flavored and packaged by us.” All of these short-run tea blends are available on the website for just $7 for 2-ounces (20-25 cups) including shipping to anywhere in the U.S. We also offer six week, twelve week, six month and full year Tea-of-the-Week plans which customers can sign up for and receive our Tea-of-the-Week in the mail every week."

What's a Zoomdweebie? Find out here.
Zoomdweebie's
52teas.com


The Collectible Teapot & Tea Calendar 2009 (Wall Calendars)
Tea: 2009 Mini Day-to-Day Calendar

ATMA Tea Mastery Course Via Skype

New Tea Mastery Course Via Skype
(from a press release)

The American Tea Masters Association is offering a new Tea Mastery Certification Course of great interest to many aspiring tea masters:

·Become a Certified Tea Master without ever leaving your home or office
·Entire course is conducted one-on-one with a certified tea master
·Training is $500 less than our traditional on-site/home study program, and eliminates the added cost of airfare and hotel accommodations
·Includes all the educational requirements needed for achieving the prestigious Certified Tea Master designation
·Provides the competence and confidence to serve as a tea master at a distinguished restaurant, hotel or tea court, or start one's own successful enterprise

This is all done using Skype, a free audiovisual telephone system you can download to your computer. The Tea Mastery Certification Course via Skype provides the flexibility to schedule class sessions at your convenience without leaving your home or office. Besides a computer, high-speed Internet connection, and an inexpensive web camera, all you need to have is a kettle for boiling water, tea pot, teaspoon, thermometer (0 o-212o F), a timer, and bottled spring water. We provide everything else that is needed, including the specialty teas for taste-testing and two training manuals, one for each part of the course.

Click here for more information on the new Tea Mastery Certification Course via Skype.

The Collectible Teapot & Tea Calendar 2009 (Wall Calendars)
Tea: 2009 Mini Day-to-Day Calendar

Tea Book Nominated For Award

A news flash from Mary Lou Heiss, co-author of The Story of Tea: A Cultural History and Drinking Guide. Read my review of it at Epicurean.com:

We just received news that our book, The Story of Tea: A Cultural History and Drinking Guide ( Ten Speed Press, 2007 ) has been nominated for the second tier judging in the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards 2008. We were notified that we were named the Best Tea Book in the USA 2008. This means that our book will go on to compete for the title of Best Tea Book in the World 2008.

The organization behind this prestigous competition is headquartered in Madrid, Spain and the competition is the largest cookbook awards in the world. It is international in scope, which means that our book will now be competiting against other tea books ( in all languages ) from Chinese, Japanese, Malaysian and European authors.

The Collectible Teapot & Tea Calendar 2009 (Wall Calendars)
Tea: 2009 Mini Day-to-Day Calendar

Bigelow Tea Goes Organic

Bigelow Tea Takes A Natural Step Into Organics
(from a press release)

Bigelow Tea has long had a reputation for one of the finest cups of tea in the retail marketplace. Now new excitement is brewing as the company launches a full line of organic teas. The new teas deliver the distinctive flavor quality that has made Bigelow Tea a favorite with tea drinkers for more than 60 years. Bigelow Organic Teas contain only the most tender, hand-picked, organically grown tea and the finest, all-natural herbs and spices available. The full-line launch consists of many consumer favorites now in an organic version in addition to the new and unique blends.

Bigelow Tea

The Collectible Teapot & Tea Calendar 2009 (Wall Calendars)
Tea: 2009 Mini Day-to-Day Calendar

Video: Calm-A-Sutra Contest

Some time back the Tea Council of the USA ponied up a $20,000 scholarship to reward the best video that would educate the public on the health benefits of tea. Of the 700 entries they received, one rose to the top of the heap - Interrogation, a 1:48 bit of cleverness by a Los Angeles film student appropriately named John Ford.

Here's the prize-winning video. For a look at the six Honorable Mentions, click here.




The Collectible Teapot & Tea Calendar 2009 (Wall Calendars)
Tea: 2009 Mini Day-to-Day Calendar

tea, green tea, food, food and drink

Kyoto Journal Publishes Tea Issue

Kyoto Journal Devotes Entire Issue To Tea: 30 Contributors Cover Tea Culture From A Dozen Nations
(from a press release)

Kyoto Journal, the award-winning English-language arts and culture quarterly published in Japan, has devoted its entire upcoming issue to the subject of tea. The Oakland, California-based nonprofit Tea Arts Institute (TAI) is the guest editor, and TAI invited writers, artists, photographers and tea professionals to contribute. The issue, KJ 71, will be available January 15.

The articles touch on all aspects of tea, from 18th century Japan, 9th century China and 16th century Mongolia and Russia, as well as contemporary pieces from Laos, Burma, Taiwan, Sri Lanka, India, Tibet, Vietnam, France, Hong Kong and the USA. Book, film and theater reviews, along with some fiction and poetry, complement the features. The issue was designed and produced by A/M Studios.

The 96 page, four-color, perfect bound KJ 71 is $12 copy and is available online from Teance and through many tea retailers and bookstores. Subscriptions are available directly from Kyoto Journal.

Image: Kyoto Journal

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Los Angeles & New York Tea Spots

If you're looking for a few good tea spots in New York or Los Angeles, here are a pair of recent articles that may be of some help. From the New York Observer, Lindsey Goodwin weighs in on the Top 10 Spots for a Spot of Tea in New York. At T Ching, Erika Cilengir discourses on the Top Five Teahouses In Los Angeles.

Image: City of New York

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AirTran Airways Crowns Fortnum & Mason Its New Inflight Tea

AirTran Airways Crowns Fortnum & Mason Its New Inflight Tea
(from a press release)

AirTran Airways today announced that the airline now offers both caffeinated and decaf Fortnum & Mason Royal Blend tea free of charge on every flight.

"At AirTran Airways, we believe in partnering with high quality brands that will enhance our passengers' experience, so we are proud to bring the Queen of England's favorite tea to our inflight menu," said Tad Hutcheson, vice president of marketing and sales for AirTran Airways. "We are confident that our customers will make Fortnum & Mason tea a popular selection. Passengers who want to bring the taste of Fortnum & Mason to their homes can order it online."

First blended for King Edward VII in the summer of 1902, Fortnum & Mason's Royal Blend tea mixes Assam with a dash of Ceylon for a honey-like flavor.

Fortnum & Mason

Image: Fortnum & Mason

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Zhena's Gypsy Tea Introduces Tropical Teas

Zhena's Gypsy Tea Introduces Colorful Tropical Teas to Help Beat the Blues
(from a press release)

Zhena's Gypsy Tea - a brand recognized for fostering the growth of the Fair Trade, organic movement, introduces a sunny getaway with a new line of sun splashed tropical teas to lift the spirit and delight the soul. The transportive teas include USDA Certified Organic and Fair Trade Certified; Coconut Rum Green Tea, Mojito Mint Green Tea, Berry Bellini Green Tea, Strawberry Kiwi Green Tea, and Papaya Mango Naturally Caffeine-Free Herb Tea.

Previewing at Winter Fancy Food 2009 - which returns to San Francisco (18-20, January), the artisan crafted blends are offered in eco-friendly tea sachets, beautifully packaged in recyclable, air-tight tea tins. The company is also introducing a bilingual label for the line. The addition of Spanish on the package is indicative of the Zhena's Gypsy Tea commitment to the growing Latino market in the United States.

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Young Adult Novel: The Teashop Girls

Here's some info from Laura Schaefer, author of a new young adult novel called The Teashop Girls:

Annie, Genna, and Zoe have been hanging out at their favorite tea shop, The Steeping Leaf, since elementary school. The Teashop Girls used to do everything together, but with the end of eighth grade fast-approaching, Genna’s found her niche in the theater, Zoe’s always at tennis, and Annie is feeling confused and left out. What happened to “best friends forever” and “tea every week, no matter what”?

Annie convinces her grandmother to give her a job as a barista at the Leaf, and she starts to feel like she’s found her calling. But just as Annie settles into her new role, the tea shop is threatened by a new coffee chain across the street and receives an eviction notice. Annie must rally the support of her friends to save the Leaf before it’s too late!

The Teashop Girls is fresh, clean, and honest, and is sure to build on the success of other friendship-club novels like The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and The Mother-Daughter Book Club. To sweeten the brew, this debut novel also includes recipes for tea and tea-related treats, lists, and amusing quotes that enrich the girl appeal to this already-charming package.

Buy it at Amazon:
The Teashop Girls (Paula Wiseman Books)

More info at The Teashop Girls Web site.

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Sweet Tea Vodka, Tea Robot & Coca Tea Woes

Sweet tea is a variation on iced tea that's pretty much an institution in the southern United States. So it probably wasn't that much of a stretch for the South Carolina-based Firefly Distillery to come up with a vodka flavored with sweet tea. Check out their Web site here, as well as this article from a local paper. For more on tea and spirits, refer to these other TGS posts.

For whatever reason, it seems that a high percentage of robot makers like to "teach" their creations to serve tea. Exhibit G - this blurb about a bag of bolts named Basil. More on tea and robots here.

If you're getting ready to relax with a nice cup of mate de coca, beware. For all the particulars, refer to this cautionary tale from a Jacksonville paper.

Image: Firefly Distillery

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Biscottea To Launch Tea-Flavored Shortbread Line

Biscottea To Launch Line Of Gluten-Free, Tea-Flavored Shortbread At Winter Fancy Food Show
(from a press release)

Biscottea's popular line of tea-flavored, Scottish-style shortbreads is expanding to include three flavorful gluten-free varieties. The hard launch will be at The Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco, CA, January 18 through 20. The new gluten-free varieties were a "Top Pick of the Week" on The Nibble, which called them "a real find for anyone in need of a gluten-free treat," and include three flavors from Biscottea's established line-up: Chai Spice, Blueberry with Organic White Tea and Earl Grey with Organic Darjeeling Tea. They are available in giftable 5.6-ounce boxes and convenient "grab-and-go" two-cookie packs for lunches and snacks on-the-go.

Seattle-based Biscottea has experienced rapid growth since opening 16 months ago thanks to the singularity of their product. Their buttery, Scottish-style shortbreads are baked with organic tea, were featured on The Food Network's "Unwrapped" and have been a consistent "Top 10" amongst food reviews throughout 2008. The original varieties include the flavors in the gluten-free line, plus Honeybush (a relative of rooibos or "red tea") and Mint.

Biscottea


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Seven Cups To Guide Tea Tours

Seven Cups To Guide Tours for Green Tea, Oolong Tea, and Puer Tea in 2009
(from a press release)

Seven Cups, Inc. of Tucson, Arizona, will lead three guided tours of China's back-country tea gardens in 2009. Designed for tea connoisseurs, the tours are scheduled during the harvest and production of Green, Yellow, Oolong, Black, and Puer teas. The tours are physically demanding and will take participants to remote areas seldom visited by foreign tourists. They will involve traveling on foot, by bicycle, bus, train, and bamboo boats.

Over the past 10 years, Seven Cups has cultivated relationships with tea masters throughout China, personally sourcing an award-winning catalog of more than 100 rare Chinese teas. These teas are available online and at Seven Cups' tea houses in Denver and Tucson.

Limited to 10 people per tour, each group will be personally led by Austin or Zhuping Hodge, the founders of Seven Cups. Austin Hodge is the first American to be published in the China International Tea Culture Institute's journal, and Zhuping Hodge is a certified Chinese tea master. Seven Cups was recently featured in Fresh Cup Magazine's 2009 Tea Almanac for its efforts to source and promote authentic Chinese tea. The company has also been granted an exclusive contract to supply Tribute-grade teas to the new Lu Yu Tea Museum in Changxing, Eastern China.

For more information, call 520-628-2952 or visit Seven Cups Fine Chinese Tea and click on "Tea Tours" in the left pane.

Image: Seven Cups

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Vida Spa Announces Remedy Teas Tea-Tox Facial

Vida Spa Announces Remedy Teas Tea-Tox Facial
(from a press release)

In January 2009, Vida Spa will partner with a local favorite, Remedy Teas, to offer a unique, healthy and delicious spa treatment. Vida Spa announces the addition of the Remedy Teas Tea-Tox Facial to their menu of services, making health-conscious New Year’s resolutions just a little bit easier.

The tea treatment will infuse matcha green tea and tulsi herb, an ancient medicinal herb used to reduce the negative effects of daily stress and aging. Tulsi also strengthens immunity and stamina, enhances calmness and clarity, and is loaded with antioxidants. Matcha green tea is the most powerful green tea, containing up to 10 times the nutritional benefits of an average cup of green tea. Containing over 33 times the antioxidant levels of blueberries, matcha also acts as a detoxifier for the body, and stimulates alertness while also creating a soothing calm. The herbs are ground to a powder and added to a calming or hydrating mask during the facial treatment to cleanse, tonify and protect.

The Remedy Teas Tea-Tox Facial will begin with a deep cleanse and exfoliation, using an all natural ayurvedic-based line called Ayur-Medic. Next, extractions are completed followed by a green tea matcha/tulsi herb mask application. While the skin absorbs the mask, the esthetician will massage the guest’s scalp, decollate, neck, shoulders, arms and feet to further relieve stress and tension. Prior to treatment, guests may relax in Vida Spa’s lounge while sipping a custom blend of Remedy Teas matcha/tulsi tea to jump start detoxification from the inside-out.

The 60-minute facial retails for $130 and the 90-minute facial for $175. The Remedy Teas Tea-Tox Facial will be available beginning January 1, 2009.

Vida Spa
Remedy Teas

Image: Kathryn Barnard

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Tea House Times' Publisher Launches Tea Course

Tea House Times' Publisher Launches Tea Course; An Education and Social Networking Site for Tea Enthusiasts and Tea Professionals
(from a press release)

The Tea House Times, a bi-monthly publication for those who enjoy tea and the tradition of afternoon tea, recently launched Tea Course; a valuable resource to connect consumers and tea industry professionals. Tea Course is a members only site to present and share tea related educational materials from industry pros, facilitate networking among members, and promote members or their businesses with a Facebook Flair.

The new Tea Course site is A Global Tea Journey introducing everyone - everywhere - to the wonderful health benefits of tea, time honored traditions, ceremonies, and ways to use tea time traditions to enrich their lives or elevate their businesses. Now you can sip and surf to find educational materials and presentations about tea, business, tea health and traditions, and tea party ideas and menu plans too.

Members of the Tea Course site can upload personal photos and contact information as one of the many applications to interact with other tea lovers and professionals. Full access members have access to creating personal or business blogs; downloads; MP3s; videos; a personal web page dedicated to a member or their business; audio postcards; and capabilities to give or hear advice from industry pros. Members can enjoy posting rights in the forum with the abili-TEA to create audio conferencing and video chat with other members. There is also an online store, a virtual book club with reviews, and live broadcasts along with a generous affiliate program to earn money for referrals. Posted events on the Tea Course calendars simply tip the cup.

Tea Course


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Tea Review 92 - Dilmah Ceylon (x3)

Dilmah Ceylon
Nuwara Eliya Pekoe
English Afternoon Tea
Dilmah

The black varieties of tea grown in Sri Lanka are typically referred to as Ceylon, after the former name of this island nation. They have a very distinctive taste, but alas it's one that's never appealed to me very much. Not that I have a real wide experience of Ceylon teas, mind you.

So I wasn't really expecting to be bowled over by Dilmah's offerings. As always, however, I attempted to keep a relatively open mind while tasting the samples they supplied.

Though I actually wasn't bowled over by any of these three varieties, I did find them to be a cut above many of the Ceylon teas I've tried. I was especially fond of the English Afternoon Tea, as evidenced by the fact that it was the first to disappear from my tea cabinet. While it might not be the first tea I'd reach for, I could see myself turning to this one now and again.

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Starbucks Introduces New Handcrafted Tea Beverages

Starbucks Introduces New Handcrafted Tea Beverages
(from a press release)

Starbucks introduction of the new Full Leaf Tazo Tea Lattes and Tazo Tea Infusions is a continuation of the company’s commitment to offering better-for-you options. Most of the tea offerings are less than 200 calories for a tall size (12 fl oz) and most provide more antioxidants than an 8-ounce glass of orange juice, which are essential to protecting the body’s immune system.

Starbucks new Full Leaf Tazo Tea Lattes are our first handcrafted tea offerings to use full-leaf tea bags in our stores, allowing customers to steep to their own taste preferences. Starbucks Tea Lattes are made from a soothing combination of steamed milk and Tazo tea and are available in three new varieties:

Black Tea Latte, a bold, invigorating combination of black tea and freshly steamed milk;
Vanilla Rooibos Latte, a naturally caffeine-free infusion of botanicals that unites South African rooibos (ROY’-bus), Tahitian vanilla, sweet spices and freshly steamed milk;
London Fog Latte, an intriguing blend of black tea, citrusy bergamot, French lavender, vanilla and freshly steamed milk.

Customers seeking a calcium boost can enjoy a new tea latte this winter, as a tall size offering contains 20 percent of the recommended daily calcium intake.

Starbucks Tazo Tea Infusions are the perfect winter pick-me-up. A handcrafted combination of premium Tazo black chai tea lightly steamed with fruit juices, these non-dairy beverages are available in two varieties:

Berry Chai Infusion, a blend of aronia berry and black currant juices steamed with black tea and sweet, exotic spices like cinnamon, cardamom and cloves;
Apple Chai Infusion, a blend of apple juice steamed with black tea and sweet spices.

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