This week I returned from the World Tea Expo in Atlanta. It was a great trip and much fun was had by all. The Art of Tea booth was very busy all weekend. We won first and second place for two of our iced teas in the “Shake Off Competition” and our TNT was generating huge interest. This was great for us as Steve, Dave and I all stayed very busy talking to people at our booth about Art of Tea.

The problem was we never really had time to wander the expo floor. Part of the fun of being there is to check out what other people have. I got home and realized I spent a weekend with 400 tea vendors and only tried three teas! Not good. I needed a fix.

On Tuesday, I grabbed my friend Robb and took him to a local tea lounge. Robb is slowly becoming a tea drinker. I picked a place that offers “tea flights”. Similar to a wine flight, the idea is that you get to sample several teas that have a similar theme. Since my friend usually drinks black tea I decided that a Pu-erh flight might get his attention. It was great. We got four teas from different producers and different ages.

I decided doing a tasting like this was a great way to turn someone on to tea. If you are going to introduce a friend to tea at a tasting here are a few things to look for.

1) Try to find a lounge that has a bar to sit at. The whole process will go easier if you are near their work area. They are going to steep several small pots for you.

2) Go during a slow time. We went at 2:00 on a weekday. The person was able to really spend some time with us talking about the teas. They even tried some of them with us.

3) Take notes. I am always taking notes when I try new teas. Very few people have the kind of olfactory recall that allows them to remember everything they taste. I also find that taking notes helps me discover new taste sensations.

4) Have fun. Don’t take it too seriously. It should be a fun experience to try new teas. If you are introducing someone to tea, don’t over complicate it – they will be glued to their espresso machine for life! You could do this at home if you would like.

If I had my way I would offer an “Intro to Tea” Flight – white, green, oolong, black, pu-erh. Doing a set up like this you could taste your way through the different processing methods that determine the end result in the tea. I find that once people see the un-steeped leaves then try the teas they begin to really understand the process. Enjoying tea becomes less daunting. Tea is after all a delicious and healthy beverage that should be simple to enjoy and share.

Art of Tea shakes it up at the World Tea Expo in Atlanta, GA. Amongst 60+ entries brewing their best, Art of Tea was awarded 1^st and 2^nd place for the best tea in America. The awards were honored by the World Tea Expo, Tea Association of America and the Specialty Tea Institute.

Prior to going, we signed up to participate in a shake off. If you recently read our article about how to make Shaken Iced Teas, you will appreciate this.

After hours of shaking ice in front of a crowd, and showing off our creative new packaging for Iced Teas, Art of Tea garnered two achievements:

First place was awarded in the Black Tea Commercial Iced Tea Competition with our Organic Classic Black and second place was given in the Green Tea Commercial Iced Tea Competition to our Green Pomegranate.

We are ecstatic over the opportunity to have two of our custom hand crafted organic teas compete in this competition and get great recognition for both taste and quality.  It is a strong statement for the organic sector to move forward with confidence knowing that quality and ethics can be a winning combo. 

Check out our new Iced Tea Kit if you are interested in shakin’ it up yourself!

Damn it’s getting hot! I don’t know where you are while you read this but if you are in the northern half of this ball we call earth you are probably getting ready for summer. As the world tilts and the sun returns to spend more time shining on this half, the temperature rises and I want more cold beverages. Which brings me to Iced Tea.

At Art of Tea we offer several teas that we custom blend to serve iced. What makes them different from the teas we offer to be enjoyed hot? Many of the iced teas we offer have the same names and ingredients as our hot teas but they are made differently. With a tea that will be served iced we need to increase the delicious and natural additives to make sure the flavor comes across. Think of it like a white wine. Coming right out of your refrigerator a chardonnay has only so much flavor that you can notice. Let that wine warm up to cellar or even room temp and you will detect more of its true character.

Tea is the same, so our flavored iced teas have a little more kick added to them so that you can still enjoy all of the subtle nuances that you would find when served hot. It is still tea and we never forget that fact. Whenever we flavor a tea we view it more as a compliment than an additive. We never want to overwhelm the unique character of the leaf.

Back to the iced tea thing since it is summertime. You don’t have to use a tea made for “iced tea” to enjoy a refreshing beverage. It will surprise you how much you might enjoy making an Iced Tea from a tea that you enjoy hot. And you may find that you don’t need to add any sweeteners, citrus, cream, etc. One of my latest favorite iced teas these days is our Earl Grey Crème. A little citrus, touch of vanilla and still definitely a black tea - absolutely great chilled.

HOW TO MAKE AN AWESOME SHAKEN ICED TEA:
Here’s a little trick for you. If you don’t have a martini shaker set, pick one up at any restaurant supply or get our Ice Tea Shaker Kit which is cool because it comes with some great free samples to try out. Brew a pot of your favorite tea, a little on the strong side. Pack the pint glass full of ice. Pour the tea over the ice. Put the stainless steel shaker firmly on top. Hold both halves, put over your shoulder and shake hard. It’s not worth the mess in your kitchen to try any fancy Tom Cruise moves during this step. You will feel it get cold in you hands. Once well chilled set the shaker down so that the stainless steel part is on the counter. Lift the glass off the shaker. This step keeps the tea from running down your hands since the glass is nesting inside the shaker. Pour the tea back into the glass so you can look at it. Most of the ice will have melted. Add fresh ice to a clean glass – you can probably do two servings. Use the strainer to pour your now chilled tea into your glasses of ice. Sit back and enjoy the dog days of summer.

Tai Ping Hou Kui -Wong Quay Chen (Old Man Monkey)

There is only 1,500 kilos produced of this hand made tea every year.

Legend has it that monkeys were destroying a village so the villagers got together and moved the monkeys away. One monkey remained and an old man felt bad for that monkey so he took care of him and in exchange the monkey harvested these rare and wild leaves for the old man. Today they are still hand crafted not machine pressed or processed.

Also they are only spring harvested and crafted by hand which is seen on the fold of the leaf.  Most commercial Tai Pong Hou Kui shows large imprints from a machine compacting and processing the leaf.  This is 100% hand crafted and stored at very cool temperatures to preserve its freshness.  **This is the largest and longest produced green tea leaf. Larger than any other Tai Ping Hou Kui that is in the market place.  Smaller harvests generally denotes a Fall harvest.

This tea benefits from 5 grams per serving. To serve place the leaves in a tee-pee shape in a tall glass or teapot. Pour a small amount of hot water to create a gentle steam from 190 F at the bottom of the glass. This allows the leaves to open more fully. Then completely fill the glass with the remaining water.

This is also the tea that Nixon was given on his trip to China when China began to open it’s doors to the world.
The tea is light and refreshing with a slight floral finish. If you would like to try a sample Art of Tea is offering samples of their limited stock and we suggest that you ask for a sample in the comment section of the checkout with your order at www.artoftea.com. Just let us know your comments on the blog when you get the samples. Look forward to sharing this wonderful tea with you!

Today while I was working, an imposing man of about six foot three bombarded me with questions about our tea. He wanted to know about everything. Which tea was the healthiest, what jasmine tea was, what the difference between green and black tea was, what it was to have bubbles in your drink, and eventually he settled with a melon jasmine tea with bubbles. It was unusual and I could tell right away something wasn’t right; he had an unusual smirk on his face as if he knew something I didn’t. A few minutes later my boss walks up behind me and lets the man into the preparation area. It was Steve from Art of Tea. He was brought into Dallas to educate the Fat Straws employees on teas. You can imagine I felt like a genius…

Later that night we began our tea clinic. We started out with white teas, moved to green teas, to oolong teas, to black teas, to pu-erhs, to tisanes. We were inundated with information. About halfway through our lesson we came to the most interesting tea to me. It was the Pu-erh. The leaves are steamed quickly and then stored in caves where they ferment. Steve informed us that Pu-erh is similar to a fine wine and that it grows and changes as it ages.

And in a similar way it is a connoisseurs tea. It can be stored over fifty years old. I’m in love with it. It has an earthy taste that changes slightly with each brew. I’ve steeped the same leaves three times now and it is evolving every time. The first brew was my favorite, but it relaxed my body and managed to clear my mind every time; the perfect way to wind down a long day. Pu-erh is the perfect evening tea for me.

This post is written by Jake Windahl, an aspiring tea enthusiast and team member at Fat Straws in Dallas, Texas.

Dave Lindenbaum is Director of Operations at AOT. Before working with Steve Schwartz, Dave was a Financial Analyst at an Investment Bank, a Program Director for University of Pennsylvania, and a West Coast America Tour Guide, amongst other things. He came to AOT to combine his love of helping and educating others in health and wellness and his enthusiasm for developing and contributing towards an already successful business.

Q: As a kid, you grew up eating pretty healthy. Why is that, and how has that affected where you are today?
A: I didn’t really have a choice. My mom was always into nutrition and eating healthy. But it came from the way she was raised from her parents as well. Healthy eating growing up was more of an intuitive process than it is today where people are counting calories and making sure they have enough blueberries or whatever is big in the media. Please note, that I love blueberries and they are in fact one of the best foods you could have for their antioxidants and fiber content but in my family it was more of my Mom would make sure we had one or two vegetables per meal and things like soda and cookies were few and far between oatmeal and carrots. My dad was the big potato chips and candy eater but fortunately through the years he has compromised with my mom… over 30 years of marriage will do that J
Q: Tell me a little about your involvement with music, dancing, where it came from, and where it has gone.
A: I began taking piano lessons when I was around 10 years old. I hated it initially because when all my other friends were out playing basketball, I was learning the C Major scale. It wasn’t until when I picked up the guitar that music had a powerful impact on my life. Since the age of 16 I have been playing in bands and writing my own songs, mostly comedy. One of the things I love about music is that it is truly the only universal language. I have seen people in a bad mood or shy and if a song connects with them, BHAM! they open up and start dancing. I love dancing as well, but for me dancing is just a way to express what I’m feeling when I’m listening to music. Definitely one of the perks at Art of Tea, is that we listen to a lot of music while blending teas. Sometimes we even dance. In fact Steve and I have been known to bust a move or two during an event! People see these two smiley guys dancing and having fun and they will come up to us and say, “I’ll have whatever you guys are drinkin”, then we show them our cup of our Plum Oolong or Citron Mate and they can’t get enough. This actually happens!

Q: Tell me a little about why you visit assisted living communities.
A: I remember going with my Dad to visit my grandma in her assisted living community when I was pretty young and not really sure what to make out of it. The general sence of the place was a little depressing when you walked in. But as soon as you made eye contact with one of the residents and said hello, they would light up! It was quite amazing. I didn’t realize what an impact it had on my life until recently when I moved out to LA and started going to Assisted Living Communities to lead an exercise entertainment class, Stretching and Kvetching. The residents tell me that they look forward to the class all week, but what they don’t realize is how great they make me feel when I see them and interact with them. We were told groweing up to respect your elders, but it should go deeper than that. We should learn from our elders. We should sing and dance with our elders. We should have fun and enjoy our elders. That is what should be taught. I am more alive after visiting an assisted living community than walking in. Plus all the Ninety year old woman think I’m cute and want to set me up with their grand daughters, so that’s nice for the self esteem J

Q: We hear that you like to make your own Kombucha. Tell me about that, and why you it.
A: Well it all started about 8 months ago when Steve and I went out to a restaurant that had Kombucha. He introduced it to me and thought I would like it. It was like nothing I have ever tasted before! I think for about two weeks I was buying at least one bottle a day. After those two weeks and witnessing first hand some dramatic benefits from the tea, (for me the main benefit was the control of my acid reflux and better digestion), I began researching like a mad man anything I could get my hands and eyes on. After reading several books on the topic I decided to start brewing my own. Initially I was a little weary, but my first batch came out pretty good. Soon I began sharing the kombucha tea with my friends who encouraged me to make more. Now after months of experimenting with different ingredients and conditions, I am very proud of my brewed Kombucha tea, and would encourage everyone to obtain a Kombucha Culture to begin brewing their own.

Q: What is your favorite wake-up tea? And weekend tea?
A: Wow, this is like a three pager. I will say what I am currently drinking every single morning. A full baked Puehr Tuo Cha. Puerh is a special fermented aged tea that has a slightly musty earth taste quality to it. Like all tea it is packed with healthy flavonoids, polyphenols and antioxidants, however Puerh also processes a special healthy bacteria property that has been scientifically proven to cut cholesterol, oxidize blood, and help metabolize fat. Any one of these characteristics are reason enough to drink this wonderful tea every morning. But the reason why I love it so much is because full baked puerh are very forgiving towards over steeping. In fact, a normal suggested steeping time is 5 to 7 minutes. This works great because as soon as I wake up I brew a cup and I can brush my teeth and shower while the tea’s steeping. Tuo-cha’s are individual bowl shaped pressed Puerhs and they are great because they come pre measured. Plus you can resteep Puerhs several times so I always re-steep with fresh hot water at least once or twice for the drive into work. Weekdays and weekends share the same current Puerh morning ritual .

Q: Why do you drink tea in 10 words or less?
A: Unlike other beverages, the more I drink = better I feel (I used an equal sign instead of the word “the” to adhere to the rules… “=” is a symbol)

Q: List one thing that you do everyday to speaks of who you are?
A: I make a complete stranger laugh. It might take sever attempts or several complete strangers, but everyday I make someone who I never met before and maybe never will meet again smile or laugh. I never really thought of how this speaks to who I am but I will say this: no matter what we pursue in life, we should enjoy it. Making someone smile or laugh reminds me of this everyday.

It was a sunny, brisk, billowy-clouded Sunday… perfect weather for Gen Mai Cha. I headed over to Abbot Kinney, the cool boutique-and-café populated section of Venice, CA, for the seventh annual Valentine’s Tea Festival. The featured country this year was Japan, so I knew I’d find my fix.

Housed in the Electric Lodge, a solar-powered community space dedicated to artistic and environmentally conscious development, guests were invited to celebrate tea and culture Japanese-style.

Tea vendors were at the ready, and while my palate is a bit pampered by Art of Tea’s signature Gen Mai Cha, “Dragon Crisp,” my craving for the hot, roasted goodness of this so-called “poor man’s tea” was satiated.

The Valentine’s Tea Festival proved to be a lovely event with a wonderful feeling of community. Old friends coming again to see what this years festival had to offer as well as local walk-ins checking out what was going on in the neighborhood.

Creations by local artists were exhibited and performances were held to entertain guests. There were calligraphy workshops where you could try your hand at the art of sumi-e and origami lessons, with kids and adults alike delighting in the creation of paper cranes whose wings would flap at a pull of the tail. Sushi and mochi making demonstrations provided their own delectable appeal in the realm of edible art!

My favorite part of the festival was experiencing the traditional Japanese tea ceremony. Performed by Stinton Stranger, an artisan who crafts beautiful tea tables from reclaimed wood, this nearly 500 year-old tradition is imbued with appreciation for the moment. Every aspect of this exchange between host and guest is marked with grace and significance — from the way the ladle is handled, seasonal decorations that might appear on the various implements, to the kind of flower that might be displayed (like a delicate camellia, which would only last the day, as opposed to a heartier blossom, like the chrysanthemum). Hot water is ladled with care into the bowl to clean it, discarded, and then another added for whisking the fine, powdered matcha. The bowl is turned three times and then handed to the guest, a frothy, brilliant green. It is a sacred sharing of a moment in time, unique, honored and then relinquished like a cherry blossom carried away on the wind. Of course, the Electric Lodge had some thumping beats coursing through her P.A. system, so it wasn’t quite as poetic as cherry blossoms on the wind, but you get the idea.

The Valentine’s Tea Festival is a labor of love that began with Kulov, the event producer, throwing Valentine’s Day tea parties for his nieces. The fun and success of those parties grew to include more and more people and naturally evolved into the larger occasion now celebrated.

“Every year around Valentine’s Day we host a cultural event honoring a country with a strong tradition of tea,” says Kulov. “Last year, we celebrated India and the response was quite enthusiastic. Los Angeles enjoys a special richness in its various communities,” he continues, “yet they often seem isolated from one another. Part of this is because everything is so far apart and spread out. But we like to mix it up a little by creating community-building events that are both fun and informative. And probably the biggest compliment we received last year was that people wished L.A. was always like this.”

The success of the 7th annual Valentine’s Tea festival, with nearly 200 guests (double last years attendance!), surely points toward an 8th on the horizon of ‘08’s V-day, with rumors of expansion to an entire weekend of tea and culture! Stay tuned to find out which country we’ll be exploring next time!

Tang, (not just the weird orange stuff)…

So the time is around the year 1000 and the custom of drinking tea began to spread from southern China throughout other countries in the Orient. This is known as China’s Golden Age in which the Tang Dynasty ruled. Monks were drinking tea like it was going out of style and it not only became a part of a daily beverage but also as a spiritual elixir. It was a way to go beyond this world and loose some inhibitions. Now this is where it gets interesting… because when you ask most people today to name a liquid that makes you loosen up and loose your inhibitions, can you guess what they will say?

Well those people will have some company with Europeans at that time. You see, as the Orient was basking in its Golden Age with tea, Europe was still drinking its foul (think Mad Dog 20/20 but not as good) medieval wine during her Dark Ages. It’s interesting, to see how a society’s beverage of choice can affect its culture. For example notice the two poems during the year 1000. One is about wine in Europe, the other; tea during the Tang dynasty. Who do you think would win the Reader’s Digest contest?

“Wine it is that gives life pleasure,
Yet tis naught in single measure,
Better is it thrice repeated,
And the fourth is rich conceited,
At the fifth, the mind’s labyrinthine,
At the sixth, the body’s supine.”
_____________________________________________________________

“I was lying lost in slumber as the morning sun climbed high,
When a thunderous knocking at the door shattered my dreams:
An officer of the law delivering a letter from the Imperial Censor,
Its three great seals slanting across the white silk cover.
Opening it, the words I read bring him vividly to mind.
He says enclosed is three hundred catties of moon-shaped cakes of tea…
For me.

The first drink sleekly moistened my lips and throat;
The second banished all my loneliness;
The third expelled the dullness from my mind,
Inducing inspirations born from all the books I read;
The forth broke me out in a light perspiration,
The fifth drink bathed every atom of my being.
Disbursing a lifetime’s troubles through my pores.
The sixth lifted me higher to kinship with Immortals.
This seventh is the utmost I can drink—”
_____________________________________________________________

Interesting, one is going into descriptive details of each steeping inspiring him from all the books he has ever read. While the other guy is saying that if you drink enough of this stuff, you’re mind will become twisted and you’ll end the night lying on your back, (I had to look up the meaning of labyrinthine).