The Preparation of Japan Tea

In addition to publishing Tea Guy Speaks, I'm a regular contributor to The English Tea Store blog. Here's an article I recently wrote for them. Click the link to read the full article.

The Preparation of Japan Tea
By William I. Lengeman III

When it comes to tea books of yesteryear, it seems that China and India get much of the attention. That’s based on my own decidedly casual and unscientific observations, and it’s not really surprising, given that they’ve been the world’s top producers for a long time. But it also led me to the tentative conclusion that old tea books about Japan are fairly few and far between.

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Cuisinart TEA-100 PerfecTemp Programmable Tea Steeper

Tea, Testosterone Doping, and Babies

In addition to publishing Tea Guy Speaks, I'm a regular contributor to The English Tea Store blog. Here's an article I recently wrote for them. Click the link to read the full article.

Tea, Testosterone Doping, and Babies
By William I. Lengeman III

Sensational headlines are hardly unusual nowadays (or in the past, for that matter, to be historically accurate about it). Five minutes of the most cursory research would probably turn up more of them than you could shake a stick at. But for my money one of the more sensational tea-related headlines to come down the pike lately is one that recently appeared in the Indian press: “Want Baby? Drink 2 Cups of Tea Daily.”

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Cuisinart TEA-100 PerfecTemp Programmable Tea Steeper

Offbeat Teas & Tisanes

In addition to publishing Tea Guy Speaks, I'm a regular contributor to The English Tea Store blog. Here's an article I recently wrote for them. Click the link to read the full article.

Offbeat Teas & Tisanes
By William I. Lengeman III

The world of tea is a pretty vast one. It’s comprised of countless varieties of proper “tea” (which is derived only from the Camellia sinensis plant) and there are also numerous tea-like beverages that are often lumped in with tea. Most of these are more properly known as tisanes. When you consider that all of the aforementioned might be blended and tweaked with various flavors and prepared in a number of different ways, the number of combinations rises to something akin to all of the grains of sand on all of the world’s beaches.

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Cuisinart TEA-100 PerfecTemp Programmable Tea Steeper

Taj Tea Commercial (India)

The Breville One-Touch Tea Maker

Is Tea Really Number Two?

In addition to publishing Tea Guy Speaks, I'm a regular contributor to The English Tea Store blog. Here's an article I recently wrote for them. Click the link to read the full article.

Is Tea Really Number Two?
By William I. Lengeman III

The consensus seems to be that tea is the second most commonly consumed beverage in the world, after water. It’s a fascinating fact that’s often repeated and I’ve done so myself on a few occasions. Of course, there are a number of other “facts” about tea that are of dubious origin, including the one about rinsing tea leaves for 30 seconds to decaffeinate them or the one about tea being discovered 5,000-odd years ago when leaves blew into a kettle of water being boiled by a Chinese emperor.

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Cuisinart TEA-100 PerfecTemp Programmable Tea Steeper

Nambarrie Tea Commercial (Ireland)

Adagio Teas - Best Tea Online

Tapal Tea Commercial (Pakistan)

The Breville One-Touch Tea Maker

World Tea Consumption Increases

In addition to publishing Tea Guy Speaks, I'm a regular contributor to The English Tea Store blog. Here's an article I recently wrote for them. Click the link to read the full article.

World Tea
Consumption Increases
By William I. Lengeman III

The consensus seems to be that tea is the second most commonly consumed beverage in the world, after water. The good news for tea lovers, tea producers, and anyone else who stands to benefit from this sort of thing is that the world’s tea drinkers have taken to downing more of the stuff. That’s official, by the way, if we’re to believe the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), who recently weighed in on the matter.

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Cuisinart TEA-100 PerfecTemp Programmable Tea Steeper

Job Opening: Charleston Tea Gardens

We're not planning to branch out into career advice and job postings and that sort of thing but it's interesting to note that there's a truly one of a kind job now available for a tea person with the right credentials.

The Charleston Tea Gardens, located in South Carolina, is the most significant producer of tea in a country that grows very modest amounts of the stuff. They're currently looking for a qualified person to fill the General Manager role. More at this link.

The Breville One-Touch Tea Maker

Republic of Tea Launches Be Active Teas

The Republic of Tea Announces
Launch of Be Active Teas Collection
(from a press release)

The Republic of Tea, leading purveyor of premium teas, today announces the launch of a new Be Active Teas collection, five organic green Rooibos-based teas: Get Restored, Get Hydrated, Get Limber, Get Burning, And Get Active. Each tea in the Be Active Teas collection is blended with organic green Rooibos, sourced from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms, which retains more of its antioxidant value due to a flash fermentation process. It is the perfect base to this active line of teas for people with active lifestyles. Each blend is designed with specific results in mind from energy and flexibility, to metabolism, hydration, and a speedy recovery from a vigorous workout.

The Republic of Tea exclusively supplies green rooibos tea from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms, specifically Zeekoevlei Gardens in South Africa. Available now, each tea in the Be Active Teas collection is all-natural, naturally caffeine-free and Certified Gluten-Free.

Each tea in the Be Active Teas collection is available in a recyclable tin containing 36 all-natural, unbleached, round tea bags free of unnecessary strings, tags and staples. It has a suggested retail price of $12. It is available nationwide at natural and specialty food stores, cafes and through the company website.

Cuisinart TEA-100 PerfecTemp Programmable Tea Steeper

Mood Garden Tea on Kickstarter

Here's a video from an up and coming tea company called Mood Garden. They're currently trying to get things up and running by raising money through Kickstarter. If you haven't heard of it yet, Kickstarter bills itself as "the world's largest funding platform for creative projects." More on Mood Garden's venture here.



Adagio Teas - Best Tea Online

Tea Time Fashions by Francesco Ballestrazzi

Adagio Teas - Best Tea Online

Animated Tea Bag Video

Cuisinart TEA-100 PerfecTemp Programmable Tea Steeper

Recent and Upcoming Tea Books

In addition to publishing Tea Guy Speaks, I'm a regular contributor to The English Tea Store blog. Here's an article I recently wrote for them. Click the link to read the full article.

Recent and Upcoming Tea Books
By William I. Lengeman III

It’s been a while since our last roundup of tea books, but that doesn’t mean that the flow of said books has abated. Here are a few titles that have just come out or are on publisher’s calendars for upcoming months. Half of the eight titles mentioned take a look at China’s connection to tea and tea culture in some way or another. Which is fitting, given that the Chinese have the world’s oldest tea culture, are the world’s top tea producing nation and the world’s top tea drinkers, in terms of total quantity consumed.

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Cuisinart TEA-100 PerfecTemp Programmable Tea Steeper

Mezban Tea Commercial (Pakistan)

Adagio Teas - Best Tea Online

Tea Room & Tea House Directories

Here's out latest update to the tea room and tea house directory list. As always, if you know of others please leave a comment.

Benjamin Press - Publisher of The Great Tea Rooms of America, The Great Tea Rooms of Britain, Tea in the City: New York, Tea in the City: London, and Tea in the City: Paris.

Great Tea Rooms of America - Claims to list more than two thousand tea rooms and allows you to search for them by zip code, state and city.

TeaGuide - Bills itself as "the Original Tea Room and Tea Shop Directory" - Lists tea rooms and shops in the U.S. and worldwide and includes a number of reviews.

The Tea House Times - Establishments Serving Tea

Tea Lover's Room - Lists tea destinations in northern California.

TeaMap - Tearoom directory from Adagio Teas. Search for tea destinations by zip code or state and features ratings and reviews.

The Tea Room Directory

Great Tea Rooms of America - Buy Now

Archaic Tea Terms

In addition to publishing Tea Guy Speaks, I'm a regular contributor to The English Tea Store blog. Here's an article I recently wrote for them. Click the link to read the full article.

Archaic Tea Terms
By William I. Lengeman III

To say that deciphering the terminology of tea is a tricky matter is an understatement of vast proportions. It’s impossible to say how many varieties of tea are currently in existence, but they surely number in the hundreds and possibly even into the thousands. Then consider that many varieties of tea, particularly those that are grown in China, may have more than one alternate name in both Chinese and English.

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Cuisinart TEA-100 PerfecTemp Programmable Tea Steeper

Tea and Tightrope Video

Gives a whole new dimension to the term high tea...

Drink Your Tea

Cuisinart TEA-100 PerfecTemp Programmable Tea Steeper

A Dog Tea Party

The Breville One-Touch Tea Maker

New Capresso teaC100 Electric Kettle

Today's Tea Time Brews Up a World of Flavors
(from a press release)

The new teaC100 from Capresso is destined to enhance the tea drinking experience with its five easy-to-read temperature settings, ranging from 100 degrees to 212 degrees F. This fast, energy-efficient electric water kettle offers the perfect steeping temperature, with no bitter tastes or over-extraction, for even the most delicate of teas.

Whether it is green, white, oolong, or black, the teaC100 is conveniently labeled with the type of tea recommended for each temperature setting, making tea preparation quick and simple. The stainless steel heating element boils water in half the time as a traditional stovetop kettle - saving time and energy.

The sturdy, German SCHOTT-Duran glass kettle offers maximum beauty and durability. The cool-touch handle features a slip-free coating for safety, and the kettle is easily removed from the base for cordless pouring.

The 48-ounce capacity is ideal for brewing multiple cups of tea, or for preparing hot water for hot chocolate, French press coffee, instant soup, oatmeal and more. The teaC100 is also handy for keeping water warm. The safety auto-shut off, illuminated power switch, and drip-free pour design ensure maximum safety and minimum clean-up.

The Capresso teaC100 offers a stylish and functional design for the home or office. The newest model in Capresso's growing line of electric kettles, it has an actual retail price of $99.99. It is sold at specialty and online retailers nationwide including www.capresso.com

Adagio Teas - Best Tea Online

Recyclable Brewlux Tea Filter for Loose Leaf Tea

Recyclable Brewlux Tea Filter for Loose Leaf Tea To-Go Available
(from a press release)

The Tea Spot announces general availability of a recyclable Brewlux filter for loose leaf tea to-go. Until today, Brewlux was available only as a biodegradable, but not recyclable tea filter. Recyclable Brewlux tea filters retail by the case at $38.00 for 200 units. They are available from foodservice distributors in the Rocky Mountain Region, Canada and from The Tea Spot.

Brewlux is the first structured filter for to-go tea. This structured filter fits in a standard hot drink cup and gives loose tea leaves room to expand. Brewlux is completely contained in the disposable to-go cup. It sits elevated in the cup and stops steeping as you drink your beverage. Made with annually renewable plants, Brewlux is recyclable, reusable and manufactured in Colorado.

The patent pending Brewlux tea filter was awarded “Best New Product” at the 2010 World Tea Expo. USDA grant-funded research showed that consumers are willing to pay a premium for Brewlux over bagged tea. The Tea Spot was selected for a competitive Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) award by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to do research in support of developing a marketing and distribution strategy for the renewable tea filter, trademarked Brewlux.

Adagio Teas - Best Tea Online

Tea Break Stop Motion Video

Adagio Teas - Best Tea Online