Tag: chai tea

tea

What Makes A Cup Of Tea Stand Out? Fresh Cup Takes A Look At Custom Blends

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I’ve been getting back into tea lately (shout-out to decaf Earl Grey). This blog has come off as pretty coffee-focused, but I’ve always been a fan of herbal goodness.

As such, this new article on tea from Fresh Cup Magazine immediately grabbed my attention. This piece explores the wealth of memorable combinations that can be created once coffee shop owners understand tea on a fundamental level. Cafes commonly add a few tea options for their clientele, though usually of pre-made varieties. The unique flavors and textures of roots, flowers, fruits, seeds, and leaves are all explored in great depth here.

Strong tea marketing is best done with improved menu options. I’d definitely come back to a café if they had custom and/or homegrown blends on display. In fact, I might just try putting together some of my own tea this summer.

Anyone else ever try making their own tea blend?

woman drinking tea
music, tea

Teatime At Any Time: Five Heartfelt Songs About Tea

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I may not write about tea as much as I do coffee and wine, but that doesn’t mean I love it any less.

If anything, I’ve found my love for tea blossoming even more now that I’m extra cooped up and going through the predictable side-effects of concentration issues and insomnia. Boba tea is sorely missed (fare thee well, local boba shop) and my mother recently got me a superberry flower tea for my birthday. It’s forever been a part of my life, which got me to considering a playlist that reflects it. Tea is delicious and soothing, yes…and like coffee, it’s yet another outlet with which to express ourselves.

The noun alone conjures up images of serenity and relaxation. Chilly evenings and long summer days. Sweet tea, anyone?

You see these instinctual reactions to tea reflected in all kinds of songwriting. Chamomile tea is used to invoke tenderness or sleepiness. Chai tea can be sultry or heartfelt, especially when mixed with other romantic ingredients like milk, sugar and honey. Tea in general is a fleeting moment of peace, an anchor warming your palms or cooling you off before the outside world floods in again. It can be so many incredible things and I want to share what I’ve heard.

I explored five songs about coffee a few weeks back and how this drink was interpreted through metaphor. Here are five songs that are either about tea or reference tea meaningfully:

Continue reading “Teatime At Any Time: Five Heartfelt Songs About Tea” →
industry news, tea

More Than A Rainy Day: The Threat To Global Tea Production

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Tea is a delicate creation. It relies on a medley of strict agricultural standards, prime ecological conditions and timely collection to get that flavor and aroma you love. Anything that falls out of those complex parameters results in lackluster tea or crops that refuse to grow. Climate change remains one of the biggest threats to the tea industry, just like the coffee industry, and the coronavirus definitely hasn’t helped. People are working harder and longer for awful results…and it’s only getting worse.

What will the tea industry even look like in the next decade?

The Economic Times takes a look at the whopping 20% loss of tea crops in the Assam and Bengal tea belt. Excessive rainfall and not enough sun is to blame for much of this, leading to fears of missing vital economic minimums that keep businesses running and people employed. The thing with climate change? It’s not just a rainy day. It’s a precedent for similar weather patterns down the road. More loss. More difficulties. More more, snowballing faster than we can keep track.

It’s easy to feel helpless in the face of dramatic weather patterns and big business. I know I do. Giving up isn’t an answer, though. Not when this planet is our only home and there’s an entire generation that might just grow up where the tea industry isn’t a thing.

tea leaves
industry news, tea

Climate Change Waits For No One: Why Tea Businesses Need Packaging Updates

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Climate change is a subject that’s constantly talked about, yet doesn’t always feel…concrete. It’s a variable that becomes heavier or lighter depending on where you live and where you work. When it comes to the quality of tea, though, the difference can literally be tasted.

The issue of global warming is something no one should ignore, particularly tea businesses who rely on an ideal set of conditions to cultivate their delicate stock. When it comes to recognizing the impact of eco-friendly packaging, the tea industry often leads the charge. Numi Organic is a popular brand that projects front and center their commitment to organic products and fair sourcing, such as partnering with organizations that provide vulnerable communities access to clean water. Stash is another you’ll easily recognize for not just their bold logo, but their focus on sustainable, unbleached packaging materials. Quite a lot of tea packaging on store shelves will mention — if not outright revolve around — a commitment to green values, from ethical sourcing with farmers to recycled paper or plastic.

These are all great eco-friendly packaging habits that will make the world a better place to live. …Will it be enough, though?

Continue reading “Climate Change Waits For No One: Why Tea Businesses Need Packaging Updates” →
coffee, industry news

Three Great Things That Taste Great: Alcohol, Tea And Coffee Mixed Together For That Extra Kick

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You don’t have to choose when it comes to enjoying the tangy pop of beer or the smooth bitterness of coffee. As the saying goes? The more, the merrier!

Drinks are just as much an experience as they are a way to wet our throat. Coffee is commonly associated with the morning rush in the West, with many working Americans having entire morning rituals around a cup of joe. Tea is commonly seen as a relaxing drink — particularly a hot mug of herbal goodness — and beer shares a similar reputation…alongside being the key ingredient to a rowdy party!

It can seem like overkill to mix all these contrasting flavors and stimulants together, but a few places are choosing to embrace this happy balance.

Continue reading “Three Great Things That Taste Great: Alcohol, Tea And Coffee Mixed Together For That Extra Kick” →

coffee

Pouring The Season Into A Cup: My Five Favorite Drinks For Autumn

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What kind of drink gets you in the perfect autumn mood?

Halloween’s over and done with and Thanksgiving is right around the corner, so you can finally start pretending you didn’t just destroy your diet with fistfuls of candy…even as you stock up on eggnog. I’m certainly feeling the chill in the air (and the regret in the distance), figuring out how to keep my office space warm and admiring the fall sheen on the trees. This week got me to thinking about all my absolute favorite homemade drinks. Everyone’s got a thing that just never seems to leave the cupboard…and if it does, has to be replaced at all costs.

I’ve got a three cupboard’s worth of favorites, but for the sake of brevity I’ll sum up my top five seasonal go-tos below. Who knows? You might just discover a new love.

Continue reading “Pouring The Season Into A Cup: My Five Favorite Drinks For Autumn” →