Chai... Syrup?

There's a reason I rarely review teas on my blog. It's not that I don't drink tea every day, or that I don't drink a varieTEA of teas...it's that I'll never measure up to the awesome reviews done by SororiTea Sisters! Both LiberTeas and TeaEqualsBliss write some of the best reviews out there - and you can tell by their reviews that they are both die-hard tea fans.

I caught this review on Steepster and had to share it with my readers: chai tea syrup! This is an innovation from LiberTeas; my mouth is watering at the thought of baking up some pancakes and adding chai syrup!

If you haven't checked out the SororiTea Sisters yet, start here - but devote a good hour of reading time. They ROCK! :)

Happy Brewing!

Chai tea for Autumn; fave for October?

Chai tea mix

The results are in - over 70% of voters in September 2011 agree that chai tea is the best flavor to welcome autumn!

Other respondents:
40% prefer green
and 10% prefer either white, black or other

Be sure to vote in October's poll:

Hooray for October! What’s your favorite type of black tea this season?

Hazelnut/coffee flavor

Chocolate/dessert flavor

Chai/spicy

Pumpkin spice

Cranberry/fruity

Other

If you want to win free tea, submit an entry for this month's contest - Halloween Memories. Entries are due October 26, 2011. Send me a story about your favorite Halloween memory for a chance to win! All entries will be posted by October 26 and readers will have the chance to vote on the top five entries.

Each Top Five Entry will each receive a free sample of Pink Pearls, my new blend. The final winner will receive two pouches of my signature blends from Adagio:
-Liquid Candy Corn
-Vampire Lemonade

Happy October!

Please note: November and December's contest will be joined, so winners will have the chance to score four pouches of tea, plus a 2 oz sample of Pink Pearls. So if you miss out on this month's contest, mark your calendars for Nov. 1; details of the new contest will be posted then.

Our Turn: 500 (or more) True Tea Facts

OK, I did some more research into the 365 Things Every Tea Lover Should Know and have made a determination. Sources were not checked and lots of the facts are actually opinion. So here's my new plan: let's do this bigger and better!

What do I mean? Let's compile a list of at least 500 (if not more) TRUE tea facts. Eventually I'll publish in an ebook format with proceeds benefiting a charity or something of that nature.

You in? Want me to get things started? OK. Here are five true tea facts (and the sources). List yours below and every week or so I'll post them, with updates. Also, I will give you credit - so list your name/handle as well as the source for the fact.

Let's brew - I mean, do - this! :)

1. The phrase Chai Tea is something of a redundancy. Chai or Cha simply means "tea" in South Asia and other parts of the world. English speakers who refer to "chai" typically mean "masala chai," which is a popular spiced tea made from Indian spices and herbs. (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chai, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chai_tea)

2. Darjeeling is not from China, even though 365 Things...claims it is. As reader Jackie pointed out, it's actually a tea from India. The black tea is named after Darjeeling, a Himalayan town in West Bengal, India. This typically black tea is also known as the "Cadillac of Teas," and is available in green and oolong varieties. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darjeeling_tea)


3. White tea, on the other hand, is almost exclusively produced in China, and is a lightly oxidized tea. "The name "white tea" derives from the fine silvery-white hairs on the unopened buds of the tea plant, which gives the plant a whitish appearance." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_tea)

4. Many literary geniuses and writers also happen to be fans of tea. There are many tea related quotes, poems, prose and phrases out there, such as this one from Rudyard Kipling, author of The Jungle Book:
We had a kettle; we let it leak:
Our not repairing made it worse.
We haven't had any tea for a week...
The bottom is out of the Universe.
~Rudyard Kipling (http://www.quotegarden.com/tea.html)

5. There are also many proverbs that reference tea, as the enjoyment of tea spans centuries: 
If man has no tea in him, he is incapable of understanding truth and beauty.  ~Japanese Proverb (http://www.quotegarden.com/tea.html)

Teabean - a new kind of tea

logo used w/permission

Meet Craig Buntin, a former Olympic athlete and native Canadian, who is taking on tea in a new way - using coffee beans.

Yep, you read that correctly! Craig has created a new infusion of tea using coffee beans: Teabean. I've tried this infusion and it's definitely unique - and definitely tasty. Teabean combines roasted and nutty coffee beans with the bold, strong taste of chai tea for a marriage that is take charge and delicious. Teabean could be the gateway for coffee drinkers into the world of tea and vice versa. But how did this incredibly unique idea even get started?

1) This is a unique concept for tea. How did you come up with the idea? Why blend coffee and tea?

I was a full time Olympic figure skater for about 20 years and I came up with the idea while at a competition late in the 2008/2009 season. I tried a latte which was made from an under-roasted coffee bean and thought the concept was pretty cool. I tried to find some online but couldn't get any information anywhere. After months of frustration, I just figured I'd try to make it myself. I have been an avid coffee and tea drinker for years (coffee in the morning for the caffeine before training and tea at night for the flavor and health benefits) so experimenting at home with either one of the drinks was a pretty natural step.

2) How long did it take to craft the infusion? What did earlier versions taste like and why did you decide against them?

Under-roasting the beans gives them a grassy kind of flavor, which is pretty unique but I really felt that the process wasn't quite perfect. I had an idea of how to make it better but I knew I needed advice from industry experts, so I decided to speak to companies who might be able to help. I approached maybe 15 companies, 10 of which either didn't respond or laughed at me, four of which said "no thanks" and one that agreed to work with me in developing my vision for White Coffee. Together, we spent about six months tweaking the process. We experimented, with many methods of making the beans White but eventually discovered that by taking a coffee blend that has just the right amount of each flavor attribute and baking it, we could create something incredible.

In November 2009, while still in full training, I began selling bags of White Coffee to local Montreal cafes to be made as flavored lattes. These lattes were delicious, but I couldn't send them out to anyone as they had to be made a specific way by the barista.

By this point, I had been experimenting with baked White Coffee beans with teas, for cooking, you name it. I found that I could make some pretty amazing tea infusions that had the nutty taste and caffeine of White Coffee and the rich aroma of whichever tea I was blending it with. When I began infusing various blends of teas for their health benefits, I knew I had a winner.

3) Opening up a tea company doesn't just happen overnight. Why did you decide to open up a tea company? How long has it taken you from the conception to reality?

From the time I first thought about selling the White Coffee beans, to the first White Coffee - Chai infusion was about a year and a half. After the 2010 skating season, I retired from competition and really focused my attention on getting the new blend off the ground. I did the graphic design for the pouches and the boxes on my own and as well created the website and facebook site alone. I spent a lot of time on that stuff as I wanted to make sure that the Teabean look and feel was really reflective of how great the drink is. After that, there was the whole legal aspect of launching a company (incorporation, taxes, trademarks, etc), then I was off to the races! In February 2011 the new Teabean White Coffee Infusion was ready to go.

4) I noticed on your Web site that your tea is for sale online, but it also available in select Canadian shops. Any plans to provide your product to other shops around the globe (US and other countries)? Would you consider opening a store front, in Canada or elsewhere?

I would love to see Teabean all over the world! We are growing every week and I hope to begin establishing relationships in the US (and internationally) with companies that may be interested in helping to make that happen. While we grow, the goal is to be able to launch some of the other tea infusions have already been developed.

As for opening a store front, I could possibly see that happening someday, but I think there is a lot of work that needs to happen first. I really want to see the product available in cafes, restaurants and tea shops across the continent before looking at that option.

5) Why did you decide to sell the tea in bags versus loose? Do you plan on ever offering loose varieties?

I actually considered selling a "loose leaf" version of White Coffee Infusion, but the problem is this: it is confusing! It is tea, but it is made with coffee beans. I didn't want people taking it and throwing it into their home coffee makers. As other flavored infusions become available, I may reconsider it.

6) Speaking of varieties, you mentioned in your letter that other infusions are in the planning stages. Care to share about any of them?

Nope! :-P

All I'm going to say right now is that they are amazing. I know this because I drink them, and I really love them. I have come up with a short list based on the flavors and health benefits that I like but before I say anything, I want to hear from the online tea community. I want to hear what others like and their ideas on where to take the company.

7) You are a former Olympic athlete. Tell me about your life and your career before Teabean. (Do any of your skills come in handy with this new venture?)

Wow... I don't think I could handle the hand cramp that would come after the essay I would have to write to tell you all about my athletic career! Suffice to say, it was the experience of a lifetime. I was never the most talented but I worked very, very hard. My family and I sacrificed everything for my shot at the Olympics and I can't tell you how appreciative I am for everything that they, my coaches, my partners & friends did to help me get there.

That said, the skills that have come in handy have been hard work and dedication. I have always been very passionate about every goal I set and I know that if I apply the same attitude to Teabean as I did to my training, the company will be a great success.

8) What do you want people to understand most about your company?

That as of right now, everyone who wants to be a part of the team can be. If people like White Coffee, tell the owners and managers of their local cafes. If people have ideas for blends that they believe could be delicious, email me. If people have ideas on what types of packaging could be better, I really want to hear it. I would love to have current Teabean drinkers help grow the company and feel the same sense of pride that I feel when I see someone taste Teabean for the first time!

9) What do you hope to gain - other than profits - from your company?

Right now, I wake up in the morning thinking about Teabean. I go to bed thinking of ways I can make it better and ways that I can get new people to know about it. I am so passionate about this company and this product. As long as I am living with that kind of passion, the company is giving me everything that I need.

10) So where can people find this new infusion?

Website: http://teabeancoffee.com

Facebook: http://facebook.com/teabeancoffee

Twitter: http://twitter.com/teabean_white

Phone: 514-931-1232

Snail Mail:

4148A Ste-Catherine O., Suite 141

Montreal, QC

H3Z 0A2

RealiTEA - Tea Scented Perfumes

Tetley is launching a new Tea Scented perfume called "Le Brew," and features a Marilyn-Monroe chick on the bottle. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1373655/Tetley-launches-tea-scented-perfume-named-Le-Brew.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

Tetley isn't the first to launch tea-scented frags. Demeter Fragrance, a fun company which offers one-of-a-kind and unique scents, has a few on their shelves already:

• Coriander Tea
• Grapefruit Tea
• Green Tea
• Hibiscus
• Chai Tea

...to name a few. I only scrolled to the "H" and gave up after five examples.

...wait, Chai Tea?! I may have to try that one!

Would you really want to smell like tea, though? As a room spray, sure. And as a shower gel/body wash, soap - that's all cool too. But as a perfume?

What do you think? Would you want to smell like brewed tea?

The Chai Investigation

This is the tea that started it all. Well, not my love of tea, but my investigation into Teavana and discovering the world of tea, tea companies and even tea fraud. (I'll get to that in another post.)

This tea is one of my most favorites on the planet, and one I have not yet been able to replicate. Anyone who shops for tea knows that Teavana may have high quality teas and tisanes - but it comes at a price. A hefty price tag doesn't work with everyone's budgets, especially nowadays.

I have searched and searched for a comparable chai to this one because $16.20 for 25 cups of tea doesn't work. But there isn't anything like it out there.

The chai blend is amazing - spicy, cinnamony and with multiple layers of flavor. It's a complicated tea. Teavana gives you some instructions like a teaspoon of tea, brew for, what, eight minutes or so and ta-da! It's ready.

But I do my own thing. Rarely do I follow instructions when it comes to tea. I'm a tea rogue. I use at least two teaspoons for my small mug (it's a Fiestaware chocolate mug), and I (wait for it)....leave the tea infusing for the...entire length of the cup. So at the end the tea filter is soggy and pitiful looking but I am enjoying a spicy sip.

Harney & Sons has a great alternative: Hot Cinnamon Spice black tea. It's decent and I like it. But it's not the Chai blend I start every workday with...

I kept on my search, looking for a cheaper version of chai - from big companies like Bigelow (Vanilla Chai, which is decent) to smaller companies like Harney & Sons. I have yet to find a comparable alternative. So I am a slave to the Teavana corporation...like many others.

To Be Continued....