New Vee Tea Article
So, it's about that time again... There's a new Vee Tea series on World Tea News! Part one is about sweet tea. Excerpt:
The tea industry often compares itself to the coffee industry, using Starbucks as a barometer for America?s consumption habits. Countless businesses vie to become the ?Starbucks of Tea,? while many ignore the elephant in the room: sugar.
Starbucks introduced the nation to coffee with sugary blends such as its Frappuccino. According to Starbucks.com, 16-ounce Frappuccino Blended Coffees contain 31 to 60 grams (or 7.4 to 14.2 teaspoons) of sugar each.
Should the tea industry follow Starbucks? sugary lead? It?s controversial, but traditional sweet teas are gaining momentum, and new variations are introducing more Americans to tea each day. Devan Shah, owner of International Tea Importers, put it simply: ?America loves sweetness.?
You can read more on sweet tea in the U.S. and around the world on World Tea News. Part two of the series will cover sweetening trends and part three will discuss tea sweets. Yum!
Aug 19, 2008
Olympics Tea
A recent visit to one of my favorite tearooms gave me the chance to see a 2008 Olympics pu-erh cake for the first time. Pu-erh cakes can be used to commemorate all kind of occasions, from the Olympics to royal weddings to births to trade agreements. As pu-erh becomes more collectible worldwide, these kinds o commemorative cakes are likely to gain popularity. For this year's Olympics, even Coca Cola got in on the commemorative action. Crazy!
Seven Cups Tearoom, makers of the fantastic Seven Cups video podcast series, thought of a different way to celebrate the Olympics and tea in their Denver location: a competitive tea taste-a-thon. Winners receive Gold Medal Honey Orchid ea, Silver Needle or Iron Arhat Rock Oolong. Cool!
Aug 18, 2008
Tea Chest Bass
Did you know that there is a bluegrass tradition of making basses out of old tea chests? Yup. Here's a tea chest bass demo. Cool!
Bonus -- A tea chest bass cover of Daydream Believer.
Aug 14, 2008
Cool Teaware Sighting
I was walking through Williamsburg the other day and saw this:
Awesome! I am continually surprised by the new and innovative teaware designs that are increasingly available. (OK, you could use this for coffee if you wanted. Still.) You can see more teaware posts by searching for "teaware" or "design" on the Vee Tea blog.
Aug 13, 2008
P.S.1
Did anyone make it to the Michael Pollan lecture at P.S.1 over the weekend? I didn't get to go, but I DID make it over to P.S.1 on Saturday for Warm Up (their weekly Summer music event) to (finally) see their green "farm" installation. It was very cool! Plus, they had ITO EN's Pure Green Tea outside and more tea selections in the cafe. (I am thrilled to see more museums choosing quality teas for their menus.) Images from Warm Up:
Solar energy plans
Green design plan
Planting pattern
Planter structure
My friend Laura enjoying the greenery
Warm Up runs every Saturday through September 6th. You can check out the P.S.1 calendar online.
Aug 12, 2008
Tea Plant
You may remember that I planted some tea seeds a while back. I'm glad to announce that the first of them has sprouted! It's a wonderfully rich, shiny green. I'll drink a cup of tea to salute it soon. How about those of you who received tea seeds from me? Have any of them popped up yet?
Aug 11, 2008
Limited Edition Green Tea Ice Cream
Over the weekend, I had the pleasure of trying Haagen Dazs Limited Edition Green Tea Ice Cream. It's a delicious pairing of matcha and sweet cream. Their site says it's only available from January to August, so it seems there isn't much time left if you want to buy it. Use the "flavor finder" at the bottom of their page to find green tea ice cream in your area, or make your own matcha ice cream, vegan or otherwise.
Aug 07, 2008
Michael Pollan Lecture (The Omnivore's Dilemma) in NYC this Friday
P.S.1 (Long Island City's coolest attraction) and The Horticultural Society of NY are hosting a lecture by Michael Pollan (author of The Omnivore's Dilemma) that takes the plant's point of view in solving environmental problems. Fascinating! It's on Friday from 7-9PM in their green courtyard (which I've blogged about before) and there's a $5 suggested donation. If any of you readers make it out there, let me know. Oh, and while you're there, be sure to sip on the cafe's tea selections. :) Have a great weekend!
Aug 06, 2008
Caffeine Myths
Yesterday, the New York Times published a very interesting article on caffeine myths. Although the primary focus is on coffee, it also addresses general issues with caffeine such as hydration, alertness/sleep, hypertension and weight loss. I wish it focused a bit more on tea in some sections, such as Heart Health. (It debunks the myth that caffeine is bad for your heart, but fails to mention the strong link between tea and good heart health.) Still, it was an informative read and it's worth checking out! More on caffeine, coffee and tea.
Aug 05, 2008
Iced TeaZers
Ben and Jerry's recently launched in-store iced teas called Iced TeaZers. It's a blend of white tea, hibiscus and ginger. This fits into the larger trend of regional and national chains like McDonalds, Starbucks and Schlotzsky's releasing house-brewed sweet teas, and of heavily-flavored white teas going mainstream.
On July 29th, Ben and Jerry's sold their new Iced TeaZers for only 99¢ each. QSR Magazine said, "'It's a tea party for your tastebuds,' says Ben & Jerry's TeaZer Guru, Alison Gilbert. 'We're so excited that we're having an official Try Day so people can test drive an Iced TeaZer for only 99¢! This little "brew-haha" is just our way of sharing the love.'"
Has anyone tried them yet? What do you think of them?
Aug 04, 2008
Food Trends Include Tea
According to a new industry report, tea as a culinary ingredient is a hot trend right now. It says, "Among the trends that made the most progress are superfoods like green tea, edamame and acai." I've mentioned tea in various foods (frozen treats, cocktails, sweets, chocolates and more chocolates) and linked recipes for cooking with tea before, but it's always good to me (and the rest of the tea industry!) to see this echoed in cross-industry reports. This is true not only because it increases tea sales, but it gets people to look at tea in a fresh way and introduces people to tea who would have been unlikely to try it otherwise. What are your favorite dishes with tea as an ingredient?
Jul 31, 2008
iTunes U
iTunes has launched a very cool new feature: free educational podcasts from major educational, research and cultural institutions like MIT, CMU, NASA, MoMA and Asia Society. My current playlist:
Water for Tea (NASA)
Sustainable Business (CMU) (Great quote... "It's completely consistent for self interest to be aligned with the public interest and where doing good is synonymous doing well. There's no contradiction between doing something that is good and making money.")
The Myths of Innovation (CMU)
Launching and Building an Entrepreneurial Venture (CMU)
Interaction Design (CMU) (This one has a bit about ordering coffee in a coffee shop. As you can guess, these concepts apply to tea as well!)
The Role of New Technologies in a Sustainable Energy Economy (MIT)
Eva Hesse (MoMA)
Arshille Gorky (MoMA)
Living in a Global World (Research Channel)
They have fascinating, illuminating podcasts on a wide variety of topics. As a consultant, I LOVE this kind of thing. It's a great way to get the best information from top experts from many fields in a condensed, hassle-free and clear manner... which is what I always try to do for my clients. If you're a business owner or just interested in learning more, I highly recommend you check it out!
Jul 31, 2008
Tea in the City
So... I waited in line from 8:30AM to 1:30PM to get a new iPhone today, having had my older model stolen on Monday. I'm writing this as it syncs, so I'm a little distracted.
However, I wanted to note that I've been seeing mentions of tea everywhere these days, and I don't think it's just because I'm obsessed with it. :) In line, a number of people were sipping RTDs (mostly Snapple, but still...) and I read a New York Times Article about female artists in China that mentioned an artist who wrapped household objects, including (you guessed it) teapots, with yarn. (Being both a female tea-lover and a former textiles artist, I loved that!)
Afterward, I walked one block up from the 14th St Apple Store to Chelsea Markets for tea and a fantastic veggie lunch at T Salon. I have to say that it was one of the best lunches I've had in Manhattan for under $10 in ages. The veggie pate was soooo tasty and I even liked the vegan cheese (it's not usually my thing). It was a pleasant perk after the long wait, especially because it had somehow slipped my mind that the Apple Store was so very close to T Salon, and because I had the chance to chat with T Salon's fabulous Miriam Novalle.
How do you stumble across tea in your daily life? Do you feel that it's showing up more and more places these days?
Jul 29, 2008
Cute Teaware
I'm feeling a bit down today because someone snatched my phone on the street last night as I was carrying groceries home. What better to cheer me up than cute teaware?!*
I recently saw Peek Keep's collection of cute teaware, including a Finish tea set and a felt bunny tea cozy (currently on sale). Fun! (BTW, felt is an exceptional insulator. It was accidentally discovered by ancient humans when their wool garments bunched and thickened in heat and humidity, and was made in cold climates as a top-notch form of protection against the elements. Functionality aside, the felt bunny tea cozy is, as the title of this post suggests, cute.)
If you want to get your bling on while you sip, you'll love Charles and Marie's 2 Carat Mug. Diamonds may be a girl's best friend, but fair trade, organic tea is a way better friend to workers and the earth!
Green with Glamour also has some cool teaware, including
Grandma's Tea Set, which is a handmade ceramic tea set cast from an original tea set and glazed with non-toxic, natural glaze, and a
Fair Trade Ceramic Elephant Teapot for a daily dose of tea and whimsy.
*I think of this as the tea world's equivalent of Zoolander's Orange Mocha Frappuccino. I just hope it doesn't result in my friends exploding in a tragic gasoline fight.
Jul 28, 2008
A Moldy Brain Begets a Moldy Teacup
Surrealist design team Death By Drone recently designed this little number, "A Moldy Brain Begets a Moldy Teacup." Although it's not stated in the title, the image implies that a moldy teacup begets brightly-colored balloons. Cute.
Jul 24, 2008
Nuclear Tea Shortage, Heavy Metal Tea
Here are two tea news oddities I recently stumbled across:
British Feared Nuclear Tea Shortage
Egyptian Tea Contained Heavy Metal
How odd! Have you seen any weird tea stories out there on the internet lately? If so, please link them!
Jul 23, 2008
UK Day
For some reason, I feel like talking about the UK today. Perhaps it's because I recently saw this funny little Cultural Guide to the UK that features tea (and is by the guy who did the Radiohead dot matrix printer remix). Or maybe the BBC tea documentary I saw in a fellow blogger's post the other day. Or the British dim sum menu (complete with hot tea, iced tea and tea cocktails) that my Londoner sister sent me last week. Or even the fact that I keep meaning to update my articles on afternoon tea and high tea with information from helpful British readers and from Ellen Easton's NYC Coffee & Tea Festival lecture and book "Afternoon Tea... Tips, Terms and Traditions." (Soon, soon...) Or the responses from people who read my recent Tea & Sympathy tearoom review, saying things like "I totally LOLed" (which I find to be a very humorous cultural juxtaposition in and of itself). At any rate, I suppose I've talked about it now. Readers, care to add anything? Interesting links? A story or two?
Jul 22, 2008
New Vee Tea Article
There's a new Vee Tea article up on World Tea News! It's part two of the American tea palate series. Excerpt:
Despite the shift toward ?pure? teas, blended teas are holding strong. Most sources linked flavored teas? popularity to palatial accessibility, but Pratt offered a more practical reason: ?Flavors are essential in places like most of the American West, where the water is so bad, real tea flavors are undetectable.?
Flavored specialty teas are here to stay, but sources said they are undergoing radical changes. According to Harrison, ?In the past, low-quality black tea was a carrier for an artificial fruit flavor. Now, there is an understanding for intelligent tea blending that goes way beyond fruit and fannings.?
Read the rest on World Tea News!
Jul 21, 2008
Tea and Robbery
Recently, I happened to see two articles about tea and, of all things, robbery. How odd! I thought it warranted a post.
The first article I saw was during research for my recent review of Tea & Sympathy Tearoom. It's a profile of a businessperson, but it tells a story about his father's experience with tea, sympathy and robbery. (You need to log in to the New York Times to read it.)
The second item was something I ran across while researching iced tea for a company's blog I work on. It was a recent news item about a woman in Japan who stopped a robbery with iced tea.
It's amazing how tea can serve as such a strong way of recognizing the humanity in others. Of course, this is part of the theme in Samovar's Passage to Peace video podcast series, but that's another story!
Jul 17, 2008
Healthy Summer Drinks
Tea is making a lot of "healthy" lists of Summer foods and drinks. Here are two recent articles on Dr. Weil's Summer drink suggestions and how to cut 100 calories with tea. Of course, if you're replacing soda with tea, you'll cut a lot more than that, but that's another story... If you want to learn more, you can read my article on iced tea. Enjoy your Summer teas!
Jul 15, 2008
Iced Matcha Lattes
Over the weekend, I went to a Brooklyn barbecue (Don't worry--they had veggie kebabs!) and made one of my favorite Summer tea drinks: Iced Matcha Lattes. All it takes is matcha, a bit of sugar, milk/soymilk, ice, and a whir of the blender. They're quick and they tend to go over very well at barbecues, parties, etc. (in part because they can be mixed with alcohol easily, but, hey, it's a party). One friend usually refuses to drink tea ("I just want coffee") and loved it. Another, a chef, liked it so much that he wants to make matcha ice cream later this Summer. Cool! How do you get your friends to love tea?
Jul 14, 2008
Tea at Google
Last week, I had the pleasure of eating lunch and drinking tea at the NYC Google office. For those who haven't heard already, Google takes exceptional care of its employees and includes fantastic meals as a company perk. A Google friend was kind enough to invite me for a meal (incredible raw beet-cabbage puree with cranberries, tasty polenta-crust pizza, fresh berries, raw vegan Swedish meatballs) and tea. Most of the food was local and they give employees the option of joining a crop share with a local farm. It was very interesting to see their tea offerings, as they are thought of as a more "energy drink and espresso" kind of place. They offered: ITO EN's Fruit Tea, ITO EN's Teas' Tea, Honest Tea, yerba mate, brewed tropical black tea (not actually very good), Mighty Leaf pyramid bags, and kombucha. Good selection! They used to carry ITO EN's Sencha Shot, but my Google guide said she hadn't seen it around in a while. Too bad--they're very good and they parallel the whole "energy drink" thing well. Perhaps they'll pick up Oi Ocha now that it's widely available in the U.S. They also offer a casual afternoon tea service with finger sandwiches, sweets, and Mighty Leaf. I think it would be really cool if they did cross-cultural afternoon teas that introduce employees to foods and teas from around the world! Apparently, they discussed it, but it hasn't come to fruition yet. I'll let you know if I hear any more on the topic.
Jul 16, 2008
Silver Tips Tearoom Blog
You may have noticed that I added another new blog to my blogroll. It's by a friend of mine, Anupa Mueller, and it's about her fantastic NY tearoom, Silver Tips Tea. She posts about going green, tea events, tearoom stories, tea recipes, Makaibari Estate and all kinds of other goodies. Be sure to check it out!
Jul 10, 2008
World Tea News'' Vee Tea Article
World Tea News just put out a new Vee Tea article. Yay! Excerpt:
As RTDs capture a larger share of the beverage market, they shape the palates of a new wave of tea drinkers. Today's RTD trends can give us a glimpse of what's on the horizon for hot tea.
The shift toward RTDs
Seth Goldman, TeaEO of Honest Tea, said, ?The single biggest thing feeding RTD growth is that people are moving away from sodas.? The primary reason: high fructose corn syrup.
Not sure if I mentioned it, but I am now a features writer for WTN. Part two (loose tea) will be out in a few weeks. Meanwhile, you can read up on RTDs and the American palate and
check out my profile. If you'd like me to write for your publication or company, you can contact me at vee (at) veetea (dot) com.
I'm off to have lunch and tea at Google today. More on that next week!
Jul 09, 2008
Slow Tea
The Slow Food Movement (kind of the opposite of fast food, with a focus on local, sustainable produce and the enjoyment of food as an essential element of culture and communion) has recently embraced tea, even when it is not grown locally. As you may already know, sustainability is an issue close to my heart, so this is a big deal to me. In my opinion, if a quality product can only be grown far away and it is a beneficial component of your diet and lifestyle, it can be OK if offset by other things (especially if it is fair trade and organic). I'm thrilled to see that tea will be included in the upcoming Slow Food Nation event in San Francisco this August-September. If you're in the area or planning on attending, they're looking for tea volunteers. From their latest post, "Tea People Needs: We need to work out a schedule with 5 tea enthusiasts plus 5 facilitators at each of the 5 sessions of the Taste Hall." If you are (or know) someone who can help, check it out!