The Ancient Art Of Tea

Chakuza: Carbonated Tea and the Yakuza

2012-02-22T19:00:00.000-05:00

Chakuza is the latest innovative offering from the Thai company Oishi. The company hopes that the new carbonated tea drink, will help widen its customer base by appealing to more teenagers and help maintain its leadership position in an increasingly competitive market.

Chakuza combines the health benefits and refreshing taste of tea (“cha” in Japanese) with the badass attitude of organized crime (“yakuza” in Japanese). And it seems to be working.... really well!

Chakuza comes in three carbonated flavors each represented with a different yakuza soldier to fit your own unique personality.

First, there is the original green tea flavor with the long haired, bat waving Origi. Then, on the can of black tea with lemon, there is Darku, wearing his studded leather jacket and gold chain. Finally, the lemon honey tea features Hachi, with his yellow jacket and club-kid headphones.

With more than a 65% market share, Oishi is presently the best-selling green tea in Thailand, fueling ambitions of becoming a global brand.

Pakistan's Illicit Tea Trade

2012-02-15T19:00:00.000-05:00

Tea smuggling in Pakistan is a genuine problem hurting legitimate tea importers as well as depriving the nation of important revenues.

It is estimated that about 48,000 tonnes of tea was brought into the country illegally during 2006. Tea smuggling further increased to 100,000 tonnes in 2009-10. This is a staggering figure considering, for example, that it is equal to the amount of tea consumed in Iran annually.

A Short History of Irish Tea

2012-02-08T19:00:00.000-05:00

There's no doubt that the Irish are mad for their tea. Drinking hot tea became popular among the wealthy in Ireland in the 18th century but high prices kept the average Irish person from enjoying the new beverage. Tea sales blossomed in Ireland once Irish traders, spear headed in 1835 by merchant Samuel Bewley and his son Charles, began to import tea directly from China. Luckily their gamble paid off - the Irish importers were able to lower the price and hence discovered a very receptive market for tea in Ireland. By the mid 19th century tea was commonly found everywhere in the Emerald Isle. Popular teas are now produced by several Irish companies, including Bewleys, Barrys and Lyons. Incredibly, the Irish now drink more tea per capita than any other country in the world.

Tea in Ireland is above all things a social tradition and one which blends well with the time-honored rules of hospitality which go back to the ancient Celtic ancestors of the Irish. Upon entering an Irish home or even a business, it is a common courtesy to greet visitors by offering them a cup of tea. Ireland's frequently damp climate makes hot tea a welcome beverage to the traveler, who often gladly accepts. A cup of strong Irish tea helps to warm up and get the conversation going. Conversation is an important part of Irish social life, whether it be in the pub over a pint of stout or virtually anywhere over a cup of tea. Tea is drunk by everyone - men, women, children and adults.

Tea may be taken at any time of the day but traditionally around 11 am and 3 pm there is a tea break, often with cookies or cake. On special occasions the afternoon tea may be a fancy tea served with an impressive variety of finger foods - tiny sandwiches, scones with clotted cream, cookies and cake. The evening tea around 6 PM is essentially the evening meal - a hot meal served with good strong, black tea. The Sunday evening meal however is usually a late afternoon tea accompanied by something savory and delightful like a roast chicken and mashed potatoes.

Why take a break for tea that is not a meal? Much like we stop for a cup of coffee here in the US, the tea break is a chance to relax and enjoy some conversation with friends or co-workers. Everyone needs to recharge the mental batteries and tea of course offers that little extra kick of caffeine to help you finish the day without dragging your feet.

Tea in Ireland is brewed strong and served with lots of milk, or "lashings" of milk, to "color the tay." Sugar may be added to taste. When I was in school in Ireland I drank my tea black with no sugar or milk and people looked at me askance, for this was not a proper cup of tea! I've since learned the error of my ways.

- Article by Janet McGrane Bennett

Janet McGrane Bennett has run and operated Celtic Reader Irish Bookstore since 2002. Her lifelong passion for Irish history and literature encourage her to share this love of books and all things Irish and Celtic. She is a graduate of Drew University English Literature undergraduate program and studied Irish history, theatre and literature at St Patrick's College Maynooth in County Kildare, Ireland. Every year she travels to Irish and Celtic festivals on the East Cast of the US to set up her traveling book shop under the sunny summer skies. Visit Celtic Reader Irish Books & Gifts online at http://www.celticreader.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Janet_Bennett

A Review Of Stash Premium's Chai Green Tea

2012-02-01T19:00:00.000-05:00

Like Jackie Chan and Indian actress Mallika Sherawat in the movie “The Myth", Chai spices and green tea, at first, tend to be strange partners and do not form an obvious harmonious combination, until that is, you mix in the steamed milk and the dash of sugar.

Like the Kashmiri version of chai, Stash's Chai Green Tea, is brewed with green tea instead of the black tea and has a more subtle blend of flavorings.

As the tea infuses, you are immersed in a universe of Ginger Root, Allspice, Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Clove and Cardamom, however, although this blended green tea has an intense aromatic signature, it delivers a relatively light punch in both taste and color. Both were much lighter than expected.

Babelcarp

2012-01-25T19:00:00.001-05:00

Are you baffled by chinese tea terminology? How often have you had the name of a Chinese tea in front of you and even though it's not in Chinese characters, the sequences of English letters it's been transliterated into mean nothing to you. Enter Babelcarp.

Babelcarp is a free website that lets you type or paste tea-related phrases in Chinese characters or romanized Chinese, click a button, and see the phrase's translation into English.

You can give Babelcarp a try at: http://babelcarp.org/babelcarp/

Twinings' Perfect Brew

2012-01-18T19:00:00.016-05:00

How to make the perfect brew according to Stephen H.B. Twining, 10th generation of the famous Twinings of London line:

Be patient and take your time.
Use good-quality tap water because it's oxygenated
Fill the kettle with fresh water. If it's boiled too many times, it loses its oxygenation.
After the kettle boils, leave it for three to four minutes to cool to the correct temperature or use a digital kettle.
Warm the teapot by swirling boiling water around it.
Use a tea bag or a teaspoon per person.
After you add water, let the tea brew for at least three minutes.
Serve in your favourite way - with milk, sugar or lemon.

TEA RECIPES: A New Twist To Your Holiday Cooking

2011-12-23T13:54:00.001-05:00

Whether for lunch, dinner or dessert, Bigelow's website is overflowing with ideas and mouthwatering recipes, all of which contain a special ingredient -- Bigelow tea! From Spicy Pineapple Pork to miniature vegetable quiches to orange spice carrot cake cupcakes and individual fudgy brownies, adding tea to your recipes increases flavor without calories and offers a new twist to your holiday cooking.

NEW WORLD RECORD: Largest Teabag in the World

2011-12-19T19:00:00.000-05:00

A tea company based in Portsmouth has broken the record for making the world's largest tea-bag, a record previously held by G4's "Attack of the Show!" in Los Angeles, California, USA.The British company All About Tea, a manufacturing wholesaler and distributor of speciality teas, has claimed the record for all Britain

Andrew Gadsden, founder of All About Tea, said: "Tea is typically British and I'm so proud and pleased that we've not only smashed the record, but we've brought it home where it belongs.

The impressive tea bag - 2.4m x 2.4m in size and weighing 120kg - was unveiled on HMS Warrior in Portsmouth Harbour. The bag could technically make a staggering 50,800 cups of tea.

Portsmouth is believed to be where tea first came into England. It was brought in by Catherine of Braganza, the wife of King Charles II.

Pu-erh is still a good investment in China

2011-12-13T13:48:00.000-05:00

Pu-erh is a dark tea that is fermented after drying and whose taste mellows with age. Its history dates back to between one and two thousand years, with legends of growers in mountainous Yunnan province ferociously guarding their cultivation secrets.

Over the past 20 years, prices for aged Pu-erh have rocketed with the middle-class joining the wealthy in buying it up - less to drink, and more to collect and invest. Tea from the 1930 to 1950 era now sells for up to HK$200,000 (over $25,000 USD) per 345 gram cake.

Although the astonishing growth of the last two decades may not be sustained, Pu-erh is still presently a good investment.

Green Tea, Red Lights and Alzheimer's

2011-11-29T19:00:00.000-05:00

A research team, led by Dr. Andrei P. Sommer, at the University of Ulm in Germany has found that one of the ingredients in green tea, Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and red laser light can act as a powerful combination in annihilating beta-amyloid plaques in Alzheimer’s patients

It can be difficult getting drugs into the brain, but animal experiments show that the green-tea extract can penetrate the so-called blood-brain barrier when given orally together with red light. The light, which can penetrate tissue and bone, stimulates cell mitochondria to kick-start a process that increases the barrier's permeability, says Dr.Sommer.

According to the researchers, these plaques consist of abnormally folded peptides, and are thought to interrupt communication between nerve cells, causing symptoms like loss of memory.

Source:
A.P. Sommer, D. Zhu und T. Scharnweber
Extraordinary anticancer effect of green tea and red light
Photomedicine and Laser Surgery, 28(3):429-430 2010

Tea Tech: Leo, Lyons and Tea

2011-11-22T19:00:00.000-05:00

Contrary to what one might think, the first business computer was not made by a highly-specialised technology firm but rather by J Lyons and Co, operator of tea shops, manufacturer of biscuits and founder of the Wimpy burger chain.

Following a trip to America in 1947, two of their managers with wide experience of clerical procedures produced a report for the Lyons board stating that electronic computers held the key to office efficiency.

With that specific goal in mind, the company embarked upon one of the most ambitious DIY projects of the century, producing the LEO I (Lyons Electronic Office I), modelled closely on the Cambridge EDSAC.

In 1954, with the decision to proceed with LEO II and interest from other commercial companies, Lyons formed LEO Computers Ltd. which in 1963 merged into the English Electric Company, leading to the break up of the team that had inspired LEO computers.

Tea Tech: Breville Tea Maker

2011-11-15T19:00:00.001-05:00

Different tea varietals such as Black, Green, White, and Oolong require exact water temperatures and controlled brew times to allow their unique flavors and aromas to develop during brewing. The Breville Tea Maker eliminates the guesswork so you can enjoy a perfect cup of tea, every time.

Fully programmable for all types of tea, water temperatures, and steep times. The moving tea basket allows water to circulate freely around the individual tea leaves for maximum infusion.

Available at Amazon.com for $249.99 USD

Northern Vietnam's First International Tea Festival This Week-End

2011-11-08T22:01:00.000-05:00

The first International Tea Festival to be held in the northern province of Thai Nguyen will take place from November 11-15, 2011. The 5 day festival is to be a showcase for Vietnam's main tea producing region, famous for its high quality tea.

Dang Viet Thuan, vice chairman of the provincial people’s committee, stated that the festival was also to be an opportunity to introduce and promote Vietnamese tea culture and attract investors to make joint ventures and go into partnership with local ones in producing, processing and consuming tea products, therefore, creating a driving force for socio-economic development in Thai Nguyen in particular and the Viet Bac region as a whole as it moves towards international economic integration.

Thai Nguyen presently has a total tea-growing area of over 17,500 hectares for an annual output of roughly 160,000 tonnes of fresh buds. Cultivated areas focus on the districts of Dai Tu, Dong Hy, Phu Luong, Dinh Hoa and Pho Yen.

The Tea Festival is to be the largest cultural event of the province and expected to draw more than 400,000 visitors.

Tea

2011-10-21T19:00:00.001-04:00

James Cushat-Prinkly was a young man who had always had a settled conviction that one of these days he would marry; up to the age of thirty four he had done nothing to justify that conviction. He liked and admired a great many women collectively and dispassionately without singling out one for especial matrimonial consideration, just as one might admire the Alps without feeling that one wanted any particular peak as one's own private property. His lack of initiative in this matter aroused a certain amount of impatience among the sentimentally-minded women-folk of his home circle; his mother, his sisters, an aunt-in-residence, and two or three intimate matronly friends regarded his dilatory approach to the married state with a disapproval that was far from being inarticulate. His most innocent flirtations were watched with the straining eagerness which a group of unexercised terriers concentrates on the slightest movements of a human being who may be reasonably considered likely to take them for a walk. No decent-souled mortal can long resist the pleading of several pairs of walk-beseeching dog-eyes; James Cushat-Prinkly was not sufficiently obstinate or indifferent to home influences to disregard the obviously expressed wish of his family that he should become enamoured of some nice marriageable girl, and when his Uncle Jules departed this life and bequeathed him a comfortable little legacy it really seemed the correct thing to do to set about discovering some one to share it with him. The process of discovery was carried on more by the force of suggestion and the weight of public opinion than by any initiative of his own; a clear working majority of his female relatives and the aforesaid matronly friends had pitched on Joan Sebastable as the most suitable young woman in his range of acquaintance to whom he might propose marriage, and James became gradually accustomed to the idea that he and Joan would go together through the prescribed stages of congratulations, present-receiving, Norwegian or Mediterranean hotels, and eventual domesticity. It was necessary, however to ask the lady what she thought about the matter; the family had so far conducted and directed the flirtation with ability and discretion, but the actual proposal would have to be an individual effort.

Cushat-Prinkly walked across the Park towards the Sebastable residence in a frame of mind that was moderately complacent. As the thing was going to be done he was glad to feel that he was going to get it settled and off his mind that afternoon. Proposing marriage, even to a nice girl like Joan, was a rather irksome business, but one could not have a honeymoon in Minorca and a subsequent life of married happiness without such preliminary. He wondered what Minorca was really like as a place to stop in; in his mind's eye it was an island in perpetual half-mourning, with black or white Minorca hens running all over it. Probably it would not be a bit like that when one came to examine it. People who had been in Russia had told him that they did not remember having seen any Muscovy ducks there, so it was possible that there would be no Minorca fowls on the island.

His Mediterranean musings were interrupted by the sound of a clock striking the half-hour. Half-past four. A frown of dissatisfaction settled on his face. He would arrive at the Sebastable mansion just at the hour of afternoon tea. Joan would be seated at a low table, spread with an array of silver kettles and cream-jugs and delicate porcelain teacups, behind which her voice would tinkle pleasantly in a series of little friendly questions about weak or strong tea, how much, if any, sugar, milk, cream, and so forth. "Is it one lump? I forgot. You do take milk, don't you? Would you like some more hot water, if it's too strong?"

Cushat-Prinkly had read of such things in scores of novels, and hundreds of actual experiences had told him that they were true to life. Thousands of women, at this solemn afternoon hour, were sitting behind dainty porcelain and silver fittings, with their voices tinkling pleasantly in a cascade of solicitous little questions. Cushat-Prinkly detested the whole system of afternoon tea. According to his theory of life a woman should lie on a divan or couch, talking with incomparable charm or looking unutterable thoughts, or merely silent as a thing to be looked on, and from behind a silken curtain a small Nubian page should silently bring in a tray with cups and dainties, to be accepted silently, as a matter of course, without drawn-out chatter about cream and sugar and hot water. If one's soul was really enslaved at one's mistress's feet how could one talk coherently about weakened tea? Cushat-Prinkly had never expounded his views on the subject to his mother; all her life she had been accustomed to tinkle pleasantly at tea-time behind dainty porcelain and silver, and if he had spoken to her about divans and Nubian pages she would have urged him to take a week's holiday at the seaside. Now, as he passed through a tangle of small streets that led indirectly to the elegant Mayfair terrace for which he was bound, a horror at the idea of confronting Joan Sebastable at her tea-table seized on him. A momentary deliverance presented itself; on one floor of a narrow little house at the noisier end of Esquimault Street lived Rhoda Ellam, a sort of remote cousin, who made a living by creating hats out of costly materials. The hats really looked as if they had come from Paris; the cheques she got for them unfortunately never looked as if they were going to Paris. However, Rhoda appeared to find life amusing and to have a fairly good time in spite of her straitened circumstances. Cushat-Prinkly decided to climb up to her floor and defer by half-an-hour or so the important business which lay before him; by spinning out his visit he could contrive to reach the Sebastable mansion after the last vestiges of dainty porcelain had been cleared away.

Rhoda welcomed him into a room that seemed to do duty as workshop, sitting-room, and kitchen combined, and to be wonderfully clean and comfortable at the same time.

"I'm having a picnic meal," she announced. "There's caviare in that jar at your elbow. Begin on that brown bread-and-butter while I cut some more. Find yourself a cup; the teapot is behind you. Now tell me about hundreds of things."

She made no other allusion to food, but talked amusingly and made her visitor talk amusingly too. At the same time she cut the bread-and-butter with a masterly skill and produced red pepper and sliced lemon, where so many women would merely have produced reasons and regrets for not having any. Cushat-Prinkly found that he was enjoying an excellent tea without having to answer as many questions about it as a Minister for Agriculture might be called on to reply to during an outbreak of cattle plague.

"And now tell me why you have come to see me," said Rhoda suddenly. "You arouse not merely my curiosity but my business instincts. I hope you've come about hats. I heard that you had come into a legacy the other day, and, of course, it struck me that it would be a beautiful and desirable thing for you to celebrate the event by buying brilliantly expensive hats for all your sisters. They may not have said anything about it, but I feel sure the same idea has occurred to them. Of course, with Goodwood on us, I am rather rushed just now, but in my business we're accustomed to that; we live in a series of rushes--like the infant Moses."

"I didn't come about hats," said her visitor. "In fact, I don't think I really came about anything. I was passing and I just thought I'd look in and see you. Since I've been sitting talking to you, however, rather important idea has occurred to me. If you'll forget Goodwood for a moment and listen to me, I'll tell you what it is."

Some forty minutes later James Cushat-Prinkly returned to the bosom of his family, bearing an important piece of news.

"I'm engaged to be married," he announced.

A rapturous outbreak of congratulation and self-applause broke out.

"Ah, we knew! We saw it coming! We foretold it weeks ago!"

"I'll bet you didn't," said Cushat-Prinkly. "If any one had told me at lunch-time to-day that I was going to ask Rhoda Ellam to marry me and that she was going to accept me I would have laughed at the idea."

The romantic suddenness of the affair in some measure compensated James's women-folk for the ruthless negation of all their patient effort and skilled diplomacy. It was rather trying to have to deflect their enthusiasm at a moment's notice from Joan Sebastable to Rhoda Ellam; but, after all, it was James's wife who was in question, and his tastes had some claim to be considered.

On a September afternoon of the same year, after the honeymoon in Minorca had ended, Cushat-Prinkly came into the drawing-room of his new house in Granchester Square. Rhoda was seated at a low table, behind a service of dainty porcelain and gleaming silver. There was a pleasant tinkling note in her voice as she handed him a cup.

"You like it weaker than that, don't you? Shall I put some more hot water to it? No?"

- Short Story by Saki (The Toys of Peace, and Other Stories, 1916)

About The Author:
Munro, Hector Hugh (pseud. Saki) , 1870-1916, English author, b. Myanmar. He began his career writing political satires for the Westminster Gazette.

Acknowledgements:
Project Gutenberg is the oldest producer of free electronic books (eBooks or etexts) on the Internet. Their collection of more than 15.000 eBooks was produced by hundreds of volunteers.

Over Tea-cups

2011-10-14T19:00:00.001-04:00

At last the secret is out,
as it always must come in the end,
The delicious story is ripe to tell an intimate friend;
Over tea-cups and in the square the tongue has its desire;
Still waters run deep, my dear,
theres never smoke without fire

- W.H Auden (1907-1973), Anglo-American poet regarded by many as one of the greatest writers of the 20th century.

Unilever And Sustainability

2011-10-07T19:00:00.001-04:00

In May 2007, Unilever NV, an Anglo-Dutch multinational corporation became the first tea company to commit to sourcing all its tea in a sustainable manner, employing the Rainforest Alliance, an international environmental NGO, to certify its tea estates in East Africa, as well as third-party suppliers in Africa and other parts of the world. It declared its aim to have all Lipton Yellow Label and PG Tips tea bags sold in Western Europe certified by 2010, followed by all Lipton tea bags globally by 2015.

Uganda's Tea Industry Feeling The Heat

2011-10-04T19:00:00.001-04:00

A recent CIAT (Colombia-based International Center for Tropical Agriculture) report has indicated that some of Uganda's most lucrative tea plantations could be "wiped off the map" under the 2.3 degree Celsius temperature rise it predicts for 2050. Even with the expected one degree Celsius rise by 2020, Uganda's Tea growers could face a 30 to 48 per cent decline in output.

Source: Future Climate Scenarios for Uganda Tea (CIAT REPORT 2011-07-19)

To Insure Prompt Service

2011-09-30T19:00:00.001-04:00

Tipping as a response to proper service developed in the Tea Gardens of England. Small, locked wooden boxes were placed on the tables throughout the Garden. Inscribed on each were the letters "T.I.P.S." which stood for the sentence "To Insure Prompt Service". If a guest wished the waiter to hurry (and so insure the tea arrived hot from the often distant kitchen) he dropped a coin into the box on being seated "to insure prompt service". Hence, the custom of tipping servers was created.

Tea Popularity And Marketing

2011-09-23T19:00:00.001-04:00

When one thinks of tea two countries jump immediately to mind - China and England. China was home to tea for thousands of years before Westerner's knew anything of it. England embraced tea and made it into a cultural icon of sorts. This may be why that many companies involved in growing, processing and selling tea look to England as a bridge between two worlds. Here various teas can be tested and reviewed for overall potential for export and sale.

Popularity of Tea in the U.K.

Consider for a moment that the estimated amount of tea consumed in the United Kingdom is over 160 million cups - well, that's a LOT of tea! So if growers and exporters can create a brew that appeals to the English tea table, the chances for success increase dramatically in the United States too. It's for this reason that many tea manufacturers - be they basic teas or gourmet - use the United Kingdom as a testing ground based on demographics that include sex, social levels, geography, and age.

Different Market Tests

Each company's goals are different. One firm might be looking to attract the men's market, when so many people think of tea as a woman's brew. Another artisan firm looks to draw a refined pallet, getting them interested in things like white tea that have rare qualities. A third company might look to the bottom line - what pleases the largest demographic and sell that (Earl Grey Tea is a perfect example of a blend that did just that). And now, of course, there are companies pushing the health and well-being angle, which while it certainly works can also become rather over-stated and seems to sometimes down-play the social element of tea in this region of the world.

It should be noted that market research does not simply focus on tea blends. It also includes different designs for tea bags, new tea infusers, tea cups and tea pots, just to name a few. As technology advances we will see new tea wonders that the public will embrace - or not.

Rounding Out Success

So how does a tea company become truly successful with such a diversity of potential goals and target groups? By offering more than one product. Historically speaking unless your singular product is a true sensation with qualities that no one can match or reproduce, one-shot ponies do not work in the commercial world. In the past, something so unique and rare was a wonder - now people find ways to reinvent the proverbial "tea wheel". There are certainly still tea masters and some well guarded secrets, but with so much technology sometimes the bottom line is appealing to individual tastes and then finding a way to attract that audience.

Tea processing is but one part of a much larger industry picture. Then the export and marketing requirements begin. The good news for consumers is that we now have so many more options available than we did even a decade ago. It's quite plausible that the tea export and marketing business will continue to expand so that we can enjoy even more variety while also enjoying something good for us.

- Article by Steve N. Green

Steve Green writes for unityteapots.com - selling yixing teapots online.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steve_N_Green

The Duchess of Bedford And Afternoon Tea

2011-08-31T19:00:00.000-04:00

According to legend, one of Queen Victoria's (1819-1901) ladies-in-waiting, Anna Maria Stanhope (1783-1857), known as the Duchess of Bedford, is credited as the creator of afternoon teatime. Because the noon meal had become skimpier, the Duchess suffered from "a sinking feeling" at about four o'clock in the afternoon.

At first the Duchess had her servants sneak her a pot of tea and a few breadstuffs. Adopting the European tea service format, she invited friends to join her for an additional afternoon meal at five o'clock in her rooms at Belvoir Castle. The menu centered around small cakes, bread and butter sandwiches, assorted sweets, and, of course, tea. This summer practice proved so popular, the Duchess continued it when she returned to London, sending cards to her friends asking them to join her for "tea and a walking the fields." The practice of inviting friends to come for tea in the afternoon was quickly picked up by other social hostesses.

I Invite You Magnanimously

2011-08-27T19:00:00.000-04:00

I invite you magnanimously
to please be my guest for tea
at a room with high standards of taste
where the hostess remembers my face
and greets me by name at the door
and recalls what Ive ordered before
and inquires kindly after my day,
and appreciates all that I say.

Shell have orange pekoe for the pot
and darjeeling, as likely as not,
or if you are not in the pink
our hostess knows which herbs to drink,
like ginger to help with the grippe
mixed with cinnamon and the rose hip;
or fresh lemon balm if you wish,
perhaps blended with sweet licorice.

So whether you feel well or ill,
this refreshment will quite fit the bill
and, of course, you will quite enjoy me.
Yours truly. RSVP

- Aubrey Henslow

Where It's Grown - Kenya

2011-08-23T19:00:00.003-04:00

Tea was introduced to Kenya in 1903 by G.W.L. Canine and in the 1930's commercial planting began. Although planting was cut back in 1933 because of a depressed market, tea is today one of Kenya's most important cash crops. Africa as a whole accounts for 25% of the world's tea production.

Tea - Not Just In A Cup Anymore

2011-08-19T19:00:00.002-04:00

If you plug the words, "commercial products containing tea" into the average search engine the results aren't what's expected. Rather than reading about tea proper (Camellia sinensis), you get listings for Tea Tree Oil. And while Tea Tree Oil certainly has health benefits it has nothing at all to do with consumable tea. It's a completely different plant that, unlike regular tea, cannot be consumed safely. With the growing interest in tea, people looking for products for well-being and the shear volume of products on the market - its easy to make a mistake. Please keep this difference in mind when shopping for tea products and read your labels carefully.

Treating Your Skin to Tea

The most common item in which tea is being used commercially is skin care products. Green tea specifically has become a popular additive because it has strong anti-oxidant qualities. We live in a society where looking younger and healthier matters to a lot of people. Anti-oxidants fight free radicals in our skin cells that contribute to the signs of aging, particularly wrinkles, by supporting collagen production. As collagen breaks down in our bodies, our skin looses tightness and elasticity.

So Why Green Tea?

The key to green tea's success as a skin care product is the way in which it’s processed. It comes from exactly the same plant as white tea and oolong, but each one receives different types of processing. Green tea does not oxidize like black tea and to a lesser degree oolong. That means that when its finished green tea has high levels of polyphenols that fight free radicals. Using skin care products that have green tea and other healthful components (you know, the ones you can actually pronounce) seem to have anti-inflammatory qualities too, making them wonderful for eczema and acne sufferers. Generally, these products nourish your skin.

How to you choose? Well, read the label. If a product contains items you wouldn't eat or chemicals that you don't recognize, you probably don't want it on your skin. Natural is better. In fact, any time you want you can go to your kitchen and make a refreshing tea rinse for your skin, or a warm soak just by steeping your favorite tea and applying it. While black and green tea won't have as significant impact on your skin, they still have antioxidants.

For a home made green tea mask, begin by steeping four teaspoons of loose leaf tea in one cup of hot water. Mix this with one cup of honey, a capful of rose water and an egg. Spread this onto your face and leave it for 10 minutes. Rinse with warm water and pat dry. This way you can enjoy all the benefits of many commercial tea products without the cost.

From Inside Out

While you're enjoying comforting tea on your skin, remember to drink a cup or two daily too. Use it to steep rice. Add a little green tea to cookies instead of water. The taste is so mild you'll never even know it’s in there. This way you're supporting your overall well-being from within too.

- Article by Steve N. Green

Steve Green writes for www.unityteapots.com - selling yixing teapots online.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steve_N_Green

The Festival Of Afternoon Tea

2011-08-15T19:00:00.000-04:00

In nothing more is the English genius for domesticity more notably declared than in the institution of this festival - almost one may call it - of afternoon tea...The mere chink of cups and saucers tunes the mind to happy
repose.

- George Gissing (1857 - 1903), English novelist.

Robert And Charles Bruce

2011-08-11T19:00:00.000-04:00

Robert Bruce and his brother Charles are two of the men credited with pioneering the tea industry in Assam in the early 19th century.

Bruce learned from a native nobleman, that the Singhpo, a local tribe, grew a variety of tea that was unknown to the rest of the world. Bruce realised that if the tea was good, Assam could rival China. In 1823, he met with the chief of the Singhpo and was allowed to take away both seeds and specimens which he forwarded to the newly established Botanical Gardens in Calcutta. Unfortunately, officials there declined to confirm that the samples were indeed tea. Robert Bruce died soon after in 1824.

It was not until Christmas Eve of 1834, when Charles Bruce, Robert 's brother, sent new samples to Calcutta, that the true identity of the plant was finally confirmed to be tea, or more accurately, Assam tea. It is now known botanically as Camellia sinensis var. assamica.