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Bobbing along on a river of tea.

Omaha, Nebraska's The Tea Smith recently wrapped up another incarnation of their Ugly Mug Contest. The winner, pictured here, was Fred. The proud owner of this majestic piece of work was identified only as Jo Ann P.
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tea, green tea, food, food and drink

Explore America's Only Tea Garden During the First Flush of the Year
(from a press release)
Bigelow Tea's Charleston Tea Plantation welcomes guests to celebrate the arrival of the spring season with their Annual "First Flush" event, a day dedicated to the entrance of the 2008 crop harvest. Taking place on May 17, 2008 on Wadmalaw Island, the 2nd annual First Flush Festival will offer a full day of excitement and revelry.
Throughout the day, the "Tea Trolley" will take visitors on a special route and provide an informative and enlightening "First Flush Tour." Attendees can also observe the process of making tea in the on-site factory.
In addition to the plantation tours, food, live music and games, attendees will have the opportunity to purchase their very own supply of Charleston Tea Plantation's 2008First Flush Loose Tea. At an extremely limited availability, the First Flush Tea - produced only with tea leaves from the very first spring growth on the tea plants - has a unique taste of its own.
Tickets for the festival will be sold prior to the event at the Gift Shoppe for $8.00. On the day of the event, tickets will be $10.00 at the gate. For more details regarding the First Flush Festival, please call 1-843-559-0383 or visit the Bigelow Web site.
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tea, green tea, food, food and drink

Revolution Tea Blends Super Fruits, Multi-Vitamins & Premium White Tea for New Beverage Line
(from a press release)
Revolution Tea, known for its masterfully-blended whole leaf teas and innovative Infusers, announced today the launch of its new multi-dimensional beverage: Revolution 3D. Revolution 3D is a first-of-its-kind combination of antioxidant-rich super fruits, multi-vitamins, and premium white tea in an all-natural drink. Revolution Tea is releasing four refreshing 3D flavors: Green Apple, Blueberry, Mango and Pomegranate in sleek 12-ounce cans and four-packs.
Revolution 3D will be available in select Arizona retailers beginning in May, as well as online via the Revolution Tea website. For retail locations or to order online visit Revolution Tea.
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tea, green tea, food, food and drink

No, it's not all of the tea in China, just a few articles that I've run across recently that have to do with the subject.
Here's an article from the English language version of the People's Daily. It's about tea and tea culture in Hangzhou, probably best known for producing the Dragonwell variety of green tea.
Pu'er, China, is best known for another type of tea - guess which one. It was the topic of an article that recently appeared in the New York Times. Read it here. If you have trouble accessing that one, you can read the same article at the International Herald Tribune, here.
If you're looking to brush up on your tea knowledge, Tenfu Tea College, in Zhangzhou, might do the trick. Read more about it here.
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tea, green tea, food, food and drink

Guayaki Announces Opening Of First Yerba Mate Bar
(from a press release)
The grassroots California company that pioneered the spread of South American yerba mate beverages across the U.S. is breaking new ground by opening a classic Mate Bar. The Guayaki Mate Bar is conveniently located in downtown Sebastopol in the big ‘gold’ building at 6782 Sebastopol Road (Route 12) in the heart of Sebastopol, and is open from 7 AM to 2 PM Monday through Saturday.
This unique ‘jungle lounge’ blends authentic South American yerba mate culture with delicious local artisan cuisine. Although the focus is on the celebration of yerba mate and its community-oriented culture, the Guayaki Mate Bar also offers a creative food menu that features light and healthy organic fare with ‘something for everyone’ including delicious gluten-free, wheat-free and vegan options.
The Mate Bar drink menu includes a wide variety of tasty organic yerba mate beverage styles such as mate lattes, cappuccino mate, mate mocha, mate chai, java mate, spicy mayan mocha mate, mate shakes, espresso shots, iced mate (seasonal), and drip brewed mate. Since a key objective is to help others discover the joy of sharing yerba mate, it is only natural that one of the features at the Mate Bar is traditional yerba mate sipped from a gourd and bombilla. You can even bring in your own gourd and the experienced staff will provide helpful advice.
Guayaki
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tea, green tea, food, food and drink

Here are some more of the articles I've written for the Twinings Tea Blog. For links to some earlier articles, check the previous list.
Tea Shows Results in the Fight Against Alzheimer's
The Tea Pages: Explorations and Musings on the World of Tea
The Tea Drinker's Bookshelf 3: Another Five Essential Tea Books
Tea for Your Teeth
Breakfast Tea: Blended Black Teas Provide A Morning Eye-Opener
Tea for the YouTube Crowd: Tea Videos
Tracing Tea Team Plans 15,000 Kilometer Trip From Calcutta to London
Bringing Relief to Allergy, Cold and Flu Sufferers
Tea Leaf 101 - A Brief Overview
Watching Tea: A Guide to Tea TV and Film
Tea Drinking May Help Increase Bone Density and Guard Against Osteoporosis
Getting the Most Out of Your Tea With Multiple Infusions
Tasseography: Taking a Look at the Future By Reading Tea Leaves
The Art of the Teapot and Teapot Museums
Tea and Spirits: Specialty Products Combine Tea With Something Stronger
Green, Black and Oolong Tea May Play a Role in Fighting Diabetes
The Tea Drinker's Bookshelf 2: Five More Essential Tea Books
Yixing Teapots: China's Prized Drinking Vessels Get Better With Age
Tea May Aid in Efforts to Have a Healthy Heart
Offbeat Teas, Tea Drinks and Tisanes
Ceylon: Distinctive Black Tea From the Island Nation of Sri Lanka
Bubble Tea: Tapioca Pearls Add Substance to This Popular Asian Drink
Studies Indicate That Tea Might Play a Role in Weight Loss
Tea Taster: Tea Lover's Dream Job Involves Plenty of Hard Work
Assam: Indian Black Tea From the World's Largest Tea-Growing Region
The Tea Drinker's Bookshelf: Five Essential Tea Books
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tea, green tea, food, food and drink
Here's the latest tea blog list update. The full list - located here - is now up to 141 blogs.
(aq) (Tea & other beverages)
Giardino Zen (Italian)
Gracious Hospitality
Love4Teas Tea Blog
Manhattan Tea Blog
Taiwan Tea Guy
Tea Drone
Tea Jar
Tealevelek (Hungarian)
Tetulia Blog
Ya-Ya’s Tea-Board (New Zealand)
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tea, green tea, food, food and drink

It's been a while since I've done a proper tea review, but here are notes on a few things I've been drinking lately. What about you?
Mystery Assam
I'm always up for a good Assam. This loose leaf variety of indeterminate origin (purchased at a local grocery store) is not a great one, but it's suitable for daily use.
Saphara Premium Estate Assam
I couldn't resist trying this one, which is part of Celestial Seasoning's new line of high-end whole leaf teas. I especially couldn't resist since they sent a coupon for a free box. Would I pay for another box out of pocket? Probably not. "Premium" might be a bit too high-falutin' of a term for this one. Not bad, really, but not quite good enough that I'd go back to the well.
Two Leaves and a Bud Tamayokucha
I had high hopes for this Japanese green. Two Leaves refers to it as "extremely green" and claim that it's "incredibly full flavored." I didn't see it that way. No matter how I tweaked the brewing parameters I wasn't able to coax much flavor from it.
Sencha Shot
From Ito En - it's canned sencha. The strong sencha flavor of this one was completely overwhelmed by bitterness. Then there's the price - $1.39 for just over six ounces. That's the part that really left a bad taste in my mouth.
Archer Farms Golden Breakfast
This loose leaf Yunnan was a pleasant surprise and the best of this lot. Archer Farms is apparently a store brand for the Target chain. Which made me a bit hesitant to give their tea a shot but it turned out to be better than the average Yunnan. Perhaps not the best I've ever tasted but I would (and did) buy this one again.
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tea, green tea, food, food and drink

Issue two of The Leaf is now available at digital newsstands everywhere. In other words, click here to read the full issue online. Good stuff.
Can tea fight anthrax? That's the good word nowadays, according to some American and British researchers. More here from the Telegraph and a tongue in cheek response from Graeme Wood at the Atlantic, here.
The record for the world's largest tea party was upped again recently in Indore, India, where 32,000 people turned out to take their sips. More here.
We've written about Zen Green Tea Liqueur, but recently the McClatchy-Tribune News Service had their say on the matter. Read more and check out the recipe for a Zen-tini here.
While undertaking research for a project I've been working on, I ran across some unearthly teas, including Cardassian red leaf, Pyrellian ginger and more. Don't rush out looking for them, since they only exist in the world of Star Trek. More here.
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tea, green tea, food, food and drink

Two Leaves and a Bud Tea Company to Introduce Organic African Rooibos Tea and the Trust Organic Small Farmers Co-op at The Natural Products Expo West Show
(from a press release)
Two Leaves and a Bud, the tea company with whole leaf organic tea sachets for "a better cuppa' tea", is pleased to announce the introduction of Organic African Sunset Red Tea. This rooibos (red bush or red tea) caffeine-free herbal tea will be supplied by a small farmers' cooperative in South Africa; it will be the first tea launched in North America from The Trust Organic Small Farmers Alliance (TOSFA).
The TOSFA is a unique initiative, founded by producers, traders and non-government organizations (NGOs) from around the world. The TOSFA works within existing Fair Trade labeling and organic certification procedures to help small farmers overcome the disadvantages that they face. African Sunset tea will debut at Expo West Natural Products Show, March 14-16 2008.
Other exciting company developments include the introduction of three new Super Fruit Teas and the conversion to Certified Organic of White Rose (White Peony) and High Mountain Chai.
African Sunset is a 100% organic herbal tea blend, which includes organic rooibos (red tea), organic lemongrass and lemon peel. Rooibos is a naturally caffeine free tea and like green tea, contains significant amounts of antioxidants, iron, potassium, magnesium, copper, calcium, manganese and fluoride.
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Whole Leaf Organics: New Tea Pyramids From Choice Organic Teas
(from a press release)
Choice Organic Teas, North America’s leading purveyor of exclusively organic teas, announces the launch of Whole Leaf Organics, the largest collection of organic, Fair Trade Certified tea pyramids on the market today. Packed in eco-friendly, biodegradable tea pyramids, this product line brings an artful new shape to the organic tea experience. Available May 2008, the first taste will come at Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, CA from March 14-16.
Loose leaf teas are often considered by tea connoisseurs to be the finest way to enjoy a cup, as the unfurling of the full tea leaves allows complex flavors to come to the forefront. With extra room inside each tea pyramid, Whole Leaf Organics achieves this same quality but with the added convenience of a tea bag. The line includes eight varieties of traditional blends and new favorites — English Breakfast, Earl Grey, Estate Blend Darjeeling, Jade Green, Jasmine Green, Chamomile Citrus, Sweet Liquorice Mint, and Lychee White. The suggested retail price is $8.49 for a 15-count box of individually wrapped tea pyramids.
Choice Organic Teas
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For your consideration, a few tea-related news bits I've run across recently. For more of my writings about tea, be sure to check out the Twinings Tea Blog at Twinings Canada, where I'm a regular contributor.
The New York Times ran a brief report this week on an interesting project that takes used tea bags, of all things, and turns them into little wee canvases with which artsy-fartsy stuff can be made.
Even the most avid tea fanciers among us probably stop short of worshiping tea or the paraphernalia associated with it. Not so for a group in Malaysia who once worshipped a giant teapot, or at least they did until the government there destroyed it. For more, read this recent article from the Telegraph.
Here's a nifty item called the Tea Control Teapot with Brew Stop Infuser. Whether or not it works as promised, it still gets points for looking nice.
Last up is an item that falls into the category of tea tourism. It's the Web site for the Tea Factory Hotel, in Sri Lanka, the land of Ceylon tea.
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tea, green tea, food, food and drink

As noted recently, in addition to publishing Tea Guy Speaks (which has been kind of quiet lately), I've also begun contributing to the Twinings Tea Blog. Here's an expanded list of the articles I've written for that site:
American Liver Foundation Study Show Green Tea May Aid in Keeping Fatty Liver Disease at Bay
Grown in the USA: Small-Scale Tea Production Efforts Take Root in the United States
Black Tea - Lapsang Souchong: Fujian China's Distinctively Smoky Black Tea
Water Water Everywhere: A Quick Look at Tea's Other Ingredient
Tea Health - National Parkinson Foundation Research: Green And Black Tea May Aid in Protecting Against Parkinson's Disease
Keeping Up With Tea: A Brief Guide to Tea Magazines
Earl Grey's Legacy Includes One of the World's Most Beloved Flavored Teas
Research Shows Link Between Tea Consumption and Lower Cholesterol
Teawakers: Automatic Tea Makers Deliver Morning Tea for More Than a Century
Understanding Cha: An Overview of the Types of Japanese Tea
Chai: India's Favorite Flavored Tea Adds Spice to Cups Worldwide
T Ching Blog Takes on Tea With a Roster of More Than 40 Contributors
Tokyo's National Cancer Center Research Finds That Green Tea May Aid in Fighting Prostate Cancer
Drink Tea and Lose Weight With Dr. Tea and the Ultimate Tea Diet
Rooibos: South Africa's Redbush Herbal Tea is Heavy on Health Benefits and Light on Caffeine
Tea Bag History Culminates in Gourmet Pyramid Bags
Everything About Teapots
Darjeeling - The Champagne of Teas
Brewing the Perfect Cup of Tea
The Evolution of Tea - A Brief History
Tea Drinkers Enjoying Health Benefits
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tea, green tea, food, food and drink

From the New York Times, by way of QuickFound.net, here are some links to historical articles about tea.
Tea In China - August 19, 1854
Tea-Growing In India - March 23, 1862
For Drinkers Of Tea - December 11, 1870
Tea Growing In Ceylon - October 7, 1888
The Tea Ceremony In Japan - July 17, 1892
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tea, green tea, food, food and drink
I wasn't aware that Tetley sponsored a photo contest, but they recently announced the winners of the sixth incarnation of that annual competition. The contest was held in association with Nikon and ePHOTOzine. This year's winner - and very well-deserved - Lou Hardless of Stevenson College, Edinburgh.
Due to possible copyright-related issues I haven't posted any photos here. See the winning entry and the runners-up at the ePHOTOzine site.
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tea, green tea, food, food and drink

From the news archives, here's an assortment of somewhat offbeat tea-related items.
For the gadget lovers, the New Zealand press reports on an inventor and saxophone player who's whipped up with a "sonic boiler," a device that supposedly boils water very quickly.
I'm not sure why you'd need a bin set aside specifically for your used tea bags, but if you do, the Teabag Bin is tailor-made for you. From the manufacturer's blurb:
"This stylish little container made from high grade steel or plastic sits happily next to the kettle and swallows up used teabags keeping your kitchen mess free. Available in chrome, brushed steel and a selection of colours the Teabag Bin is a must have item for your home."
Not content to simply drink your tea? According to this article - Things You Never Thought You Could Do with Tea! - you can use it to tenderize meat, polish furniture, freshen stinky carpets and more.
A social network for tea drinkers? It's here - though it's still in the formative stages. It's called Hot For Tea and you can have a look here.
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tea, green tea, food, food and drink

(Update)
For more on the connection between tea and dental health, check out this article about TEAth Floss.
Here's the blurb from the manufacturer's Web site:
"Developed by a dentist to aid in the prevention of periodontal disease. TEAth FLOSS™ is made from the finest quality dental floss and infused with natural tea flavors. This floss is tantalizing to the taste buds."
(Original Post)
I've been trying to think of consumer products that don't contain green tea and the list gets smaller every day. I have yet to see green tea butter or margarine, green tea breakfast cereal or green tea motor oil and I'm really surprised that nobody's dreamed up a green tea hair loss tonic yet.
But green tea toothpaste? No problem. Check out Dr. Ken's Web site, where you'll find it, along with green tea chewing gum (more on that here), mouthwash, dental floss and breath strips.
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tea, green tea, food, food and drink

Yerba mate company Guayaki announced recently that they've introduced "the first espresso yerba mate designed for preparation in a coffee maker." Here's the link to the product at the Guayaki site and here's an excerpt from the press release:
"Gaucho Fuerte allows people that prefer the convenience of automatic coffee makers over traditional South American gourds and French Presses to enjoy the full potency of yerba mate like the gauchos enjoy it. Simply brew 1-2 tablespoons of Gaucho’s Fuerte per cup of water. This new product is available in a 1-pound bag for $12.00 and a 5-pound economy size bag for $52.50. The improved form of brewing and extraction provided by Gaucho’s Fuerte increases the yield per pound and is a cost-saver for customers."
According to a recent piece in the Beer Advocate, Brazil's Dado Bier Ilex is the first beer in Brazil to be made from yerba-maté. The article also asserts that it's "the first beer with yerba-maté," though that distinction should probably go to Mateveza, which we've reported on here.
Speaking of Mateveza, here's a link to a Mateveza ringtone.
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tea, green tea, food, food and drink

The Leaf recently rolled out the first issue of a Web-only magazine about tea and it's certainly worth a look. Here are some of the articles:
Lu Yu; Soul Man by James Norwood Pratt
Romancing the Leaf by Aaron Fisher
Puerh Allows Us to Go the Long Haul by Chen Chih Tung
China’s Legendary Green Teas by Mary Lou Heiss
Recreating Legends with Zhou Yu
Gong Fu Tea Tips with Master Ling Ping Xiang
The Conscientious Tea Consumer by Thomas Leons
The magazine is free of charge. Check it out here.
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tea, green tea, food, food and drink

Here are a few more interesting bits about tea - actually they're mostly about teaware and accessories - that I've run across lately. As noted in my last entry, TGS is on something like a brief hiatus while I wrap up a tea-related project.
Here's some information about teapot design from the Appalachian Center for Craft at Tennessee Technological University. It appears that they give a course in teapot design, but I'm not completely sure about that.
Speaking of teapots, here's an article from the International Herald Tribune called The Tale of a Teapot and Its Creator.
If you've ever struggled with the problem of how to have a decent cup of tea while traveling, the Teazer Tea Tumbler might be worth investigating. Here's a review of this nifty little gadget.
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tea, green tea, food, food and drink
Tea Fans,
If you visit this site regularly you may have noticed that it hasn't been real active for the last week or two. TGS is not going anywhere, but I've been wrapped up in working on another tea-related project. It will be finished soon and then things should start to get back to normal around these parts.
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tea, green tea, food, food and drink

Tea has been covered in some high-profile news outlets lately. Here are a few tidbits to ponder on your Sunday afternoon - while you have a cup of tea, of course.
The Seattle Times recently did a profile of Tazo Tea. You can find their wares in most supermarkets, but if the name sounds familiar its probably because Tazo is the tea of choice at all 2.4 million Starbucks outlets.
Whittling down the top places to have tea in the United States to a list of ten is probably a thankless task. But USA Today takes a crack at it, with the help of Jennifer Sauer, author of The Way to Tea: Your Adventure Guide to San Francisco Tea Culture. I'm sorry to say that I haven't had the chance to try any of these establishments.
If we may try an exercise in audience participation, where's your favorite place to go for tea?
Image: Ching Ching Cha
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tea, green tea, food, food and drink

(Update - 01/02/2008)
Congratulations to Rachel E., of DeBary, Florida, winner of the latest tea book giveaway.
(Original Post)
Just in time for the holidays, here's another tea book giveaway. I recently reviewed The Story of Tea: A Cultural History and Drinking Guide, by Mary Lou Heiss and Robert Heiss. You can read that and a number of my other tea and food-related book reviews at Epicurean.com. Click on Books on the top bar.
To enter the giveaway, send your name, email address and mailing address to wileng@weirdeats.com. To be eligible you must reside in the continental United States. The subject line of your entry must say Tea Book Giveaway.
Only one entry per person, please. Entries must be received no later than December 31, 2007. Your information will not be used for any purpose aside from this giveaway.
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Right off the top of my head, I can't think of too many things less appealing sounding than pantyhose tea. But, as I mentioned in an earlier entry, it's not nearly as weird as it sounds.
Reuters recently wrote about this concoction, which is apparently quite popular in Hong Kong. As the article notes, it's "brewed in a long cotton 'sock' or filter resembling a beige pantyhose, rather than a female undergarment itself." Well, that's a relief.
Here's an old article about pantyhose tea, from South Africa's Independent Online.
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tea, green tea, food, food and drink
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