Tea People: MarshalN of A Tea Addict's Journal

Welcome to another edition of "Tea People". Today we're chatting with one of the most popular tea bloggers on the net, MarshalN of A Tea Addict's Journal. Grab a cuppa, and settle in as we talk to a true tea expert.

Q. Why did you decide to blog about tea?

A. I think my answer is similar to many others -- when I first started I felt like I should be taking better notes on what I'm drinking, and a blog format helped motivate me to do that. In the back of my mind I also thought maybe this is a way to connect with some like-minded people. Since then there's been an explosion of blogging on tea, which is nice to see.

Q. How do you decide which teas to review/blog about?

A. I drink one tea a day, so it's really a matter of whether I thought I should blog that day or not. For quite a long while I blogged every day. Nowadays I'm a little too busy to do that, so I only blog when I have time and when there's something interesting to say.

Q. Do you ever revisit certain teas on your blog? Why or why not?

A. Yes, and I do change my mind sometimes when I drink a tea for the second, third, or fourth time, which is why I do it. I'm not there to review for the sake of reviewing -- tea is too subjective for that. It's really a form of learning. You always learn something new when you drink a tea, good or bad.

Q. What’s your favorite kind of teaware to brew in?

A. Yixing pots, small, with cups that will hold all the liquid from that pot without the need for anything else.

Q. Do you prefer a cup & saucer, mug, glass or gaiwan?

A. Cup & saucer. The saucer has to be heavier than the cup, otherwise I feel it's not balanced. I used to use gaiwan a lot, but I never touch them these days unless there's a specific reason. Mug is used when I have no time and have to run around or do things.

Q. Do you take your tea straight up, or with sugar and/or milk?

A. Once in a long, long while I'll do milk. I never put sugar in my tea.

Q. Do you remember the first cup of tea you drank? How was it?

A. No -- I was probably four or five, in some restaurant in Hong Kong. Bitter, probably, as it was most likely cooked puerh, overbrewed in a big pot in a yumcha place.

Q. When did you make the switch to loose leaf teas?

A. I always drank loose leaf! Teabags are for foreign devils :)

Q. What are your three favorite teas?

A. A nicely aged oolong, a good, well made young (raw) puerh, and I always have a soft spot for well roasted Wuyi.

Q.What’s your favorite pairing of food with white, green and black teas?

A. I don't eat when I drink tea. If I eat it's only because I am hungry and need something to cushion the tea (otherwise I might get stomach-ache, especially if it's something greenish)

Q.Do you have a favorite tea company? Which one, and why?

A. No. Good companies can make bad tea, and bad companies can make good tea. There are a few very small workshops that press puerh cakes that I particularly like, but they're not really available over here anyway and basically nobody's heard of them.

Q.I know you've spent a lot of time in both China and the US. How has your tea experience been enhanced by perspectives from both cultures, and what major differences do you see between the attitudes towards tea in the two countries?

A. Contrary to popular belief, there are a lot of myths in both tea cultures, but of different kinds. The Chinese (and Taiwanese) tea cultures are really big on various kinds of mythical brewing techniques and effects, ranging from the beneficial use of certain kinds of cups to all types of hyping, depending on who you talk to. The biggest myth over here in the States is probably the health myth. Sure, tea is healthy, but the idea that you can only get more healthy by consuming something, rather than, say, cutting back on something bad, is rather interesting.

Q. Is there anything else you’d like to tell us?

A. Follow your tongue, smell, and sense, not the "experts", whoever they are. After you've gotten through the initial hurdle of learning the basics, it's really all about introspection and observation.

Thanks so much, MarshalN for sharing your thoughts on the enjoyment of tea with us. It's great to get to know you better. Readers can contact MarshalN through his blog, or leave a comment/question below.

In the Teasphere - Videos & Tea in Boston

First up this week, I just received this press release for a *free* Tea 101 class featuring Nilgiri Tea in September at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel. If I were going to be in the area, I'd definitely stop in for this - anyone going that could give us a report?

Here are the details:

The Boston Park Plaza Hotel & Towers is proud to announce the seventh installment of Tea 101, hosted by one of only a handful of Tea Sommeliers in the world, Cynthia Gold. This month’s complimentary Tea 101 class will feature Teas from the Nilgiri Blue Mountains of Southern India.

Tea 101 is a complimentary, seasonal class on everything there is to know about tea! Guests can enjoy a discussion and tasting on this month’s featured topic; including samples and recipes for home use.

Each class hosted by Gold is dedicated to showcasing different tea elements, such as: proper tea preparation, tea etiquette, tea cocktail preparation, food and tea pairings, and begins with a quick review of how to correctly steep tea. Everyone who attends Tea 101 will receive a sample of the Park Plaza’s featured seasonal tea and 25% off of their future tea experience.

“Our individual tea tastings as part of Afternoon Tea have become so popular, that we can’t always meet the demand,” said Cynthia Gold. “We thought it would be fun to offer periodic complimentary group tastings and other short tea classes to not only meet the needs of a larger number of local tea lovers and soon-to-be tea lovers, but also offer an option for those who don’t have the time to relax over a full formal Afternoon Tea.”

Tea 101 is held in Swan’s Café, located in The Grand Lobby of the hotel directly before Afternoon Tea. Reservations can be made by calling 617-654-1906.

Sunday, September 20, 1:15 - 2:00PM: Teas from Nilgiri Blue Mountains (Southern India)

Sounds like a fun way to spend the better part of an hour!

In other news, I was sent links to two videos earlier this month that Elizabeth Houston and her husband made for a scholarship competition. I just got around to watching them last night, and just had to share them with you all - they're really just too cute (the Teacup Tango is my favorite). Watch and enjoy!

Tea People: Verity Fisher of Joie de Tea

Welcome! Today we're chatting with blogger and artisan Verity Fisher of Joie de Tea. In addition to her blog, she also creates custom tea blends and tea-related items to sell in her Etsy shop. Brew a cuppa, and sit with us awhile...

Q. Why did you decide to blog about tea?

A. It was almost by accident, really. I have loved tea for quite a while, and last year - as I was living in a new city with few friends and more spare time than usual - I started to explore more into the different kinds that are available, for something to do. I wanted to share my experiences with people, and it was actually my husband who suggested that I start a blog (he came up with the name too!) - prior to that I really didn't know anything about blogs in general, or tea blogs in particular. It's been so exciting to discover that there are so many other people out there with whom to share tea musings and experiences - I get a thrill every time a new reader (or a regular one for that matter!) posts a comment or otherwise responds to my blog!

Q. How do you decide which teas to review?

A. Generally the teas I blog about are ones which I've purchased myself (or that were gifts from my husband or friends) and which I happen to be drinking at the time, so it's fairly random rather than systematic! I also generally don't consider them 'reviews' per se - a review seems a little formal and I would rather have a more casual feel. That said I did recently receive my first ever batch of tea to try from a vendor - Tony from High Teas - and I've just 'reviewed' the first of those on my blog.

Q. What’s your favorite kind of teaware to brew in?

A. Definitely a teapot - I have quite a few different ones and my most-used are my two 'Zero Japan' teapots (also known as 'Beehouse' teapots) - they're simple and elegant, have a removable mesh strainer, keep the tea warm and pour reasonably well!

Q. Do you prefer a cup & saucer, mug, glass or gaiwan?

A. It depends a bit on what tea I'm drinking - for a special treat, or to really get a good idea of the colour of a new tea that I'm drinking I'll use a cup and saucer (I have lots of vintage ones, and a couple of modern ones, that are mostly plain white inside so you can really see the tea). In general for herbal and black teas I will most often use a mug, though - but I have some small Japanese handle-less cups that I tend to use when brewing sencha, because they match the pot I use for that.

Q. Do you take your tea straight up, or with sugar and/or milk?

A. Usually straight up. I'll usually brew chai masala with soy milk, and occasionally nothing else will do apart from a good strong Assam-type brew with milk and a little sugar. I quite like a slice of lemon or orange in my Earl Grey, as well, or in a Ceylon black tea.

Q. Do you remember the first cup of tea you drank? How was it?

A. Not specifically - but I do remember that my Dad used to make a pot of loose-leaf tea - just some very ordinary black tea brand, probably Bushell's or Tetleys or something like that - each morning and we would all have a cup with our breakfast, with milk and sugar. Dad got out of the habit of doing that eventually... not sure why. Teabags took over!

Q. When did you make the switch to loose leaf teas (or have you)?

Q. I think it was probably when I first started seriously learning about and drinking herbal teas - I would grow and dry some of my own herbs, and buy others from the co-op at my university. It's only relatively more recently that I've discovered the joys of loose-leaf black and green teas - definitely no looking back there though!

Q. Do you drink tea predominantly for health or enjoyment – or both?

A. Predominantly for enjoyment, I would say - seriously nothing gives me joy like a cup of tea - it's nice to know there are health benefits but I'm not really hung up on them, especially when there appears to be so much confusing and potentially misleading information about those benefits out there.

Q. What are your three favorite teas?

A. This is a really tricky question, because it depends on so many factors, but I would say that overall my three favourite teas are: Buddha's Tears (rolled jasmine-scented tea) - the one from T2 is lovely; Ujinotsuyu sencha, which is a really nice inexpensive sencha from the local asian grocery (particularly good cold-brewed in summer - it's so smooth and clean-tasting); and first-flush Darjeeling from Risheehat Estate - I bought some of that from Larsen and Thompson last year and it was an absolute revelation, it really set the bar for an exquisite black tea. There are so very many more teas to keep trying though... I'm looking forward to discovering new favourites all the time!

Q. What’s your favorite pairing of food with white, green and black teas?

A. I like Japanese food with Japanese green teas, especially genmaicha; Chinese greens I usually drink on their own, and the same for white teas. I'm most likely to pair black teas with food - Earl Grey with an almond croissant is a particular favourite of mine.

Q. Do you have a favorite tea company? Which one, and why?

A. There aren't as many and varied tea companies around in Australia as there seem to be in the US; and a lot of places seem to just replicate the same old flavoured blends, with slightly different names perhaps! I've bought or been given quite a lot of tea from T2 (www.t2tea.com.au) and they are definitely one of my favourite tea companies - they have an interesting selection of flavoured teas (particularly their rooibos blends) and are also starting to stock more fine exotic teas (and they have a great range of beautiful teawares as well, oh my!). I like Larsen and Thompson teas (www.larsenandthompson.com.au) as well - they do mainly Estate Darjeelings and Assams as well as fine Chinese teas, so they're a great company to go to for something out of the ordinary.

Q. You've started blending/selling tea and tea related items on your Etsy shop - how's that going, and what are your goals for that in the future?

A. It's going really well actually, better than I had even hoped! I have had such lovely feedback from all my customers so far, which has been extremely exciting - it's so much fun to have the chance to be creative with something I'm so passionate about and have people respond well to that! I'm definitely going to keep on with the online shop but my ultimate goal is to have a really funky, fun bricks-and-mortar tea house where people can come and enjoy teas of all kinds - that'll be a way down the track though, but I'll be working towards it bit by bit!

Q. Is there anything else you’d like to tell us?

A. I think that's everything (but of course I'm happy to answer any questions at all!)... thanks so much for interviewing me Jamie, it's been an absolute pleasure.

Special thanks to Verity for the wonderful interview! I wish you the best of luck with your store, and your tea journey as well. You can contact Verity through her blog, her Etsy shop, on Twitter @joiedetea, or in the comments below.

Tea People: Brittiny Lawson of My Steeped IdentiTea

Welcome to another Tea People interview! This week we're chatting with tea blogger Brittiny Lawson of My Steeped IdentiTea. Grab a cuppa and sit with us for awhile...

Q. Why did you decide to blog about tea?

A. When I was doing research on the internet about tea, I discovered several tea blogs in which people posted notes and reviews on the teas they have tasted. After I decided I wanted to experience tea for myself, I thought starting a blog would be the best way to document my learning experience.

I realize that I could have kept my tasting notes offline, but I figured making them public would help me communicate my thoughts better with other tea-lovers.

Q. How do you decide which teas to review?

A. Since most of my reviews, right now, are samples sent to me by vendors, I review teas on a first come first serve basis. I have lists (yes, multiple lists) in which I keep track of what teas, from whom, and when they were sent to me by vendors.

I plan on doing reviews of teas that I have bought myself, but vendors’ reviews come first.

Q. What’s your favorite kind of teaware to brew in?

A. That depends on the type of tea. I love brewing whites and greens in a gaiwan. I brew black teas and flavored oolongs in my tetsubin and unflavored oolongs in my yixing pot.

Overall, gaiwans are my favorite teaware because of the ease of use and cleaning – that and I find them visually appealing.

Q. Do you prefer a cup & saucer, mug, glass or gaiwan?

A. That, too, depends on the type of tea. When I make black or oolong tea I normally use one of my brightly colored mugs. When I make green or white tea I use my glass cup or glass pitcher and pour it into tasting cups because I love to see the color of the liquor.

Q. Do you take your tea straight up, or with sugar and/or milk?

A. Straight up! Adding milk or sugar to tea before you try the brew itself is like adding steak sauce to a steak before tasting the meat itself. It is an insult to all the hard work that is put into the product to produce the fantastic flavor.

Chai is the only exception to this because chai is traditionally drank with milk and sugar. When I make chai, I try the brew by itself first and then add the sweeteners.

Q. Do you remember the first cup of tea you drank? How was it?

A. I remember my mom teaching me how to make a cup of tea using Lipton bags when I was sick. I liked the taste, but I only ever thought about drinking it when I was sick.

When I started to really experiment with loose leaf tea, the first cup I had was an herbal tea called Scarlet Glow from In Pursuit of Tea. It was a very fruity and floral tea… and I think that was the first and last cup I ever had of that particular tea.

Q. When did you make the switch to loose leaf teas (or have you)?

A. When doing research on tea I pretty much plunged into the tea world hardcore, so I started out with loose leaf and have preferred it that way ever since.

Q. Do you drink tea predominantly for health or enjoyment – or both?

A. Both. With the research I was conducting, I discovered the vast amount of health benefits that tea has to offer before hearing much about the wonderful taste. After I realized I enjoyed tea for mainly the incredible flavor, I felt sad and disappointed that marketers were shoving the health benefits down consumers’ throats and making the taste second on the list of importance.

Q. What are your three favorite teas?

A. Sencha, Gyokuro, and Darjeeling

Q. What’s your favorite pairing of food with white, green and black teas?

A. I really don’t like to pair food with tea. When I drink tea that is normally the only thing I am consuming at the time. However, I have found that eating some unsalted peanuts, raisins, or dried cranberries is good with any type of tea.

Q. Do you have a favorite tea company? Which one, and why?

A. I don’t think I can choose just one. Mighty Leaf and Yogic Chai are two of my favorite tea companies. I like those two companies for the same reasons: the companies are run by people who are extremely passionate about what they do, they have great tasting products, and they treat their customers as they would their friends.

Q. Is there anything else you’d like to tell us?

A. Thank you, Jamie! You rock! I think these interviews are a great idea. I love going behind the scenes and getting to know other tea bloggers.

Thanks so much, Brittiny for sharing with us today! I'm right with you on being sad about the health benefits being pushed so heavily at the expense of the flavor aspect of tea. I'm curious as to what started your research on tea - you said your tea journey started with research. Was it personal or for a project of some sort?

If you have questions or comments for Brittiny, please leave a comment below. You can reach her through her blog, or on Twitter @IdentiTea.

Tea People: Lainie Petersen of Lainie Sips

Today we're getting to know Lainie Petersen, blogger at Lainie Sips. I hope you find her answers as fun and interesting as I did.

Q. Why did you decide to blog about tea?

A. I kept updating my Facebook and Twitter status with whatever tea I was drinking at the time. People kept asking me about the teas, so I started the blog in self-defense.

Q. How do you decide which teas to review?

A. It depends on a number of factors. It depends on what I have on hand, in part, it also depends on my mood, and, of course, what I have recently reviewed. I try to vary things a bit.

Q. What’s your favorite kind of teaware to brew in?

A. Depends on the type of tea. I have six Yixing pots and I do prefer teas brewed in Yixing. However, since only one type of tea can be brewed in an individual Yixing pot, this is very limiting.

For Chinese teas that do not have their own Yixing, or that are not suitable for Yixing, I will either use a gaiwan (for white/green teas) or a little glass gongfu teapot (for oolongs or black teas). Indian teas and suchlike are brewed in larger ceramic or glass teapots, or even in a tea infuser like my ingenuiTEA from Adagio.

Q. Do you prefer a cup & saucer, mug, glass or gaiwan?

A. Again, it depends on the tea. For more substantial Chinese teas, I prefer one of my thicker glazed ceramic tea bowls. For the more delicate greens and whites, one of my thin porcelain tea bowls is just the thing. I prefer oolongs in tiny gongfu teacups, though I have been known to enjoy my beloved Ti Kuan Yin in a large, double walled glass, with the leaves steeping in the glass even as I drink from it.

Other teas are paired to drinking vessels as appropriate. I don't tend to drink directly from a gaiwan though, as I prefer to decant most of my teas.

Q. Do you take your tea straight up, or with sugar and/or milk?

A. Straight up. Sometimes, as a special treat, I will prepare an Indian black tea with a bit of milk and sugar, but only at breakfast-time, and only about once a month on a week-end.

Q. Do you remember the first cup of tea you drank? How was it?

A. Not really, though it should be noted that tea was a medicinal beverage in my family, so I would have got a cup of weak Lipton with honey every time I got a sore throat as a child.

Q. When did you make the switch to loose leaf teas (or have you)?

A. Oh, I enjoyed some loose leaf teas starting in my mid-thirties, but didn't get dead serious about them until last year (2008).

Q. Do you drink tea predominantly for health or enjoyment – or both?

A. Enjoyment, certainly. I wouldn't drink something I didn't like just because it was "healthy". That said, I do believe that tea makes me feel better, but I wouldn't drink bad tea just for any purported health benefit.

Q. What are your three favorite teas?

A. Ti Kuan Yin
Yunnan Gold
Da Hong Pao

Q. What’s your favorite pairing of food with white, green and black teas?

A. Hrm, a more robust white can go well with a mild fish. Green tea? Depends on the type, though I have found that green tea can go surprisingly well with chocolate.

Black teas, again, depends on the type. A good Keemun is my beverage of choice if I am enjoying a peanut butter and bacon sandwich.

Q. Do you have a favorite tea company? Which one, and why?

A. Hard to say...I love the offerings of TeaGschwendner...so much to choose from! Dream About Tea is a tearoom here where I live that gets some marvelous teas from China. Seven Cups also brings in some excellent oolongs. It is really hard to pick just one.

Thanks so much to Lainie for her time. I think blogging as a form of self-defense is new one for me - but so are peanut butter and bacon sandwiches! You can contact Lainie through her blog, on Twitter @lainiep or leave a comment below.

Tea People: Eric Daams of Tea Finely Brewed

This week, we sit down with Eric Daams from Tea Finely Brewed. His blog is a wonderful mix of insights, reviews, and amazing photos that I'd highly recommend to anyone looking to explore the world of tea.

Q. Why did you decide to blog about tea?

A. It's actually an idea I had floating around in my head for quite some time before I sat down and started the blog. Originally I'd wondered if there would be enough to write about. Now, I know there's always something to write about.

But to get back to your question: Blogging about tea combines two of my greatest passions. Tea. And blogging. It's as simple as that really!

Q. How do you decide which teas to review/write about?

A. To an extent, it's something of a whim. I like to sit down and take my time with the teas I review, so when I find myself with a nice big block of free time, that's when I decide which tea to review. A lot comes down to what I feel like at that minute, though I do occasionally like reviewing a few similar teas in a row (for example, I reviewed four Darjeeling teas from different estates earlier this year).

I've been lucky to receive quite a few free samples from various tea sellers, so I also try to split my time between them.

Q. What’s your favorite kind of teaware to brew in?

A. Lately I've enjoyed brewing in our porcelain Japanese teapot, which was a wedding gift. I use it primarily for green teas, especially the batch of shincha I bought from O-Cha.com earlier this year. With time, I've developed a nice little routine with it. Basically I bring the water to the boil, pour it into the pot, let it sit for a while and then pour it into a Pyrex measuring cup to cool. That's when I put the tea leaves into the pot and enjoy their aroma, which is deepened by the heat of the pot. Once the water has cooled down enough, I add it to the leaves and let the steeping begin.

Q. Do you prefer a cup & saucer, mug, glass or gaiwan?

A. My sister-in-law thinks it's a disgrace that I call myself a tea lover but don't use a cup and saucer, but I prefer a mug. I have a mug that my wife bought for me as a Christmas gift from Oxfam, which has a small basket and lid to make it really easy to steep the tea.

Q. Do you take your tea straight up, or with sugar and/or milk?

A. Straight up. The only tea I'd add sugar and milk to is chai, but even then I sometimes prefer having it without either of those.

Q. Do you remember the first cup of tea you drank? How was it?

A. I've been thinking about this, but can't remember! I'm guessing it was probably a Dilmah or Twinings tea. I must have enjoyed it, because I did become quite a fan of tea!


Q. Do you drink loose tea, bagged, or both?

A. For the most part, I drink loose leaf tea. I've enjoyed Mighty Leaf's tea pouches lately, and continue to have rooibos tea from tea bags, but the rest of the time I find the character of loose leaf tea to be far superior to that of tea bag tea.

Q. Do you drink tea predominantly for health or enjoyment – or both?

A. I drink mainly for enjoyment. I've spent quite a bit of time researching tea's health benefits, and while I have no doubt that tea is a pretty good addition to a diet, I think many of its supposed health benefits are overblown by marketers. Tea's weight loss benefits are the perfect example. Yes, tea can help you lose weight, but it takes an immense amount of tea before you'll see it have much effect (and by that stage you've probably consumed too much caffeine!). For those who are interested, I wrote more about the whole weight loss tea issue here.

Q. What are your three favorite teas?

A. I'm a big fan of Earl Grey tea. Lately I've tried a few different varieties of Earl Grey, including one blended with Lapsang Souchong and longan (a Chinese fruit). I think it's fantastic how even a simple moniker like Earl Grey can hide a world of variety.

I've also really enjoyed this year's shincha (Japan's first harvest tea). We bought O-Cha's Yutaka Midori and loved it. Many a fine day in the past few months has started with a pot of shincha.

Another tea I've been smitten with this year is Yunnan Golden Monkey black tea. I picked this up from a local tea shop and find myself coming back to it again and again.

Q. What’s your favorite pairing of food with white, green and black teas?

A. I've got two. I love to combination of Japanese food with gen mai cha tea. And for those of you with a sweet tooth, try Turkish Delight with a fine Jasmine tea. Brilliant.

Q. Do you have a favorite tea company? Which one, and why?

A. I wrote about a few of my favorite tea companies on my blog, but I'd say two of my favourite companies are Narien Teas and O-Cha.com. O-Cha specialize in Japanese green tea, and they do it very, very well. If you like Japanese green tea, you cannot go wrong with O-Cha.com. Narien Teas are a newcomer to the scene. They don't have a huge range, but I've really enjoyed every one of their teas that I've tried. They also stock some rare Hawaiian green tea, which I'm looking forward to trying.

Q. Is there anything else you’d like to tell us?

A. Thanks Jamie! It's great to see another tea blogger on the scene. I look forward to seeing how your blog continues to develop!

Thank you, Eric - it was great to learn more about you and your tea tastes! I'm going to have to try that Turkish Delight/Jasmine tea combo, and forsee an order to O-Cha in my future.

Follow Eric on Twitter: @ericnicolaas
Comments are open below for further discussion...

Tea People: Beth Johnston of Teas, Etc.

This week we're talking with Beth Johnston, owner of one of my favorite tea companies, Teas Etc. Settle in with your favorite cup of tea for a very insightful & informative interview.


Q. What kind(s) of tea/tisanes do you sell?

A. We sell a range of specialty teas. Green, white, black, pu’erh and oolongs ranging from single estate, blended and flavored in conventional and organic varieties. In the Tisane category we offer herbs that are single ingredient as well as blended types. We also have a broad selection of Rooibos again conventional and organic, single ingredient flavored and blended.

Q. Where do you get your teas from?

A. We source teas from around the world focusing on the major growing regions such as China, Taiwan, India, Sri Lanka (Ceylon) and Japan. The origin of our herbs is much broader and includes the US. Rooibos and Honeybush come only from South Africa so that is obvious.

I think the most important point to make when talking about where our teas come from is our direct trade status. Direct trade means simply that we purchase teas from the growers and/or processors. Purchasing from “origin” is a loosely used term in the US industry and implies direct trade but often is not. Trading Companies are frequently the source of so called garden to you teas and US purveyors may think they are buying direct but it is a far cry from actual direct trade. This is a topic that is stirring up a lot of conversation within the industry particularly amongst those of us that have been at it awhile and have built a true direct trade network. The popularity of tea in the US has brought about an influx of budding tea companies, particularly online. There seems to be a big attachment to being “direct” among tea people. There is a lot more involved than most people understand. Frankly buying in the US from a reliable source whether wholesale or retail is a much wiser move economically and logistically.

Q. How do you decide which teas to carry?

A. Our tea variety is always changing and is based solely on cupping. While spring is a busy buying season for us we import tea throughout the year. We offer the signature famous types of “must have” teas such as Dragon Well, Ceylon & Assam blacks and Jasmine green teas.

We also have fun creating signature tea blends, combining teas, herbs and Rooibos depending on what we are trying to achieve. Cupping is the key to quality regardless of whether you are purchasing or blending. The more you do it the better you get at it. I spend a tremendous amount of time cupping and have really honed my palate. Our ability to cup and select premium quality teas became apparent when the results of 2009 World Tea Championship were announced in May, an event that made me extremely proud.

While we watch trends we avoid getting caught up in fads or what other companies are doing. We focus on our own values maintaining the integrity of our vision and products. We may miss sales opportunities but I feel like I have to be able to look at myself in the mirror in the morning and be pleased with what is looking back.

Q. What made you decide to go into the tea business? How many people work for your company?

A. The story of Teas Etc began over 11 years ago. Newman and I were married and went on a ski trip for our honeymoon. I was not a coffee or tea drinker but as a native Floridian found a cup of mango Ceylon black tea in an attempt to stay warm. Everywhere we went, spas, bars, restaurants, literally everywhere there was this mango tea. I found the supplier, went to their warehouse walked in and declared that I was going back to Florida and opening a tea company. Three short weeks later my mother passed away and while out walking by the water one morning something said “if you are going to do this then do it” and in July of the same year, 1998, Teas Etc was born. Newman joined the company full time in 2002.

We have grown up from having our business set up in a second building behind our home. In 2003 we moved into our first commercial space. We have expanded to 3 locations increasing our main facility to 5000+ square feet of production, warehouse and offices in West Palm Beach, FL which I am proud to say is “green.” We opened a small office in China 3 years ago and a 600 ft permanent showroom in Atlanta at AmericasMart in January 2009.

We have 9 full time employees in West Palm Beach with 2 additional offsite employees. Amy Zhang works for us full time in China. Our Atlanta location is manned during specific times of the year when there are shows at the Mart. We are currently looking for additional staff in West Palm Beach and one person that we can employ part time in Atlanta to help with opening and closing shows.

Q. What is your stance on Fair Trade teas?

A. I don’t know a lot about Fair Trade when it comes to other industries but in the tea industry I am not a fan and I have strong, not always popular, opinions. As a direct trade supplier we in some circumstances pay higher prices for teas, than say a trading company. However these long term relationships give us the confidence knowing that we are paying a fair price so that those responsible for planting, harvesting and producing the teas get a fair wage for their hard work.

Conceptually I think fair trade has its heart in the right place. Unfortunately I think it is form over substance. In my experience when I purchase teas that are certified fair trade I have to pay more money for them. Those extra dollars go in part to the farm co-op which I assume happens. But the other part of the extra money goes directly to the fair trade organization. Consumers are not clear on what they are paying for but demand fair trade products? Truth be told anyone that I have personally spoken with that is an actual importer/exporter of tea feels less than warm and fuzzy about fair trade, whether they participate or not. Another little known fact is that fair trade serves cooperatives and only 3rd world countries leaving small single farmers, including those in the US, out in the cold.

We are exploring an opportunity to work with a new not for profit that has been created to aid the development of greater social responsibility and ethical working standards both here at home and abroad.

Q. Are your teas organic? Why or why not?

A. We are a USDA certified organic processor and take pride in going above and beyond the NOP standards when it comes to internal policies and our organic system plan. Organic is a topic I am passionate about because for a long time I, like so many others in the industry, was unclear on the required rules and regulations. I gave the organic class at this year’s World Tea Expo to share what I know and help other tea companies meet the necessary regulatory obligations to sell certified organic teas. Certified is the optimum word here. Consumers have a right to request and receive a company’s organic certification. We post ours right on our website.

As part of our organic system plan we have made an organizational decision to refer to, market and sell organic teas only when 100% of the ingredients are organic. This is NOT an NOP rule! We made this decision in an attempt to reduce consumer confusion.

We sell both conventional and organic teas, herbs and rooibos.

Q. Is your company environmentally friendly? If so, how?

A. Teas Etc has been a CarbonFund.org partner for 3 years. This partnership means that we make an annual financial contribution to offset our company carbon footprint. We also created an optional online opportunity for our customers, 2 years ago, where they can make a .25 cent donation to “green” their tea shipment. 100% of that donation is sent to CarbonFund.org quarterly and we have about 47% of our customers opt in, both wholesale and retail.

In addition to this partnership I personally oversaw the renovation of our headquarters last year making the space as “green” as humanly possible. I worked with the contractors to make conscious environmentally friendly choices throughout the facility. We utilized low or no VOC paints including “leftovers”, scraped up all the nasty carpeting and glue making use of the raw cement underneath, recycled and re-used materials whenever possible, took great care to consulate with energy experts selecting 7R insulation for our 24 ft high ceilings in the warehouse and carefully planned our temperature controls making smart, efficient use of our energy resources. We have dramatically reduced our energy consumption and initiated a recycle program for the entire business park. Every desk and kitchen has recycle bins and we encourage conservation globally throughout the organization. We are dedicated to giving back to the planet that so generously gives us our teas!

Our recent award winning Get Real, Get Loose is another example of our commitment to the environment utilizing compostable filters and earth friendly inks, laminates and adhesives.

Q. How many pots of tea do the people in your office consume each day?

A. It depends on the day but on average I would say we drink at least 5 to 6 pots and/or servings each per day. Cupping days are real different and while I “spit” sometimes I can burn out when I am cupping a lot.

Q. Do you remember the first cup of tea you drank? How was it?

A. My first cup was life changing as the story of the company illustrates, it was that cup of mango Ceylon and yes I remember it like it was yesterday!

Q. Do you drink tea predominantly for health or enjoyment – or both?

A. I drink for pure enjoyment, any health benefits I am getting are just a bonus…a great bonus.

Q. What tea would you recommend for a coffee drinker considering a switch?

A. Never having been a coffee drinker I defer to Newman for this answer and I quote “Pu’erh seems to be a good segue tea. It is full bodied and may be brewed strongly. Some other choices would be full bodied black teas such as Assam or Irish Breakfast.”

Q. What’s your favorite pairing of food with white, green and black teas?

A. I like pairing tea with different cheeses, it’s interesting and tasty. I have to say that I don’t drink with my meals so I generally drink tea without food, food. While I love to eat I cook very infrequently due to time constraints and so I don’t experiment much with tea and food.

Q. Is there anything else you’d like to tell us?

A. “Tea is so much more than a beverage to quench thirst…it soothes the soul and nurtures the spirit one sip at a time.” Beth

Special thanks to Beth for your thought-provoking answers, especially as to the fair trade topic. And thanks also to Newman, for getting the interview to Beth and recommending "transition teas" for coffee drinkers.

For more information, Beth's blog, and to shop online, go to www.teasetc.com. Follow Beth & Newman on Twitter: @TeasEtc @TeasEtc_Newman Comments are open below for further discussion.

This Week in the Teasphere

Lots of fun stuff going on in the Teasphere this week.

I recently got an email from a company named “Red Mango” emailed me to let me know about their new “probiotic tea” that will be available starting July 27th (Monday). Here’s a quick bit from the press release – sounds like it might be fun to try, though I don’t think I can get it here in Montana:

Red Mango, the fastest-growing retailer of
authentic nonfat frozen yogurt, today announced it will become the
first retailer to offer made-to-order iced teas fortified with
probiotics. Three proprietary flavors, all incorporating
GanedenBC30®, a patented strain of probiotic shown to help support the
immune system and regulate the digestive system, are available in
participating Red Mango stores beginning July 27.

Lemonocity™ (Lemonade Green Tea), Mysteaque™ (Vanilla Black Tea) and
Fanteasia™ (Wildberry Hibiscus Tea) iced teas are each uniquely
delicious, low-calorie, sweetened with natural cane sugar and contain
a significant amount of probiotics, or good bacteria.

For more information, you can visit their web site at: www.redmangousa.com

Links of Interest

Caffeine and Tea: Myth and Reality - From the CHA DO blog, an older article (Feb. 2008) on just about everything you could possibly want to know about the caffeine content of tea, and decaffeination techniques. Excellent information, and very thorough.

Free Iced Tea Recipes – The Tea Site is giving away a free ebook of iced tea recipes, very handy information to have around the kitchen this time of year. Download yours today, and stick around…the site is chock full of fabulous tea information.

Stain: The Tea Cup that Improves with Use – From the archives of “Tea Finely Brewed”, I found this gem on cups that reveal patterns with repeated use. Fun idea!

I’d Like a Cup of Snake Oil with My Meal – from the Gonfu Girl blog last week, a wonderful post on keeping it “real” with regards to the purported health benefits of tea.

Blogs to Check Out

Lainie Sips – reviews, news, information…you name it, Lanie’s got it!

The Tea Nerd – Brent has always had very thoughtful reviews, and he’s currently exploring teaware with a set of in-depth articles that will leave you breathless, and also very well-equipped to brew the perfect cup, no matter your style. Take a peek…

Teasphere – An aptly named (*wink*) blog journaling a tea lover’s personal journey on the tea road. Insightful and interesting…give it a look.

Some Twitterers to Follow

@TheTeaSite
@lainiep
@TheMeaningofTea
@youareprecisely
@teapotandteacup

Until next week - Happy Sipping!

Tea People: Linsey Manning, Owner of The NecessiTeas

Welcome to another Wednesday Interview! This week we're getting to know Linsey Manning, owner of The NecessiTeas tea company.

Q. What kind(s) of tea/tisanes do you sell?

A. We sell mostly unique flavored blends along with many dessert type blends. We offer black, green, oolong, white, herbal and rooibos.

Q. Where do you get your teas from?

A. We blend all of our own teas.

Q. How do you decide which teas to carry?

A. After I get an idea for a blend I make a few different samples and test them out on my family and friends. I try to offer blends that you wouldn't normally find at any other tea shop. I really want my uniqueness and creativity to set me apart from the other tea companies out there.

Q. Do you blend any of the teas you carry?

A. Yes, all of them.

Q. What made you decide to go into the tea business?

A. I got married at 19 and have been a stay at home mom for the last 10 years. I went to an afternoon tea one day about 4 years ago and fell in love with the whole experience. I wasn't to sold on the tea but the pastries, little tea sandwiches and teaware really got my attention. It was more about how you felt while being there rather then just about the tea. I soon started going more often and actually started liking tea and even did a little online shopping for different teas. I really couldn't find what I was looking for out there so my husband who has owned his own business since the age of 18 suggested that I just started my own. And from that moment on I made my dream a reality.

Q. How many people work for your company?

A. Right now we have 5 people.

Q. What is your stance on Fair Trade teas?

A. I agree with fair trade and try to buy my tea bases fair trade when I can.

Q. Are your teas organic? Why or why not?

A. Some are and some are not, it just depends on what I am blending and what flavors and ingredients I am using. I find that organic tea flavorings taste different and don't seem to keep as strong of a flavor as long so it just depends.

Q. Is your company environmentally friendly? If so, how?

A. We are trying to be more environmentally friendly everyday and coming up with some new ideas like refill programs and such.

Q. How many pots of tea do the people in your office consume each day?

A. We drink tea all day long!! from Morning until bed time we are drinking tea. I would say maybe 6 pots a day, give or take a little.

Q. Do you remember the first cup of tea you drank? How was it?

A. The first cup of tea I had was at an afternoon tea. I cant remember if it was green or white but I know I didn't like it much and had to keep adding sugar! A little on my history, I am from Utah and was raised Mormon. In the Mormon religion you are not supposed to drink coffee, tea, caffeine etc.. so I didn't have many experiences to try tea until I was older and started making my own decisions. Now tea is my drink of choice regardless of religion and the more I started drinking it the more I liked it.

Q. Do you drink tea predominantly for health or enjoyment – or both?

A. The health benefits are amazing but I would honestly say that I drink them for pure enjoyment.

Q. What tea would you recommend for a coffee drinker considering a switch?

A. We have an amazing Cafe Latte black tea that gets huge reviews from our ex coffee drinkers. This blends even has coffee beans in it.

Q. What’s your favorite pairing of food with white, green and black teas?

A. I love a good Milk Oolong with fresh Spring Rolls or any unflavored green tea with chineese food. I also like a lightly flavored green tea with tea sandwiches for an afternoon tea. I don't normally pair my tea with my food, I just drink tea buy its self most of the time.

Q. Is there anything else you’d like to tell us?

A. We are currently ranked the #1 tea company on Teaviews and we now offer wholesale and custom blending for tea and coffee shops. We can also flavor coffee beans.

Thanks so much for the interview, Linsey! You can visit The NecessiTeas at www.thenecessiteas.com, and follow Linsey on Twitter at: @TheNecessiTeas. Comments or questions are welcome below.

This Week in the Teasphere

Featured Articles
I’m trying to get back into the iced-tea mindset with the onset of warmer weather this week. Here are a few recipes for iced tea I found interesting. I’ll be trying the iced Japanese greens this weekend.

Making the Perfect Iced Tea
Iced Green Tea
Strawberry-Basil Iced Tea
Iced Peach Tea


Featured Blogs

My Steeped IdentiTea – Brittiny’s reviews are wonderful, comprehensive and accentuated with amazing photos. There’s a good variety on her blog – stop in and check it out when you have time.

Gongfu Girl – This blog has been around since I started really learning about tea, and it’s every bit as valuable today as it was then. It’s not just reviews – it’s slices of life and tea together. Definitely give them a read.

Twitterers to Follow

@thetearooms
@jasonwitt
@39steeps
@TeaBoat
@TheNecessiTeas
@TeasEtc_Newman

Happy Sipping!

Tea People: Steven Knoerr of The 39 Steeps

Today we're visiting with The 39 Steeps blogger/tea reviewer Steven Knoerr. Please feel free to leave comments or questions for Steven after the interview.

Q. Why did you decide to blog about tea?

A. I write about tea to remember what I've learned. I started sharing my tea experiences on Facebook, a group called, "A Cup of Tea Solves Everything." At one point, the comments section disappeared for a few days, which prompted me to copy pretty much all my posts onto a blog for safekeeping. But the blog has taken on a life of its own, and coordinates nicely with Twitter to keep me in contact with my new friends who can teach me so much about tea culture.

Q. How do you decide which teas to review?

A. I only want to review teas that I believe I will love. And typically, the teas I love are simple leaves with no additives. Recently, I joined the staff of TeaViews.com, and they kindly send me samples I can enjoy. But I do also review teas that acquaintances send me.

Q. What’s your favorite kind of teaware to brew in?

A. Most of the time, I use my Great-Great-Grandmother's porcelain Japanese teapot. However, I've been studying up and shopping for Yixing pots and gaiwan sets, which I'll purchase as soon as the knowledge and funds come together at the right moment.

Q. Do you prefer a cup & saucer, mug, glass or gaiwan?

A. I typically drink from a set of Russian podstakanniki, which consist of small leaded-crystal glasses set in a metal holder. Honestly, I don't very much like the English flowers-and-doilies aesthetic, and the podstakinniki are nicely clunky and masculine.

Q. Do you take your tea straight up, or with sugar and/or milk?

A. Straight up. I find the best teas are very rarely bitter, and certainly never overwhelmingly so. Milk and sugar change the flavor profile so much (milk, particularly) that I can't really discern what the manufacturers originally intended. Milk is probably best with thick Assam-type teas or what the British would call, "bog-quality" teas.

Q. Do you remember the first cup of tea you drank? How was it?

A. I do remember. It was appalling. In my house growing up, I hated the years-old Lipton tea that sat, opened, in the cabinet forever. Eventually we'd drink the horribly oversteeped, stale teabags with plenty of sugar and milk to help mitigate the bitterness. I could not imagine that people would drink this stuff for pleasure.

Q. When did you make the switch to loose leaf teas (or have you)?

A. When attending University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, I discovered a tea store: Walnut Street Tea Company. They had a wide variety of primarily flavored, loose-leaf teas. I came to love Russian caravan teas and gravitated toward the black teas.

Q. Do you drink tea predominantly for health or enjoyment – or both?

A. Primarily, I drink for enjoyment. Delight, really. Tea is endlessly fascinating, because there are so many flavors, aromas, textures, and levels of complexity locked in these leaves. Thousands of years of humans cooperating with nature, with untold hours of ingenuity, creativity, attention to pleasure, and a desire to create something delightful and perfect have led us to be able to enjoy something truly amazing.

Q. What are your three favorite teas?

A. There are so many. In general, I love Darjeelings and other Himalayan teas, followed by complex oolongs, and then bright, floral greens. But those are categories, rather than specific teas. If forced to choose, I would have to say:

* 2009 1st-Flush Arya Estate, Darjeeling, Clonal variety, which just lifted the top off my head when I tasted FreshDarjeeling.com's offering.
* 2009 1st-Flush Jun Chiyabari Estate, Nepal, which is available through TeaGschwendner. It's like a very high-end Darjeeling, and just delightful. I'm anxiously waiting to taste the rest of their offerings, which should be arriving in the next couple weeks.
* Dan Cong oolongs, which come from TeaHabitat.com. I don't know enough to tell you which variety I love the best, but the Honey Orchid aroma is stunning. It's tea from the Phoenix Mountains in China, which have been bred to have an enormous variety of unusual aromas and flavors, such as cattleya orchid, or almond, or jasmine, or ginger flower-- but they aren't artificially scented in any way.

Q. What’s your favorite pairing of food with white, green and black teas?

A. Most of the time, when I am drinking my very favorite teas, I find that food distracts from the delicate and complex tea aromas. I drink tea without accompaniment.

Q. Do you have a favorite tea company? Which one, and why?

A. I do love TeaGschwendner, because they have a wide variety of Darjeelings of quite high quality.

Q. Is there anything else you’d like to tell us?

A. Americans do not have an established tea culture. There are historical reasons that this is so, going back to the Boston Tea Party. The downside, obviously, is that no one around me knows anything about it. But I believe Americans are like people everywhere: If they are exposed to a good thing, they will want it. If most of my countrymen are like me, growing up drinking execrable, stale teabag teas, they will be delighted to find that this stuff can be really good, and it can engage the senses and excite the palate as much as fine wines, or cigars, or cheeses, or other connoisseur-level enjoyments. I am delighted to be part of the burgeoning tea Renaissance in the U.S., and I hope my writing adds something to other people's knowledge and enjoyment of this agreeable topic.

Thanks so much for that wonderful peek into your tea preferences and philosphy, Steven.

To contact Steven and read his tea reviews, visit The 39 Steeps.

Tea People: Jason Witt, Author of Spirituality of Tea

Welcome to the first Tea People interview. Today we're visiting with Jason Witt, who is currently writing a book titled Spirituality of Tea.

1. Tell us a little about yourself.

I am crazy about God and tea. I also love classical violins. I’m a vegan on most days but sometimes when I go out to eat I’m only vegetarian. And I’m on a low-calorie diet, which I also sometimes (but not often) break when I’m out on the town. I often take long walks and need to since I don’t own a car. I don’t want one and don’t want to buy my own house either. So you can consider me green too.

2. Tell us what your book is about.

My book is about the Spirituality of Tea. There’s not a lot of eastern mysticism even though much of tea’s history was inseparable from Zen Buddhism. It’s written for Western people, especially Americans. It’s about how tea can quickly bring a person closer to God. Of course the person has to want to come to God and not be driven to someone or something else. But Spirituality of Tea shows the faithful how great a Blessing tea is for them.

3. Why did you decide to write about tea?

God revealed it to me. I’ve had a romance growing with tea for a few years now and suddenly it was time. I saw that I need to devote my whole to tea. Just as I write, my experience was totally spiritual in realizing how important tea is going to be for me. As wine is to Jesus, tea is to Jason.

4. Do you remember the first cup of tea you drank?

How was it? I remember a brand of tea in bags my mother had around the house when I was young. It was “Constant Comment” tea. But all I remember as a first drink was about three years ago. I faced the need to give up drinking alcohol and it just seemed natural to turn to tea as a substitute. From the beginning then I wanted to drink Oolong Tea. I favored it even though I drank the cheap stuff.

5. Do you drink tea predominantly for health or enjoyment – or both?

I drink tea for the health of my body, mind, and spirit because I’m strict about my diet and only eat certain limited kinds of healthy foods. But I also drink tea for great enjoyment. It’s one of the few addictions that are good for you so in the case of tea, more is more. It’s pleasure without any guilt.

6. What are your three favorite teas?

I’d have to say these are Oolong Tea. And I love so many of them I’d have to just go with the general categories. My favorites are Wu Yi Rock Oolong, Anxi Oolong, and Formosa varieties too.


7. What’s your favorite pairing of food with white, green and black teas?

Since I eat a lot of grains and greens, I like the pairing of Sencha with them. It goes well with vegetables and salads. It’s a very versatile tea to pair with foods and gets along well. I don’t eat meat anymore which a lot of people say some darker Oolongs go well with. And I can’t eat much dried fruit to complement lighter Oolongs because there are too many calories in them. Oh well. A good Sencha can grace my table anytime.

8. Is there anything else you’d like to tell us?

My website is www.jasonwitt.org and there you can subscribe to my newsletter Teaternity. I don’t blog, by choice, but I put out a brief newsletter on the Tea Faith once a week. That’s the best way to keep in touch me unless you want to follow me on Twitter @jasonwitt or friend me on Facebook www.facebook.com/teaternity

Thanks for allowing us to get to know you better, Jason!

Feel free to leave a comment below for further discussion or questions.