tea guy speaks

The Evolution of The Tea Bag

2012-01-27T11:52:00.002-07:00

The Evolution of The Tea Bag
(from a press release)

In 1908, Thomas Sullivan, a New York tea importer, accidently invented tea bags as a solution for storing and importing tea cheaply. The convenience of the tea bag, both then and now, was so brilliant, that since its inception, the majority of tea is consumed using, you guessed it, the tea bag. Since then, tea bags have been used exclusively for storing tea. A Charlotte-based company called Honitea looks to change that. Typically, two dry ingredients go into a tea drinker’s hot cup, tea and sugar. Every second, 4,500 cups of tea are consumed with sugar worldwide.

Honitea’s solution, add both dry ingredients to the tea bag. What is more convenient then dipping your tea bag into hot water and Wala! Your tea is ready to be consumed. Honitea offers tea drinker’s two sweeteners real honey and real sugar with a variety of teas that include, Earl Grey, Darjeeling Tea, Breakfast Tea, Jasmine Tea, Herbal Teas, and Chamomile Tea. For more information on Honitea please visit www.honitea.com

The Breville One-Touch Tea Maker

Acrobatic Tea Pouring Video

2012-01-24T13:05:00.001-07:00

The Breville One-Touch Tea Maker

There's an App for Tea Guy Speaks

2012-01-23T16:35:00.001-07:00

If you feel the need to access Tea Guy Speaks on your favorite (Android-compatible) mobile device you're in luck. As the title of this post suggests, we have an app now. The app was created using the services of AppsGeyser and, based on tests on a Kindle Fire, seems to work fine. Download it at the link below or scan the image.

App Download

The Breville One-Touch Tea Maker

Drinking Tea In Space

2012-01-22T19:48:00.002-07:00

A 2003 video in which Expedition Six NASA ISS Science Officer Don Pettit drinks from a bag of tea using chopsticks.

The Breville One-Touch Tea Maker

If In Doubt, Make Tea

2012-01-19T14:24:00.002-07:00

It's short but it gets the message across...

if in doubt, make tea

Numi Organic Tea Flowering Gift Set

Tea Review 135 - Chado Tea House Gyokuro

2012-01-18T13:24:00.002-07:00

Gyokuro
Chado Tea House

I didn't do a best of for teas that I drank in 2011 and it's a little too soon to decide if I'm going to do one for 2012. But if I do I'm pretty sure that this Gyokuro, one of four currently on offer at Chado Tea House, will be on the list.

This is a really great tea and I could probably be quite happy drinking it every day for the rest of my life. If you imagine what a Japanese green tea tastes like, but then imagine one that's sweeter, smoother and more flavorful then you'll have an idea of what this Gyokuro is all about.

Here's what Chado has to say about it:

Gyokuro from Okabe, Shizuoka; very refined Gyokuro tea. Great aroma and smooth body and sweetness well balanced Gyokuro

Shizuoka is well known Japanese tea producing center that takes about a half share of Japanese tea production. Okabe region is known for Gyokuro production and produce refined Gyokuro. The region’s long time tea making experiences and history made possible to create refined tea. Tea from Shizuoka region has tendency of mild, smooth mouth feeling.

Sample provided by Chado Tea House
Chado Tea House has advertised at Tea Guy Speaks
Tea Guy Speaks Review Policies

The Breville One-Touch Tea Maker

Amazing Tea Server Video

2012-01-16T13:27:00.002-07:00

I know it's a bit of a cliche but you'd be strongly advised not to try this one at home. Who knew that one human hand could carry so many cups of scalding hot tea at one time?

The Breville One-Touch Tea Maker

Scones & Bones Tea Mystery Giveaway

2012-01-13T12:04:00.006-07:00

Update: We have a winner. Congratulations to Donna, of the My Cup of Tea blog.

Agony of the Leaves, the thirteenth volume of the popular tea shop mysteries by Laura Childs, is due in bookstores in a few months and we're planning to give away a copy of the book around that time. In the meantime we're giving away a hardcover copy of the previous book in the series - Scones & Bones. Find out more about the books at the author's Web site. To enter, send an email by 6:00 PM MST, on January 15, or retweet the appropriate message at our Twitter feed by the same deadline. One entry per person, per method, please.

The Breville One-Touch Tea Maker

I'm Drinking Tea Song & Video

2012-01-12T12:04:00.001-07:00

Mighty Leaf on Sale Today!

Yoda vs. Darth Maul Brisk Tea Ad

2012-01-10T12:05:00.002-07:00

The Breville One-Touch Tea Maker

Ripped on Tea

2012-01-07T16:50:00.001-07:00

From the TGS archives, an article about tea and caffeine.

I frequently pass by a convenience store that boasts something called Hyper Bean, a coffee with twice as much caffeine as the regular stuff. This can't be a good thing. I think we have enough twitchy, ill-mannered people running around as it is.

But if you've gotta have your mega-dose of caffeine and you don't care for the likes of Hyper Bean, energy drinks or Vivarin, you're not completely out of luck. Tea is generally considered to have less caffeine than coffee but there are exceptions - sort of.

Matcha is a form of powdered green tea employed in the Japanese tea ceremony and now coming into wider use. Because it's powdered this means the entire tea leaf is consumed, as opposed to steeping the leaves in water in the standard manner. What this means for caffeine lovers is that matcha may pack a more potent kick than other types of tea. Experts love to point out that determining the caffeine content of tea is an inexact science but by some accounts matcha may have more of the stuff than the average cup of coffee.

Then there's chifir, a drink that's apparently popular in Russian prisons. It's really just highly concentrated tea that's been boiled to within an inch of it's life and made slightly more palatable with a good dose of milk and sugar.

Accounts vary as to exactly how strong chifir is and, given it's nature, there's probably no definitive answer. One source suggests that it's twenty times as strong as a regular cup of tea, while another reckons on twenty grams of black tea brewed in eight ounces of water. For comparison's sake, the recommended measure of tea for a standard six-ounce cup is 2.25 grams.

So it should come as no surprise when, in Vodka For Breakfast, the "quirky, existential thriller" by Russian writer David Gurevich, one of the inmates of a Russian prison camp who's hopped up on chifir, "stripped naked outside the barrack in the forty below weather and did cartwheels until the guards finally calmed him down." Don't try this at home.

Looking for more info on caffeine? Check out my book review of The World of Caffeine here.

Dying to know how much of your favorite caffeinated beverage it would take to kill you? Check out Energy Fiend's Death by Caffeine calculator here. Alas, there's no category for matcha or chifir.

Tea Review 134 - Teavivre Bi Luo Chun Green Tea

2012-01-06T11:18:00.002-07:00

Bi Luo Chun Green Tea
Teavivre

One of the mildly baffling issues when it comes to writing about tea is the spelling thing. To be more specific, the variations in spelling of certain varieties of tea. I'm going to stick with Teavivre's spelling of Bi Luo Chun, but this is one of those varieties that I've seen a number of variations for.

But I digress. Call it what you will but don't call Bi Luo Chun a lousy tasting tea. I can't say that I have a lot of experience with this variety but the ones that I've tried have not disappointed. Neither does this one.

This is one of those teas that you can begin to experience long before you actually drink it. The dry leaves have a very strong aroma but the finished tea is actually surprisingly mellow. Here's what Teavivre has to say about this one:

Our Bi Luo Chun is from Dong Ting mountain next to China's 4th largest lake. When dry the tea has a small, rolled up shape to it, with a fine covering of silvery white pekoe, especially at the leaf tips. One amazing fact with this tea, due to only the small leaf tips being used, is that 1 pound of the tea (about 500g) will contain about 70,000 leaf tips.

Unlike most other green teas, Bi Luo Chun can only be infused 2 or 3 times. Any more than that and it looses its fruity aroma and taste. However we do strongly encourage you to infuse it a few times, as its color, aroma and taste will subtly change each time, as the balance between the absorbed fruit flavour and the natural green tea flavour changes.

Sample provided by Teavivre
Teavivre has advertised at Tea Guy Speaks
Tea Guy Speaks Review Policies

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Tea Business Spotlight

2012-01-02T18:02:00.000-07:00

Do you own a teahouse or tea store? A mail-order tea business? Are you an established tea blogger? If so we’d like to talk to you.

We've done a series of brief spotlights on tea businesses since kicking off this feature. Take a look at them here. If you’d like to take part in a spotlight we promise not to take much of your time and may even generate a little bit of publicity for you.

For more information, contact us here.

Tea Guy Speaks Amazon Store

Aldi Tea Commercial Voted Number One

2012-01-01T07:52:00.000-07:00

Here's a commercial we featured back in June. It was recently selected as the number one ad for 2011 by the Nielsen group. I'm assuming that's in Britain since this article refers to it as an advert.

Tea Guy Speaks Amazon Store

The Tea Bag Video

2011-12-29T12:57:00.003-07:00

The Tea Bag

Numi Organic Tea Flowering Gift Set

Tea Review 133 - Le Palais des Thés Tamaryokucha Imperial

2011-12-28T12:12:00.003-07:00

Tamaryokucha Imperial
Le Palais des Thés

It's probably not a good idea to generalize, in general, but if I may be so bold, I've noticed that most Chinese green teas tend to be on the subtle and delicate side while Japanese greens are often more boldly flavored. It's been a while since I've had a good Japanese green but I was reminded of this notion recently when I tried Le Palais des Thés's Tamaryokucha Imperial.

Le Palais des Thés claims that this tea is milder than most Japanese green teas, which I don't completely agree with. I found it to have a fairly full flavor, but perhaps without the deep green common to many of Japanese teas. If you're wondering how green can be used to describe the flavor of a tea then you need to drink more Japanese green tea.

In any event, in spite of the full flavor and a little bit of a sharp edge I found this one to be more than quite drinkable. Here's what Le Palais des Thés has to say about it:

A remarkable green tea whose leaves are twisted, rather than folded like the Sencha teas. This intensifies its dark green color, which is a sign of high quality in this type of tea. It is milder than most Japanese green teas, with a silky, subtle liquor and a fragrant infusion.

Sample provided by Le Palais des Thés
Tea Guy Speaks Review Policies

The Breville One-Touch Tea Maker

PG Tips Monkeys Christmas Message

2011-12-24T14:41:00.001-07:00

Gifts for lovers of tea with free wrapping of all items.

Animated Video: A Cup of Tea

2011-12-22T20:37:00.001-07:00

Mighty Leaf on Sale Today!

Breville One-Touch Tea Maker

2011-12-20T16:44:00.000-07:00

The Breville One-Touch Tea Maker

Tea Review 132 - Teavivre Chun Mei & Taimu Maojian

2011-12-18T13:04:00.007-07:00

Organic Taimu Maojian Green Tea
Chun Mei Green Tea
Teavivre

Once upon a time I tended to prefer Japanese green tea just a bit more than Chinese green. I would say that the balance has shifted over the years and I'm now a bit fonder of the Chinese greens. To the best of my recall I don't have any previous experience with either of these varieties but they're both worth a look.

I found that I was especially fond of the Taimu Maojian. It's much lighter and more delicate than the Chun Mei but still quite flavorful. I'd have no problem putting a tea like this one into regular daily rotation. Here's an excerpt from Teavivre's blurb:

This premium grade, 100% organic Taimu Maojian Green tea comes from Mt. Taimu in Fujian, and is made using traditional methods. It has a great taste, that combines a slightly sweet, delicate green tea taste with a hint of chestnut aroma and flavour. Maojian means “fluffy tips” in Chinese, which describes its appearance perfectly – this tea has a fine covering of white hairs that indicates its high quality.

I liked Chun Mei as well, but not quite as much as the Taimu Maojian. It steeps to a much a darker color in the cup and has a much more robust flavor, with perhaps just a hint of smokiness in there somewhere. This one was reminiscent of a milder variety of gunpowder tea. If you're fond of that sort of thing then this should be right up your alley. Teavivre has this to say about it:

Chun Mei – sometimes called Zhen Mei – is the most popular type of “eyebrow tea” in China, so named because when dry it's narrow, curved shape looks like a fine, painted on eyebrow. The traditional local drink of Anhui, it is also now widely grown in Zhejiang, Jiangxi provinces.

An earthy, slightly bitter tea with a plum aftertaste

Sample provided by Teavivre
Teavivre has advertised at Tea Guy Speaks
Tea Guy Speaks Review Policies
Tea Guy Speaks Amazon Store

Tea Review 131 - Peter Asher Prairie Sunrise

2011-12-16T11:44:00.003-07:00

Prairie Sunrise
Peter Asher Coffee & Tea

I'm not much of a fan of flavored tea, but there are a few exceptions. Those flavored teas I do like typically start with a decent black tea as a base. For me there are certain flavors - mostly a few of the fruity ones - that work well with black tea. One of the ones that springs to mind off the top of my head is peach.

Peter Asher's Prairie Sunrise doesn't contain any of that, but it does claim to be flavored with a mix of berries, vanilla, rhubarb and guava. I didn't taste any vanilla, but that might just be a failing of my coarse palate. As for "berries," that leaves it a bit open to speculation and I'm not familiar enough with rhubarb or guava to know how much they're contributing to the overall total.

But it works. I don't like this one enough to drink it on a regular basis, but I could probably say that for any flavored tea. That's just my own bias talking, but I'd say that if you're looking for a nice lightly flavored black tea this is a good one to go with.

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Tea Review 130 - Le Palais des Thés Darjeeling

2011-12-14T12:11:00.003-07:00

Darjeeling Puttabong F.T.G.F.O.P. (Second Flush)
Le Palais des Thés

I'm never one to waste an opportunity to sing the praises of black tea. But I have to admit, at the risk of offending a phalanx of tea connoisseurs, that Darjeeling is among my least favorite of all the black teas.

Which is an odd way to start out a tea review, I suppose. But even though I wasn't impressed with Le Palais des Thés's Darjeeling Puttabong at first, I found it growing on me the more I drank it. For me Darjeeling is probably never going to measure up to a great Assam or Keemun, but that's just a matter of personal taste. If you're a fan of Darjeelings I suspect that you'll like this one quite a bit.

Here's what Le Palais des Thés has to say about this one:

A prestigious estate and of one of the oldest in Darjeeling, famed for its tippy flushes. The second flush produces a dark infusion and an amber liquor with depth and a lot of body. Its unique full-bodied and woody flavor makes it an ideal Matin tea.

Tea Guy Speaks Amazon Store

Tea Bag and Tea Stop Motion Video

2011-12-12T14:55:00.000-07:00

tea guy speaks

The Evolution of The Tea Bag

Acrobatic Tea Pouring Video

There's an App for Tea Guy Speaks

Drinking Tea In Space

If In Doubt, Make Tea

Tea Review 135 - Chado Tea House Gyokuro

Amazing Tea Server Video

Scones & Bones Tea Mystery Giveaway

I'm Drinking Tea Song & Video

Yoda vs. Darth Maul Brisk Tea Ad

Ripped on Tea

Tea Review 134 - Teavivre Bi Luo Chun Green Tea

Tea Business Spotlight

Aldi Tea Commercial Voted Number One

The Tea Bag Video

Tea Review 133 - Le Palais des Thés Tamaryokucha Imperial

PG Tips Monkeys Christmas Message

Animated Video: A Cup of Tea

Breville One-Touch Tea Maker

Tea Review 132 - Teavivre Chun Mei & Taimu Maojian

Tea Review 131 - Peter Asher Prairie Sunrise

Tea Review 130 - Le Palais des Thés Darjeeling

Tea Bag and Tea Stop Motion Video

Tea Review 129 - Stash Christmas Morning

Win Bigelow Tea and Wooden Tea Chest

Tea Time Stop Motion Video

Tea Review 128 - Le Palais des Thés Qimen Hao Ya

Tea Making Machine

David Lee Hoffman: Tea Pioneer

Twinings Assam Tea Tasters

Tea Review 127 - Teavivre Premium Keemun Hao Ya

New Book on Chinese Tea Culture & Benefits

Art Of Blending Tea - Twinings Master Blender

Certified Tea Blending Opportunity

Easy Way Bubble Tea Commercial

Funny Pakistani Tea Commercial

Tea Blog List Updated

Connected Tourist: Guayaki Yerba Mate Bar

Tea Review 126 - Teavivre Xinyang Maojian

Tea Tourism: Ceylon Tea Trails Getway

Al and Monkey (PG Tips) Out-Takes

Tea Review 126 - Teavivre Dragon Well

SustainabiliTea At Bigelow Tea!

Tea Connoisseurs Herald Arrival of New Company

Sri Lankan Tea Taster in Action

Tea Review 125 - Teavivre Yunnan Dian Hong

Typhoo's Extreme Tea Drinking Challenge

Charleston Tea Plantation Video

Tea Review 124 - Teavivre Bailin Gongfu

Tea Guy Speaks Review Policies (Updated)

Tetley Tea Folk: Just The Way You Are

Twinings Gets You Back To You

2nd China Xiamen International Tea Fair

Bigelow Tea Rap Video

Assam Month Review: Rishi Golden Assam

Assam Month Review: Culinary Teas

Smoking a Tea Joint With Doctor Oolong

Animated Green Tea Commercial

Assam Month Review: Greenwood Estate

UK's 50 Best Tea Rooms

Assam Tea Commercial

Assam Month Review: Marangi Estate

Eat Green Tea?

Assam Month Review: Malibru Estate

Arty Tea Video

Assam Month Review: Joy's Teaspoon

Cold Whistling Tea Kettle

London Riots Won Over by Tea Lovers

Assam Month Review: Tiesta Royal Breakfast

Assam Month Starts Today

The Perfect Cup of Tea

Red Bush Tea Goes Green

Mighty Leaf Photo Contest

What a Tea Taster Does

Rishi Tea Sponsors National Yoga Month

Free Tea Recipe eBook

Tea Council of the USA Global Internship Winner Returns

Tricks With Iced Tea

Tea Review 116 - Adagio Teas Gourmet Tea Collections