The Wonderful World Tea East

World Tea Expo - I had such a great time.  I drank enough tea to swish as I walked, I wore out my back and my feet and I talked with some of the very nicest people.  I came home with a number of samples or teas I purchased and over the coming days, I will report on most of them. 

What impressed me the most - the interest, kindness and willingness to talk and share tea without pressure to buy or write about them.  These vendors, whether they were tea merchants or accessory merchants, were proud of their wares and eager to share them.  I really only met one who was unnecessarily unpleasant and it was too bad, as her product had a great deal to recommend it.  The well-known folk, like the Harneys, Jane Pettigrew, Nigel Mellican, and James Norwood Pratt were all willing to meet and chat and have their pictures taken and acted as if it were the most wonderful time in the world.  In my experience, that is often rare among big name folk.

I talked to a number of people who attended the classes and the Monday all day tea tasting and they were one and all positive about their experiences.  That was really good to hear.

I had so many wonderful teas, it was like going from mountain top to mountain top.  There was a small company that has just started marketing tea flavored ice cream, Tea.Rrific Ice Cream Company, www.tearrificicecream.com that is just absolutely exquisite.  They had 5 kinds there - Chamomile, Chunky London Mist, London Mist, Masala Chai and Ginger Matcha.  I tried them all and was so very, very impressed.  The London Mist is Earl Grey and the Chunky one has chocolate flakes and pecans added.  The others you can figure out on your own.  They are smooth, rich tasting and the owners have done a tea-rrific job of blending them just about perfectly, with the tea flavors evident, but not so much that they ruin the ice cream.   To date, they are only available in the NY City, Long Island and lower Hudson Valley areas, but I sure do hope they soon spread to other locations.  I will be waiting, spoon in hand.

In all fairness, I have to say there were some problems at WTE, but I am concentrating on the good stuff.

Stay tuned for some more wonderful WTE writings.

Update on World Tea East

World Tea East is going to be very exciting this year, with a multitude of excellent classes from top-notch tea pros and so many exhibitors!  One of the really neat things is that all the finest teas, tea accessories and specialty tea items that won this year's competitions will be showcased.  Won't it be fun to see and hopefully  taste what's on the cutting edge in the tea world?  There will be things like a BUNN at home tea and coffee maker, tea infused ice cream, Northwest Glass's fine Euro cup and saucer, exquisite packaging winners, such as Vintage Tea Works, just for starters.  And, of course, lots of teas to taste.  I hope you have all made plans to attend.  If you get tired of tea, there is Philadelphia to visit, as well.  Hop on a purple bus and hit the highlights.

You've probably all heard of the Slow Food Movement, well Italy has founded a Slow Tea Movement, dedicated to preserving tea cultures around the world, as well as working to improve the working conditions  on tea estates, including biodiversity.  Raise your teacups to them!  Did you know that there is also an Italian Association for Tea Culture?  Check it out at www.aictea.it

I was making a salad that called for grilled red peppers I didn't have and I wanted that smokey flavor - what to do?   Lapsang Souchong to the rescue!  I ground some up and added it to the dressing until I liked it - carefully, of course.  Yum.  It's also wonderful in a rub for grilled meats.  Oh yes, you can drink it, too. 

In fact, I think that is what I will have today, since I have a lot of it and it is again cool.  All I need to do is decide which one.  I am using a mix of Traditional and Superior, as there is not enough of either for more than a cup.  They are both from Life in Teacup.  Both come in small red sample packets, the traditional a dull, somewhat plain red, the superior in a highly decorated shiny foil.  The traditional is darker, with smaller leaves and  heavily smoked.  The superior one has longer, more twisted leaves and the barest hint of smoke overlying a leather/woodsy aroma.  I brewed them at 212 degrees for 3.5 minutes.  To do them justice, I know I should have brewed them separately and compared them, but I am impatient today.

The taste is so different from what I expected.  It is very smooth and delicate, with only the barest whisper of smoke.  The body is somewhat thin.  There are hints of vegetativeness about it and all in all it is a lovely tea.

A Pearl of a Girl's Tea

I need flowers today, it is so gloomy.  However, the blue jays are definitely adding a bit of brazen brightness - they are alternating screaming their heads off at Ernie and eating great gobs of suet.  Them I wish he would go after.  Maybe they wouldn't be such show-offs.

It is a good day for tea - not only gray, but pretty chilly.  Jasmine tea sounds about right and I have the last of the Steepster Select monthly teas, their Dragon Pearl Jasmine from Red Blossom Tea Company.  The green and white balls give off a strong aroma of Jasmine, which seems surprisingly heavy and more along savory lines than overly floral. This is a white tea, instead of the usual green.  I brewed it up for 2 minutes at 180 degrees.  The resulting liquor was a soft gold, with a pleasant Jasmine scent.

The brew was smooth and soft, with a delicate, sweet taste of jasmine and a small surprising hint of some warm, sweet spice.  Maybe ginger, maybe cardamom.  Whatever it is, it is a very pleasant tea.

I have noticed something about brewed teas that I let cool on the counter before I put them in the fridge.  They get quite dark, even this light Jasmine.  Does anyone know why?  If so, please tell me.

This is quite likely my last post until next Tuesday or Wednesday.  We are leaving Thursday for Philly and tomorrow is packed with far too many things to do, including a visit to the vet for the Ernster, oh happy day.

I wish you all well and I'll be back with all sorts of good reports from World Tea East!

Plummy Tea

I know I put this up before, but this is a tea wheel, I wish I knew which teas were in it.

Tea made it into the New York Times again. Twinings is changing its Earl Gray Blend!  It’s never been my all time favorite, but they changed my favorite Prince of Wales which I don’t even buy any more. Dasterdly behavior. They should be horse whipped! But maybe I’ll get some when it reaches the US and see how it is. My preference is Upton’s - my blend of their Devonshire and Blue Flower. Then comes Simpson and Vail’s Victorian Earl Gray.




I wish the Times would publish some real tea news, like the World Tea East. I am so psyched about going. I have a notebook with the things I particularly want to catch. When I return, I shall blather on and on , stopping only for tea - hopefully, I will be able to get some new things there.



Non-tea news : Our local grocery store is now in the big time - refrigerated cat and dog food, just like they show on TV. I am afraid our poor kitties will have to make do. At about $2.50 for a meal, “let them eat cake” as Marie Antoinette supposedly said.



It is a dreary day, but good for new plantings as the cold rain slides down over my windows. Today is a flavored tea day and one I thought I would like more than I did. Isn’t that a downer of an introduction? Any way, the tea is Ice Wine from Blue Raven Teas, a black one. The leaves are large and darkly twisted, giving off a winey, fruity aroma. I brewed it for 3.5 minutes at boiling. The resulting brew was a very dark red, with a somewhat odd smell, kind of a mix of almond paste, grapes and raisins.  Next time, I think 3 minutes would suffice.



I was expecting a light sweet ice wine taste. I have only had this lovely wine three times and it is absolutely wonderful stuff, a real dessert wine. What I got in my cup was not it, so I was hesitant to praise it. I finally realized it tasted just like Chinese plum wine, which is also sweet, but not delicate. If it had been billed as that, I would’ve been perfectly happy and said the blender did a good job. An ice wine, it wasn’t.

Tea For The World

Further bits and bobs about World Tea East:

One of the many educational sessions looks at Fair Trade certified alternatives for tea and herbs. With more than 38 percent annual growth for Fair Trade certified teas and major commitments from industry leaders to certify their ingredients, Fair Trade tea is here to stay, according to the tea experts and organizers of World Tea East.


It's about time they figured that one out.

The "Think Tea in Every Menu Course" presentation looks at how many chefs and restaurants are experimenting with tea. Maybe I 'll see about some ideas translatable for our tables.

Some of the presenters you may not have heard of, but who are important in the tea world are:Dan Bolton, World Tea News; Charles Cain, Adagio Teas;Chris Cason, Tavalon Tea; Mim Enck, East Indies Coffee and Te;, Gail Gastelu, The Tea House Times; Dianna Harbin, certified tea specialist; Beth Johnston, Teas Etc.; Anupa Mueller, Eco-Prima, Inc. and Silver Tips Tea Room;  Susan Peterson, Teaberry’s Tea Room;
Thomas Shu, ABC Tea House; Joe Simrany,  President, Tea Association of the USA, Inc.; David Walker, Walker Teas and Todd Wickstrom, Rishi Teas.

That's in addition to the ones I have already told you about.  It is quite a lineup.

Now, I must have some tea after all those people and ideas to think about.   Forte is the signature tea of Tea Forte.  Both are pronounced 4 Tay.  As in my forte is math.  It is billed as "a robust black with a hint of Jasmine".  The aroma in the tin is a heavy black with a sharp, not quite floral scent. The leaves are definitely black, with quite a few dried jasmine flowers.  I cannot distinguish the scent as that of Jasmine.  I brewed it for 3.5 minutes with boiling water.  This one could not go for 5.

The brewing aroma was that of a malty, somewhat earthy tea, with a sweet edge, again, not identifiable.  Well, this tea is a disappointment.  It is just a plain okay tea with no hint at all of Jasmine.  On the redeeming side, it is smooth and medium hearty and takes cream all right, so it's good for breakfast.  I also got it on sale.  On the whole, I am not taken with Tea Forte teas and except for their Black Current, which is wonderful, I won't be getting any more from them.

Yesterday and today we spent digging huge holes yet again for more of our plants - not many to go and only little ones.  Hooray!!!!!  I also finished a crocheted scarf for Frank.  It is very funny looking - pregnant in some spots, malnourished in others.  It wasn't until the end that I figured out how to keep my edges straight.  I don't think anything exotic is in my future for yet a while. But I have a simple afghan I started long ago that I will finish.  I also discovered why I gave up knitting - it is boring and to to become good at it will require a long time making boring things.  I will stick to crocheting.  After I finish the stupid scarf I started in knitting.

Meet Me At the World Tea East

From a press release:

The real ‘tea party’ brings its platform to Philly, Sept. 9 – 10, for World Tea East, featuring Best New Products, Tea Tastings and Educational Opportunities, brought to us by the producers of the renowned World Tea Expo.   This new event features 100 innovative manufacturers and suppliers, wonderful new tea products, expert-led educational sessions, focused tea tastings, pairing workshops and other special events for tea professionals, food and beverage manufacturers and decision makers in related industries.

The objective of the exposition is to support and fuel the expanding demand for specialty tea and related products in the Northeast, mid-Atlantic and Southeast United States, and to provide solid tea education for the specialty teas' ever-growing popularity.


One noteworthy happening at World Tea East is an interactive art exhibit, called “Reflections in Tea.” Groundbreaking artist Michele Brody, in partnership with World Tea East, offer this one-of-a-kind, hands-on art exhibit, which will provide both hope and financial support to the tea-growing country of Japan. The art exhibit includes the temporary installation of a tea house constructed out of copper pipes with walls of tea-stained tea sacs. Delegates of World Tea East have the opportunity to write a message of hope or prayer on the tea sacs, as a way to offer encouragement to the families and individuals who suffered during the disasters in Japan. Attendees can make a voluntary contribution for each stained tea bag that they transcribe, and proceeds will be donated to the Japanese Red Cross. At the conclusion of the show, the tea bags will be transformed into a “Wishing Quilt,” which will be sent as a gift to the residents of the Fukushima Prefecture.  What a great idea, those folks could use a morale boost.


World Tea East also provides professionals with numerous opportunities to discover new tea products, optimize merchandise, gain product knowledge and network with peers in an intimate setting. The conference is expected to bring in a high-level audience of buyers and decision makers.  As well as some tea bloggers, like Alex Zorach and myself.


There is a lot more to tell you about and I will bring you more tomorrow!  Not only am I thrilled to be going, but I will meet up with some tea friends I have only read about.  It will be wonderful to attend a tea party without rancor and rhetoric.

A Lifetime of Achievement

The entrance to a church in Ravenna, Italy, filled with beautiful mosaics.

The World Tea East has just announced its debut Cha Jing Lifetime Achievement award winner - John Harney. John is receiving this award for his huge contributions to tea, in education, mentoring and innovation. He is respected and revered by the tea world. He and his two sons own Harney and Sons Tea, which operates out of Millerton, NY. No one deserves this more.


Today has gone nicely. I found some miniature roses for only 99 cents each. Even better was finding my new Tea Taster’s Journal by Elaine E. Terman of Wild Orchid Teas. I had seen this on another blog, which I cannot remember the name of. I am very pleased with it and even more pleased that Elaine sent me 3 samples of tea to begin my book! There is a short history of tea, and explanation of the different types, a discussion of tisanes and brewing and tasting guides for both. And…there is room for notes on up to 3 infusions, as well as room for other notes, all in a compact 9x5 inch book. Can you tell I like it?



So, here I am, trying one of Elaine’s generous samples. It is Vithanakanda OP1, from Ceylon. The dry leaves are large, twisted, black, with a good tea smell. I brewed it up in my newest tea pot - a small 4 cup from the Salvation Army - you can find such good stuff there; 3.5 minutes with boiling water, a biggish teaspoon per cup, as the leaves are large. It brews up to a fairly light amber, having that good-wash-on-the line scent I associate with fresh Ceylon tea. It has a deep woodsy taste, reminds me of tree bark in the sun. There is a bit of honey there as well. Even with that woodsiness, this is by no means a heavy tea. It is light and refreshing.



The current issue of Tea, A Magazine just arrived and I must say, this is a good one. There is a lengthy article about “The Men of Tea” and many other things related to men and tea. At last year’s World Tea Expo in Las Vegas it was noticed by many that there is a large growing interest in tea among younger men. Hooray, keep those generations coming!

Take Me Out To The Tea Farm

Did you know there was a tea plantation in Alabama? Neither did I. And there is one in Washington that produces green tea? Neither did I. However, I was looking at Laura Childs’ website and there they are!


Fairhope Tea Plantation got its start when Donnie Barrett rescued three tea plants from a tea research station that was destroyed by Hurricane Frederick in the 1960’s. These stations had been run by Lipton when the loss of China’s tea was threatened at that time. He now has about 20,000 bushes and produces about 50 -100 pounds of tea a year. You can purchase this tea at http://www.churchmouse.com/ , a gift shop in Alabama. If you are in the area of Fairhope, you can visit.


On the other side of the country, the Sakuma Brothers Farm, near Burlington, Washington http://shop.sakumabros.com/ has been growing tea for ten years. They sell white, green and Oolong. Their white tea was reviewed on Teaviews http://www.teaviews.com/ and received a very high rating.


Hopping across the ocean brings us to tea farms in Hawaii, of which there are at least three. One well-known one is Big Island Tea http://www.bigislandtea.com/.  They produce organic, artisan teas.


You all have read here about Roy Fong of the Imperial Tea Court starting a tea farm in California and there are people starting one in British Columbia, Canada. It is really exciting to think of all these new ventures in the tea world. We may not rival India and China in metric tons, but it looks like North America is carving out its own little tea niche.



At the World Tea East, Lisa Boalt Richardson is giving an introduction to tea as part of the educational wing of the conference. Beth Johnson, the founder of Teas Etc. will be doing some tastings of black teas. Pearl Dexter from Tea Magazine, will be speaking about the history of tea in America. Jane Pettigrew is leading a tasting of pu’erh teas. In addition, the president of the American Tea Association will also be lecturing. And that is less than half of the speakers. Pretty exciting stuff!

Tea With Tiny Tyrants

This is a scene from the World Tea Expo in Las Vegas last spring that we will see repeated in just a few weeks in Philadelphia at the World Tea East.  MarketSpice is one of the many vendors who will be there showing off their wares.  Can you tell I am excited to be going?  I am like one of those wind-up dolls you can't turn off. The photo is by Albert Chau.

Even so, this is a big deal.  So many of the larger tea events have taken place out West, especially in areas like Seattle, Portland and San Francisco that it is exciting to have this be in the East again.  It is an affordable journey for many of us and an affordable business expense for the small business owner.

It was incredibly beautiful out back last night.  The sky was a luminous silver tinged with gold and there was a mist behind the green/black of the trees, all seen through a silver sheen of rain.  A moment in time, gone in less than a minute, when it all became just regular.

All you fans of Laura Childs’ teashop mystery series now have a tea to go with at least one of her books (Blood Orange Brewing). Today I am brewing Wegmans’ Blood Orange Black tea. It’s been going for 4 minutes at just under a boil and smells wonderful. Makes me wish I had made scones.

The dry leaves are small and dark brown, enlivened by bright orange peel and what looks like some of the inner orange as well. Perhaps it will whisper secrets to the inner me. I guess I am being made silly by all the noisy machines we have around here, now including driveway pavers. Always something new in the neighborhood.

Back to the tea, which smells as luscious in my cup as it did in the pot. It is a very attractive golden amber. Oh my, it is good. None of the harshness or odd tingliness that can come from some flavorings. Just an honest to goodness orange. A wee bit bitter, which to me is blood orange. Perfect with some dark chocolate or a blueberry muffin or some pecan sticky buns. Maybe a great way to wake up as well. Very well done flavoring.

Having said that I must say that it was not until I added cream that I could taste the tea base. So there I was with a liquid tea flavored Creamsicle. Pretty good actually. They should market these for adults. I also discovered the orange flavor lasted a little too long after I was done with it. I just wish the tea base were a little more forward. Otherwise, as good as this is, it is a waste of tea when all you can taste is the flavor.



Gosh, nothing like making myself hungry. A walk will help.



The blue chicory is making clouds along the roadsides, punctuated by the tall brown of some unknown weed, and the little yellow flowers of butter-and-eggs, which we loved as children. The daisies are gone, but the brown eyed susans are flourishing. There are still a few white clusters of wild roses in the woods and the reeds have nice fat brown seed heads.


This morning I was thinking about filling the suet feeders when along came a tiny downy woodpecker. They are usually quiet souls, giving a sharp chirp now and then, but this little girl - no red on her head - let loose a long loud tirade about how I’d best get right out there and feed her. Such a lot of noise from such a tiny being, who only weighs about 2 ounces. Once the suet was out, peace was restored until the ever-noisy jays arrived. They, however, are a bit shy of the red-bellied woodpeckers, who are bigger and have a really, really BIG bill.

Bengals for Breakfast

Sustainability fans, Rejoice! Tea Tulia Teas, grown in Northern Bangladesh is organic, from its single garden cooperative to its totally recyclable and compostable packaging. They work to create “sustainable prosperity for Bangladeshi women, men and children through education, entrepreneurship, health and cattle-lending programs.” I had heard of them and wanted to give them a fair trial. Feeling cheap at the moment, I only bought small packets of tea bags. I still got a free sample, which I am now having - Bengal Breakfast. Each triangular sachet is made from corn and holds enough real leaf tea - not fannings or CTC for 2 cups of tea. Actually, I think if you took it out of the bag, it would do three.


As you might imagine Bengal Breakfast is an English Breakfast type. It has a very pleasant dry aroma, with a definite hint of citrus, along with the Assam. I brewed it for 3 minutes at 210 degrees. It continued with a lovely slight citrus, slight floral aroma. In the cup, it is a fairly light amber. It is a fine tea, pleasantly malty, but not heavily so and the citrus and flower are right there, though a bit more muted. An excellent tea.

For breakfast, I had their Black Tea, which is a somewhat stronger version of the Breakfast.  I didn't find it as pleasant, but it is a decent  cup of tea.  By the way, one sachet will make 3 cups, but they're weak.  It does indeed, do fine for 2.

Another way of recycling I discovered on the back of Tea Time Magazine. Perhaps you have broken the last cup of Great-Aunt Harriet's set and you are are heart broken.  Don't despair completely, but contact the good folks at  Vintage Revival, http://www.vintagerevival.com/ and they can take the pieces to make you some very pretty jewelry from it.  My Gramma 'Duffee, who was not artistic, would, however, save bits of broken china from things she loved and glue them in pretty patterns on plain white dishes and hang those on the wall.  I wish my uncle has offered them to us, I would have loved them.

I have been checking out the vendors at World Tea East and there is such a variety.  There are the commercial ones for people in business,, but there are also folks selling tea themed clothing, at least 2 book publishers and several tea accessory sellers.  There are many classes to take  and I will describe more of them for you tomorrow.

World Tea East Coming to Philadelphia!

Theat looks like a path I'd like to take - perhaps to Heidi's Grandfather's House and then up into the mountains...

World Tea East is coming up Sept. 9-10 at the Philadelphia Convention center.There is still time to sign up to go, especially if you are a tea business owner or planning to be one. 

The purpose of this Expo is to support and fuel the expanding demand for specialty teas along the Eastern Seaboard and westward.  The organizers are planning to provide some solid tea education and have about 14 seminars planned, as well as certification courses by the Specialty Tea Institute.  There will be over a 100 leading manufacturers and suppliers present and there are at least 100 new products and teas being shown off.

The newbies that really caught my eye were Pu'Erh dessert teas - remember Pu'Erh does really well with chocolate;  Rooibos espresso - this one was a bit of a stretch for me; Guayusa, an Amazonian tea/tisane in use for centuries; a floating basket for making ice tea - gotte get me one of those and lots of other goodies.  I can see this will be a severe test of will power.

There will be lots of well-known tea folk there - Bruce Richardson and  The Harneys are among them.  Ajiri teas, who give their profits to the orphans of Kenya so they can get an education, will be there and I intend to see them, both to complement them on their tea and prizewinning packaging and for their good works.

For me, just being back in one of my favorite cities is a plus.  We'll be staying with a friend in South Philly, near the Italian market district, oh yum.  The convention center is merely a hop from Chinatown and only a slightly larger hop from my favorite gelato place in the USA.  It will certainly be dessert on the way home.  If only I will be able to make up my mind! Their very best creation is the darkest chocolate I've ever seen.

The ole tum is still not up for tea, so I'm not trying anything new , or old, for that matter.  If you want to eamil me, the address is the title of this blog, nospacesatyahoodotcom.