Everything about this tea is big, including the plant it grows on and the leaf.  The varietal of tea plant that comes from Assam is Camellia sinensis assamica, and it is about twice as big as the Chinese varietal Camellia sinensis sinensis.  The larger leaves from Camellia sinensis assamica produce a darker and stronger tea, which makes it well suited to milk and sugar.  You can always pick out an Assam among other black teas by its distinctive malty aroma and honey finish.  Even though it’s a strong tea, Assam is velvety smooth, and steeps into a beautiful dark brown liquor.  When you add milk to the tea, it turns a characteristically ruby color.

Assam is one of only two regions in the world with native tea plants (in addition to South China).  This very moist Himalayan valley is over 500 miles long, following the Brahmaputra River.  Assam gets over 100 inches of rainfall annually, and parts of it look like a tropical jungle.  Assam is also home to the largest wildlife sanctuary in India, where you can still see the rare, one-horned Indian rhinoceros and the Asiatic elephant.

During my three-day stay at the ranch, frontier life and homesteading permeated my thoughts.  Moreover, I had finished reading Willa Cather’s My Ántonia only a few months ago.  Unlike in Elizabeth Gaskell’s Cranford or Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind in the Willows, I do not recall characters in My Ántonia drinking tea at all, tea being such a commonplace beverage.  But what about in Western movies?  There, wandering cowboys seem to drink gallons of low-grade coffee from their well-worn tin cups.  Did they ever drink tea?  Dandelion tea maybe?  Other teas prepared with herbs and weeds flourishing along the trails?

Though not an animal lover, I cherished the indescribable time spent with Wyatt, a 17-year-old American Quarter Horse (so called as the breed possesses the ability to outdistance other breeds, including thoroughbreds, in races of a quarter mile or less) who journeyed with me on trails and across meadows, even in squall and drizzle.  Being older and wiser, and perhaps disenchanted (most possibly with the recurrent drudgery of interacting with complete strangers), Wyatt made a few attempts to overtake, or to swerve from, the paths he has traversed a thousand times, but when I very gently pulled the reins, he became motionless instantly.  He detected my tentative nature, though we had only met!

Being on a horseback brought the song, Stewball (Peter, Paul & Mary’s rendition being my favorite), and the racehorse’s wine-drinking habit to mind.  This made me wonder whether tea is harmful to animals due to its caffeine content.  Several T Ching contributors have wondered the same, an example being Laura Logsdon’s post.  As a consequence of seeing the bizarre photos of Japanese Namennayo! Cats at a very young age, I could only picture cats holding tea cups.

In addition to the invaluable experience of not having access to the Internet and my cell phone, Rankin Ranch poses a reminder that getaways do not always require plane rides and itineraries in faraway destinations.  The next time I seek adventure, I will check the local listings first.

By the way, contrary to popular belief, neither Machu Picchu nor Angkor Wat is ever lost to mankind.

All photographs accompanying this post were taken by Ifang’s friend, Mary Jane.

On an old street in Yixing, China, where purple clay originated

Last year, 26-year-old Zi Zhao Guai decided to join his family’s business, Nam Wan Tea Co. Pte Ltd, the oldest tea company in Singapore. In 1906, Zi Zhao’s great great grandfather, Jing Zhe Guai, a tea master from Anxi, Fujian province, came to Singapore for a better life and set up this tea export company in Singapore. Zi Zhao shares his experience on learning the ropes of the tea business.

What was it like growing up in a tea family?

As a child, I was very exposed to the trade and was expected to help out during school holidays. I’d fold boxes and pack tea. As I became older, I’d follow the delivery guy on his rounds, dropping off tea at neighborhood provision stores, supermarkets, and coffeeshops*. Later, when my family set up a retail shop (called Tea Pal), I was posted there to introduce customers to our tea.
 
Why did you join Nam Wan, your family’s tea business?

I really want to do something about the present state of tea culture. Having grown up with tea, perhaps I’m a little biased toward the value of this beverage. It’s not just a luxury product; it is an art form, which most of society fails to appreciate. Premium-quality tea has a beautiful finesse to it in terms of fragrance, sweetness, and depth. However, because such tea is inaccessible or expensive, what a lot of tea brands do is to mix lower-grade tea with fragrance or fruits / herbs and pass them off as unique blends. This is not a bad thing in itself, but the prevalence of such flavored teas dilutes the general awareness of traditional tea culture. In fact, traditional tea is often perceived as old-fashioned and passed over as an antiquated product. I’d really love to introduce more people to the beauty of this beverage in its purest essence.

How has work at Nam Wan been so far?

Currently, as a business development executive, I am handling the HR, sales, and marketing components. At this point, I’m still very much learning the ropes and training takes a large part of my time. Everyday, I go through a lot of tea-tasting sessions!

I’ve been very humbled by the experience so far. There is so much to learn and so many opportunities for growth. I realize that even though I have been exposed to tea from a very young age, I have barely scratched the surface when it comes to tea knowledge. I’ve been going to Chinese tea plantations and learning firsthand the secrets of this industry. This sometimes means I have to venture into rather undeveloped regions and stay there for some time. But no matter how arduous the journeys, they are incredibly rewarding experiences.  

It also helps that I am working with my close-knit, immediate and extended family. They’re always there for me whenever I need help and share the same passion and ideals as I do.

Zi Zhao at Dongting Lake in China, where the famous green tea, Bi Luo Chun, originated

What are some things you’ve learned about running a tea business so far?

Long-term trust is extremely important, especially for my family’s business. It has taken us years to build up a reliable reputation with our customers, suppliers, and the industry at large.

At the same time, it’s important to keep an open mind towards people’s tea preferences. As mentioned earlier, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with coming up with creative flavored tea blends. However, from this, I need to explore how such an appreciation can extend to tea’s rich cultural heritage.  

What would you like to bring to your family’s business in the future?

My family is still deeply connected to our ancestral hometown, Song Lin Tou in Fujian province. This is where Tieguanyin (Iron Goddess of Mercy oolong tea) originated. We’ve brought in schools, paved roads, and hydro-generated electricity to this village and are currently working on producing clean, organic Tieguanyin there, given the issues on tea safety and hygiene that have been cropping up of late. With such a product, my goal is to help the company expand and build our brand globally, while still holding onto my family’s tea traditions and beliefs.

For more information on Zi Zhao’s family tea business, please visit the company website.

* The coffeeshop is a small to medium-sized outdoor foodcourt for no-frills food and drink. There are over 700 of them in Singapore.

I vary brewing times just to get a slightly different experience. But here’s my overall regimen:

Brew up a cup using 3 grams of dry leaf for 6 ounces of water. Heat the water to 190 degrees F. and steep the leaves for 3 minutes. Taste at that point and then experiment by allowing the leaves to remain in contact with the water for an additional 10 seconds. Taste again. Repeat the ten-second steeping twice more, tasting after each steeping. You might be surprised at the increased depth of flavor from the later steepings. More delicate liquor results with the first three minutes, but I like the intensity and complexity of flavor with the additional half minute of brewing.

Subtle notes of lemon, pineapple, and other tropical fruit perfume the tea, at least as I perceive it. But all of these flavors just serve to enhance the essential Darjeeling-ness of the tea, that floral scent of muscatel grapes. With the appearance of the first fresh deep red cherries of the season on farmers market shelves now, I am drawn to pairing cherries with this special tea. Here’s the idea:

Wash and dry the cherries. Pit them, or, if you prefer, simply make a small cut into the flesh of each cherry. Brew enough tea to cover the amount of cherries you wish to cook by about one inch. Decant and discard the leaves (but not before inhaling their heady aroma). Heat to a bare simmer and add the fresh cherries to the tea. Continue cooking for about 10 minutes or until the fruit has softened. (You may find that the pits have worked their way out of the fruit. If so, remove them.) Allow the fruit and tea to cool to room temperature. Enjoy as is or with a dollop of thick creamy Greek yogurt or lightly sweetened whipped cream over all. A light sprinkling of crunchy muscovado or Demerara sugar will elevate this simple dessert into something even more transcendent.  

Note: Hope you can attend the Tea Lovers Festival in Culver City, California, where on Saturday, May 19, from 4:00 to 6:00 PM at Royal/T, 8910 Washington Blvd., I will be competing in the Battle of the Bakers, producing several tea-based desserts on the fly.

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Loose-leaf tea with a tea timer

When I first arrived in Brisbane, I did the inevitable thing that every tea lover does, which was to seek out tearooms.  I was pleasantly surprised at the number of tearooms there were, some of which I’ve blogged about.  I came across a place which really made me smile.  After selecting a tea, it was presented to me as is shown in the photo below.

The lady ticked all the right boxes: she told me how long the steep should be; there was an accompanying tea timer; and just look at the matching teapot, teacup, and saucer!  What a fantastic experience!  The only teeny weeny thing I remember was that the teapot was on the left and I had to turn the plate around so that I could pour the teapot with my right hand.  But when it was presented to me, I had, in fact, moved the handles around in order to take the photograph.   When presenting tea, the teapot handle and teacup ought to be facing right so that the customer finds it easy to pour and lift the teacup.  Overall though, this was a great tea presentation.

French Press

Heading over to Adelaide, I had a wonderful tea chat with a woman I believe was the owner.  I finally opted for a Long Jing in what was a blend of tea cultures: loose-leaf Chinese tea, a beau-tea-ful English tea cup with a saucer, and a French Press.

When the tea was presented to me, the lady kindly explained how long it had steeped and how to use the plunger – it was great to see the loose leaf in the French Press.  Tea-tastic!  I’m also pleased to say that the French Presses for tea and coffee were kept separately in this establishment.  I have experienced coffee-tasting tea in other establishments, unfortunately.  It was my own fault for ordering Long Jing since the green tea would remain in the press and my second cup inevitably tasted bitter, but I have to give this place top marks for presentation.  See how the handles are presented in the right way?

Classic with a Modern Twist

Back to Brisbane and another fabulous tearoom.  I’ve been here several times and on each occasion, each tea presentation was different. I’ve had a tea cosy before and a white teapot with accompanying teacup and saucer, but this was definitely my favorite – a modern teapot with a classic white porcelain teacup and saucer.  Truly magical.

How important do you think tea presentation should be to a tearoom?

Within the history of tea there is precedent for this refined, more sedentary point of view. The mere act of boiling water to prepare tea ensured the safety of the water, a major health improvement even before the first tea leaves unfurled in the cup. In Europe, centuries ago, tea was first sold in apothecary shops to help remedy a host of ailments. Today, arguable health claims aside, the mere act of drinking freshly made tea, instead of sugar-laden bottled teas, is a simple first step in the right direction toward minimizing the consumption of empty calories.

“Mens sana in corpore sano” – the advice of the Ancient Greeks to try and achieve a “sound mind in a sound body” might well apply to tea drinkers who pursue one, but ignore the other. A spate of articles warning that too much sitting can contribute to an early demise tarnishes the allure of spending long afternoons lounging around a tea house with a pot of tea. Grudgingly, we may have to admit that drinking tea alone cannot compensate for an unwillingness to just get out the door and be more active.

Frequently, drinking and eating combined with exercising a little more creates a pattern of reinforcement. The feel-good glow after a workout encourages reaching for the right food and beverages that support all that physical effort. It’s not an accident that some of the cities and regions across the country with the most active populations also seem to be home to higher concentrations of tea shops. This mutually supportive relationship between a more active, outdoor lifestyle in tune with nature and tea is one aspect of tea’s surging popularity. Uniquely, without any added ingredients, tea is a natural “functional” beverage with a host of healthy components to support a sound body.

A few of our favorite teas and tisanes that support higher levels of physical activity include green teas, especially matcha, for their high antioxidant levels and support of bone health; pu-erh teas for their positive influence on blood circulation; ginger turmeric tea with its pain / inflammation soothing properties; hibiscus tea as a vitamin C powerhouse; and mulberry leaf tea for its concentration of green leafy minerals and vitamins. The moderate caffeine in teas in general makes them easier to digest than many “energy” drinks and can help push through a more demanding workout indoors or outdoors. Being less than two blocks away from the popular Capital Crescent Trail that runs through Rock Creek Park in Washington, DC, we can attest to the numbers of walkers, runners, and bicyclists who recover and refuel at our shop, specifically seeking out healthy tea options.

If you need the inspiration to become a little more active, think the Olympic Games in London, which will be upon us in a couple of months. But why sit around until then? Put the health benefits of tea to a more rigorous test and use your tea drinking habit to help you move towards a more “sound body” today.

Tea on this 1,000-year-old tea plantation is plucked by climbing tea trees, with the harvested green leaf sold locally at a profitable price.  Seclusion from mainland activities and forest life has made conditions essentially organic and so near to nature that one gets transported back in time a few centuries.  Anthropological studies seem to be attached to the tea industry here as nowhere else, where colonization was the source of labor.  Yunnan, Guangxi, and Guizhou, along with Sichuan, were the cradle of ancient tea cultures and cha ma gu dao – tea horse trails – were the threads of life through them.

Celebrated from April 13-15, Po Shui Jie – water splashing festival – is the Dai minority’s main festival, coinciding (this year) with the 1,374th new year of their calender.  The Lui da cha shan employees organized a similar event on the way back from the Hekai mountains on the evening of April 11.  The event, filled with dancing, eating, and the chanting of “shui shui shui,” was an wonderful experience with lot of colorfully dressed women around.  Shui means water in Chinese and is the basis of life in this area, allowing both trade and food.

From April 10-12, China Central TV (CCTV) covered the Indian tea industry and filmed my movements through this and other related events.  Our project is a six-episode series about tea, tea people, tea stories, and tea history, including its influence on various areas and cultures across the world.  The executive producer is Wang Chongxiao, who is one of the top documentary producers in China.  The series will air in mid-2013 on the Documentary Channel on CCTV.

India certainly needs pu’er teas to take away the bad effects of sugar on the Indian body through the ages. Wellness tea is an appropriate name for pu’er tea to be marketed in India and we plan to do that.

It is evident from the research that we are risking our health while consuming common tea powders that contain colorants, glue, pesticides, flavor enhancers, and other toxic chemical substances.  On the other hand, loose-leaf tea is healthier and most preferred.

India, especially the south of India, has an abundant number of medicinal and aromatic herbs.  Some of the rarest herbs found there can cure diseases like diabetes, a common disease in the Western Hemisphere because of poor lifestyle choices.

Cassia Auriculata is one such herb, which was used to cure diabetes in ancient India and China.  At doses of 0.15, 0.30, and 0.45 g/kg body weight for 30 days, Cassia Auriculata flowers suppress elevated blood glucose and lipid levels up to 30%, therefore having a positive effect on blood sugar levels, serum, and tissue lipids.  It is a natural substitute for glibenclamide (glycedine, amaryl, and other drugs).

Additionally, Cassia Auriculata:
•    Prevents Type 2 diabetes
•    Cures pre-diabetes (blood sugar levels < 160 in FBS and <240 in RBS)
•    Increases sperm count and reduces impotency
•    Refreshes the body and mind as it elevates Carbamazepine levels
•    Cures urinary tract disorders
•    Cures constipation
•    Cures alcohol-related liver injuries
•    Strengthens the body’s immune system
•    Remedies various skin diseases

Last but not least, the advantages and effectiveness are clinically proven and have long-lasting effects.

My hope is that this herb, if blended with regular black tea in appropriate proportions, can offer a good beverage alternative in countries like Mexico and Argentina, where they value drinks that have added medicinal benefits.

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My first impression upon entering was that I had been magically transported back to one of the many tea shops I visited in China.  Hidden Peak is more spacious than many of the Chinese tea shops I’ve been to, but it had the same  warm colors and quiet ambience.  I felt almost instantly calm and relaxed as I made my way further into the shop.

The front of the shop is given over to the sale of tea and teaware, with a wide selection of traditional Chinese teaware, including Yi Xing tea sets and other beautiful pots.  The back section holds a seating area, with groupings of tables, chairs, and sofas that invite you to come in and relax.  I took a photo of the seating area before I read the small sign at the entrance of the seating area that proclaimed it a “digital free zone.”  My first thought was, “Wow, how is that going to work?” but then I thought about it and it began to make sense.  I can see that making the effort to preserve the sense of calm that tea can bring will only be enhanced by freedom from incessant beeping, ring tones, and glowing screens.

After I was seated at a lovely Chinese-style table, I perused the menu.  They have a wide selection of traditional teas – green, white, yellow, black, and oolong – but the real excitement is in the pu-erh selection.  In most tea shops, you might see a handful of pu-erh teas, but at Hidden Peak, they must have twenty.  They range from a simple tuo-cha to aged, artisanal pu-erh bricks, with a price range to match.  I picked the “7572,” which was described as “Highly refined famous formula tea.  Choicest raw materials with artful crafting.  Smooth, deep and elegant” – I had to try it.

I ordered the tea in a gaiwan, and when it came, the server explained that they had done the first rinse, and asked me if I was familiar with using a gaiwan.  I said I was, but she nicely gave me a quick demo just to be sure.  They brought additional hot water in a thermos bottle, which I thought was a great innovation.  I sniffed the wet leaves before filling the gaiwan for the first steeping, and found notes of chocolate and leather.  Fairly typical of many pu-erhs, but there wasn’t a lot of earthiness – just a very clean smell.  The first steeping reinforced those aromas, and the taste followed through.  It was a smooth, clear cup, with rich undertones reminiscent of mushroom.

The next few steepings didn’t disappoint.  I continued to read the menu as I was sipping, and found quite a few more teas I wanted to try.  I spoke to one of the servers, asking her where they sourced their pu-erhs.  She explained that the owner had spent some time in China learning about pu-erh from a tea master, and had made many connections there.  Quite a few of the teas were from one source, who crafts artisan pu-erh tea, but there were others from a range of sources.  I could feel the enthusiasm from Dawn as well as the other server.  They both clearly love tea and are happy to share their knowledge and enthusiasm with their customers.  

I wanted to stay to try a few more teas on the menu – most of which are available as a tea bowl, tea glass, gaiwan, or pot – but unfortunately I had a long drive ahead of me and needed to leave.  I did buy a sampling of the 7572 pu-erh to bring home with me, and fill a hole in my tea cabinet.  I needed an excellent pu-erh to complement my oolong, black, and green teas, and I definitely found one.  I also found a lovely hidden gem of a tea shop, which I look forward to returning to many times.

The first bi-monthly revamped magazine was to feature the ritual of tea, which I was to write. Each time I sat down at my computer, with a cup of tea by my side, I was paralyzed. I just couldn’t pull it together. Nothing was flowing. I actually was feeling a bit overwhelmed. What was going on? With a thermos of tea in hand, I took a hike into the awe-inspiring Columbia River Gorge – essentially right outside my door – and allowed myself to be enveloped by nature. Sitting on a rock, viewing the vista before me, with hot tea coursing through my body, I figured it out. Writing online is somehow different than writing for a print magazine. When your words are indelibly printed on paper that can’t be erased, somehow it feels permanent and even more important or valued than online words. I’m not suggesting that feeling is accurate or valid, it’s just a hidden feeling that I wasn’t even aware I harbored. Once I was able to bring it to light, I was able to deal with it.

That first article went through numerous drafts, but I finally pulled it together, with Dan’s expert help, and produced an article that I could feel good about. The next article, written for the May issue, is about the wonderful herb, ginger. That one was significantly easier to write, so I suspect I’m on my way. The block has been cleared and I’m eager for each new assignment. I think you’re going to like this new version of Tea: The Magazine. We’re hoping that next year we’ll evolve to produce a monthly magazine that will inspire and delight tea lovers around the world.

Of course, tea also plays a more subtle role in all kinds of social interactions. Sharing cups of tea with a friend while wrangling with life’s challenges; sipping tea while in a meeting discussing business; guzzling gallons of iced tea at rambunctious summer family gatherings; toasting with cups of tea while having dinner with a table full of new friends – the list never ends. Tea has the power to bring people together in a way few things can. Strangers become fast friends over tea. People from different cultures and languages come to understand each other while sharing tea.

Last year at the World Tea Expo in Las Vegas (yes, a year has passed already), the International Tea Cuppers Club and T Ching hosted a “Cup Warming” gathering of members, friends, and tea lovers. It was attended by a wide range of tea people, including tea farmers and producers, publishers, retailers, writers, exporters, distributors, and consumers – tea lovers one and all. It was so nice to meet so many different people all joined by a common passion. It is only natural that with a meeting of such fervent tea drinkers there be some blatant tea tasting going on.

At this year’s World Tea Expo, the ITCC is again sponsoring a gathering and is inviting members, friends, friends of friends, and even politicians to socialize and “cup” some wonderful teas. Following the tea ceremony demonstration on Friday, June 1, we will start sipping in the tea-tasting session room at 6:30 PM. There will be specially selected teas from India, Japan, China, and perhaps elsewhere, time permitting. Please contact the ITCC director for more information and to let us know you’ll be coming at info@teacuppers.com. There is no charge other than your smile.

The Chinese are looking for ways to enter the U.S. market in a big way, possibly opening retail stores and expanding exports.  But the Chinese palate is very different from the average American’s, who is used to black, iced, bagged, pre-brewed, bottled, highly flavored, and sweetened tea.  Therefore, tea businesses in China are looking at bagged and flavored blends as essential to produce for the American mass market.  

However, just as in Britain, where preferences are turning from almost nothing but classic blacks to more and more green tea, tea consumption in the United States is changing as well.  In our store, in just under four years, we have seen a growing interest in not only green teas, but oolongs and white teas.  Americans are stretching their palate outside of the box they have occupied for so long.  Corresponding with China Daily reporter Zhang was a real pleasure.  It was also exciting to begin receiving questions and emails from Chinese tea entrepreneurs and exporters who saw us in the article and asked for or found our contact information.  

Let’s face it, it’s a very small world now, with few geographical, informational, or cultural barriers.  Loose-leaf tea, traditionally brewed and served, has long been a cultural tradition in China, making them perfect mentors for us Americans as we move rather quickly toward wanting to know more about premium Chinese (and other) loose-leaf teas.  I am truly hoping that they, in a quest to capture a larger piece of our market, don’t attempt to over-compensate for our salted, fried, and microwaved tastebuds, but rather help us move in the direction of purity, enjoying great tea for its own attributes by offering it loose, free of bags and sachets, and unsweetened and unflavored.  America has exported so much of our culture to other countries; it seems a good time for China, who has already contributed so much to the world in art, architecture, and cuisine, to export their love of great tea, in its simplest form, to us.

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II.
Born of railroad wealth
A reverent tea garden
Beckons the seeker

III.
A quiet moment
Passes quickly, but for the
Ritual of tea

These haiku were inspired by a recent visit to the newly reopened Japanese Garden at The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, California.

I don’t normally drink cow’s milk, and using almond milk is always challenging for me, in particular, getting it to the perfect temperature for lattes. It usually develops a thick film on top when heated. I’ve thought about switching to soy milk, but didn’t want to give up on my lovely almond milk that I adore so much. Another challenge has been my lack of a bamboo whisk. I’ve been reluctant to purchase one, but I’m quickly realizing its importance. I’ve also seen the brilliant idea of using an electric frother to blend the matcha powder.  I will probably end up purchasing both.

As I made my matcha latte today, I tried something different. Instead of rushing in the morning before work and hardly putting any effort into mixing the matcha well, I took my time. It’s interesting how taking your time and doing things with thought really change the end result. I have vowed to get up 15 minutes earlier every morning so I can take my time and enjoy making my morning tea.

Turns out taking my time and being thoughtful worked out! This was the best matcha latte I’ve made yet! I have to give some credit to the mini whisk that I found tucked away in our silverware drawer. It saved my latte!

Here is what I did, step by step:

1. I heated up some water in my tea kettle. I didn’t let the water come to a boil and after heating it, I let it cool down a little bit. I’ve found that when making my matcha, it is better when I let the water cool down a little.
2. While the water was heating, I put about ¾ cup of almond milk on the stove and warmed it up on low. I didn’t let it get to the point of boiling because that is when it develops a film on top. This worked perfectly!
3. I measured about a teaspoon of matcha powder and put in my mug. I then added about ¼ cup of my heated water and whisked it rapidly for about a minute.
4. I then poured the almond milk into the matcha mixture and whisked rapidly for about 30 seconds.
5. Finally, I added a bit of stevia to taste.

Voila!  I’d love to hear if anyone tries this. I thoroughly enjoy it and I hope it brings some happiness into your morning or afternoon!

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All of these seeds are native to North America, and three of the four are commonly used in herbal tea.  While hollyhock may not be a tea that one tends to order at a cafe, it offers several health benefits for those looking to try something new.  In fact, hollyhock is a digestive aid that may help with inflammation.  The flowers are beautiful AND functional, although that is beside the point.

Before you can drink any of these herbal teas, you must plant them.  While most people may prefer to harvest these flowering herbs in their own gardens, that is not the point of this post.  It is still possible to throw some seed bombs onto vacant land and harvest the end products later.  That way they benefit not only your own land, but other land as well.  In fact, in the book, On Guerrilla Gardening: A Handbook for Gardening Without Boundaries, the author explains that not all seed bombs need be for decorative purposes.  It is possible to plant vegetables, herbs, and other edibles.

So how do you make a dirt clod that can become something you can drink later?  Here goes:

First, you will need:

1. Five cups of red terracotta clay
2. One pot of compost or soil
3. One pot of seeds (or however many packets you can muster)

Now, follow the directions below:

1. Mix seeds in a large mixing bowl.
2. Add compost, and then carefully add clay, stirring it well.  The clay is what binds the balls together.
3. Add a little water (this is approximate, you can use your own judgment for all quantities — just avoid a sludgy texture).
4. If it seems sludgy, add more soil or compost (which will counteract the water).
5. Take your mixture and knead it with your hands into a ball.
6. Flatten with a rolling pin.
7. Slice into pieces large enough to make small balls.
8. Wait a little bit to make sure they don’t fall apart before you are ready to toss them onto some vacant or neglected land.

There you have them!

If you have any questions, feel free to leave comments.  Stay tuned for Part 3, which will teach you how to pick a great location to grow your herbal tea.

It’s been awhile since a tea like Phoenix Mountain Single Tree Oolong has crossed my palate, upended my senses, and tantalized my tongue in ways I had never experienced.  You can closely examine the dry, twisted tea leaves, inhale their scent, and then put a little context to the tea you are about to sip.  Consider, for example, a first-flush Darjeeling.  When you pour out the leaves on a tray, shake them around, and then sniff the fresh bouquet, you will almost immediately get a sense of what you are about to experience in your mouth.  The same applies to a well-twisted and evenly colored Sri Lankan, a tightly rolled Tieguanyin, or a Japan Sencha. 

Rarely does a tea that one examines in shape, quality, and aroma end up yielding something so remarkably different in the cup that it takes four cups before you can break it down.  It is only then that you can you describe the variety of nuances your senses have detected.  Phoenix Mountain Single Tree Oolong is just that kind of tea!  It is one of those rare teas that when observed in its dry form seems to be of high quality and is wonderfully shaped; yet, it does not hint of anything extraordinary.  Sight and smell lend nothing to what awaits the salivating palate.

It has been said that when Phoenix Mountain Single Tree Oolongs are at their best they are on a par with the finest Tieguanyins.  This challenges me a bit because I have cupped numerous Tieguanyins over the past decade, but I don’t recall encountering anything close to the magnificent flavor profile of this oolong.  Its flavor introduces itself with the notes of floral Tieguanyins and then transitions into the strong peachy notes you would get if you tasted fresh Bai Hao Yinzhen.  In between those two components, there is a nougat nuttiness that is more perceptible in the later steeps.  I typically get five cups of tea from five successive steeps of the leaves.  The last is like a palate cleanser because it opens my taste buds up to whatever my next taste experience might be!

Here’s hoping you get an opportunity to try this incredible-tasting variation of our good friend, the camellia!

There is no doubt that this phenomenon is aided by the fact that the two most populous nations in the world – China and India – are also among the top tea producers and consumers in the world. While the English and the Japanese have loved their tea for centuries, other cultures have been less receptive to this delightful drink, with tea playing a distinct second fiddle to coffee.

In recent decades, global-consumption trends have shifted towards tea, with green tea growing at a surprising pace in some parts of the world, such as Britain. Now it no longer suffices for the Western world to assume tea refers to “black tea.” Green tea, oolong tea, pu-er, and white tea have increasingly made their way into our daily life.

Yet tea consumption has yet to explode, despite how rabid its followers can be and how immensely satisfying it is. Ostensibly, a rebranding exercise is needed and what better way than to learn from the marketing geniuses at technology giant, Apple.

Keep it simple (stupid)

This is where many in the tea industry fail. Despite 5,000 years of history, many expect to master the ins and outs of the tea industry on the fly. Even if you sign up for a 36-lesson course, you will just begin to scratch the surface. Brewing tea is an art that requires years of study. Just as with literature, the best approach is to start simple.  Would you begin by reading James Joyce to your children (and I’m not talking about his children’s book, The Cat and the Devil) or Roald Dahl?

Apple products are absolutely unintimidating and intuitive, techies and noobs alike can pick them up and use them almost straight out of the box. No searching for the right buttons; just turn or swipe and press down.

Brewing tea can be like that, but a tea bag is not the answer (that, however, is a topic for another post). Infuser mugs, easy-to-brew utensils, innovative filters and cups – all of these can help accelerate the learning curve.

What’s in a name?

Names matter. Keeping a familiar convention is a good way to boost a brand name. iPad, iPod, iPhone, iMac, and iTunes – similar names and looks establish brand recognition.

Now contrast Apple’s naming conventions with Dahongpao, Da Hong Pao, Big Red Robe, Big Scarlet Robe, and Majestic Scarlet Robe. Would you have known that they are all the same type of tea? Chinese teas do not have common naming conventions in English. Sometimes they are described by their Hanyu Pinyin (a pronunciation system for Chinese characters) names and sometimes they are translated, well – very badly. There should be a common convention used by the industry – for example, Dragonwell, Dragon Well, or Longjing – so that the branding for various teas is not diluted.

Of course, this is easier said than done considering there are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of types of teas in China. However, those commonly available on the export market are probably less than 50, perhaps even less than 20, so that is a good place to start.

Help customers understand why they are paying more for one product than another

Explaining the intricacies of your pricing policy can be complicated and confusing. If that is the case for your colleagues and shareholders, imagine how difficult it is for your customers. Customers like to know why they are paying more for one product relative to another, especially if they are closely related. Why does this iPad cost more than that one, even though they are likely designed by the same team and manufactured in the same plant? It may be because one has 3G functionality and the other doesn’t. Or one has 16 GB and the other 32 GB.

In the same way, why does your Big Red Robe cost so much more than your Wuyi Rougui, even though both are oolongs from Mt. Wuyi? Because one is grown in the core-producing region, that is, Zhengyan, and the other is grown lower down, in Banyan. Because inherently, authentic Big Red Robe costs more than Rougui. That is because some Big Red Robe oolongs are from trees that are more than 100 years old and others have been aged for five years or more. Many factors influence pricing, but those factors may not always be apparent to consumers.  Customers need consistency in pricing.

Your best source of advertising are your customers

Apple is probably one of the most successful, evangelistic marketing companies around. Odds are you didn’t pick up your first Apple product because you studied the specs and came to the conclusion that it was the most powerful, fastest gadget around. You probably bought it because someone told you how good it was.

Why aren’t rabid tea devotees doing the same, spreading a love for tea in their communities? For starters, we usually drink tea either at home or in a tea house, not in the workplace, where we are most likely to have human contact. If brewing loose tea leaves was simple enough to do every day in the workplace, wouldn’t it be easier for you to offer a co-worker a drink and extol its greatness?

That ties in with my first point – keep it simple and your customers will evangelize tea.

Help customers enjoy

The iPod would probably never have been a global phenomenon without iTunes. Apple had a leg up on their competitors because they didn’t have a music division selling CDs to contend with (*cough* Sony) and could freely promote conversion to electronic formats. Without the easy file conversion and transfer of iTunes, Apple might not have achieved the following they did so quickly.

Similarly, the best tea in the world tastes awful when brewed incorrectly. If it is not easy to get it right, how can you expect customers to evangelize? Vendors and manufacturers tend to be skittish about giving specific instructions because that can be a matter of personal preference, but there must be a starting point. Personally, when I provide brewing instructions, I try to optimize it for easy brewing, that is, shorter steeping times and water temperatures closer to the boiling point so you can use a normal kettle. Though it may not bring out the best in the tea, it helps the brewer gain confidence in his or her brewing skills to try again. Tweaking is easier than building from scratch.

The greatest products in the world do need marketing, so why not learn from the best? With a rebranding and engagement of its rabid fan following, tea can scale new heights. But it needs participation from you and me; so let’s put on a pot.

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Dan Cong is an oolong tea that means single bush; farmers pick and process this unique tea bush-by-bush.  Its home is the Guangdong province of China, and the Dan Cong tea from Feng Huang (Phoenix) mountain is the most famous.  Dan Cong includes over 30 varieties, of which Mi Lan Xiang is the most popular and the earliest to be harvested.

Because the Dan Cong output is not as large as that of Tieguanyin or Puerh, I doubt that its bubble will be as large.  Dan Cong is not yet a nationally known tea in China.  And although the Dan Cong market gathers in Chaozhou city and Shantou city, there is no specific Dan Cong tea-packing market.

So, what are the factors stimulating the Dan Cong market bubble?

• Dan Cong is an amazing tea with an attractive, strong flavor and unforgettable sweet aftertaste.
• In its drive to make money, the local government does not have a serious plan for the Dan Cong tea industry.  A lot of the mountain is burned for tea planting.
• “Hot money” (also known as “refugee capital”) is everywhere in China.  In the past, hot money has driven up real estate, garlic, and Puerh tea prices.  Now that hot money is pouring into the Dan Cong tea market, I fear this movement will hurt the Dan Cong tea industry.

If you are a brave investor, you may want to ride the Dan Cong bubble, but be careful.  I’m sure this bubble will burst soon. However, as a tea lover and exporter, I still recommend you try this fantastic tea.

It’s amazing how many settings you can change on the machine. Just one tea can take forever to calibrate. Depending on how fresh the tea is, the taste can be dramatically different. What I love most about the machine is that you’re able to calibrate it such that you can pull out the nuanced flavors of your classic teas. We’re able to take our gyokuro and make it extra buttery and smooth. We’re also able to take our wild strawberry, which is usually very tart because of the hibiscus base, and make you think you are drinking liquid strawberries.

Another advantage of the machine is that most teas are brewed in less time. Our foxtrot is an herbal tea made of rooibos, peppermint, and chamomile. Usually it takes a minimum of 5 minutes to steep. With the Trifecta, we can have it done in 30 seconds because the turbulence allows it to brew faster. This forces you to ask yourself this question: If the machine makes great-tasting teas in less time, why not use it to make all of your teas all of the time? The bad part is that we can only program in 12 or so teas at once. The other bad part is that it cannot make more than 16 ounces of tea at a time, which forces us to sell only small-size cups using the machine. Our 20-ounce cups of tea to go have to be made using more traditional methods. However, I still highly encourage any tea café that’s looking to add something unique for their customers to learn more about the Trifecta by Bunn.

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“111!!!” a friend remarked. “How does it feel to be his granddaughter?” I smiled because I knew that what was important was that I stood on the shoulders of giants in the tea and human rights battles of the Kenyan small-scale farmers. My own father – one of Kenya’s prominent political warriors who helped shape Kenya’s new constitution – taught me to walk in humility and let your deeds go before you.

Recently, I bought my grandfather some thermal jackets that he is very fond of wearing. I am told that he loves to put them on in the late afternoon as he drinks his tea and takes his walks on my father’s estate, stopping sometimes to witness the cows being milked in the evening. The rich milk from my father’s dairy cows is used to brew his milky tea. Most Kenyans drink a very milky tea with a 50/50 milk/water ratio or even, in some cases, a 80/20 milk/water ratio. In the evening, my grandfather consumes his bowl of traditional bone soup, made with indigenous bitter herbs to strengthen his bones. He is still lucid and remembers that I am “selling tea in America.”

The last time I spoke with him, I told him how well his tea, Grandpa’s Anytime Tea, was doing in many tea shops, both in the U.S. and the U.K. He reminded me to keep working hard and to make buyers aware of the tough times the Kenyan small farmers face as they rely on the rains to come on time. This year has been particularly hard for the Kenyan tea farmers as they faced frost late last year. Thousands of tea farmers were affected by the low temperatures, which caused the tea leaves to wither. The frost also destroyed tea plantations in the west of the country and caused tea farmers to lose millions of Kenyan shillings.

This particular day, my grandfather called me at 3:00 AM to talk. He seemed a little  frustrated that I had been asleep as he recounted the fact that when he was young he would be up, getting ready to milk the cows. “Promise me,” he pleaded, “that you will do your best to sell this tea.” Sensing a need to drive home the point that so many families depended on the sale of the tea, he reminded me that I was to work hard and sleep less to ensure that the tea was sold. It was a lecture that I had not prepared for and he was adamant and passionate. Finally, as he was finishing up his lecture, he asked me about the teas I was selling. I explained that we had one of his bold black teas. “There is another tea you should try,” he remarked. “I usually drink this tea in the afternoon; maybe the people in America will enjoy this one too. I will make sure that we send it to you.” And with that, Grandpa’s Afternoon Tea was added to our tea selections.
 
“There must be something in his tea,” one tea enthusiast told me. “You can’t just have one cup.” Another British tea buyer remarked “Grandpa’s Anytime Tea is my favorite. It tastes like a posh Yorkshire tea with more depth. Definitely something your grandpa would enjoy.” It’s a testament to his careful tea-plucking methods that he learned over 50 years and his refusal to adopt machinery. Employing the best tea pickers in the area, he has given them the opportunity for profit sharing and a stake in the land. You see, when I think of my grandfather, I get a little sad because I know he will never make the journey and meet the many tea drinkers, enthusiasts, and aficionados who have embraced his teas and his story. When I think of my grandfather in the early hours of the day, as I am busy skyping with clients all over the world, responding to emails, and talking to the farmers in Kenya, I am reminded of all that is good and decent in this world. My grandfather’s handshake means more than a contract and his direct questions hide no ulterior motives. He taught me to be kind and gracious in a suspicious world because that was his culture. He taught me to be honest even when I would lose credibility. In a vast world that he would never travel, he taught me the universal law of “do unto others as you would have others do unto you.”

I was especially touched by a poem written for my grandfather by tea enthusiast, Marlena Amalfitano:

Now that I am old,
In the quiet evening
As shadows draw across spinney and lawn,
Between last bird song and first frog call,
I hear the angels talking,
Their voices soft around the edges of the air

I did not hear them
in the night cries of children
Or the rush of work,
nor in the protest songs of war,
nor even in the tired sleep of years gone away

But now that I am old,
I hear the angels talking.

When I am older,
I will hear their words,
Each one hovering like bell chimes in golden air

When I am older
When I go home.

My grandfather’s teas are available at Royal Tea of Kenya’s website. We are grateful to the many tea stores and other outlets all over the world that carry “Grandpa’s teas,” as part of their tea inventory. I know my grandfather, the world’s oldest tea farmer, would like to thank all who sell and buy his teas. This post is dedicated to him and them. 

For more on my grandfather, please read Jane Pettigrew’s wonderful World Tea News article.

Introduction

When most practitioners think about tea culture, they think about the word “Cha Dao (茶道).”  More specifically, when they think about tea culture pertaining to particular countries, they think of Chinese “tea art,” the Korean “tea ceremony,” and the Japanese “Chado.”

Both the Chinese and Japanese consider Luyu from the Tang Dynasty to be the saint of tea and the originator of Cha Dao.  However, the word “Cha Dao” never appeared in Luyu’s The Classic of Tea（茶经).  It is only said that tea is suitable for people who excel in moral behaviors and virtues (精行俭德).  Some people consider Luyu’s “精行俭德” to be the main part of Cha Dao, but Luyu did not present the concept of Cha Dao. The first mention of Cha Dao appeared in a poem written by the monk Jiaoran, a famous tea expert, poet, and Luyu’s best friend.  It is said that drinking the first cup of tea caused Jiaoran to awaken from worldly illusions; the second cleansed his spirit like the earth is cleansed by a spring rain; and the third cup led to enlightenment, obviating the need to consider freedom from pain and difficulties (一饮涤昏寐，情思朗爽满天地；再饮清我神，忽如飞雨洒轻尘；三饮便得道，何须苦心破烦恼).  This was the first mention of Cha Dao, which means enlightenment through tea. 


The word “Cha Dao” has been used in many poems and essays since the Tang Dynasty.  In modern times, only Japan continues to use the word Cha Dao, which is the same as Chado, while China uses the phrase “tea art (茶艺)” and Korea uses the phrase “tea ceremony (茶礼).”  People often confuse the ideas of tea art, tea ceremony, and Cha Dao.  Most people say Chinese Cha Dao, Korean Cha Dao, and Japanese Cha Dao, but these terms are misleading.  So what is tea art?  What is a tea ceremony?  And what is Chado?  Why and how does the approach to tea differ in these three countries?

Tea Art in China

A Chinese proverb states that the first seven things that are essential each day are firewood, rice, oil, salt, catsup, vinegar, and tea (开门七件事，柴米油盐酱醋茶).  This proverb tells us that tea is an indispensable part of Chinese life.  The Chinese have an inveterate habit of drinking tea.  Although there are many alternatives to tea, including soda, cola, and coffee, most people prefer tea.  For most Chinese people, other drinks can be an occasional alternative, but are not for daily drinking.  Tea still occupies a special position, which is why the majority of Chinese tea is consumed by the Chinese.  China is the biggest producer of tea in the world, but it exports much less than it consumes.  In many Chinese cities, all kinds of tea houses are found.

In my opinion, China’s tea houses reflect the folksy tea culture of China.  During its long history of development, Chinese tea culture has had four lines: royal, literati, religious, and folksy.  Only the folksy tea culture is currently strong.  For most common people, tea is the best thirst reliever, and this is the main function of tea.  The Big Bowl Tea (大碗茶) in Beijing and the Cover Bowl Tea (盖碗茶) in Chengdu are good examples.  The tea leaves are cheap, and plebeians can finish a large bowl of tea in one mouthful.  They come to tea houses to experience interpersonal communication, and not the refinement of tea.  That is why most tea houses are noisy, with loud chatting, poker, snacks, fast food, and other forms of entertainment.  In some places, such as Suzhou, Beijing, and Chengdu, tea houses also play an important role for operas and storytellers.

However, not all tea houses are noisy.  “Pure tea houses (清茶馆)” are increasingly quiet and elegant.  They usually price tea extremely high and are accepted by businessmen, officials, and white-collar workers.

In both pure tea houses and common tea houses, women and men perform the Chinese tea art ceremony for customers.  Currently, people usually do not differentiate between the concepts of tea art and Cha Dao.  We tend to regard an emphasis on the spirit of self-reflection as Cha Dao, while an emphasis on tea, tea-making, the beauty of tea color, fragrance and atmosphere, and the refinement of water is considered to be tea art.  Surely, the satisfaction of Cha Dao is attained through tea art, but tea art alone is not Cha Dao.  Thus, in the opinion of the Chinese, tea art is easily accessible, but people should stand in awe of Cha Dao because it might be difficult or impossible to obtain.  Thus, women in tea houses perform the tea art ceremony, while tea people never perform Cha Dao in China.

For tea art, good water, suitable tea apparatuses, a full understanding of the characteristics of all types of tea, water temperature, various tea-making skills for different kinds of tea, location, and time are all important factors.  Different types of tea art ceremonies exist.  Kungfu (工夫) tea ceremonies are often performed in pure tea houses, while long-spout kettle tea art is often found in Cover Bowl Tea houses.  Kungfu tea is the most representative tea art ceremony in China.  Kungfu means sophisticated and adept skills.  Oolong tea is normally used as Kungfu tea.  In my observations, Puer, black tea, and dark tea are also suitable for Kungfu tea.  Long-spout kettle (长嘴壶) tea art is popular in Sichuan.  It is used in tea houses bustling with noise and excitement, where the tea doctor in charge of cooking tea pours tea from a long-spout kettle high and far away from the tea cup.  Green tea and flower-scented tea are suitable for long-spout kettle tea art.

Chinese tea art has a strong relation with plebeians’ daily life, and it is performed daily in every tea house in China.

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There’s a lot for our loose tea company to look forward to at the market in 2012: we’ve got a new and exciting tea list and some great new signage premiering our new look. We can’t wait to see a few familiar faces out there. In addition, this year we’re customizing our Farmers’ Market tea selection to focus on the Boulder crowd favorites only – and that means massive quantities of Bolder Breakfast, Climber’s High, Blood Orange Smoothie, and Boulder Blues, in addition to ten other teas.

Oh, and the food … How about amazing tastes ranging from handmade dumplings to pupusas to fresh, mobile, stone oven-baked pizza? It might still be early for all the amazing veggies, but even this early in the season, you can always count on delicious spinach and arugula. My most favorite season here is late August, when our Palisade peaches and local corn are at their peak. But the tea’s always in season, hot or cold, so come by and drink a cup, or two, or three with us!

Hongyuan Li always knew that her husband, Darren Chang, loved his coffee.  He had been a home barista for a few years when suddenly one morning, he woke up and asked her, “Why don’t we set up a café together?  I can do coffee and you can do tea.”

Hongyuan, formerly a speech therapist, has always loved tea.  But it was only while preparing to set up the café with Darren that she began to dig into single-origin teas and was amazed at the variety of flavors.  “I really want to introduce all these tastes to Singaporeans because single-origin teas are not commonly offered here.  It’s also a fascinating way to learn about other cultures.”

After a year of planning, Darren and Hongyuan opened Smitten last July.  Because of the popularity of “indie” specialty coffee here these past two years, it received quite a lot of buzz because Darren roasts his own coffee.

“This was something that I expected.  Coffee is a lot more hip than tea in Singapore.  But I take this as a perfect opportunity to introduce customers to single-origin teas,” Hongyuan explained.

According to her, coffee connoisseurs have acquired sophisticated taste buds and after some of them have “made their rounds” trying all the coffee in Smitten, they begin to sample her tea.  While there is some adjustment required in switching from a coffee taste profile to tea taste profile, according to Hongyuan, these customers gradually begin to appreciate tea’s subtler nuances.

Ironically, it is the tea drinkers that need more cajoling when it comes to trying Smitten’s selection of teas that Hongyuan painstakingly sources from all over the world.  “They ask me why I don’t serve English Breakfast or Earl Grey.  They’d tend to order the teas that they are more familiar with, such as an Assam black tea or a Japanese green tea.”

While the majority of people in Singapore are ethnically Chinese, Chinese tea is probably the least popular type of tea here.  There are several reasons for this – many Chinese restaurants here use low-quality tea leaves from China and tend to oversteep their tea, resulting in many people thinking that Chinese tea is bitter.  Another factor is the image associated with Chinese tea – it is perceived as old-fashioned and overly complicated in this modern, fast-paced city.

“Most people only know Jasmine and Pu-erh when it comes to Chinese tea.  Even then, they also won’t really dare to make such tea on their own.  This is why I think it’s important to hold tea workshops every few months to show how great premium, single-origin teas can taste when prepared in the proper way.  I try to keep things simple, brewing tea using simple glass teapots at Smitten,” said Hongyuan.

In many ways, she feels that her partnership with her husband has worked out perfectly, even in terms of the everyday work.  Darren does the business development and coffee side of the business, while Hongyuan handles the operations and tea and food inventory.   

“At this point in time, I don’t think it would be feasible to set up an independent café that purely specializes in tea.  However, I do think coffee is going to help make tea big in Singapore one day,” she said.

With this year’s theme of COLLABORATIONS, we’ll be creating our usual unique and comprehensive programming by bringing together contrasting tea purveyors and educators, as well as collaborating with various tea-related establishments and cultural institutions in the Los Angeles area, for a city-wide celebration of the love of tea. Our theme, as well as our novelty-loving LA audiences and news media supporters, call for a slightly different festival format than what we’ve had in the past couple of years. Rather than compress the festival within a single weekend, we will have tea-related programs throughout the month of May.

Some of the highlights during our festival include our TeaVIP Opening Reception on May 4, which will feature The Art of Chai, where tea lovers learn how to make chai and pair it with delicious Indian-inspired deserts; a film screening of the documentary, All In This Tea, including Q&A with the filmmakers; as well as sounds from tea countries by world music aficionado Tom Schnabel of public-radio KCRW.

Our biggest festival draw – the Tea Lovers Marketplace on May 6 – will showcase tea-related products from select tea exhibitors and will run in conjunction with various workshops and tea studies, such as oolong vs. puerh, black teas from around the world, “what’s in my tea bag?”, pairing teas with chocolate, and discovering the world of herbal teas. But the core of our educational programming are two tea labs happening later in May – Battle Of The Bakers, where master chefs will create tea-infused desserts in a competition of skill and taste, as well as Battle Of The Blends, where teams of amateur tea lovers, led by master tea blenders, will compete in various tea-blending challenges.

Last, but not least, our TeaVIP Closing Ceremonies on May 27 to benefit Japan Tsunami Relief will feature Japanese tea ceremonies in the Edo Senke Sado style, traditional Japanese music, two film screenings (the feature Hannari: Geisha Modern and the short The Tea Master), ochazuke, sake tastings, calligraphy, and more.

We hope everyone is as excited about our 2012 festival format as we are. Through these new approaches, we don’t necessarily hope to make the Tea Lovers Festival bigger than in the past, just more diverse and far-reaching, and in line with our mission of “promoting the love of tea to the U.S. public through education and diverse cultural experiences.” This is for the tea lover in all of us, so let’s collaborate and continue to spread the tea love.

For a full schedule of programs, please go to the Tea Lovers Festival site or visit us on Facebook.