When is tea time? As long as the clock ticks and the earth spins, it’s tea time - marTEA

I can’t believe it’s been nearly two years since I started my journey into the world of tea.  I’ve met some great people along the way, and I’ve been able to experience a lot of excellent teas and tea related products.  I’ve been to two World Tea Expos, and my blogs are linked on some very popular sites.  When I started marTEA.com, my focus was simply to challenge myself to learn more about a fascinating beverage - tea.  I’ve developed a passion for “the leaf” that transcends a tea hobby.  For those of you new to my blog my name is Marty - pleasure to meet you.  The name “marTEA” (Marty) just fit.  My goals for the next two years will be to continue reviewing and promoting tea products.  In addition, I want to travel the world and learn in a hands-on environment how tea is farmed, plucked, processed, auctioned, packaged, shipped, etc.  Ultimately, I’d like to use my passion and knowledge for tea to better the quality of living for those in need with a focused effort on taking care of our planet.  I have a lot of questions, and I’m ready to search for the answers.  I hope you continue to join me along the way.

marTEA

Earlier in the month I was reading Fresh Cup Magazine when I found out about Samovar’s efforts to create videos to promote tea’s ability to unite. At last, the video series has started.

From the Press Release:

A new video series encouraging world peace through tea culture from the San Francisco-based Samovar Tea Lounge promotes cross-culture dialogue and tolerance while drawing attention to the cultivation of tea around the world.

• Visit Samovar and view the videos

Enjoy the videos. You can checkout the videos on iTunes. Excellent job Samovar!

marTEA

marTEA.com would like to acknowledge tea companies that go above and beyond keeping our cups filled with tea. As I blog about their products, I’ll assign the category “Our planet, our tea” to the blog to help further their support.

marTEA

At the 2007 World Tea Expo, I stopped at the booth of Tea District. As I’m strolling along the showroom floor, the booth caught my eye. I read over some of their product information and grabbed a couple of samples that I blogged about last year. During my blogging of their teas, I discovered that Tea District is a locally owned manufacturer and importer of tea in St. Paul, MN. The one thing that stuck in my mind about this company was the fact that it was started by one woman’s passion to bring quality teas and tea related products to consumers. In an industry with a ton of competition, it requires a lot of guts to take the “bull by the horns” and start a new tea company. The Tea District offers a wide variety of tea products. They carry 12 blends of black, green, red, and herbal teas. Tea District’s teas are contained in bio-degradable round tea pods and packaged in a 100% recyclable tea canister. Note: with every purchase of Children’s Tribute Citrus Green Tea, five percent of the sales is donated to the Children’s Cancer Research Fund - www.ChildrensCancer.org.

At this year’s WTE, I stopped by and wanted to let them know that I admire their hard work. marTEA.com would like to wish Lindsey Valentini, President of Tea District, much success with her business. For a company that was started in 2005, you’re certainly off to an excellent start.

Visit Tea District

marTEA

I first wrote about Choice Organic Teas in February of this year in a blogment on marTEA.com. A story about their efforts to donate to Save The Himalayan Kingdom caught my attention. Tea is often referred to as the second most consumed beverage in the world - second only to water. As I’ve started my journey into the tea industry, I often read of the impoverished conditions that tea workers live in. I read about the economic struggles that tea farmers face due to the lack of money to modernize their facilities and processes. With all the hardship that faces those closest to the actual product, the industry boasts major growth with billions of dollars in revenue. So why is it that the second most consumed beverage in the world is surrounded by these troubles? Well, many of those reasons are debatable. However, tea companies like Choice Organic Teas are trying to make a difference and doing something to make life better for those closest to the product.

I like how Choice Organic Teas are not only supporting Fair Trade, but they are also selling environmentally friendly organic products. Now, to take it one step farther, they have chosen to support a cause that they feel is worthy of attention (Save The Himalayan Kingdom). With each purchase of a box of Himalaya Green Tea, ten cents will go toward Save The Himalayan Kingdom. Nepal and its surrounding mountains are natural phenomenons that challenge the imagination of mankind to ponder its mass and beauty. Nepal is located in South Asia. If you look on a map, you’ll notice that Nepal borders China (north) and it is surrounded by India (south, east, west). It’s easy to see why Nepal is a tea producing country. Now, the green tea I’m drinking today is a USDA certified organic bagged tea from the Kanchanjangha Tea Estate in Nepal. The tea inside the bag was finely cut. The organic Nepalese green tea was light and fresh. There was a slight bitterness about it that didn’t agree with my palate. I wasn’t impressed with the overall flavor, but it easily rivaled its competitors that offer similar products. That said, if you enjoy bagged teas and you are looking for a green tea to try, what a great company to support. I enjoyed some of their other teas that I’ll blog about in the near future.

• Visit Choice Organic Teas

marTEA

One of my first blogs was titled: Bigelow Tea, a rare US family owned tea company

I still cannot wait to visit the tea plantation in Charleston, South Carolina. That said, as I suggested in my previous blog, I was going to try one of their loose leaf teas. I’ve had several of their bagged products, and for the most part I have enjoyed most of their selections. I ordered this tea online from bigelowtea.com. I had no problems with the online checkout process, and the delivery of the tea was very fast. I selected their signature tea “Constant Comment.” Again, this was one of Bigelow’s loose leaf teas. This was the first time I have ever tried a Bigelow loose leaf tea. In addition, it was the first time I have ever tried “Constant Comment.”

The tea absolutely exceeded my expectations. First off, the tea leaves looked large and fresh. There are orange rind pieces mixed throughout the tea. The pieces of orange rind add to the presentation of the dried product. The scent of the tea coming from the tin literally makes your mouth water. Now, I’ve tried several fruit flavored teas. I have even tried orange flavored teas. Bigelow’s “Constant Comment”® is by far the best flavored black tea I have ever tried. I’ve tried several cups, and I have yet to be disappointed. The orange flavor is authentic and fresh. If you are a fan of citrus flavored teas, this is a must. My only complaint about the tea is that I don’t know where the tea was grown. I’ll let that slide…

Click here to follow Bigelow Tea’s “Going Green” initiative.

• Visit Bigelow Tea

marTEA