[-] I came across a link to this interesting article about the increase in the number of small farmers producing tea in Assam, India. The farmers grow the leaves and then sell them to larger companies to be turned into made tea. This can provide a significant and steady source of income for the farmers, which is great, although there may be some concerns about quality. However, since better leaf fetches higher prices at auction, i presume there's a strong incentive for the farmers to improve where they can.

Also spotted via Twitter, my main (only?) connection to the external world since I never pay any attention to current affairs, this article about Lipton in the US getting warned off by the FDA for making tea-related health claims. It is simultaneously funny and depressing to see companies claiming that their highly processed, sugar-filled, RTD teas are 'good for you' - come on, it's non-fizzy soft drink, people!

Plus it appears that the antioxidants in tea degrade over time, so fresh is going to be better than bottled - but we knew that anyway!

Finally, I boggled when I read this here:

Tea is generally considered to be safe, even in large amounts. However, two cases of hypokalemia (abnormally low serum potassium levels) in the elderly have been attributed to excessive consumption of black and oolong tea (3-14 liters/day).

To be honest, I think that anyone who was drinking that much (14 LITRES? How could you manage it?) of anything might end up just a little bit potassium deficient...

Tea Stuff Roundup - Assam, & Mind Your Heslth Claims - http://joiedetea.blogspot.com/feeds/7708456220671877594/comments/default

[-] This was receieved as a sample as part of a wonderful tea tasting opportunity hosted by Matt over at Mattcha's Blog. I had been very curious to Try Dao Tea's offerings as they seem to offer the largest selection of Korean teas sold by a Western vendor outside of Hankook (really stretching the definition of Western vendor, but they have an Office/warehouse/distribution center in California). I must say that this tea was a surprise, as I was not sure how well a Green tea could store for over a year, and I must say if this was the 2009 Version I eagerly await the 2010 version which I believe was included in the generous number of samples.

Dao Tea 2009 Kim Shin Ho Sejak - http://www.thesiptip.com/feeds/3631450540907703643/comments/default

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What sounds like the title of a suspense novel, is the story about the beginnings of a tea which can be considered one of the most popular among traditional black teas.

While there are numerous opinions about when and how this tea blend was created, they all center on a political figure of the 18^th century – Earl Grey.  Earl Grey, the person, was born Charles Grey II in England in 1764. He spent most of his life in politics and in 1830, became Prime Minister of Britain. The Earl was very passionate about human rights and used his position to not only abolish slavery in the British Empire, but to also reform the child labor laws. These are the facts recorded in history books, however, what is a little bit more obscure and not so easily agreed upon, is how a very popular tea came to be named after this famous gentleman.

One of the versions I read tells that during his political career, the Earl was very taken with a diplomatic gift he received – a chest of flavored black tea. He liked the tea so much that he asked British tea merchant Richard Twining to match the flavor of this mysterious tea. Twining created a blend of Indian and Ceylon black tea and added a bit of smoky Chinese Lapsang Souchong. He also used a special and rare ingredient which lent this tea its unique citrus fragrance and flavor. Since Twining blended the tea especially for the Earl, it was only fitting to name it after him – Earl Grey!

The secret of Earl Grey – the tea that is, – lies in this special ingredient, the oil of bergamot fruit (Citrus bergamia risso). As secret as the ingredient, as secret is the place where we find bergamot. It is in San Gregorio, a tiny village in the province of Reggio Calabria, the southernmost part of the Italian boot where bergamot grows in luscious orchards that supply 95% of the world’s bergamot – this inedible fruit that gives Earl Grey its unique character and citrus flavor.

While it is unclear how the fruit ended up in Italy, San Gregorio is the only place where bergamot is successfully grown on a larger scale.

The fruit weighs about 3.5 ounces and is harvested in early spring.  In the early days, the essence was extracted by squeezing the rind manually and collecting the liquid onto natural sea sponges that were wrung into bottles. This slow and messy work was later replaced by the macchina Calabrese, a wooden grinding wheel with a box to collect the essence. It takes 100 pounds of fruit to make one pound of essence, making bergamot an expensive flavoring agent.

While there are less expensive, synthetically created essences that resemble the flavor of bergamot, the purest and finest bergamot essence can only be found in Calabria and a powerful agricultural consortium, the Consortia Del Bergamotto is responsible for overseeing its production and for making decisions which affect the global tea industry.

The next time you purchase Earl Grey, let your tea purveyor lift the secret of its secret ingredient and make sure you get to enjoy a cup of true bergamot scented tea!

As for the equally well known “Lady Grey” black tea blend, which by the way is only blended and sold by Twining, it is named after Mary Elizabeth Grey, wife of Charles II.

People used to say that Earl Grey was too strong for the delicate female constitution and could cause rather strange impulses. Therefore, Lady Grey was blended to suit the female palette better and to ease women’s minds and hearts. Next to the traditional bergamot essence, the flavor of Lady Grey is softened by the addition of flower and fruit essences.

Whether you prefer Earl or Lady Grey, make sure you are enjoying the true secret of the oil of bergamot in your cup.

Cheers!

The Secret of Earl Grey - http://souviatea.com/blog/2010/09/08/the-secret-of-earl-grey/

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Why is Tea such a soothing beverage…? - http://teachat.teamoods.com/archives/577

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观音 Kwan Yin - http://enkoppzen.blogspot.com/feeds/8165291777431150056/comments/default

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Summer is a great time to enjoy a glass of iced tea.  Brewing tea in cold water produces a refreshing beverage.  The cold water gently pulls the flavor from the leaves.  All types of tea - white, oolong, green, and black - can be cold brewed. One tablespoon of premium loose-leaf tea makes up to 32 ounces!  Iced tea stored in the refrigerator stays good for about 3 days.

Here are two cold-brewing techniques:

Cold Brewing in the Sun (Sun Tea)

Place 1-3 tablespoons of premium loose-leaf tea in a 32-ounce glass pitcher with a top.  Pour 4 cups of cold filtered water over the tea leaves.  Place the glass pitcher in direct sunlight for 4 hours.  Remove the leaves, pour over ice, and serve.  As a child, I visited my aunt in Virginia in the summer.  My aunt loved to brew a jug of Lipton sun tea with a few cups of sugar.  As an adult, I like to cold brew loose-leaf black tea.

Cold Brewing in the Refrigerator

Place 1-3 tablespoons of premium loose-leaf tea in a 32-ounce glass pitcher with a top.  Pour 4 cups of cold filtered water over the tea leaves.  Place the glass pitcher in the refrigerator for 4-8 hours.  Remove the leaves, pour over ice, and serve.  You can put your tea in the fridge to cold brew before you leave for work or when you arrive home.

Dried leaves steep well in cold water, but take longer.  If you are short on time, open the leaves with a little hot water.  Pour a cup of hot water over the leaves, let the leaves steep for a few minutes, and then add three cups of cold water.  The tea will infuse twice as fast.

My favorite teas to cold brew are teas with fruit.  What’s your favorite iced tea?

MAIN | IMAGE 1

Cold brewing iced teas - http://www.tching.com/2010/09/cold-brewing-iced-teas/

[-] No problem! Check out the nifty things you can do with mismatched, spare teacups...

Jess made a teacup succulent garden - doesn't it look beyond terrific, like something from a magazine shoot!


And Deb shares tutorials on how to make mini cake stands out of old plates and other crockery, including teacups - great for cupcakes or small things.

I would love to do either or both of these activities, and they seem pretty well within my creative abilities, but if you are totally talented and capable of something really challenging, then take some inspiration from this 'storm in a teacup' which I spotted on Tea for Joy:



Spare Teacups? - http://joiedetea.blogspot.com/feeds/6469367548425059133/comments/default

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Teapot Bracelets, Earrings and Necklaces - http://www.friendshiptea.net/feeds/7845764174940946732/comments/default

[-]  Having just received Pedro's ( Dao Teas ) bag of samples in the mail, I was eager to give this Balhyocha a try. Thanks go's to Pedro and Matt ( Mattcha's Blog ) who are sponsoring this event. Between this tea tasting, the book club and his regular posts, Matts got his work cut out for him. Matt and Pedro are having an online tasting of Korean teas of which I am one of the lucky ten people that are participating.

This tea was made in 2009 by Tea Master Kim Jong Yeol, grown in the Hwagae Village, South Korea. Pedro sources all of Dao Teas offerings himself directly from the Tea Masters. Pedro doesn't have a huge selection but what he has is a fairly nice selection of Korean teas that all of which are handmade using time honored, traditional techniques.



First things first, the dry leaf is a very deep, dark, roasted brown color. With the some of the leaves edges showing a rich burnt sienna. An intense aroma of malted grain and chocolate, with the slightest touch of fruity raisin. The leaves are quite long, chunky and thick, what that tells me is that there is a lot of flavor packed in those leaves that typically results in many, many infusions. Leaves with these characteristics usually require at least one infusion just to get them to open up a little. So, the first pot is a teaser for what's to come later infusions.

The recommended brewing method suggests using 175 degree water. O.K. I,ll give it a shot, I would have thought hotter water would be needed to pull the flavors out of these stout leaves. The aroma wafting from the pot is very nice, malted grain (cereal) chocolaty, a tad fruity. The tea brews a yellow cup with a touch of amber, judging by the color of the dry leaf I was expecting something a little more reddish, brown.

Very nice! The flavor leans very much toward cereal and chocolate, reflects it's aromas very well. No astringency at all, very slightly sweet. In some ways the Balhyocha's aroma is reminiscent of a China Congo, but then again it's in a category of it's own. Hmmm......it's a nice tea but it just isn't delivering what I would consider fully saturated flavors. Not quite living up to my expectations. Resorting to using hotter water and longer infusion times in an attempt to get a little more flavor out of the leaf but it was to no avail, the teas already fading. Could this be caused by the tea being a year old? I,m gonna have to buy a bag of this so I can get a better grasp of Balhyocha's flavors and brewing requirements.








2009 Kim Jong Yeol's Balhyocha (Dao Tea) - http://teadork.blogspot.com/feeds/5556684616527162178/comments/default

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A mere mini post today - But don'tchu worry, tomorrow their will be a Tea Review (Hint Hint - London Cuppa - Nudge Nudge).

I have set myself my very first Blog GOAL...the "20 Followers Goal".
I have a deep desire to get to 20 Followers (aka Lovers of me) ...and once this magical number has been reached - I am excited to announce I will do my very first contest. I want to start off with a BANG, so your not going to want to miss it! Trust you me!

So I ask you all - whom ever if a Lover of Tea, Baking, Fashion and of course ME....Forward my blog on to all or if your not yourself already... become a followers. Help me reach my Blog Goal, you'll be happy you did :)

Once the contests start - they will only continue and get better from their on out!


XOXO
Yours Truly

20 Followers = Contests - http://lahteadah.blogspot.com/feeds/8827120516222994669/comments/default