bringing style to the art of tea appreciation
In Celebration of a Good Year The events of my 2014 were exciting and life-changing. Work in the tea world was plentiful, which explains dear reader, why posts have been spotty at best. One of the projects I’ve been working on has allowed me to explore tea mixology (the craft of cocktail blending using tea as a flavour ingredient). I’m not actually a fan of spirits, but I have loved learning about the interplay of flavours to create the right […]
We just spent a vacation week in a relatively remote area of Northern Ontario’s lake country. It’s an annual escape to see the sun set on the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere. Known as the first day of summer here in Canada, it is referred to in England as mid-summer solstice. The birds sing into the night with the whippoorwill and loon having the last say. I enjoy tea in the canoe, on the granite rocks […]
One of the perceived advantages of holding World Tea Expo in Long Beach, California was its close proximity to importers and their businesses. The town of Cerritos is a half hour ride from Long Beach and home to QTrade Teas and Herbs, a major player in the tea industry. Taking advantage of the convenience of their location, QTrade had arranged an early morning tour of their facilities for several of their customers and a few tea media. Located on a […]
Current Trends and Future Outlook for Tea: The first session of the morning featured a panel of leading industry market analysts. They presented their research on areas for potential growth in the tea industry. David Sprinkle, Jonas Feliciano and Lynn Dornblazer had their own take on how changes in the market would affect tea sales. Here were some of the take-aways: Growth expected in the Restaurant industry Never underestimate the importance of convenience for the consumer Growth opportunity for premiumization […]
Myths and Vagaries A few months ago I watched uncomfortably as a fellow tea sommelier asserted that the reason they had presented White Tea first was that “it was unoxidized”. I know this to be untrue, but I could understand how they might believe it. There is wide spread misunderstanding of White Tea with inaccurate information lounging everywhere on tea retail websites eg. “white tea contains almost no caffeine”. Another eg. “try our Anji Bai Cha White Tea”. Nope. It’s […]
Toronto’s Spadina House plays host to Downton Abbey’s Costumes Season 4 of Downton Abbey has just ended and filming of Season 5 has begun, although in North America we will have to wait a year to view it. For those of us in Toronto suffering withdrawal from the series, it’s wonderful to know that we can indulge ourselves during the hiatus with an up-close look at Downton costumes. “Dressing for Downton” is an exhibit of 20 mostly Edwardian […]
Grandpa Joe Up-cycles a Tea Chest My Grandfather worked as a furniture salesman in the early part of the last century. As well as selling contract furniture, he enjoyed attending auctions and finding furniture that he could adapt or repurpose. Ever resourceful and talented, he managed to outfit his home with items that he rebuilt or repaired. He made several lovely pieces from salvaged wood. There were spinet desks made from rescued cherry wood, a cedar-lined chest made for […]
Traquair House, located in the borderlands of Scotland, announces itself as the oldest inhabited house in Scotland. Surrounded by lush lawns, ancient yew groves and a good-sized maze, it holds its history and age well. It has been visited by 27 of Scotland’s monarchs including Alexander I, Mary Queen of Scots, James VI (James I of England) and Bonnie Prince Charlie (Charles Edward Stuart). It was originally built as a hunting lodge for Scottish royalty in the 12th Century. […]
An Interview with Chris West The tea community in the western world is still relatively small. So small that most of us follow and interact with the same people on social media sites like facebook, Google+ and Twitter. This is where I initially met Chris West of Min River Tea. He has lived in China for 9 years and became a tea drinker gradually. Living in Fuzhou, capital of Fujian province he is surrounded by neighbours and friends who invariably […]
Although there are inconsistencies to the many and varied claims of the health benefits of tea – Green Tea in particular – one benefit that all can agree on is that tea contains high levels of anti-oxidants. Anti-oxidants offer protection against free radicals, but what are they and how do they interact to keep us healthy? Meet the Players The Enemy: A free radical is an atom or molecule that has an unpaired electron in one of its orbits. An […]