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By Cookson Beecher
(Salem) Capital Press

The GreenBean's Green Earl Grey: The classic citrus aroma associated with Earl Grey comes from an essential oil pressed from a rare citrus fruit called bergamot. We use naturally floral “Pouchong” tealeaves from Taiwan and 100% pure essential oil of Bergamot Citrus from Southern Italy to create an Earl Grey unlike any other. Sweet, lingering citrus elements harmonize with Pouchong’s floral notes of lilac. One of our best selling blends. NOW $1 OFF!

BURLINGTON, Wash. — Twelve years ago, Sakuma Bros. Farms in Western Washington started on its way to growing a good cup of tea. Growing Camellia sinensus, commonly known as “the tea plant,” was completely new territory for the berry farm. But it had a guide to point the way – agricultural consultant and tea planter John Vendeland of Corvallis, Ore.

During a recent presentation about the farm’s tea-growing venture, Richard Sakuma said Vendeland was interested in expanding tea plantings to Western Washington because its winters were mild and it was close to the many tea drinkers in British Columbia.

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International Tea Fair in HK (Photo courtesy of channelnewsasia.com)

By Channel NewsAsia’s Hong Kong Correspondent Leslie Tang |  Posted: 14 August 2009 0038 hrs HONG KONG : Hong Kong has kicked off its first International Tea Fair in a bid to establish itself as a key tea trading hub in the region. The fair attracted more than 260 exhibitors from all over the world, including Africa. Hong Kong hopes hosting the fair will stake the Special Administrive Region’s (SAR’s) claim as a key tea trading hub in Asia. “I think this is a very good opportunity… to have such an international platform in Hong Kong, and Hong Kong can also play an important part in promoting a tea drinking culture,” said York Chow, Hong Kong’s Secretary for Food and Health.

International Tea Fair in HK (Photo courtesy of channelnewsasia.com)

Hong Kong imported US$49 million worth of tea and tea products in 2008, a 10 per cent increase over the previous year. Tea exports also jumped 31 per cent in the same year, to the tune of US$15 million. With the world still in recession, exhibitors from Fujian to Kenya are buzzing around for new business. Alice Kithika, of One Touch Ltd (Kenya) said: “Very few people know about our tea. I feel we’ve not had the opportunity to explore the market. The Hong Kong Tea Fair is the best opportunity we’ve had so far, to get as many people from the region as possible.” According to the organisers, on a per capita basis, Hong Kong is the biggest consumer of tea in Asia. The SAR also believes it is well placed to become a hub for regional lifestyle trends. And to promote those trends under one roof, the tea fair was timed to coincide with the ever-popular Food Expo and Chinese Medicine exhibition. – CNA /ls Source:  http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/eastasia/view/448687/1/.html

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(AFP) – 8-13-09; 12:30PM

A survey found that 68% of Britons turn to tea in a dilemma (Hosted by Google)

LONDON — Researchers produced evidence Thursday to support what most Britons are famously certain of — that a cup of tea is the answer to any crisis.

Dr. Malcolm Cross, a psychologist at City University London, tested the anxiety levels of a group of people following a stressful situation and revealed that even a single cuppa has a significant calming effect.

His team gave 42 volunteers a mental arithmetic exam and afterwards offered half of them a cup of tea and the other half a glass of water.

The water group’s anxiety levels soared by 25 percent compared to before the task, while the tea group actually reported a four percent reduction in anxiety — despite the taxing test, they were more relaxed than when they started.

According to a survey carried out for the research, 68 percent of Britons turn to tea in a dilemma, making it Britain’s most common response to trouble of whatever kind.

About 60 percent said the promise of comfort and warmth was the main reason for putting the kettle on, but 48 percent said they found calm through the drink’s association with Britain and cultural icons such as the Queen.

“The ritual of making and drinking tea — particularly during times of stress — is at the very core of British culture,” Cross said.

“This study shows that the social psychological aspects of tea enhance the effects of its chemical make-up on our bodies and brains.

“It’s possible that this culturally rooted, symbiotic function between mind and body explains why Britons instinctively turn to tea in times of need.”

The survey of 3,050 tea drinkers was conducted by OnePoll during July, and commissioned by Direct Line insurance.

Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved.

Source: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iTbfCyogt6FJYFf7mgAbSbyBbp4g

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Teas good enough to be compared to the Mona Lisa!

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By HARRY HAYDON
Published: Today

A woman flipped out and hurled a mug of hot tea at the Mona Lisa — because she is believed to suffer from a disorder triggered by culture.

Picture courtesy of www.creativityspot.com

Stunned security guards at the Louvre Museum in Paris watched in horror as the Russian woman attacked the priceless portrait with the steaming brew.

The guards wrestled the lady — believed to be in her 30s and suffering from Stendhal Syndrome which causes confusion and irrational behaviour when exposed to fine art — to the ground after the attack on Sunday.

The Masterpiece:

She was immediately arrested and examined by doctors.

Leonardo Da Vinci’s priceless masterpiece is surrounded by bulletproof glass and was not damaged in the attack.

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Ancient Tea Tradition Inspired Great Art

"BAMBOO IN SNOW" by Korean Lee-Lee is among the works in "Tea Culture of Japan." (COURTESY OF KOO NEW YORK AND LEE-LEE-NAM)

*by Roger Catlin | The Hartford Courant
January 29, 2009

There is a simple grace to the new exhibit at Yale Art Gallery, “Tea Culture of Japan,” which opened this week in New Haven.

Like the life-size portable tearoom that is a showpiece of the spare exhibit, there is exquisite restraint to the examination of 1,000 years of tea culture, largely through the display of rare artifacts.

Exhibition curator Sadako Ohki, the gallery’s Japan Foundation Associate Curator of Japanese Art, says the show, subtitled “Chanoyu Past and Present,” may be the first of its kind in the U.S.

Rarely have so many artifacts — about 100 — been gathered to tell the story of a culture that developed over centuries, was cherished by families, and continues today. Part of the reason is the cost of the pieces, some of which date from the ninth century, when the practice brought from China to Japan.

Families tended to keep the pieces as heirlooms. Ohki says collectors only recently developed a taste for the pieces. Much of the current show is from the collection of Peggy and Richard M. Danziger.

“Chanoyu,” a term meaning “hot water for tea,” is a method of preparing tea that involves a tea ceremony, though that term has fallen out of favor due to its religious connotations.

The simple approach that began in medieval times (with tearoom entrances kept small so that all had to bow when entering) has remained constant; the calligraphy and shapes continue in the modern age, with snow falling gently on bamboo on a video screen now instead of rice paper.

“Tea Culture of Japan” continues through April 22 at the Yale University Art Gallery, where admission is free.

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*Source: http://www.courant.com/entertainment/museums/galleries/hc-artweek0129.artjan29,0,2467621.story