Educating the world’s children sip by sip.

There are very few things as important as our children’s education.  For millions of children worldwide, a quality education is a distant to unknown dream.  The REPUBLIC of TEA and Room to Read have joined forces to help promote children’s learning through the sales of The REPUBLIC OF TEA’s Little Citizens’ Herb Tea ($1 from each sale of this herbal tea will support Room to Read).  As a father of two daughters, I’m proud to spread the word about the partnership to help those that are less fortunate than many of us.

Mission of Room to Read: “We partner with local communities throughout the developing world to provide quality educational opportunities by establishing libraries, creating local language children’s literature, constructing schools, and providing education to girls. We seek to intervene early in the lives of children in the belief that education empowers people to improve socioeconomic conditions for their families, communities, countries and future generations. Through the opportunities that only education can provide, we strive to break the cycle of poverty, one child at a time.”

Today I made Strawberry Vanilla Little Citizens’ Herb Tea for my entire family.  The organic and fair trade certified Rooibos was perfect for the kids because it is naturally decaffinated. After drinking a couple of small cups, they still went to bed at their normal time.  The strawberry and vanilla flavors were very well balanced with the Rooibos.  The beverage was naturally sweet and flavorful enough to keep their attention.  The Strawberry Vanilla flavor was the perfect choice for my family since everyone really likes strawberries.  Give it a try, and help support the vision of the program by enjoying an excellent family-friendly herbal tea.

Visit The REPUBLIC of TEA

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To the tea pluckers, farmers, managers, exporters/importers, retailers, and wholesalers:

My passion for tea extends beyond taste and health.  It’s because of your efforts that millions of tea drinkers get to enjoy a daily cuppa.  Your efforts pour more than tea into our lives and for that I thank you.  Our diversity is celebrated with each sip.  I’m proud to promote tea and tea related products because I’m proud of you.

Sincerely,

Marty

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Tetulia caught my attention at the World Tea Expo in 2008.  I didn’t get to spend much time focusing on this one brand, but the name “Tetulia” just sticks in your head.  I can’t think about it without saying the name at least three times – Tetulia, Tetulia, Tetulia.  It’s just fun to say…

About Tetulia: Tetulia is named for the region in Northern Bangladesh where our tea is grown. Tetulia teas reflect the pristine and delicate environment from which they hail. The Tetulia Garden sprang forth from virgin land nestled against the Himalayas to the North and the Brahmaputra and Ganges Rivers to the South.  Into this perfect tea-growing land, we introduced strong, vibrant saplings, which were planted with care in the new millennium. Since then, the tea plants have been encouraged and nurtured by Mother Nature’s own hand. The result: exquisite, organic teas unlike any you’ve experienced before. Fresh. Clean. Smooth.

Social responsibility is a primary focus of Tetulia.  The Tetulia Cooperative has provided many opportunities to those closest to the tea.  Education, health and cattle-lending programs, are just a few of the benefits Tetulia has offered the Bangladeshi men, women, and children.  I applaud this effort and can only hope by supporting their products that it will benefit a group of people that deserve an improved living environment.

The good news.. the black tea was very enjoyable.  After receiving my order, I quickly started steeping the loose leaf tea.  The scent of the dried tea has a deep freshness about it.  It’s not the most aromatic tea I’ve ever had, but I liked the fact that the scent differentiated itself from other black teas.  After steeping the tea for a few minutes in water around 208 degrees, I poured the tea into my cup.  With no major expectations, I enjoyed the aroma of the steam rising from the cup.  Then, I took a sip.  The flavor was very pleasing.  The smooth, fresh flavor with low astringency, made for a very good first impression.  This is an excellent everyday black tea.  The tea is full bodied with a slight sweetness that adds to the overall balance of the tea.   This tea easily rivaled many breakfast blends that I’ve tried lately.  Although the region is very close to India, the tea did not remind me of Assam or Darjeeling teas.  To top it off, Tetulia is certified USDA Organic.  Definitely give this tea a try if you are a black tea drinker looking for another black tea to diversify your daily routine.

Visit Tetulia

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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.

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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!

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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.

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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

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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

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