WHAT'S HOT IN TEA

Newsletter

Tea for Today: Volume 5, Issue 5

It' the 5th Anniversary of Tea for Today!

Join the celebration by entering the SNA Tea Company's Holiday
Newsletter Anniversary Contest!

On Jan 31st, 2005 you could win: Melitta On-Demand Brewing Machine and a one-year supply of Cooper's One:One tea pods. Great for use at home or office.

To enter, send an e-mail with name, e-mail address, mailing address and phone number to contest@snatea.com. Good luck and thank you for your continued support!

It is always tea time.

Here are a few blend suggestions for your tea breaks, be they morning, noon or night:

7-8 am: Have an invigorating wake-up English Breakfast Blend or a hearty Earl Grey Tea to start your day. Tea pairs well with baked goods and egg dishes.

10 am: Try a lovely flavored tea such as Cinnamon Orange Spice Black Tea or Citrus Green Tea to give you a midmorning lift. Pair with yogurt and fruit for a light snack.

Noon: Try a wellness herbal blend such as Peppermint or Ginger or a delicious Black Iced Tea with lemon.

3-4 pm: Traditional tea time suggestions for an afternoon revival are Ceylon Black or Green Tea or a good quality Oolong tea to appease the appetite and provide a needed refresher for your end-of-work day concentration. Also a good time to experiment with quality Estate Teas or a Darjeeling or Assam regional tea.

Dinner: An Herbal blend such as Rose Hips or Hibiscus to accompany your meal or follow dinner with a smoky Lapsong Souchong or a light, delicate White Tea.

Evening: Perfect time for a sleep-inducing beverage such as hot Chamomile or an herbal tea with Valerian.

The 100th Anniversary of the Tea Bag

The tea bag was fashioned in 1904 when a tea merchant named Thomas Sullivan began sending samples of loose tea in small silk bags to his customers (specifically to New York restaurants to brew tea individually). Hot water was poured over the tea without removing the silk covering, and the tea bag was born. Eventually, the convenient pre-measured sacks came to dominate the tea market. According to a report by the Tea Council of the USA, approximately 60 percent of tea brewed in the United States is prepared from tea bags; just over one percent is brewed from loose tea. Iced tea mixes account for another 25 percent of prepared tea, and the rest is made from instant tea.

Tea & Health Update

Researchers at the University of Newcastle, UK, found that green and black teas may inhibit certain brain enzymes linked to Alzheimer's disease. (Phytotherapy Research, 10/04).

Market Watch

By 2050, the Hispanic population is expected to triple in size to reach 24% of the US population. Manufacturers are looking now for ways to meet the needs of this emerging, influential and profitable market sector.

Strategy Research Corporation

The value of the "'tween" (7-13 years old) market has been estimated at $40 billion for 2002; moreover, they have influenced $500 billion plus in spending in the US alone.

Wholesale Source, September 2004

Tea Makes the Perfect Holiday Gift.

Include tea in your food gift basket, hostess gift or in gifts to fellow employees with biscotti or other instant eats such as cookies, crackers and cheese, olives, nuts, sweets and savories. In a festive gift bag, pair tea with items such as holiday candles, colorful pot holders, magnets, napkins and napkin rings, serving utensils, an attractive appetizer tray or a set of useful ramekins. Ship your favorite tea to family and friends paired with mugs and a teapot or send the latest "on-demand" brewer and tea pods.

And don't forget to have a "cuppa" yourself to keep the holiday stress at bay!

Fast Facts

Bergamot, the oil that is used to flavor Earl Grey tea, comes from the rind of the pear-shaped fruit of a citrus tree (citrus aurantium/bergamia) similar to an orange tree, which is indigenous to Southern Italy.

More than one-quarter of Americans (27%) are eating more organic products than just one year ago, according to the 2004 Whole Foods Market Organic Trends Tracker survey.

The astringent draw of tannin is what makes tea ease skin discomfort when applied topically to relieve sunburn.

Researchers at Osaka City University and Columbia University report in the American Journal of Cardiology that blood flow significantly increases two hours after drinking one cup of black tea. They speculate that the flavonoids in tea dilate the coronary arteries to permit this increased blood flow. They state that tea is good for the heart because it lowers cholesterol and retards the development of plaque on the walls of the arteries.

The British drink 62 billion cups of tea per year, reports "Market Place" on Public Radio International (PRI-10/15/04), 7 times more than their US cousins.

Quote...

"My dear, if you could give me a cup of tea to clear my muddle of a head I should better understand your affairs."

-Charles Dickens

A message from the Chairman:

I am particularly proud of our gift this year. A year's supply of Cooper Tea Pods, plus the One:One machine to brew them in. A perfect glass or cup of hot tea in under 35 seconds! Now, that is moving with the times, but don't think for a second that just because it is quick that it is not good. The fact is that you get more extraction and tea flavor in 35 seconds than you do brewing tea for 4 minutes in the traditional manner. So go on�.have a quick cuppa�.I mean a really quick, really good cuppa!

Barry P. W. Cooper

Return to Newsletter List.

SITE MAP