References about caffeine in tea and the decaffeination process:

My search for information on how to decaffeinate tea spurred me to also search for information on how caffeine affects us.

During the search, I came across a number of articles that were supposed to be explaining how tea was decaffeinated only to find myself reading a sales pitch for their herbal products. So, I’m bypassing them.

Some articles I referenced when writing the 2-part post “Tea Caffeine Be Gone”:

 

• CAFFEINE AND TEA: Myth and Reality, February 06, 2008, by Nigel Melican
• Caffeine Chemistry and Caffeine Effects, Jul 15, 2009, by Donald Reinhardt [Emeritus Associate Professor of Georgia State University in Atlanta. Georgia, taught microbiology and biology at GSU for over three decades.]
• Fatigue and Insomnia, Original Publication Date: 06/08/2006, Last Modified: 08/16/2010, Principal Author: Marcelle Pick, OB/GYN NP
• Caffeine, By Karen Eich Drummond
• Neurologic Effects of Caffeine, Updated: Nov 26, 2008, Author: Jasvinder Chawla (MBBS, MD, MBA), Coauthor: Amer Suleman (MD)

A rather humorous experiment, using themselves as guinea pigs (I’m tempted to see if hubby wants to try to duplicate their results – all in the name of science, and a bit of good fun):

• Caffeine and the Human Body - An overdose experiment

Keep Your Tea Cozy

How frustrating to steep up a pot of tea for family and friends only to have it grow cold as you share good food and conversation. Tea cozies to the rescue!

Read the rest of the article on The Taste of English Tea Blog.

Variety is the Spice of the “Tea Life”

The whole point of living the “tea life” it to escape the doldrums of a daily beverage routine with a variety of teas. Like the spices that enliven the taste of our favorite dishes, these teas enliven our meals, our mid-afternoon break from the day’s toils, and that special time before we head off to slumber when we sip, reflect on the day just ending, and set our thoughts straight for the day ahead.

Read the rest of the article on The Taste of English Tea Blog.

Book Review: ‘Dark Road to Darjeeling’ by Deanna Raybourn

Tea lovers, take heart at a new mystery novel that will transport you to a tea garden in a Himalayan valley near Darjeeling, India. It is Dark Road to Darjeeling by American author Deanna Raybourn. Grab yourself a tasty cup of freshly steeped Darjeeling tea first, though! This novel will whet your tea tastebuds (and your mystery appetite).

Read the rest of the article on The Taste of English Tea Blog.

Will the Real Devon Clotted Cream Please Stand Up?

As Shakespeare said, “a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” Does the same go for clotted cream not made in Devon County, UK, being labeled as “Devon Clotted Cream”? These days, there seem to be a lot of misnomers flying around in the world of tea. It’s so rampant that you can’t go by a label to tell what you’re getting. See how this plays out in The Taste of English Tea Blog.

(No, I'm not getting loopy and repeating myself. The post disappeared from The Taste of English Tea Blog and had to be reposted, so I had to change my link to it. Worth another read anyway, don't you think?)

Who Is Obubu Tea?

Curiosity is a very natural inclination, and I have it in abundance. Trying a company’s teas makes me especially curious — where they come from, who the people are. Some companies are very secretive about this, while others are open and want you to know. Obubu Tea is one of the latter kinds. Thank goodness!

The Obubu Tea Website shows who and what the company is. They are proud of their company and their accomplishments. So refreshing. Below is one of their press release photos (they graciously gave me permission to use the photos shown in this posting). I think that is Akihiro “Akky” Kita, the founder. Doesn’t he look happy?

Team Obubu:

• Akihiro “Akky” Kita, President / Founder / Farmer — very passionate about Japanese tea, especially the kind of tea you can only drink at farms, and has a desire to make this tea available to you.
• Yasuharu “Matsu” Matsumoto, Vice President / Sales Manager / Farmer — teamed with “Akky” to start the tea plantation and also pushes to market overseas, including several tasting events in the U.S.
• Kayo Takeuchi, Shipping Manager — loves tea and Wasuka, Kyoto area of Japan; takes great pride in making sure your tea order gets shipped correctly and on time.
• Kaori Matsumoto, Japanese PR / Website staff — Matsu’s wife and a PR whiz, making sure the company is featured in newspapers and even books.
• Ian Chun, English/Overseas Marketing Partner (Matcha Latte Media) — He joined the Obubu Team after meeting Matsu at a tea event in Hawaii and lots of time spent talking with him about the issues involved in marketing Japanese tea. He has been putting his bi-lingual skills, PR experience, and education at Brown University and Sophia University to work showing us in the U.S. that tea from Japan is worth a try.

The tea farm is also quite open to you visiting the tea farm. You’ll see undulating rows of neatly trimmed tea plants, a nursery where new plants are “babied” until they are tough enough to survive on their own. There are also poles stationed around with fans mounted to the top of them. What could these be for? Why, to keep away the frost, of course! Reading about this on the company’s Website is great, but seeing it first-hand is even better. You can stay in a hostel in Wasuka and then go to the plantation to pick leaves in the fields (they always do their first harvest of the year by hand, but use machines after that).

Their teas:

• Kabuse Sencha (my review)
• Sencha of the Spring Sun
• Sencha of the Wind
• Sencha of the Earth
• Kirameki no Sencha
• Sencha of the Summer Sun (my review)
• Sencha of the Autumn Moon
• Yanagi Bancha
• Kyobancha
• Gokou Matcha
• Uji Hikari Matcha
• Premium Kitchen Grade Matcha
• Houjicha - Light Roast
• Houjicha - Basic Roast (my review)
• Houjicha - Dark Roast
• Houjicha - Smokey
• Genmaicha (Brown Rice Tea) (my review coming soon)

Want to sample their teas? Start with a sample pack. The amount in each sample is rather small, usually enough for one person, but can undergo several infusions.

Check ’em out and for a truly international tea experience.

Afternoon Tea at Cornell University with Matsu (left) and Ian (right):

Tea Plantation in Near Wazuka, Kyoto, Japan:

Trimming Tea Plants (Akky and a helper):

Main Ceylon Tea Growing Regions

Tea growing in Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon) was an economy-saving move. As coffee plantations fell victim to a disease called “coffee rust,” plantation owners turned to learning about how to cultivate tea plants (Camellia Sinensis and its varietals). These days, the tea plant of choice is the assamica varietal exclusively.

Read the rest of the article on The Taste of English Tea Blog.

I purchased some Ceylon Kenilworth from World Market back when they carried really good teas like this, before they went whacko for the organic stuff. Trust me, this is a good tea.

10 Different Ways to Eat a Scone

Scones are a very traditional teatime treat, so much so that some people are quite adamant about the proper way to eat them. I, however, can think of at least 10 different ways to indulge my scone craving. They may not be traditional, but they are certainly tasty.

Read the rest of the article on The Taste of English Tea Blog.

Comparing Two Chocolate Rooibos Infusions

This was written at the request of Madam Potts of Mad Potts of Tea, who then refused to post it. I think she was hoping we would actually LIKE these samples she sent. Whatever the reason, we wanted to give you a chance to see this. However, Little Yellow Teapot doesn’t want any more Rooibos reviews on his site. He’s says there are too many there now.


== O R I G I N A L P O S T ==

Subject A: Haute Chocolate Rooibos from Teavana.
Subject B: Mint Chocolate Rooibos from Leaf Spa.


Rating Overall for Both:
Comments:
My humans have pretty much given up on trying Rooibos, but when Madam Potts sent these samples, my humans agreed to give it one more try, well, actually, only one of them did. The fact that they had chocolate in them was an inducement. However, the wifey human is allergic to mint and couldn’t even stand the smell when they opened the package. So during the review, she just took the photos, made sure there were lots of fans running, and made funny faces whenever a whiff would go her way, which this little teapot found amusing. Hee! The hubby human bravely soldiered on with the comparison.

As you can see from the photo, in dry form both test subjects look about the same. If you could smell them, though, you would get a big difference. Subject A smelled mainly of Rooibos with a subdued chocolate aroma. Even the wifey human liked it. Subject B, though, was dominated by the chocolate and mint smells, with little or no Rooibos smell.

The preparation process:

Subject A: Boiled 1½ cups of water, poured into a measuring cup with 2 tsps of the mix, steeped 6 mins, strained into mug.

Subject B: Boiled 1½ cups of water and let cool slightly, poured into a measuring cup with 2 tsps of the mix, steeped 3 mins, strained into mug.

The resulting liquid of each looked quite different. Subject A was dark brown. Subject B was lighter, sort of like an Oolong but with a definitely minty aroma. The wifey human kept her distance from it. Hubby tasted A and thought it had a typical Rooibos (woody) taste and no chocolate flavor. He did detect a slight peppery “kick” to the taste. Then, he added a little milk and was pleased at the pleasant, not overly spicy, chai-like flavor. I heard him say, “This one has possibilities.” On to B. Hubby took a sip or two and noted the strong mint flavor with only faint Rooibos and chocolate flavors. One thing he didn’t like was how long the mint taste lingered. This one definitely did NOT have possibilities.

All in all, they both welcomed another tasting adventure but are quite definite that this will be their absolute last Rooibos experience.

By the way, anyone who thinks that the kitty mug is cuter than me, to you I can say only one thing: “Hmph!”

Happy tea tastings!

Disclaimer: This tea was provided by the company named. However, the rating of the tea and any opinions concerning it are always strictly objective.

Yes, It's Fall Teatime Again

The Autumnal Equinox is upon us once again, signaling that it’s also once again the season for a great Fall Teatime. Invite over a few friends, steep up a pot or two of tea, load up the tea table with your favorite Autumn treats, and dig in!

Read the rest of the article on The Taste of English Tea Blog.

Snacking British Style

Snacking British style is part of this tea lover’s secret for living the “tea life.” Since my preference is for a more British style tea time, this seems only natural. Now, I pass on that secret to you.

Read the rest of the article on The Taste of English Tea Blog.

Stretching Your Tea Dollars

Proper tea steeping is generally regarded as a must for enjoying teas at their best. It’s also the way to make sure that the money you spend on these teas is stretched to their utmost value.

Read the rest of the article on The Taste of English Tea Blog.

A great multi-steeper: English Tea Store's Young Pu-erh, shown here after 4 steepings of 2 minutes each. (Read the full review part I and part II.)

Some Darjeeling Tea Estates

Darjeeling teas are all the same, right? Wrong! This tea growing area in the West Bengal region of India among the Himalayan mountains boasts quite a variety, due in large part to the plethora of tea estates there. While some Darjeeling teas live up to the nickname “the champagne of teas,” others are quite different from this picturesque description.

Read the rest of the article on The Taste of English Tea Blog.

Alternatives to Tea

For some people, tea just isn’t a good idea. There can be a number of reasons for this: They can’t have the caffeine; they’re pregnant; they can’t drink a beverage where the name only has three letters in it. Whatever.

Unfortunately, it can be hard to sort out the teas from the non-teas. The term “tea” seems to be getting used for both these days.

Read the rest of the article The Taste of English Tea Blog.

Shown here is The English Tea Store Nile Delta Chamomile. See review on Little Yellow Teapot Tea Reviews.

The Possibilities of Young Pu-erh Tea

I’ve tried a few pu-erh teas to date and see its possibilities. So, when this tea arrived, the explorer and experimenter in me took over. Heh heh!

Read the rest of the article on The Taste of English Tea Blog.

Sac-It-To-Me with Tea Sacks

Forget infusers and pre-bagged teas — tea sacks make a great alternative. Loose and free in the teapot can produce the best tasting tea, but even this tea lover knows there are times when that just isn’t practical. Thank goodness for innovative minds.

Read the rest of the article on The Taste of English Tea Blog.

Taking a Peek at Tipu’s Chai

It’s a great age to be a tea drinker, at least as far as this tea drinker is concerned. There are so many more choices than Lipton tea bags, which are what I grew up knowing. We are also getting to communicate, as tea drinkers, with vendors who have a direct connection with tea growers. Facebook and Twitter both make this possible. The result is better tea in our cups.

Then, there’s Tipu’s Chai.

Once upon a time there was a boy named Bipin Patel in India whose grandmother made a chai that was so good, everyone around liked it. Later, this boy grew up, moved with his mother and grandmother to Africa, then to London, and finally to Montana, bringing this recipe with them. In 1997, he started a café which served authentic vegetarian Indian dishes in Missoula, Montana. It was called “Tipu’s Tiger” and was named after a tiger-shaped musical organ that eats a British soldier figure when wound up and that was a gift to Tipu Sultan “the last of the Indian Kings to resist the British domination of India.” In 2007, after 10 years, he and his team sold the café (which shortly thereafter closed) so they could focus on promoting the chai.

The Tipu’s Chai Team:  Bipin Patel,   Varada (his partner),   Mark (a friend),   Naga Nataka

Other than a slight blip in June of 2008 when the concentrate was recalled due to a processing error (no illnesses were ever reported), the chai has enjoyed great success and is now available not only online through their Website but also at about 65 cafés, grocers, and coffee houses, mostly in Montana and Oregon.

My only issue is that their Website is an example of a design done by people who have a lot of technical skill and virtually no user experience knowledge. To find the list of locations where this chai is sold, you have to click on Buy Chai and then on the Click Here. There is no way to slide the image over so you can get to the list yourself. In fact, I kept sliding by the list and had to try several things to figure which one got me where I wanted to be. Also, the list of locations is not linked so that you can go directly to a company’s Website (if they have one). I’d also like to see more information about their products on the site and more blog entries, but I understand. They’re busy making chai!

Compared to some tea vendors, Tipu’s Chai’s product list is limited. Not a problem as far as I’m concerned. They focus on what they know best. Of course, that ginger brew I read about (that they used to serve in the café) might be a good addition to the line-up. Just a thought.

Hubby and I got to try a couple of samples: the Instant Black Chai and the Original Brew Black Chai. We’re both self-proclaimed “chai snobs,” that is, we have had chais that we definitely consider authentic and plenty that were chai in name only. We weren’t about to be fooled by this one — and we weren’t. It truly compares with other chais we have had that were prepared by natives of India. Read the reviews on Little Yellow Teapot Tea Reviews for a complete take on our experience.

Tea Time Stampede

Tea is reported to be the second most popular beverage on the planet, water being the first. I’m not sure how much sense this statistic makes, since tea is basically water with some molecules of tea woven in among the H2O molecules. … Read the rest of the article on The Taste of English Tea Blog.

A Tasty Bagged Green Tea?

PG Tips, well known for their tasty black tea blends, has come out with a green tea. I got to try some recently. Unfortunately, it was bagged, so I wasn’t sure how this was going to go. (Yes, I have tried their black tea and other bagged teas and liked their taste. So there was hope.)

Read the rest of the article on The Taste of English Tea Blog.

Tea Moment — Tea at the Piano

Tea and music seem to go together like the proverbial bread and jam. Tea stimulates your senses of taste and smell while music stimulates your sense of hearing and your heart. When the music is coming from a grand piano and you’re sitting nearby sipping from your teacup, your sense of feeling is stimulated, too, by the vibrations of the piano.

Read the rest of the article on The Taste of English Tea Blog.

Honey Makes Teatime So Sweet

“Look out, it’s a bee!” No, it’s a cog in the intricate machinery of honey-making. Where would teatime be for many of us without honey?

Honey can sweeten your tea and add a delicious sticky sweetness to your toast, scones, crackers or other teatime treat.

Read the rest of the article on The Taste of English Tea Blog.

In Tea, Milk Comes First

In tea, there is often a proper order to things (like the Turtles song “Turn Turn Turn”). Grow the tea, then harvest it. Process the tea, then package it. Stock the tea, then sell it. Buy the tea, then enjoy it. The enjoyment can also have a certain order. Heat the water, then steep the tea. Pour the tea, then drink the tea. … Read the rest of the article on The Taste of English Tea Blog.

Darjeeling vs. Ceylon Teas

Teas from Darjeeling and Ceylon are gaining prominence among tea drinkers the world over. No big surprise, considering the amazing level of expertise, quality, and variety the tea growers have developed in a relatively short time (when compared with those in China).

Read the rest of the article on The Taste of English Tea Blog.

What Is "CTC Assam"?

All teas from the Assam region of India are not made alike. More correctly, they are not processed alike. They all grow in this wonderful region where the Brahmaputra River flows, but how they end up after that is like a tale of reaching a fork in the road and deciding which to take.

Read the rest of the article on The Taste of English Tea Blog.

Who Is thepuriTea.com?

There are a growing number of small tea vendors online these days. Sometimes they are started by people who have a real connection to the world of tea, such as living and working in a tea growing region of the world. Such is the case of Benoy Thapa of Thunderbolt Tea, specializing in teas from the Darjeeling area of India. Other founders of these tea vendors simply really like tea, such as Lisa and Kevin Hickey of The English Tea Store. Still others lived in a tea-growing region and then came to the U.S. to bring that knowledge of tea to all of us, such as Jim Schreiber of Shui Tea. Then, there are the techies who started learning about tea and decided to apply their skills to setting up an online tea store, such as Tony Gebely, a Web developer and co-founder/co-owner of Chicago Tea Garden.

thepuriTea.com is one of the tea vendors that was started by at least one techie, Nav Nouhi. Nav has an extensive background in online marketing. He and a friend since childhood switched to tea from coffee, undoubtedly to reduce caffeine intake. Then, they traveled to Asia to learn more about teas and to get to know some of the tea growers, then started their tea business in March 2009 in their home area of Los Angeles, California.

One of the best aspects of this and some other tea vendors is their direct relationship with the tea growers/processors. It’s the best way for them to truly know the quality of their teas. Some tea drinkers look for vendors who have a large variety of teas, especially the kind that are just some unspecified black tea with flavoring added. I’m starting to look for tea vendors like thepuriTea.com, Shui Tea, The English Tea Store, and Chicago Tea Garden, where they offer teas that are definitely a cut above. Not hard for them to do with their connections in the tea world.

The company’s website seems to be rather “cookie cutter” with excessive bells and whistles that don’t enhance the user’s experience, but just show off the design company’s skills. Also, those images that you move your mouse over to see detail aren’t quite as effective as the “click to enlarge” ones where you get to see a full enlarged image of the tea.

The site also has a calculation of the cost per cup but doesn’t give the number of cups you can expect to get out of the package, so you would be best to disregard these. One good thing is that they offer sample sizes, always a great way to try new teas. Theirs are reasonably priced, so you don’t have to “rob Ft. Knox,” as the old saying goes, to expand your tea repertoire.

Another disappointment is that their teawares are limited and mainly consist of teapots with infuser baskets and infuser mugs. Why sell such lovely loose leaf teas only to confine them in an infuser?

Personally, I would like to see more personal information about the co-founders on the site. It’s good to know from whom one is purchasing. Their FAQs page is focused on ordering, not on their teas. A bit more tea info would be good. They tout their personal connections to tea growers yet say little about them in the tea descriptions. For example, which growing district does the Ceylon #1 come from? Only one tea of the ones they sent me tells which tea grower it came from, the Darjeeling #1.

Some Tea Blends I Hope to Never See

Tea blends can be a very wonderful thing, especially when done by an experienced tea blender. Sometimes, though, the desire to come up with something new for the ever expanding tea market can lead to what I’d only describe as “Tea Blend Mania.”

Read the rest of the article on The Taste of English Tea Blog.

Assuring Your Party Is “Set to a Tea”

NOTE: Recently, my buddy Little Yellow Teapot received some teas to review from “Set to a Tea” Consultant Carrie-Ann Brady in Florida (Little Yellow Teapot got to “pose”, courtesy of PhotoShop, on the table beside her). I thought a look at the company was in order, so I did, and here it is.

Ever want to throw a tea party for your friends but felt daunted by the task? Never fear. The “Set to a Tea” company has been making teatime easier and more fun for over 13 years.

Think about it. What does it take to put together a fun teatime for your family and friends? You need to:

• Select a location (usually at your home, either indoors or on your patio/deck)
• Select a teatime theme (depends on the time of year and if a special event such as an anniversary or birthday is involved)
• Invite your guests
• Select and prepare a tea appropriate for your theme
• Select and prepare teatime treats (if you’re like me, you head to the store at this point to see what’s available)
• Set up the tea table with tablecloth, napkins, teacups and saucers, plates, and decorations
• Enjoy the party (if you have any strength left, that is)

A “Set to a Tea” Consultant can do most of this for you. In exchange, the consultant promotes the “Set to a Tea” business to your guests and you get credit towards purchasing the company’s products yourself.

The company operates similarly to other direct selling companies like Mary Kay Cosmetics. You and your guests end up being an “audience” to their sales pitch. With “Set to a Tea,” the event is more of a party atmosphere than it is with some others, though. On the plus side, you get someone knowledgeable about tea (or at least somewhat knowledgeable) to help you with the “heavy lifting” of the tea party. On the minus side, to take advantage of “credits” you receive for having the party in your home, you must purchase their products. Of course, if you like their products, this isn’t really a minus. Having reviewed their catalog, I can say they have some attractive items.

In an interview with Gail of The Tea House Times (that reads more like a press release than an interview), company founder Kathleen Rogers stated:

Our signature product line is a fabulous blend of tea and teaware. First, we offer whole leaf gourmet teas as well as unique items to prepare the tea. We design and produce our own line of tea cozies, table cloths and napkins. Coordinating tea pots, tea cups and serving pieces make it easy for our customers to set a beautiful table. Pantry goodies help our customers serve treats as well as tea. Finally, we have selected wonderful gift items for our tea lovers.

The focus is on maxing out the “cute factor” in your teatime. They cover even the smallest details, from invitations, teawares, teas, and treats, to candles, heart-shaped sugar cubes, and hostess aprons.

As a tea drinker, I am happy to see that their teas are not confined to teadust in a bag. They are loose leaf teas (and herbals) in nylon sachets (like such well-known brands as Mighty Leaf). Unfortunately, most of the teas have lots of other items and flavorings added. These tend not to produce a good second steeping, should you wish to do one. Their selection is also quite limited and includes some non-teas (Rooibos and herbals) in among the true teas (those made from the Camellia Sinensis plant).

Generally, I’ve found their prices to be higher than other sources, especially on such basic things as Bombay teapots (sold elsewhere under the name “Amsterdam teapots”), tartlet shells, and cookie cutters.

Ms. Rogers comes across in all of the items I found online as first and foremost a marketer and distantly second being a tea promoter. She also never conveys any personality in the interviews. You have to wonder if she is all that interested in tea. Compare this to serious tea sellers, like Adagio, TeaGschwendner, and The English Tea Store. They have much broader offerings of teas, herbals, and infusions (such as Rooibos and Honeybush). These companies also offer teawares, but ones that are more focused on helping you steep up the best batch of tea possible, not just put on a good show (although many of their teawares are also attractive).

Maybe it’s just me, but if I’m going to a friend’s house for tea, I don’t want a company pitching their wares to me. However, there are plenty of you out there who enjoy such events and see them as fun and social despite the push to get you to buy things. In that case, contact a “Set to a Tea” Consultant in your area to help you host a tea party. Better yet, you might consider becoming a consultant yourself. Carrie-Ann Brady seems really happy being one (or is it that little yellow teapot making her smile?).