Tea Journey Blog

4 Star Tea . . . Why Not?

2013-05-10T20:44:58Z

Yes, I have definitely drank 4-star (at least) teas and they are readily available so why when you have enjoyed an outstandingly delicious meal and order a cup of tea to finish the meal you are served a less than generic tea! When I order tea I do not want to be presented a red and gold tea bag -- I want to choose a specialty tea that will compliment my dining experience.

When ordering wine one is provided a wine list from which to make a selection. So, why not, when ordering tea are we not offered a tea list of select specialty teas from which to choose? If a restaurant prides itself on the selection, preparation, and presentation of a meal then doesn't it seem appropriate and natural that it would also want to serve quality beverages, especially tea.

How many times have you ordered an iced tea to accompany your selection of food only to be served a tea made from a powder? Nothing upsets me more than being served an iced tea made from powder or that generic red and gold tea bag when I order tea. Quality specialty teas are readily available in all areas of the country so why not continue the excellent service and outstanding food served by offering your paying patron quali ty tea?

Sorry for venting my pent up dissatisfaction with the food/beverage industry but it is time to move forward when serving tea. Today's tea consumer knows tea, knows what they like, and how they want to enjoy their tea so get on the bandwagon and provide quality tea.

And, good heavens, if you are operating a Tea Room and serving afternoon tea find out what quality teas are available for your customers. Consumers taking the time for afternoon tea deserve and want a quality cup of tea. Yes, there are quality tea sachets available from which you can provide a delicious cup of tea while enjoying the convenience of using a tea bag/sachet. Many Tea Rooms have found a way to provide their customers quality teas and delicious foods while using convenient products.

Looking forward to enjoying a quality cup of tea while traveling,

The Tea And Hat Lady

Hudson Valley, NY . . . Tea Trip

2013-05-01T14:36:30Z

Dear Friends in Tea,

I recently returned from a "tea" adventure through the Hudson Valley, NY, with an outstanding group, The Royal-Tea Club (www.TheRoyal-teaClub.org). We started our tea journey a week ago today boarding our Elite Coach in York, Pennsylvania, under the very capable leadership of club member and newsletter editor, Sharon Hart and coach driver, Greg Miller. Joining me on all my travels was a well-filled Tea Travel Buddy. The tea of choice to begin my travels was a lightly oxidized Taiwan Oolong.

Our first tea stop was at Charlotte's Tea Room, Warwick, NY. Charlotte's is a very beautiful Victorian home located in a quaint New York village -- the first of many we would be visiting throughout our journey. The tea of choice for the afternoon was a traditional Earl Gray to accompany delicious scones, tea sandwiches, and tempting sweets to end the luncheon. This refueled us to continue our journey to the historical and culinary enticing Hudson Valley.

Next, we arrived at West Point (www.usma.edu/visiting) to explore one of the Nation's select Military Academies. We were joined by a guide to tour the Academy grounds. The view of the Hudson River is amazing. I wondered how did these young women and men concentrate on their studies with this amazing view just a window away. We were fortunate to witness these young military professionals go about their daily routines of study and exercise.

To close our first day of travel we motored to the River Grill (www.therivergrill.com) where we dinned on luscious seafood, chicken, and pasta.

Since most of us had started our day at approximately 5:00 a.m. EST we were ready to check into our hotel and hit the pillow to rest up for a second day exploring the scenic New York Hudson Valley.

Tea . . . A Beverage For all Phases

2013-04-03T13:19:11Z

I recently had an opportunity to sit and contemplate my cuppa tea. You ask, why in the world would you do that? Well, that is an easy question to answer -- the tea leaves were aromatic prior to steeping and when once steeped the aroma was amazing -- sweet, spring-like (even with all the snow and cold surrounding me), and a sweet fruity citrus taste that had a very slight hint of apricot. Wow! now, can you beat that?

All this stimulation started me thinking about all the times my beverage of choice is tea, whether it be served hot, cold, iced, or at room temperature. Taking a deeper look into my thought process . . . when surrounded by happiness and joy my tea selection is normally a fruity iced tea. This brings my inner self a pick-me-up without added sugar -- the fruit or fruit flavoring does job.

Should I feel a little overwhelmed with life's challenges, I find that a very bold Chinese Yunnan or Indian Assam hits the spot. A bold black tea always provides me a cuppa of calm comfort. I often turn to a bold black tea or the earthyness of a Pu'erh when deep in reading a novel too.

Now, should I be reading an intense Tea book to enhance my tea knowledge I will choose a Japanese green tea -- either a sencha or a Matcha -- to stimulate the brain to retain all the detailed facts being presented. For me green tea increases my ability to concentrate and retain. BTW, I make it a norm to start each day with a cuppa Matcha. I find the wellness properties and theanine are a needed daily ingredient for me.

While doing a very stressful (at least to me) task like blogging, I often find myself selecting a Chinese green tea with perhaps an addition of the appropriate herb for the situation. A future blog will address the potential of herbs to choose as an additive to a cuppa.

When I just want to relax, enjoy my surroundings, and find my inner peace the tea of choice is a Taiwan Oolong -- Ruby 18 if possible. To me an highly oxidized Oolong immediately relaxes my senses, brings a feeling of calm throughout, and says, "Relax, enjoy, and laugh."

Here's to you Tea of Choice -- May you always have Inner Peace and Joy,

The Tea And Hat Lady

The Mid-Atlantic Tea Business Association (MATBA) Will Hold an Annual Meeting and Seminars on April 8 and Welcomes New Members to Join and Attend.

2013-03-19T13:44:30Z

Ocean, NJ – The Mid-Atlantic Tea Business Association (MATBA) will hold an annual meeting and seminars on Monday, April 8, 2013. The organization meets quarterly to host a business meeting with networking opportunities and education and an extended annual meeting with more than one seminar topic. Bill Waddington, founder of TeaSource, will be guest speaker at the meeting which is set to take place from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Eden Resort in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

The agenda includes morning and afternoon workshops with Mr. Waddington, morning refreshments, lunch, and a business meeting for members at the end of the day. Workshop 1, Marketing Your Specialty Tea Business, will go on a journey of industry-specific marketing strategies, techniques, ideas, with real-life examples from the specialty tea business. Workshop II, Helping Customers Select and Buy Teas They Love, will present more than 20 specific ideas, tools, and strategies to help customers select and purchase teas that are just right for them.

MATBA V.P., Marcella Farina, said, “Bill is extremely knowledgeable on all aspects of tea… come to hear; listen and learn from one of the ‘very’ best!”

MATBA was founded in 2005 and is currently welcoming both in region and out-of-region members. All members may reserve and pay for their spot to attend the annual meeting at http://www.matba.org and must do so by April 1.

The MATBA Board arranges quarterly business meetings and offers education and networking, membership drives/meet-ups, and support to member businesses and their expertise. These efforts facilitate the Association’s mission to advance the knowledge of tea. Members of the MATBA Board include Kirsten Kristensen (Tea 4 U), President; Marcella Farina (The Tea and Hat Lady), Vice President; Lora Andrews (Gypsy’s Tea Room), Treasurer and Member-to-Member Discounts Committee Chair; Darlene Meyers-Perry (The Tea Enthusiast’s Scrapbook), Secretary; and Gail Gastelu (The Tea House Times), Chief Information Officer, Press Liaison, and Advertising/Promotions Committee Chair.

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For Media Inquiries, please contact MATBA’s Press Liaison: Gail Gastelu, Click to email

For general questions, please contact MATBA: Click to email or see more details at www.matba.org

Matcha Tea Connection

2013-02-27T16:03:04Z

For all those wonderful ladies I met last Saturday (February 23, 2013) at the First United Methodist Church, Mechanicsburg, PA, with an interest on the wonders of Matcha Tea. I am so very happy to share my Matcha connection with you --- http://www.aiya-america.com . These tea people are very knowledgeable and open to working with anyone with a genuine interest in their teas.

These Methodist Women spent many hours planning, baking, gathering precious china and teacups to honor those among our community who are 24/7 caregivers to a family member. They gathered local professionals to offer these caregivers a day of hair styling, make-up, nail care, eyebrow waxing, hand waxing, massage therapy, reflexology, relaxation techniques, and wellness workshops. I was thrilled to be part of their Tea Room by offering a tasting of three different specialty teas -- a familiar Earl Gray, a white tea blend, and a white/green tea blend.

Let me extend my special thank you to all those responsible for organizing an outstanding event for the betterment of our small community.

Think about the many ways you might add to your community through tea,

The Tea and Hat Lady

Yellow -- Could It Be the New Black . . . Tea?

2013-02-20T01:22:07Z

The unsteeped yellow tea.Perhaps I am anxiously waiting Spring with warm sunshine, bright blue skies highlighted by the "yellow" sun, or suffering from a too early return from a too short vacation in the Florida Keys. Whatever the motivation I seem to be possessed with yellow -- daffodils, eggs over, lemons, straw hats with sunflowers, and yellow tea.

This obsession was aided when during a recent trip to Harney & Sons (www.harney.com) in SoHo, New York, I sampled and bought yellow tea (Junshan Yinzhen). This tea is extremely light in liquor color while providing pear/peach flavor notes that linger long after the tea is gone. Truly an enjoyable cuppa of exceptional tea.

To my surprise a yellow tea (yellow bud) was one of the teas included in my tea subscription from Tealet (www.tealet.com). The Tealet yellow tea was from Huoshan in Anhui province and stated as being one of the most prestigious and rarest teas in China. The farmer processing this tea selection used carefully handpicked single bud and its adjacent diminutive leaves.

The tea from Harney and Sons was from the Junshan Island in Northern Hunan Province. Also processed from the tea buds yellowed in a secret process.

Both liquors were very light and bright in coloring, producing a clear yellow/green liquid. I found both to be very similar in taste and aroma – providing a very pleasing taste similar to a pear/peach sweetness. The tea was steeped at 195 degrees F for four minutes using a traditional cupping set.

This exquisite tea should be enjoyed as a "stand alone" tea and worthy of being served in your finest wine glass. Yellow tea is an exceptional tea that is not readily available so I am so very pleased to have had an opportunity to compare two samples.

In answer to my opening question -- No, as long as the processing and selection of the leaf to make yellow tea is done only once a tea year there will probably be no abundance of this exceptional tea. Should you have an opportunity to sample yellow tea prepare for an extremely pleasing experience.

These exceptional Yellow Teas have brought an early spring to my cuppa,

The Tea and Hat Lady

Tea Traveler Finds Quality Tea for the Road/Air . . .

2013-01-31T00:04:45Z

The 2013 tea travel season is gearing up to attend Tea Festivals and Expos, Specialty Food Shows, and Gift Shows around the world as well as the many opportunities for tea education through tastings, cuppings, processing, and networking. A concern for many tea enthusiasts while traveling to and from these events is how to enjoy quality tea while experiencing any and all issues provided us by the travel industry.

We know it is not always possible to steep loose tea while on the go and to purchase tea from a coffee cafe does not always end with a tasteful cuppa. Therefore, I am always on the lookout for a way to enjoy quality tea. That is why an ad and article in the recent issue of Tea Magazine (http://teamag.com/) interviewing Thomas Smith and his tea business caught my attention.

An open Tea Sachet for Blend No. 18 (Indian Assam teas paired with Ceylon teas).

As a result I wanted to know more about Thomas Smith -- his teas, tea experiences, and specifically his tea sachets. Wow, imagine my surprise when I was shopping at our local "artisan" grocery store and found them stocking Thomas Smith tea sachets. I viewed this as a message that I was meant to try them. I immediately purchased several boxes. (As I always listen to my inner Tea voice.) I am thrilled these tea sachets are not ordinary "tea bag." The tea selections are of prime specialty teas -- no tea fannings or dust here. As the tea steeps you can watch the "agony of the leaf."

One of my tea travel woes has been solved, now if I could only convince airlines that having "hot" (not boiling) water is good for tea and that it is okay to serve a full cuppa water.

Wishing you happy tea travels,

The Tea And Hat Lady

New Tea Accessory Finds . . .

2013-01-03T20:38:29Z

My being a tea lover/aficionado for many years has created a challenge for my family and friends when it comes to gifts for me. Although tea cups, strainers, and tea are always appreciated gifts, my family seems to willing accept the challenge to find "something" for or about tea that I do not already own -- better yet is when they find something that I haven't seen or tasted.

This past Holiday Season was no exception for them but they willingly accepted the challenge and were very successful. The different tea item this year was a custom designed and handmade "Tea Book Handbag/Purse" from Novel Idea Book Purses by Lynette Cornwell (www.novelideabookpurses.com). Lynette can take your favorite book or a book about your favorite subject -- as she did in my case -- for you to use as a special "purse." I might add that no printed material is destroyed in the process. The "meat" of the book is included with the handbag/purse for your enjoyment and reading.

An extra neat feature of this novel handbag/purse is that I do have "The Book of Tea" and use it frequently as an excellent tea reference. My Novel Tea Book Handbag/Purse will accompany me to all major tea events/presentations as a "T E A opic" for discussion while cupping many exceptional teas.

I am raising my cuppa to Lynette for a very clever "Novel Book handbag/Purse" and my daughter for being a very thoughtful person. BTW, my cuppa is filled today with a Dragonwell green tea.

The Tea And Hat Lady

Thank you, Tea, for Many Adventures

2012-11-30T16:03:18Z

Recently I was asked where tea travels had taken me -- well . . . . let me think. Oh yes, I remember.

My tea travels include

Tea Rooms wherever I happen to be visiting. I have even enjoyed tea aboard two ships -- one in the Mediterrean and one in the Carribean as well as Tea at Disney World.
Two of my most memorable tea tastings have been under the leadership of Korean Tea Master Yoon Hee. Her passion for tea is shared through each tea tasted while learning about it's terrior, history, and processing. Thank you, Yoon Hee.
World Tea Expos in Las Vegas and Philadelphia for the past four years (at least).
Over the past three-four years STI classes in Charleston, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Las Vegas and New York.
Tea with a very special group of Tea Sisters in New York, San Francisco, Charleston, and Philadelphia to name just a few places. Although wherever we gather to share cuppa tea is a memorable experience.
Tea room visits with the Royal Tea Group (out of York, Pennsylvania). April 2013 will find out group traveling to New York's Hudson Valley to experience the area's tea opportunities while visiting interesting sites such as the Roosevelt Estate, New York Culinary School, and Harney & Sons Tea business. Wow! I cannot wait to make this trip.
Tea Room and famous garden visits with The Rosemary House/Sweet Remembrance (Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania). Their trips are always extremely pleasant and extremely interesting. BTW, they provide the best box lunches ever!

Now for my "tea wish" -- to travel to Taiwan with Thomas Shu and Josephine Pan to participate in their TOST Program. To me that would be the ultimate tea experience. Many of my tea friends/associates have done this trip and have never stopped talking about all the phenomenal tea experiences provided them by Thomas and Josephine. I feel this would be the doctorate of my tea education. Of course, it would never be the end, one is never finsihed studying tea. I will always be a student of tea -- the plant, the leaf, the beverage.

Reading back over this blog, it does appear that I am a "little" consumed by Tea! Is it possible that one can be so absorbed with this historical beverage? -- Yes, definitely!

Challenging you to expand your tea experience,

The Tea And Hat Lady

Las Vegans Gather to Celebrate Tea!

2012-11-15T18:12:22Z

If you enjoy tea and were in Last Vegas on Saturday, November 11, then you probably were at the 2012 Las Vegas Tea Festival at the amazing The Arts Factory. The Festival was a perfect demonstration of what is happening in today’s tea industry – sincere passionate people are taking an idea and thinking “out of the English Tea Cup” to introduce others to authentic tea. This festival was a perfect example of how tea is going beyond the norm to interest today’s consumers.

Naomi Rosen (Joy’s Teaspoon) and Louise Carruth’s (Little Candle Teas) definite passion for tea was confirmed through their efforts to provide all attendees an opportunity to learn about Japanese, Chinese, and Indian teas through tastings, pairings, and classes. The many, many months of preparation came together on Saturday and come together it did. Exhibitors displayed teas, tea accessories, tea gifts, and artistic tea products by Clay Arts Vegas.

Although the introduction of Japanese, Chinese, and Indian teas were interesting, more research needs to be done on the details of each country’s teas. For me the highlights of the day were the tea-infused lunch and dinner formulated, prepared, and served by Chef Beni Velazquez of Bar & Bistro (www.barbistroaf.com) on E. Charleston Blvd. in downtown Las Vegas. “Tea/foodie” people are always looking for ways to combine their passions – so – why not infuse, blend, season/smoke our foods with tea!!! Let your imagination run with this luncheon menu . . . .

Four Season Roasted Tomato Soup

(Not being a tomato soup fan, I was not looking forward to this course but WOW! Were my taste buds ever surprised with the amazing flavors beyond tomato and basil.)

Basil, Lemongrass, Ginger, Sofrita, Thai infused with Four Seasons Tea

Loch Duart Scottish Smoked Salmon Salad

(Salmon was smoked with the Lapsang Souchong Tea)

Baby Watercress, Tomato, Spiced Pecans, Grilled Pear, Lapsang Souchong Tea infused Citrus Dressing

Masala Chai Tea Flan

A Spanish Custard with Chai Syrup

Does that not sound like an outstandingly delicious lunch? And then to top all this off we were served a Tea infused Genever with pomegranate, molasses, and lemon juice. Personally, I found the molasses and pomegranate combination enhanced the tea while allowing the tea malty-ness to linger.

Now, just wait until you read what we were served for dinner by Chef Beni and Mixologist Scott I should note that the tea-infused meals were not part of the Tea Festival registration fee but well worth the additional fee. My recommendation to Naomi and Louise when planning another Vegas Tea Festival would be to concentrate on the “cooking (entertaining) with tea”

Early evening brought us the pleasures of Chef Beni’s Four Course Tea Cuisine paired with hot teas and Mixologist Soctt’s cocktail creations to delight any palate.

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FIRST COURSE

Bristol Bay Scallops Consommé

Pan Seared Scallops, Carrots, Leeks, Wild Mushrooms, infused with Lovingly Lavender Tea

Tea Inspiration – Lovingly Lavender – Black Tea blended with French Lavender

SECOND COURSE

Loch Duart Scottish Smoked Salmon Salad

Baby Watercress, Tomato, Spiced Pecans, Grilled Pear, Lapsang Souchong infused Citrus Dressing

Tea Inspiration – Lapsang Souchong – Pine Smoked, Chinese Black Tea

Cocktail Pairing – Atop Old Smokey

(Triple Smoke Scotch, Lapsang Souchong Syrup,

Aztec Chocolate Bitters, Old Fashioned Bitters)

THIRD COURSE

Pineapple Crusted Baked Chuleta

Pork Chop, Spanish Chorizo & Cabrales Cheese Stuffed, Mahalo Infused Honey Brandied Applies

Tea Inspiration – Mahalo – Pineapple Green Tea

Cocktail Pairing – Bonzai – Nolet Gin, Mahalo Syrup, Fresh Lemon, Hibiscus Syrup, Presecco

FOURTH COURSE

Masala Chai Flan

Spanish Custard, Chai Syrup

Tea Inspiration – Masala Chai – Black Tea and Spice Blend

Cocktail Pairing

Chaitini – Vanilla Vodkam, Chai Liquer, Chai Syrup, Bailey’s, All Spice

I believe you would have to agree, I certainly experienced a day of “tea overload” . . . tea, tea everywhere and tea to drink, eat, savor, and crave for the next time.

Until we again share a cuppa, try new ways to enjoy your enjoy tea!

The Tea And Hat LadySalmon being prepared for searing, smoking, and baking.