Pot Luck Tea Company

Tea Tasters Wanted

2008-06-24T07:16:00.000-07:00

We are looking for about eight new tea tasters.

Responsibilities include receiving and tasting about four teas/herbals a year, and then sending in written comments about each. The comments should be meaningful and we welcome
constructive suggestions about the tea and blended ingredients.

If you are interested, send us a note via email. If you are currently tasting for another company, please disclose the same. Tasters should be able to comment on both teas and herbal blends.

Thanks,
Rick T.
Pot Luck Tea Company

Best Sellers - May 2008

2008-06-23T09:34:00.000-07:00

Oddly our best selling items are all non-tea items. This month's best sellers include Rooibos Chai, Spiced Cinnamon Zinger and Spicy Chocolate Zinger. Our best selling tea for May, 2008 was our EU Certified Organic Masala Chai. We have also seem an uptick in our sales of Immunity Booster tea and a slight increase in Memory Aid tea.

If you've purchase these items and have comments, please send them in.

Rick T.
Pot Luck Tea Company

Swell Season Haiku

2008-05-21T08:55:00.000-07:00

ride the vibration
produced by the universe
and with me, be one.

A Voter's Haiku

2008-05-19T10:04:00.001-07:00

the secret ballot
preserves anonymity,
and lets us be heard.

Tea drinking lessens female artery plaque

2008-03-14T07:21:00.000-07:00

From: NutraIngredients.com Eurpoe

14-Mar-2008 - The antioxidant-driven functional properties of tea have been highlighted in a French study that has shown tea drinking can help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
The study, published in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology, found women who drank tea reduced levels of plaque build-up in their arteries thereby reducing risk for heart disease and stroke.

The study found carotid plaques were evident in 45 per cent of non-tea drinking women, in 42.5 per cent of women drinking 1-2 cups of tea daily and in only 33.7 per cent of those drinking three or more cups a day.

The study involved 2,613 men and 3,984 women, aged about 73-years-old whose carotid artery plaque was assessed in relation to tea drinking and other dietary habits and medical and personal history.

For the entire entry, see: http://www.nutraingredients.com/news/ng.asp?n=83987-tea-advisory-panel-arteriosclerosis-thrombosis-and-vascula-cardiovascular-disease-tea-carotid.

All of our Rooibos is now USDA Certified Organic

2008-03-13T11:04:00.001-07:00

It took a bit of sourcing, but we have found really good quality, excellent tasting USDA Certified Organic Red and Green Rooibos. Available now on the internet and in a few weeks at retailers carrying our teas and herbals.

Thank you to everyone who has helped this transition.

Rick
www.potlucktea.com

Our Organic Teas Available at Gardenia Organic

2008-02-27T11:06:00.000-08:00

New York's first environmentally & socially conscious florist is now open and offering our Organic and Fair Trade teas, including our Earl Grey with Bergamot from France, our proprietary English Breakfast Blend, our Organic Fair Trade Darjeeling, our Organic Rooibos, our EU certified Masala and Green Chais, and many, many others. Before you decide it's just another scheme to jump on the green fashion wagon, educate yourself a bit. Read on...

Conventionally grown flowers are laden with chemicals - highly toxic & carcinogenic ones. They're bad for the health of you, the farmers that grow them and our water. 70% of all flowers sold in the US are imported, primarily from Columbia & Ecuador. Foreign flower workers are exposed to 25 different pesticides not used in the US because they are so dangerous - how ironic that they end up here anyway. And 20% of Ecuador's 60,000 flowers workers are children

Gardenia Organic only sells flowers that have been grown using environmentally and socially conscious practices. Beautiful flowers that fully reflect and encompass the heartfelt sentiment with which they are intended. And they won't cost you a penny more than those other yucky ones. So next time you're buying flowers, think of the difference you can make to someone's life by buying VeriFlora certified from Gardenia Organic. Find them at 526 Hudson Street (just north of Christopher), New York, NY 10014. (646) 688-5753

Immnity Booster Tea Back In Stock

2008-02-06T10:44:00.000-08:00

We were out of stock for a few days, but our Immunity Booster tea is back in stock and all backorders have been filled. New orders will ship from current stock.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

Over The Rainbow - Nyack Cafe - New Yixing Tea Sets

2008-01-30T07:33:00.000-08:00

We are pleased. Our teas are going to be served and sold at Over The Rainbow - The Nyack cafe. The grand opening is set for early March and we are designing some special packaging to celebrate.

Stand by for more news and details on the opening. The pre-opening party was a big hit with a great crowd. We served our new Masala Chai and our Scented Chinese Green Jasmine.

We have also added several new Yixing tea sets to our web site and reduced the prices on some of our most popular items. Remember, tea infused chocolates are always nice for Valentine's Day.

Memory Aid Tea

2008-01-22T11:10:00.000-08:00

We've got a great new infusion available called, "Memory Aid Tea." It's an energizing infusion blended to boost your brain power. It's made with Gingko leaves, mate, peppermint, Siberian ginseng root, schizandra berries and ginseng root. It part of our new line of Phytotherapy - Functional Tea Remedies. We also offer: Flu Fighter; Hangover Helper and Immunity Booster Teas.

Check it out at: http://potlucktea.com/Remedy-Teas.htm.

Thanks for visiting.

Drink Tea for Good Health

2008-01-14T07:07:00.000-08:00

We've been saying it since we opened our doors, and yesterday, the Daily News in New York, said it too: Drink TEA for good health. According to the Daily News:

If "Eat healthier" tops 2008's New Year's resolutions, you might want to consider changing it to "Drink healthier" and then stock up on Pu-erh, White Peony, Dragon Well, and Jade Oolong.

Tea varieties like these not only taste good but are good for you, research shows. Hundreds of recent studies show that drinking tea may lower your cholesterol, protect your bones, bolster your immune defenses, and even increase your metabolism.

"The number of scientific studies showing tea's health properties has increased from three globally to more than 900 in the past 20 years," says Joseph Simrany, president of the Manhattan-based Tea Association of the U.S.A. "Consumers are taking more responsibility for their health and becoming more educated about what they eat. Tea is part of the trend toward a healthier lifestyle." Here's the link: http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/food/2008/01/08/2008-01-08_for_good_health_this_new_year_drink_more-2.html

Visit us at http://www.potlucktea.com

Our Teas Are Now Available At Yoga Mountain

2008-01-08T08:00:00.000-08:00

Our fine loose leaf teas are now available on the retail shelves at Yoga Mountain, 132 Park Avenue, New City, NY 10956, 845-639-0736. On Sunday, January 27, 2008, Certified Health Counselor Rodney Fisher will offer a free lecture titled, "Suffering From the Sugar Blues?" Come for the lecture and enjoy some tea.

Green Tea May Protect Against Colon Cancer

2007-12-10T07:25:00.000-08:00

Accoring to Reuters Health, an extract of green tea wards off colorectal cancer.

According to research reported at the Sixth International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention, sponsored by the American Association for Cancer Research, a standardized green tea polyphenol preparation (Polyphenon E) limits the growth of colorectal tumors in rats treated with a substance that causes the cancer.

"Our findings show that rats fed a diet containing Polyphenon E are less than half as likely to develop colon cancer," Dr. Hang Xiao, from the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy at Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, noted in a statement. These results are consistent with previously published results, which showed that green tea consumption was associated with lower colon cancer rates in Shanghai, China, he also noted.

In the study, Xiao and colleagues injected rats with azoxymethane, a chemical known to produce colorectal tumors that share many characteristics with colorectal cancer in humans. Then they fed the animals a high-fat Western-style diet with or without Polyphenon E for 34 weeks. The amount of Polyphenon the animals took in was roughly equal to about four to six cups of green tea per day.

Polyphenon E decreased the total number of tumors per rat and decreased tumor size, compared with control rats that were not given Polyphenon E, Xiao told the conference.
"In the control group," he said, "67 percent of rats developed malignant tumors while in the treated group only 27 percent of rats had malignant tumors. Most important, tea polyphenols decreased the number of malignant tumors per rat by 80 percent compared to the control group."

When the researchers analyzed blood and colon tissue samples, they found a "considerable amount of tea polyphenols in those samples in treated animals, and those levels of tea polyphenols were comparable to the human situation after ingestion of tea leaves or tea beverage," Xiao noted. The researchers believe these findings will pave the way for clinical trials with green tea polyphenols in humans.

Geographic Indication Tag for Darjeeling Tea

2007-10-26T08:22:00.000-07:00

India is hoping to make Darjeeling Tea an exclusive product of India.

The tea variety will soon have a geographical indication (GI) in all international markets. At present, Champagne is the only product that commands a GI worldwide. The issue of GI for Darjeeling Tea has been debated for the last couple of years in various national and international forums.

While the government has filed for GI in the US and Canada, it has also perked up the process in other international markets. India is the second largest producer of tea in the world and Darjeeling Tea is considered to be its most sought-after variety. Despite this, India commands less than 13% share in the export market. Also planned is the set up of a body to monitor and regulate tea exporters.

Import of tea from India has been banned in some East Asian countries, mainly on quality issues. Till about the early 1990’s, India happened to be one of the leading tea exporters in the world. This share has continuously dipped since then, due to various reasons. However, in the last 6-7 years, there have been an aggressive takeover of tea gardens by corporates, and almost 80% tea production lies with the organised sector now.

Blog Note: This is a long time coming and may finally put some integrity back in the Darjeeling market. Our sales of darjeeling slip every year as the market is flooded with questionable product.

On another note, we have greatly expanded our offerings of Oolong tea and have included several offerings from China (in addition to our traditional Formosa Oolongs).

Visit us at: http://www.potlucktea.com/.

Tea Has Arrived In New York

2007-10-25T11:38:00.000-07:00

As we plan our entry into the retail tea world, we note the following:

Last March, Tavalon Tea Bar (22 E 14th Street) opened, offering more than 30 varieties of tea—and an on-site DJ.

T Salon (75 Ninth Avenue) and Gramstand (214 Avenue A) appeared last winter: The former trumpets itself “the first environmentally sustainable tea bar-café-market in the world!,” while the latter boasts “Zen-like industrial design” and more than 50 types of leaves.

In August, Sanctuary T (337B West Broadway) opened with a similarly mind-boggling array. A month later, Tafu (569 Lexington Avenue) brought premium Japanese teas to midtown.

And in the coming weeks, Amai Tea and Bake House (171 Third Avenue), whose coveted sweets are sold at Takashimaya, will open its first retail space. We plan to offer Amai's treasures through our web site in the very near future.

Visit us at http://www.potlucktea.com/.
Subscribe to our blog (above).

Black Tea Shows Blood Sugar Benefits

2007-10-24T08:14:00.000-07:00

October 24, 2007 - A one gram drink of black tea may have the potential to stimulate an insulin response and reduce blood sugar levels, suggests new research from England. The study suggests that black tea could have benefits for diabetics to blunt the blood sugar spikes, keeping the body's blood sugar levels relatively steady throughout the day. This has been linked to better regulation of appetite and a reduced tendency to snack.

Researchers from King's College London and the University of Central Lancashire recruited 16 healthy subjects and assigned them to drink 75 grams of glucose in either 250ml of water (control), 250ml of water plus 0.052g of caffeine (positive control) or 250 ml of water plus 1.0 or 3.0 grams of instant black tea. Writing in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, the researchers report that plasma glucose concentrations during the first hour in response to the drinks were not significantly different. However, after two hours plasma glucose concentrations were significantly in the group who consumed 1.0 grams of tea, relative to the control and caffeine drinks. Moreover, drinking the black tea was associated with increased insulin levels compared with the control and caffeine drinks at 90 minutes.

The health benefits of tea, including protection from certain cancers and Alzheimer's, have been linked to the polyphenol content of the tea. Green tea contains between 30 and 40 per cent of water-extractable polyphenols, while black tea (green tea that has been oxidized by fermentation) contains between 3 and 10 per cent.The four primary polyphenols found in fresh tealeaves are epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), epigallocatechin, epicatechin gallate, and epicatechin.Chemical analysis showed that the tea was rich in polyphenolic compounds (total, 350mg/g). Bryans and co-workers state that the polyphenol content of the tea was most probably behind the effects. They state that these compounds could have an insulin-stimulating effect on pancreatic B-cells - cells responsible for insulin production. "It is important to note also that the physiological effects seen in this study were relatively small and were achieved under test conditions. "Under normal tea drinking conditions before or after food, the presence of other phenolic compounds could potentially alter, or even enhance, the effects seen in our study. "It is certainly an area of research that warrants further investigation," they concluded.

From: http://www.nutraingredients.com/news/ng.asp?n=80829-black-tea-egcg-insulin

Tea May Help Lower Alzheimer's, Parkinson's Risks

2007-10-16T08:47:00.000-07:00

According the The Canadian Press:

TORONTO -- New scientific research suggests that drinking tea may lower an individual's risk of developing dementia and other neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases.

This data and other new research that suggests drinking tea may improve and maintain brain health and function was presented at the recent Fourth International Scientific Symposium on Tea and Human Health in Washington, D.C.

The body of research shows that tea likely directly impacts brain health by maintaining brain cell function and by assisting in the repair of damaged cells, says Carol Greenwood, a professor of nutritional sciences at the University of Toronto.

"Drinking tea may further help because it reduces the risk of developing other disorders which increase the risk of cognitive decline and dementia,'' she says.

Visit us at http://www.potlucktea.com.

Tea Drinking and Hip Structure in Elderly Women

2007-10-15T08:40:00.000-07:00

October 12, 2007 — Tea drinking is associated with preservation of hip structure in elderly women, according to the results of a cross-sectional and longitudinal study reported in the October issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

"Impaired hip structure assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) areal bone mineral density (aBMD) is an independent predictor for osteoporotic hip fracture," write Amanda Devine, from the University of Western Australia in Perth, and colleagues. "Previous studies have shown that drinking tea has been associated with a higher aBMD and a reduced risk of hip fracture."

In a 5-year prospective trial to determine whether oral calcium supplements prevent osteoporotic fractures, 1500 randomly selected women aged 70 to 85 years had measurement of aBMD at the hip with DXA at years 1 and 5. At 5 years, cross-sectional analysis of 1027 of these women using a questionnaire evaluated the relationship of customary tea intake with aBMD. A prospective analysis of 164 women evaluated the relationship of tea intake at baseline, measured with a 24-hour dietary recall, with change in aBMD from years 1 to 5.

The cross-sectional analysis revealed that mean total hip aBMD was 2.8% greater in tea drinkers (806; 95% confidence interval [CI], 797 - 815 mg/cm2) than in non–tea drinkers (784; 95% CI, 764 - 803 mg/cm2; P < .05). During the 4-year period of the prospective analysis, tea drinkers lost an average of 1.6% of total hip aBMD, whereas non–tea drinkers lost 4.0%. Adjustment for covariates did not affect this pattern of findings.

Study limitations include the small sample size in the prospective study because of limited data on beverage intake collected at baseline; 2 different methods used to assess tea drinking; and measurement error associated with the self-administered beverage questionnaire.

"Tea drinking is associated with preservation of hip structure in elderly women," the authors write. "This finding provides further evidence of the beneficial effects of tea consumption on the skeleton.... Dietary calcium and coffee intake, physical activity, and smoking did not appear to be important confounders of the relation between tea and BMD."

Two Updates & A Note & Myspace

2007-10-09T09:13:00.000-07:00

1. Our server will be down on October 10, 2007 beginning at 3:00am for about an hour.

2. For those customers who receive orders via FEDEX, we will be installing a FEDEX add-in to our web site that will enable you to track your orders directly from our home page. For all others, we can continue to supply tracking numbers via email. We are going to only use USPS Priority shipping for those customers that prefer to receive packages to a PO Box. Within a few weeks all orders will ship via Fedex Ground Service.

Note: We are delayed for a few days in offering a tea/product of the day. We hope to get the programming done this week and start the program next week.

Yes, we have joined MySpace. See us at www.myspace.com/potlucktea. There is not much there yet.

View our regular site at www.potlucktea.com.

New Tea Menu & "Tea of the Day"

2007-09-29T14:06:00.000-07:00

Just a quick posting today:

1. Our new tea menu is ready. Click on http://potlucktea.com/Catalog-Request.htm.

2. Also, in a few days we are going to start our "Tea of the Day" program; the goal being to offer a significant discount on a different tea every week day. Watch our home page: http://potlucktea.com for a link for the "Tea of the Day."

Happy Saturday to all.

Tao Te Ching - 9th Verse

2007-09-28T13:00:00.000-07:00

To keep on filling

is not as good as stopping.

Overfilled, the cupped hands drip,

better to stop pouring.

Sharpen a blade too much

and its edge will soon be lost.

Fill your house with jade and gold

and it brings insecurity.

Puff yourself with honor and pride

and no one can save you from a fall.

Retire when the work is done;

this is the way of heaven.

-- Lao-tzu

Thank You For The Kind Words; Back to Bricks & Mortar

2007-09-24T07:46:00.000-07:00

Kind Words

I do not normally do this, but we received some very nice words from a customer recently and I wanted to share:

"A moment to commend this product...This has to be the most beautiful jasmine tea I've ever tasted, even better than the traditional jasmine black tea: the scent of jasmine is strong but not overpowering or artificial (and I do love the whole flowers floating around), and the green tea is soft and sweet, never bitter even if I let it steep too long. Thank you for offering such a soul refreshing product."

. . . . N.K., Reading, PA

Sometimes we think we are just selling tea, but the truth is that we also provide our customers with a genuine positive experience.

Bricks & Mortar

I did not think we would ever return to bricks and mortar. Happiness can definitely be found selling on the internet. But we never really know what the universe has in store for us. We have begun a search for a retail site. Any input is appreciated (as always).

Green Tea; Glaxo; Diabetic Mice

2007-09-21T08:26:00.000-07:00

Found this from Bloomberg:

Friday, September 21, 2007

WASHINGTON -- A chemical found in green tea helped moderately diabetic mice tolerate sugar and produce insulin as well as GlaxoSmithKline Plc's Avandia pill did in a study. Five-week-old moderately diabetic and severely diabetic mice were fed the compound, an antioxidant called epigallocatechin gallate or EGCG, or given Avandia. The rodents' blood sugar and insulin levels were studied after five and 10 weeks of treatment. The moderately diabetic mice fared as well on green tea extract as they did on Avandia, also known as rosiglitazone, the researchers reported. EGCG was not as effective in the severely diabetic group.

"Although EGCG was less potent than rosiglitazone, it exerted changes that were similarly beneficial," researchers led by Ake Sjoeholm of Sweden's Karolinska Institute wrote in an abstract of the study presented Wednesday at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes meeting in Amsterdam. The animal study suggests that supplements of green tea extract may help prevent and treat the disease in people.

Green tea was suggested as a treatment for diabetes more than 70 years ago. A study of more than 16,000 Japanese men and women, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine last year, found that those who drank more than six cups of green tea a day were less likely to develop type-2 diabetes than those who drank less than one cup a week.

Other studies have shown possible benefits of green tea in cancer and heart disease prevention. Theanine, an amino acid present in black, green and oolong teas, may improve the ability to concentrate, according to a study presented Tuesday at a conference at the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington. The research was sponsored by Unilever Plc, which includes Lipton Tea among its more than 400 brands.

Nyack Center; Debra Haffner; Tulsi Tea

2007-09-20T07:01:00.000-07:00

Tea Service on November 8, 2007

Here is the scoop: On November 8, 2007 at 7:00pm at the Nycak Center on South Broadway in Nyack, sexuality expert Debra Haffner will offer invaluable advice to parents to help teach their children about sexuality, communication, and family values. With sensitivity and humor, Haffner guides parents through the process of setting their children on the right path to becoming sexually healthy adults. Pot Luck Tea will be serving several varieties of our finest tea and refreshments at the event. For more information, visit http://www.realliferealtalk.org/.

Tulsi Tea - What is it?

Tulsi and Tulsi Tea are recognized as 'The Mother Medicine of Nature' and is known both as "The Queen of Herbs" and "The Incomparable One". Thousands of Ayurvedic texts quote the vast array of healing properties and benefits of Tulsi, which is grown through out India as a sacred herb.

Delicious, fragrant, and exquisite - the finest Rama, Krishna and Vana Tulsi leaves and blossoms are expertly blended to create a soothing, uplifting, full-bodied beverage that is inspiringly fresh and flavorful. Tulsi encourages tranquility, clarity, relief from stress, robust immunity and stamina. It offers respite from colds and flu, helps to balance the metabolism and is rich in antioxidants . With its fresh taste and astonishing array of health benefits, Tulsi Tea (also called "Holy Basil" is, quite simply... perfect. Stay tuned. In the next few weeks we will be offering Tulsi Tea on our web site. Meanwhie, if you have any questions, please email.

The Professors of Tea

2007-09-19T08:14:00.000-07:00

There is a great story in the Dining section fo the New York Times today about some really great folks, their love of tea, their tea shop and their beliefs. Here is a link: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/19/dining/19tea.html?_r=1&ref=dining&oref=slogin

I'm not sure how long the Times keeps its links active, so if you can't find it, let me know. The only think I would offer is that I prefer to keep teas dark and dry. We never use clear glass of plastic to store tea, even on display for a short time. Everyone has their own ways though.

NYACK, NY

On November 8th (Thursday) we are hosting the tea service at the Nyack Community Center. More on that soon.