I was offered a sample of Yogic Chai’s tea, and I jumped at the opportunity.  The first thing I notice with all chai teas is the strong aroma as soon as the package is opened.  This Yogic Chai was no different; my nose was filled with the exotic chai scents immediately.  I am writing this article while sipping on a freshly brewed chai late that I prepared with half hot milk, half boiling water steeped with the tea and teaspoon of honey.  The result is a sweet, rich and fully flavored chai tea.   It is an enjoyable brew and the aroma accurately advertises what is to be tasted once you begin sipping.

You can find Yogic Chai - Traditional Spiced Chai only online at the moment.

The marketers are focusing on the fact that green tea boosts your metabolism, they neglect to tell you that the boost in your metabolism is quite negligible. To lose a pound a week a person must cut their calorie intake by over 3500 calories a week, but drinking 5 cups of green tea a day for a week allows you to burn only 70-90 calories. 70 - 90 calories off of your regular calorie intake is definitely a positive thing considering every calorie counts. However just drinking green tea alone will not cut the fat as many of these products claim.

A conscious change in a current lifestyle is required to cut the fat that has been gained by living and eating a certain way. We all would like to think that there is a quick and easy way to reverse the effects of an unhealthy diet, but aside from drastic and expensive surgery this is not possible. I hope readers will take this into consideration before purchasing any of the green tea weight loss products offered on the internet right now, hopefully reading this will save you time, money, and the distress of a failed diet.

If you are serious about losing weight, we recommend entering a training program at your local gym, matched with a balanced diet with an appropriate calorie consumption for your activity level. Be wary of wu yi slimming teas and weight loss teas parading as one fix wonders to your weight struggles.

Don’t stop drinking tea and keep visiting the blog!

Photo by wjpbennett. 

I recently watched an episode of Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations in which Tony visited China. It was a great episode with one glaring and (in my opinion) huge exception: no tea! How can you have a show focused on food in China without mentioning or even showing tea?  I love you Tony, but I think you broke my heart a little bit with that episode.

I was reminded about this, somehow, when I checked out the Tea in London Tour website (mentioned by Steph here). It looks like a fantastic tour, though in all honesty the English tea experience is quite contrary to my reasons for drinking tea. English tea time has too much pomp and circumstance. One of my main reasons for loving tea is that it reminds me to simplify, to cut out the extra, unnecessary stuff. In my mind, the English tea party celebrates that extra stuff, with its saucers and table cloths and doilies and scones. Not that I can’t acknowledge those things are great, they’re just not my style. And so, I thought, wouldn’t it be awesome to go on a “Tea in China Tour”? I haven’t done any research to see if such a tour even exists, and with a baby on the way, I doubt I could arrange one for any time soon, but it’s a lovely thought. I would go to all the places Anthony Bourdain should have visited!

Green tea 2 by Ayelie.

I like shopping locally to support the community I live in, but when it comes to buying tea, I don’t have many local options. There is one coffee and tea chain retailer that I’ve bought tea from, but they just don’t have much of a variety or good-quality teas. A friend of mine imports tea, but his clients are mostly companies and restaurants. In other words, he doesn’t actually have a store. So, in order to buy from him, I have to call in advance to make sure he’ll be around. Not only is it an inconvenience to me, but I often feel like I’m inconveniencing him, too. Still, I buy most of my tea from him and turn to the internet for the rest of my tea purchases.

I’ve been curious lately about Tea of the Month Clubs. I used to be a member of a Pencil of the Month Club (I know, I’m a geek), and I loved receiving a new package each month and learning about the history and manufacturing process of each pencil. And imagine getting that package each month, but instead of pencils, getting new teas! That would be awesome.

In my quest for Tea of the Month Clubs, I came across a list by Tea Guy Speaks. It’s just a list, though, so he doesn’t summarize membership benefits or provide information beyond the links. I, however, am looking for a Tea Club that meets specific criteria: I want something affordable (under $100) and I’m particularly interested in Chinese tea (though not every selection must include Chinese tea). Those two criteria rule out most of the clubs. So, what’s left?

Silver Tips Masterful Tea of the Month Club: “The best teas we can recommend in any category - black, green, oolong or white. 1 oz. of each month’s selection sent in the middle of each month.” A 3-month membership (approx. 84 grams of tea) is $65. And they list the selection of teas they’ll ship:

The Tea Table Tea of the Month Bonus Plan: The “Bonus Plan” indicates that each shipment includes a special, surprise gift. I don’t much care for that, but this is the only option that included The Oolong Plan and The White Tea Plan:

The Oolong Plan: In contrast to black teas, which are fully oxidized, and green teas, which are not oxidized, oolongs are semi-oxidized. Because some oolongs are more oxidized than others, the flavor of oolongs can vary from near-black to quite green. Examples include Tung Ting Jade Oolong, Champagne Formosa Oolong, and Anxi China Oolong. This plan is only available for the 4-shipment plan. (2-3 ounces of tea per shipment.)

The White Tea Plan: White teas are appreciated by connoisseurs for their unmatched subtlety, complexity, and natural sweetness. Examples include Drum Mountain White Cloud, Snow Dragon, and Imperial Silver Needles. Because of the limited number of white teas available, this plan is only available for the 4-shipment option. (1-2 ounces of tea per shipment.)

These plans are $85 each, with shipments going out every three months for one year.

Totally TEA-riffic Tea of the Month Club: “Each shipment will consist of 4 oz of tea chosen from the category that you choose. (Some shipments may be less than 4 oz for the more expensive rare teas.)” The Chinese Black Tea category caught my eye. I’m not a big drinker of black tea, but I like that this category includes only Chinese tea. The cost for six months is $84.95.

The Tao of Tea World Tea Club: “During the first week of each month, you will receive three teas in sampler size quantities. Depending on the tea, each sample will typically make 25-30 cups of tea.” This club is a bit of a crap shoot, in that you don’t at all know what you’re going to get, but I do like the sound of most of the “possible” teas they list. A 4-month membership is $80.

TeaSource Tea of the Month Club: TeaSource has a particularly interesting tea club, in that it is catered to individual preferences. They actually recommend calling them first for a consultation! Here’s their price chart:

Keep in mind, though, that shipping is NOT included in these prices. For a six month membership, add an extra $23.40 (or $46.80 for 12 months). Those shipping costs seem high to me, but the Rare 6 Month Membership still comes in under $100.

So, which will I go with? The jury’s still out, but I find TeaSource’s club to be particularly attractive.

Have I overlooked any clubs that meet my criteria? Let me know in the comments!

Tea Competition from the Chinese Tea Culture Online Museum.

There are so many great tea blogs out there, often written by knowledgeable tea enthusiasts (and in some cases, professionals).  Here are links to recent, interesting posts by other bloggers:

• MarshalN wrote in his Tea Addict’s Journal about tea pots:

It’s an interesting thing going to a store that focuses on its pots, rather than its tea. Yesterday there was a crowd of potheads gathered around the table with the owner sitting there, casually brewing some aged oolongs in a big well made pot that I’m sure is a few thousand dollars, at least. The discussion (to the extent that I could understand when they spoke in mandarin — most of the conversation was in Taiwanese, which is hopelessly difficult) was all about pots. Who made what, which one’s nice, if it’s a real one, how much, look at that nice clay, the good calligraphy, etc etc

Read the full (and very interesting) post here. If only he included photos!

• Steph’s Cup of Tea is having a contest - with tea as the prize!

• Tea Guy Speaks reminds us about Adagio’s nifty software, Tea Timer. Yup, it’s a tea timer for your computer! A few years back, when I was still working in an office, I used this program several times a day. (Now that I work from home, I just use my oven timer.) And now that I’ve switched to a Mac, I’m relieved to know that there’s a Mac program called Cuppa. The Dock icon is a little teacup!

• Mellow Monk directs readers to the very cool TeaMap.com. It’s unfortunate that it’s U.S.-only, since I haven’t lived in the U.S. in over a year, but I now know what tea shops I’ll be visiting during my trip to New York, D.C., and Orlando in November!

• The Tea Masters blog points us to the Chinese Tea Culture Online Museum. It’s not a pretty website, but there is a ton of useful information there.

• Ever seen a teapot gate?

• 100% Tea distills tea tasting terms from the glossary at Relax, Sip & Enjoy.

Pregnancy by Ola Czechowska

When I learned I was pregnant, the first thing I did was a little research to find out the things I should eliminate or reduce from my diet. Smoked fish, soft cheese, alcohol, and caffeine topped the list. I love smoked fish, soft cheese, and alcohol, but they’re not things I consume on a daily basis. Caffeine, however, is in something I love and consume daily: TEA! I’m hot, hungry, and tired all the time, and on top of that I’m not supposed to have tea!? Let me look into this a little further.

The Yale University School of Medicine published the results of their research on maternal consumption of caffeine during pregnancy in 2003. The concern was that caffeine contributed to low birth weight, but the study determined that “[t]his small decrease in birth weight, observed for maternal caffeine consumption, is unlikely to be clinically important except for women consuming 600 mg of caffeine daily (approximately six 10-ounce (1 ounce = 28.3 g) cups of coffee). ”

Three other things worth noting:

1. Caffeine can be found in foods and beverages other than coffee, tea, cola, and chocolate.
2. Because herbal teas aren’t regulated by the FDA, there may be ingredients in herbal teas that are not good for pregnant women or developing fetuses. Do your research and consult with your doctor.
3. Another article I read stated that the epigallocatechins in green tea may affect the way the body uses folate, a B vitamin that is necessary for the production and maintenance of new cells and especially important during pregnancy.

Considering how much tea I drank pre-pregnancy, there’s a good chance that I was consuming around 600 mg of caffeine. So, I have drastically reduced the amount of tea I drink, but I’m relieved that I don’t need to complete eliminate it.

A couple weeks ago, a friend of mine who imports tea handed me a bit of chocolate to taste. It was dark chocolate with green tea. Milk chocolate tends to overwhelm my tastebuds with sweetness, but dark chocolate has a more complex, interesting flavor. And this particular chocolate wasn’t made with green tea just to be cute or ride a trend, but rather I could actually taste the green tea. And, perhaps more interestingly, I could see the green tea. There were little twisted pieces of tea in the chocolate, and they created a nice crunch while eating the chocolate.

I wish I knew what kind of chocolate it was, as I neglected to write down the name and haven’t touched base with my friend since then. Last night, I stopped by my favorite local eco-store. After I had already checked out, I spotted some organic dark chocolate with green tea made by Vivani. I picked up a bar and went back to the counter to make my purchase. It wasn’t long before I was unwrapping the chocolate to take a bite. The flavors were all there, but the crunch wasn’t. This was a different chocolate. Still, I wasn’t disappointed.

In fact, this is really good stuff. And I like the company, too. According to their website, all of the ingredients they use are organic and purchased from Third World regions to promote small-scale farming and sustainable agricultural practices. They also have some interesting information about Catechins:

CATECHINS protect the heart. Catechins belong to the flavonoid family – a group of biological pigments. They have strong antioxidant capabilities, which have more of an effect than Vitamin C and E. Catechins may help to protect against heart disease and cancer.
Catechins effectively catch free radicals and prevent deposits in the blood vessel walls*, regulate the blood pressure**, and stimulate the immune system.
The positive medicinal effects of Catechins are also found in green tea and red wine.

Catechin content in mg:

Dark chocolate (100 g)	53,3 mg
Milk chocolate (100 g)	15,9 mg
Green tea (1 cup)	ca. 25,8 mg

Neat, huh? Hurray for chocolate and green tea!

I love tea. And when people and businesses come up with eco-friendly tea products, I’m able to love tea even more.

Christine Misiak is one of those people. She’s a British product designer who has given new life to old tea sets. While I tend to prefer minimal Asian tea design to traditional British tea style, at my core I’m a design geek who can appreciate good design, wherever it comes from. On her site, Christine explains:

My tea sets aim to preserve and portray important aspects of the past, and reminding us of the importance of past objects by using features from old neglected tea sets and blending them with the new and modern. Updating old tea sets and reinventing them to make them current and fashionable for today’s market. . . .

Therefore the idea of reusing these old things acts as a way of giving them a new lease of life. Reusing and reinventing old tea sets to make them current and fashionable again rather than just a forgotten thing of the past.

Christine has recreated/recycled several different tea sets. One’s an exciting kelly green, one is a bold orange, then there’s a mod citron, and a black one… see them all here! (via Inhabitat)

Picking tea leaves by xrodgers 

This summer, China celebrated the 10th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return from Britain. National Geographic honored the event with a series called “Tea Culture in South China.” If you missed it, as I unfortunately did, you’re in luck! It can be found in five episodes (just under 10 minutes each) on YouTube. Click here to view these great videos! (I would embed the video, but I can’t get it to work in this version of WordPress. So sorry!)

A plain ol’ tea bag.

I can be a bit of a tea snob sometimes. Looking at a tea bag, I usually can’t help but wonder, what’s really in there? When sniffing a cup of tea made from a tea bag, I might even have a hint of a frown.

As bad as that might sound, I used to be worse. I wouldn’t even consider drinking tea made from a tea bag, regarding it as grossly inferior to loose leaf tea. In fact, that kind of tea was just a drink. In my mind, it could not possibly create an experience worthy of the word tea. But since then, I’ve had a lot of bagged teas. All kinds of teas and tisanes in all kinds of bags. Let me tell you, all tea bags are not created equal.

The Mighty Leaf Tea Pouch

If I had to point to a particular tea bag that changed my mind, it would have to be the tea pouch from Mighty Leaf. These pouches are larger than the usual tea bag (which means they allow the tea enough room to expand) and are filled with whole leaf tea (unlike typical tea bags that often contain dust and tea particles). The first time I saw these pouches, I was intrigued. They were aesthetically appealing in their design, and I really, really liked that I could actually see what the tea looked like. I tried the Ginger Twist, “a harmonious mix of lemongrass, tropical fruits, and mint fueled with a touch of ginger and ginseng.” Fragrant and soothing are the words that come to mind.

In addition to several herbal and fruit blends, Mighty Leaf offers green, white, and black teas. They can be ordered as loose leaf teas or in tea pouches. I think the tea pouches in particular are a terrific introduction to “real” teas for people who might be intimidated by loose teas, scales, timers, and thermometers. Plus, though the pouches look like a silken nylon, they’re actually made of GMO-free polylactic corn. I’m not sure what that is, but it is biodegradable!