Tomorrow morning I will be headed to Washington DC to lobby our local senators and congresmen to vote for healthcare reform.

So we have been open for 2.5 years now without an official logo. Today I have decided to create an image that can be used on printed paperwork, and on the web. The idea is that with a common “style” I can achieve many different looks for different applications. Here is the first draft:

Thoughts? Suggestions?

I have bought a BFG (Big Frakken Grinder) to grind chai spices for custom blends. So far I have done a Rooibos Chai blend. But I plan on also selling just the spices for people who want to make a traditional recipe at home.

Matcha Matcha Matcha, there was a lot of companies showing off matcha, and the equipment used to make it. A surprising number of Korean matcha producers showed up. I was able to get a sample:

I had thought that Matcha was made from Gyokuro, but in fact its made from a type of green tea called Tencha. This matcha is produced by Daehantea Produce Co. LTD. I am sure its very good… however I was reduced to making it with a toothbrush and hot tap water from my hotel room. This did not do it justice! (but I did manage to get some froth)

Below are three totally unrelated things I found interesting on the show floor.

Hydrangea Leaf is an herb grown in Korea. It has a very sweet taste, almost like Stevia.

This is also from Korea (ok I guess they are not TOTALLY unrelated things). Those cups to the right are double walled ceramic, and I really like the middle teacup and saucer, very elegant.

This is an electric kettle that is ceramic. I had not seen one of these before, but a few booths were using them. The problem is they retail for $300. Would you buy one for that?

This afternoon, as I was walking though a previously unexplored aisle, I met a man named Clinton Gass. He is the Japan Branch Representative of Rooibos Marketing LTD. Rooibos LTD has been selling Rooibos in Japan in the nylon pyramid bags.

These bags do not have strings because the Japanese would not drink the tea if the tag on the string fell into the cup. Therefore they developed the idea of “keep in cup”. Because Rooibos does not get bitter with increased steeping time, the bag can remain in the cup or pot the whole time.

Clinton is also just starting to market green and black teas produced in South Africa, at the Ntingwe Estate. This estate has been producing some black tea for a long time, but he helped develop a method of green tea production similar to the Japanese way. There is an extra step at the end which blanches the tea leaves. This has the effect of reducing the caffeine by 1/3, as well as adding a distinctive taste.

I have many samples and will be sharing them with my customers to see what the American reaction is to this South African black and green tea.

During the awards ceremony last night I happened to sit at a table with the owners of Glenburn Tea Estate . They had been nominated for their first flush Darjeeling.

They also have a hotel on their estates and invite people to come and stay with them.

I have not tried the tea yet, but am planning on visiting their booth today and try some. They are very interested in dealing directly with stores in the west. They are able to ship tea directly from india at competitave prices. and the fact that they can sell directly, and not through tea auctions they in tern can make more money. This extra money they say can go to helping pay for better conditions on the estates. Ms. Prakashes is quick to point out that conditions are already very good, which is one of the reasons they operate a hotel; you can go and see for yourself what its really like there.

Yestuerday was the first day of the world tea expo in Las Vegas, Nevada. I am attending the expo for the first time, and so far it has been very interesting.

I have visited about half the booths and will be visiting some of them again, and trying to see the rest of them over the next 2 days.

I met with Prateek Poddar from Darjeeling Impex Limited. He had an interesting product i had not seen before. It is similar to our Ginza Tea Stick but with tea already in it, and disposable.

We have a new employee here at NM Tea Co.. Her name is Rachel and she will be working in the store on the weekends. Please send her an e-mail at Rachel@nmteaco.com and tell her what you like best, or dislike the most about New Mexico Tea Company. She will reply with a special coupon which you can redeem only directly with her.

In other news I am off to Las Vegas for the weekend for the World Tea Expo. Unfortunately they do not allow taking pictures during the event… but I will see what I can do, and will be posting updates to the blog.

Monthly Contest:

The winner for the tea haiku is Gabrielle Jackson who wrote:

Infusing my soul
Tranquility in a cup
Divine, sublime…tea

She will receive 4oz of tea. You can see the runners up on the tea haiku page.

• Vote Now for the winner of this months tea photo contest.
• Enter Now for next months tea recipe contest.

Featured Products:

Tie Guan Yin:

The name Iron Goddess of Mercy came from a farmer named Mr. Wei. At the temple dedicated to Kuan Yin he was asked what is the name of his special tea. It must be called Tie Guan Yin in honor of the iron statue to Kuan Yin he replied. As the name was a good one, it has never been changed. Oolong is purported to help boost the metabolism and diminish appetite. $5.50/oz

Peach Apricot Black:

A flavorful and tasty combination of mellow peaches with deep full flavored apricots. Makes an absolutely tremendous iced tea. In Italy, both fruits flourished and rose in such popularity that they became noted favorites of various rulers of the Roman Empire. $2.75/oz

Green Genie Teapot:

Karen Peters’ one of a kind teapots and ceramic sculpture have been shown in galleries and museums in the USA. Her whimsical juxtaposition of unexpected icons and allegorical elements create unique relationships that free the mind from usual expectations. $150

Tea History:

In the 18th century, as tea was becoming more common in Europe, there was a social debate whether or not tea was proper, or a healthy drink. In England this debate seemed to be the most heartfelt. Below are some amusing quotes published in that time frame (these are the more civil ones):

“Tea is utterly improper for food, hitherto useless in physick, and therefore to be arranged among the poysonous vegetables” - The Gentleman’s Magazine of 1737

“Tea is the preserver of beauty, makes the old look young, fills the body with life and spirit, good blood, and makes the barren fruitful: there is hardly a virtue it does not possess…” -A ‘well wisher for the health of Great Britain’

“Were they the sons of tea-sippers, who won the fields of Cressy and Agincourt, or dyed the Danube’s streams with Gallic blood?” -Jonas Hanway (introduced the umbrella to London)

“…a hardened and shameless tea-drinker, who has for twenty years diluted his meals with only the infusion of this fascinating plant, whose kettle has scarcely time to cool, who with tea amuses the evening, with tea solaces the midnight, and with tea welcomes the morning.” - Samuel Johnson The Literary Magazine

Tea Tip of the Month:

And so the suffering begins:  the longing for fresh tea versus the guilt of throwing out old tea. May we suggest the following simple remedy: open up the packets, canisters, jars of old tea and dump them together into a large container. Mix them all together, steep them for a short period in hot water, and share the ensuing cooled concoction with your plants, either indoor or outdoor plants. You can also dig the brewed leaves into the dirt around the plants. That way, future waterings will continue to nourish your garden as the tea leaves break down. Your plants will not object to any staleness or flatness.

Sincerely,
David Edwards
Owner - NM Tea Co.

Past Newsletters:
On our website you will find a backlog of all the past newsletters.

Find Our Tea At:
Golden Crown Panaderia
Sunshine Cafe
Böttger Mansion
Betty’s Bath and Day Spa
Jennifer James 101
Downtown Historic B&B
Zohra’s: 505-247-2323 
Village Coffee Roasters: 505-688-4148 
The Little Cafe: 505-353-1807

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