The Tea Association of the USA, the Tea Council of the USA ...

Newsletter of The Tea Association of the USA, the Tea Council of the USA & the Specialty Tea Institute

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Volume 14 Issue 2

Summer Issue 2007

Each cup of tea represents an imaginary voyage.

~ Catherine Douzel

Inside this issue:

International Tea Gathering

Page 1

Thank You To Sponsors

Page 2

World Tea Expo

Page 3

Cooks Shop Here Page 3

Antioxidants in Demand

Page 4

Mark Your Calendar Page 4

Four Fine Teas... Page 5

NYC Tea Tours

Page 6

Tea In The City: Paris

Page 7

Member Press Releases

Page 8

Calendar Of Events Page 9

2007

International Tea Gathering

June 7-8, 2007 ? tea industry professionals from across the globe gathered to share insight, provide trade related updates, and share views on the global tea industry. With downtown Atlanta as their backdrop, Tea Association members and friends joined each other for two days of fun and networking.

Held in conjunction with the World Tea Expo, the International Tea Gathering jump-started with a lovely Welcome Reception atop the Westin Hotel's Sun Dial Room on Thursday evening. Attendees enjoyed a delicious array of hors d'oeuvres and specially mixed MarTEA-Ni's while taking in the amazing view of downtown Atlanta from 73 stories high. It was a fantastic opportunity to meet fellow members in a relaxed and exhilarating environment.

On Friday the festivities continued with a golf outing at Crystal Lake Golf & Country Club along with a very informative 3 1/2 Producing Country/Importer/ Retailer briefing. Presenters at the briefing included Mr. Joseph Simrany (Tea Association of the U.S.A., Inc.), Louise Roberge (Tea Association of Canada), Lalith Hettiarachchi (Sri Lanka Tea Board), Bhushan Subba (Nepal Tea/ WI), and Charles Mbui (Kenya Tea Develop-

ment Agency). The day came to an end with a reception and dinner at the world famous Ruth's Chris Steak House.

Old friendships were renewed while several new ones took shape. Thank you to all the attendees and sponsors for participating in this special occasion.

Top: (left to right) Joseph Simrany (Tea Association of the USA, Inc.), Joseph Wertheim (Tea Importers, Inc.). Center: Leslie Atkinson, Citi Tea, Nyakio Mwirigi, Nyokabi Kiarie-Warobi, Lawrence Kamau & Kithinji Mwirigi (The Amali Group). Bottom: Lori Bigelow (R.C. Bigelow), Richard Enticott (Plantextrakt), Carlos Tschirsch (Koch Tschirsch S.A.C.I.e.I), & Bachan Gyawali (Jun Chiyabari Tea Garden)

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The Tea Association of the USA would like to thank the following Member Companies for their generous sponsorship contributions toward the International Tea Gathering:

ghursday, June 7th

Tea & Cookies at the Reception Desk:

American Instants KEIKO ? Top Taste Imports

Yriday, June 8th

Refreshments at the Producers/Retailers/Importers Briefing

Redco Foods Universal Commodities (Tea) Trade, Inc.

Motor Coach Transportation:

Henry P. Thomson, Inc.

Hole In One:

Nichols Wire Incorporated

Reception & Dinner @ Ruth's Chris:

Plantextrakt

Entertainment @ Ruth's Chris

Kentea Limited

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The World Tea Expo Wraps Up Most Successful Show to Date

Las Vegas, June 28, 2007--The World Tea Expo--the world's largest trade show dedicated to tea and tea-related products--wrapped up its most successful year ever this June at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. The Expo hosted 280 exhibiting companies from 15 different countries in an exhibit space totaling 31,350 net square feet. Over three days, the World Tea Expo welcomed a total of 4,456 visitors through its doors. A full 75% of the attendees were buyers authorized to make purchasing decisions for their companies, and 49.6% came with the specific goal of placing orders at the Expo while nearly 80% plan on making future purchases based on information gathered at the show.

As always, one of the highlights of the show was the Iced Tea Shake-Off competition, the event that sets the standard for iced tea in three categories: Commercially Brewed (Foodservice), Ready-to-Drink (RTD), and Freestyle. The competition was especially pertinent as June is National Iced Tea Month. This year's Shake-Off enjoyed a record number of entries, exceeding 60 different iced concoctions. All entries were judged blind by a panel of tea industry movers and shakers.

This year's Expo reflects a number of significant changes. The World Tea Expo management changed the show date from March to June, the venue from Las Vegas to Atlanta, and the days of the show to Saturday through Monday. All were very pleased with the results. The change of month allowed a significant increase in exhibitor participation due to previous scheduling conflicts in March. The new location allowed the show to draw in a large number of first-time attendees, with 28.7% of buyers coming from the South Atlantic region. The day pattern helped spread the traffic over the three days with many corporate buyers and foodservice professionals coming on Monday, the final day.

Whereas most events that leave Las Vegas show a drop in attendance, the World Tea Expo was happy to see a modest 8% growth. Returning to Las Vegas in 2008, May 30 - June 1 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, the Expo expects to return to double-digit attendance growth.

For photos, interviews with tea experts and other media inquiries:

Jennifer Anderson or Stephanie Teuwen, Teuwen One Image: 212-244-0622

jennifer@, stephanie@ For more information about the World Tea Expo:

Kim Jage, VP ? Sales & Marketing: 702-253-1893 info@

Mary Lou and Bob Heiss are thrilled to be hosting a 2008 Tea Trek - Asian Tea Traditions cruise in southeast Asia. In alliance with Silversea Cruises, this six-star ultra-luxury all-inclusive cruise features all ocean view accommodations on the Silver Whisper for a maximum of just 382 guests. Departing February 28th 2008 from Singapore and arriving March 8th in Hong Kong, this cruise includes five port stops along the coast of Vietnam, providing ample time for shore excursions that will add flavor and excitement to this trip. Additionally, Mary Lou and Bob are offering a two-day extension in Hong Kong for Tea Association members interested in immersing themselves in the rich and celebrated tea culture and cuisine of Hong Kong. For more details and to secure reservations, contact Patty at Luxury Culinary Cruises at Montrose Travel ? 800-301-9673- or visit the Heisses' website ? .

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8/07/07 Food Business News

Tea Association of the U.S.A.

Holiday Dinner

Monday

December 3rd, 2007

Full details coming soon.

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Four Fine Teas With Steep Steeping Needs

Three minutes at 180 degrees Fahrenheit for green. Five minutes at 212 degrees for black.

Three minutes at 180 degrees for white (longer if preferred).

These numbers will serve you well for most of your tea brewing. But beyond these steeping basics is a range of exceptions, nuance, and opportunities for personal expression. Here are four teas to whet your appetite for unconventional steeping.

1. Gyokuro Gyokuro is a premium green tea from Japan, often asserted as the finest tea produced on

the island. With this choice pedigree, it comes as no surprise that Gyokuro demands some deviations from our green tea steeping formula: Double the amount of tea for the water (e.g. two teaspoons per cup) Steep with cooler water (130 degrees to 140 degrees Fahrenheit) Steep for 2-3 Minutes The cooler water and shorter steeping time, combined with the greater volume of tea, allow for more complex flavor to emerge in the liquor, ensuring that the infusion is sweet and mild.

2. Black Jungpana and other "light" black teas Jungpana, from India, is

one black tea where it behooves you to adjust your regular steeping habits. These lighter black teas don't stand up to the regular length of steeping without becoming bitter and unpalatable. But if you moderate the brewing, you're in for a remarkable treat: a well-rounded black tea with intricate floral notes, light on the palate and slightly sweet, but still retaining pronounced black tea qualities. Here's a formula for guaranteed success: Use the regular amount (one teaspoon per cup) Bring water to a slight boil, consider allowing brief cooling before you steep (~200 degrees) Steep for four minutes

3. Oolongs The steeping of oolong teas is a realm where your personal preference and experimentation

will yield you the best possible results. The standard method for brewing oolongs is When steeping in a larger pot--16 oz or so, Steep for five minutes in water you've boiled (212 degrees) In smaller pots or gaiwans, you'll want to adjust the steeping time to 50 seconds for your first steeping, and ten additional seconds for each subsequent steeping. Most oolongs will yield four to eight flavorful pots when brewed this way. With oolong, though, it pays to be creative and discover your own brewing preference. Tea Grotto owner Rebecca Sheeran prefers an initial steeping of only 30-40 seconds, yielding a light floral taste and less thickness. With infinite possible variations on the oolong formula, it is wise to play with steeping and discover your own favorite method.

4. Matcha Matcha is not the liquor of steeped tea leaves, but the leaves themselves. Premium green tea

leaves are ground into a fine powder, spooned into a matcha bowl with a chasaku (bamboo scoop), and whisked into a frothy brew with a bamboo whisk. This bright green beverage is often served traditionally with sweets to counterbalance the tannin in a great example of Wabi-Sabi aesthetic; the Japanese analogize it to "having the sweetness in life before the bitter." When you get the opportunity to try this wonderful tea, I recommend three tall scoops to a quarter-cup of water. The traditional formula is two scoops to two and a half sips of water. To try these and other fine teas, and to read ruminations on the world of tea, visit our websites at tea- and blog.tea-.

-Rebecca Sheeran and Jeremy Wilkins, tea-

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