Tea Review 97 - Andrews & Dunham Damn Fine Tea

Ceylon
Dragonwell
Nepal
Andrews & Dunham Damn Fine Tea

As of this writing there's a prominent display ad from Andrews & Dunham posted at Tea Guy Speaks. Which is as good a time as any to discuss my review policies. Which I would gladly do but I don't really have any review policies. While it seems a conflict of interest to review an advertiser's product I attempt to be honest and not be influenced by the towering heaps of cash they're flinging my way.

But enough nattering about all that. Even before they signed on as an advertiser I was of the opinion that A&D might be on to something with their particular business model. To be honest, I'm growing weary of tea merchants who try to be all things to all people and thus offer a smattering of this and a bit of that and nothing that sets them apart from the mob.

Not that there's anything wrong with having a wide selection of great tea. I can think of a few merchants who pull that off very well indeed. But A&D don't even make an attempt to go that route. What they've done is narrow their focus to three different types of tea that they'll be releasing in one limited edition several times throughout the year. When that edition's gone it's on to the next limited edition.

Which is a nifty idea that means nothing if the tea is crap. Fortunately it's not. The Ceylon didn't quite sell me on the merits of that type of tea, but that's no surprise since I've yet to meet a Ceylon that I truly like. This one was close, but no cigar. Also in this edition was something of a curiosity - a black tea from Nepal. I'd liken this one to a not quite so aromatic Darjeeling. Where I found both of these varieties to shine was when I made them into a nice iced tea. Rounding out the edition is a Dragonwell, further proof of the age-old dictum (okay, I just made it up) that you can't go wrong with Dragonwell.

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World of Tea 6

Does tea taste better in your favorite mug? Sure, why not? The better question would be do researchers - such as the British ones who embarked on this particular study - have anything better to do with their time and research money?

From the Chinese press, an article about The 2009 China West Lake International Tea Culture Expo, held in Hangzhou from March 27 to April 17.

If Indian tea is more your speed, take a look at James Norwood Pratt's overview of the topic at T Ching, as well as his attempt to demystify "those initials in tea names." More on tea and India at the Carnelian Rose Tea Company.

Stay tuned for more World of Tea, an occasional feature that gathers tea-related dispatches from around the globe.

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Tea Gadgets & More

I was going to write about The Tea Spot's quite nifty Tuffy Steeper, but CNET did such a good job that I saw no reason to reinvent the wheel. Read all about it here.

Also from the good people at CNET, a look at the TriniTEA Electric Tea Maker, from Adagio.

Everybody likes what thy like. So no snide remarks from this corner of the peanut gallery regarding a teapot designed specifically for teabags. Kind of clever, at least from a design perspective.

Are we ready for a drive-thru tea shop? Sounds like a grim notion, at first, but perhaps the Phoenix-based White August can make a go of it. Read more about their pioneering efforts in this article from the World Tea News.

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Video: Japanese Tea Commercial

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U.S. Tea Imports Up 7%

After 200+ years maybe we're finally starting to get over that bit of unpleasantness in Boston Harbor.

So is tea becoming more popular in these here United States? Well, duh. If you require proof check out a recent news blip from the good people at Reuters. It notes that 2008 imports of tea are up seven percent over the previous year and "specialty tea is the fastest-growing segment of the industry." Read all about it here.

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Bigelow Talks Tea With Torre, Simms and Francona

It only took a few cups of steaming hot Bigelow tea to bring together three of America's finest -- Joe Torre, Phil Simms and Terry Francona -- in a recent video shoot with Cindi Bigelow, President of Bigelow Tea. Cindi talked tea with the sporting icons, who unanimously agreed (tongue in cheek) that Bigelow is the only company to get the Red Sox and Yankees sitting and smiling together at the same table!

NFL legend Phil Simms, former NY Giants quarterback and sportscaster for CBS, confirmed that he drinks at least four cups of Bigelow tea per day while Terry Francona, Manager for the Boston Red Sox, is an enthusiastic fan of Bigelow's Green Tea with Pomegranate.



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World of Tea 5

Spring is here. Winter's fury (a relative term - it's 81 here in Tucson as I write this) will gradually abate in the northern hemisphere. More importantly, for tea drinkers, spring will bring brand spanking new batches of tea.

One of the most coveted of all spring greens is the Japanese variety known as shincha. As O-Cha.com noted in their newsletter this week, "shincha is green tea from the very first harvest of the year which is packaged immediately for sale." Get the lowdown on their shincha harvest here.

Spring teas also merited a mention in the Imperial Tea Court newsletter this week, with Teamaster Roy Fong headed to China to pick out the best of the bunch there. As the newsletter noted, "It's time to start picking the earliest green tea, then the more mature green teas and oolongs, then jasmine will bloom and jasmine tea season will be upon us. In short, for several months beginning in April there will be a bounty of new tea arriving in our warehouse."

If robust black tea is more your...cup of tea, check out this piece from Steph's Cup of Tea on East Frisian. This is a blend that's quite popular in the region of northwest Germany from which it takes its name.

And don't forget Korean tea, which merited several paragraphs in a recent edition of Gourmet. For more thoughts from a tea blogger based in South Korea, refer to MattCha's Blog.

Stay tuned for more World of Tea, an occasional feature that gathers tea-related dispatches from around the globe.

Image: O-Cha.com

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Tea Culture of Japan

From the New York Times, here's a review of Tea Culture of Japan: Chanoyu Past and Present, which is appearing at Yale University Art Gallery, in New Haven, Connecticut through April 26.

Image: Yale University Art Gallery


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The Dark Side of Tea

If you've been hanging around here for a while you'll probably recall me muttering about the undue emphasis placed on the health benefits of tea. Not to mention the notion that it will somehow cause you to miraculously shed pounds. I have no problem with tea being good for me, but I drink it first and foremost for the taste and I think the health claims are often overstated.

Take Enviga, for example, a green tea beverage from Coca-Cola and Nestle. The company recently agreed to shell out $650,000 in a settlement with 27 states over dubious claims made for the product. They also agreed to modify these claims in the future. More at the Los Angeles Times.

Speaking of tea and weight loss, look for articles from World Tea News (here and here) regarding some of those shady looking miracle weight loss tea sites. More on this one in The Great Wu-Yi Weight-Loss Tea Trial, from the Los Angeles Better Business Bureau.

Last but not least, an article suggesting that yerba mate may cause a greater risk of some types of cancer. Time to give up yerba mate? Not me.

Image: Coca-Cola

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Tea Review 96 - Mate Limon Chai

Organic Mate Limon Chai
The Tea Spot

Is yerba mate an acquired taste? Yeah, you could say that. Is it a taste that some people won't ever acquire, no matter how hard they try? Probably, though you could make the same argument about that other hot drink (coffee).

If you are new to yerba mate or if you've tried the plain stuff and found it wanting, don't give up yet. Purists might scoff at the notion of flavored mate, just as many look down their nose at flavored tea, but both can be a good entry point for people who aren't ready for the "real" thing.

Case in point, The Tea Spot's Organic Mate Limon Chai, a "blend of yerba mate with lemon ginger chai [that] offers an uplifting citrus spice to the earthy grassy undertones of yerba mate." The ingredients for this one - yerba mate, chicory root, citrus peel & essential oil, lemongrass, hibiscus, ginger, coriander, and cinnamon.


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Tea Poetry & Photography Contests

If you have a way with tea-related verse or images, you're in luck. Here are a pair of contests that will allow you to show off your skills.

From Ito En, The Haiku Project 2009. Winners of this contest will have their haiku featured on Ito En tea packaging. More at Ito En's Web site and the World Tea News.

Andrews & Dunham would like to see what your tea stash looks like. Send photos. The winner gets free tea, in the form of their yet-to-be-released second series of limited edition teas. Details.

Image: Ito En

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Tea Robot Videos

Are robotics tinkerers more inclined to be tea drinkers? With the number of robots "trained" to serve tea, it tends to make one wonder. Here are a pair of tea robot videos from such far-flung locations as Poland and Japan.

For more on the phenomenon of the tea robot, refer to this TGS article.





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TeaZazz Sparkling Tea Gives Back to the Community

TeaZazz Sparkling Tea Gives Back to the Community
(from a press release)

TeaZazz Sparkling Tea is happy to announce that after such a great response, they are extending the chance for Southern California residents to submit their stories for a chance to receive 100 bottles of TeaZazz for their upcoming events, charity of choice or special occasion. The deadline is now May 1, 2009 and TeaZazz will choose 20 lucky winners.

Launched in 2006 by Tamara Saretsky and Delicia Soliman, TeaZazz Sparkling Tea is the perfect combination of "better-for-you" tea with the sparkling fun of soda offering a refreshing alternative to the conventional soft drink. Since the product launched in California, TeaZazz has been able to expand their distribution from independent markets and convenience stores into major chains like Albertsons and beginning next month they will also be available at Ralph's, Sams Club and nationally through Amazon.com.

TeaZazz is available in four delicious varieties: Original, Green Tea Lemon, Green Tea Mint and Peach. The suggested retail price for a 20 oz. bottle of TeaZazz is $1.79. TeaZazz is now available throughout the west coast and online. For more contest information and rules, please visit TeaZazz.

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World of Tea 4

Welcome to the first installment of World of Tea, a weekly feature devoted to tea news and other tidbits from far-flung locations around the globe.

As the old saying suggests, once upon a time most of the world's tea was actually in China. Then an Englishman named Robert Fortune infiltrated the country and made off with China's closely-guarded secrets of tea cultivation and production. It's a tale that's been documented in a new book by Sarah Rose called For All the Tea in China. Look here and here for related articles from the British press.

Does the world really need tea coins? What are tea coins? Inquiring minds want to know. More here.

From Saveur Magazine, by way of In Pursuit of Tea, an interesting article on Darjeeling tea.

If you missed the Victoria Tea Festival, experience it vicariously, here.

Looking for hard to find teas from around the world? Give teadog.com a try.

Stay tuned for more World of Tea, an occasional feature that gathers tea-related dispatches from around the globe.

For All the Tea in China: Espionage, Empire and the Sercret Formula of the World's Favourite Drink
A Pocket Guide to All the Tea in China
All the Tea in China

Video: It's Simply Tea-rrific!

Yet another entry from the Calm-A-Sutra tea video contest. Talking dog fans, rejoice.



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Video: Tea Gets the Job Done Right

Continuing with this week's tea video theme, here'a another entry from the Calm-A-Sutra contest.



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Video: Tea In The Bay Area

Looking for the lowdown on the San Francisco Bay area tea scene? Check out this video by Richgail Enriquez. Here's a link to her blog, where she offers some background on making the video.



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Video: Tea Is For Me

Here's another one of the entries from the Calm-A-Sutra 2008 National Scholarship Competition.



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