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Judy Thorburn and Debbie Hall
Photos by Judy Thorburn
Everything you ever wanted to know about teas, The Media Divas learned
at the World Tea Expo held at the Las Vegas Hilton on March 27-29, 2006.
It was quite an education. To begin with, it is not just about black tea
versus green tea. Who knew there are so many variations to satisfy even
the pickiest drinker? Remember when the only tea you knew was Lipton’s?
At this Expo there was a cornucopia of everything “tea”. Yes, there is a
World of Teas out there and we learned a lesson in how far it extends.
We met some of the most wonderful people from Nepal, India, Ski Lanka,
China, Japan, and over 200 exhibitors representing 30 countries. Events
included the nation’s first Tea Auction, The “Chado Chef” cooking with
Tea Demonstrations featuring top chefs like Rick Moonen and Kerry Simon,
authentic Chinese and Japanese tea ceremonies, and education seminars.
But more than flavors of teas, with or without caffeine, are offered.
There were loose leaf teas, powered teas, teas already in a spoon,
chewing gum tea, tea candy, tea cookies, tea bags, tea magazines, tea
parties, tea gift packs, tea makers, tea cups, tea jewelry, tea bag art
and tea cosmetics.
Speaking of cosmetics, All God’s Products (www.allgodsproducts.com)
or (mizzvango@aol.com) created an
organic herbal caffeine free line of body creams called, “Tea Shea –
Total Relaxation”. We were told this wonderful Total Relaxation
Collection is hypoallergenic and artificial fragrance free so the
pleasant smell is all natural. Jars of the cream come in choices of
spicy chai; honeybush and lemon; green tea and orange, and vanilla and
mint. What’s more it is so light and so refreshing, and really makes a
difference in our skin by keeping it smooth and nourished. One of the
owners, Crystal Baynard-Norman, was such a delight and she can offer the
total relaxation package with fine teas, tea based skin cream and a
beautiful cup to enjoy the experience.
Let’s talk about a unique business, Chartreuse Ltd, whose slogan is “the
evolution of tea”. How right they are! This woman owned business, run by
three lovely women, Carole Bell, Karen Stewart and Linda Shannon, is
compromised of herbal based teas using jasmine, hibiscus, peppermint and
rose hips along with roots and flowers and is 100% organic, naturally
free of caffeine, calories or sugar. Their teas (which they use the term
loosely since true teas come from one plant – Camellia Sinensis) are
atmosphere in a cup such as Spa (relaxes the body and calms the spirit),
The Lion’s Tooth (hearty), Peaceful (meditation in a cup) and so much
more, with each healthy, helping to lift the mood and take you to a
sacred place. The owners all dress in the color of chartreuse to
represent the company and have even created teas for shows and special
events. Of this wonderful business, Linda said, “We all retired from one
career and now we are living our dreams with Chartreuse Ltd. I am so
excited to be part of this adventure.” To discover more, go to
www.chartreuseltd.com.
We met the most delightful brother and sister team behind the brand
name, Zhong Cuo Cha, which means Chinese Tea. The brother, Phillip Parda,
President and Founder decided to pursue what he loved as well as
continue his long relationship with the people of China, and it has paid
off tremendously. His younger sister, Melissa Gish, is U.S. Operations
Manager, takes care of the business in the United States and acted as
the spokesperson. It is a small operation with a family touch, and did
we mention we LOVED their teas. Go to
www.zgc-wsi.com.
We need to thank our friends from Sri Lanka and Ambassador Tea. Their
corporate statement is, “We at Ambassador Tea value our employees and
are committed to their happiness and well being. We embrace them as part
of our family and recognize and reward their contribution to our
success. The product itself is sourced from a variety of reputed estates
and wherever possible we strive to ensure ethical sourcing without
exploitation.” Their teas, their presence and their enthusiasm is a joy
to be around. They also support Mission Rainbow to benefit those less
fortunate. Visit
www.ambassadortea.com.
Design guru Miam-Miam was represented with a line of elegant and neo
surrealist, geometric mugs to drink the variety of teas. They also
introduced a new line of plates, bowls and tureens to match the playful
colorful palette of their signature design.
www.unitedbrands.us.
Ida Lindsey Fine Hand Painted Porcelain (www.idalindseychina.com)
is the only hand-painted porcelain reproduction from 1911-1936 available
for sale. The china speaks of the story of a woman who moved to Denver
in 1895, met Cora Smith and learned to paint her china during the turn
of the 20th Century. Her beautiful patterns are a combination of Art
Deco and Art Nouveau styles which recall a different time and place of
the late Victorian era, when life wasn’t so high paced, as it is in the
new millennium. Today her granddaughter, Margot Crowe, is continuing the
tradition of offering these fine pieces for those living in the 21st
Century. What an elegant way to enjoy a cup of tea!
Speaking of art, Enchanted Teas was started in a teahouse in Tacoma
Washington by a Mother-Daughter team. The black tea is some of the
finest Organic Assam and natural flavors in original packaging of
whimsical art featuring Huckleberry, Irish Breakfast (with an Irish Lass
from the 1900s), Peach Passion Fruit (with a fairy dancing on peaches)
and Orange Blossoms. You will want to keep the packaging long after you
drink the teas (www.enchantedteas.com)
Lady Dawnya Sasse was a vision of beauty in her hats and elegant
dresses, a requirement for those who truly want to experience a high
tea. She features a series of CDs/DVDs of instruction on hosting a high
tea as well as her own radio station,
www.tearadio.com with instant on demand “Tea Talk.”
Original T-Bag Designs introduced art created from recycled tea bags.
This is a group of enterprising women from South Africa who use recycled
tea bags for their canvases. The used tea bags are collected and dried
in the sun, then emptied of their leaves and carefully ironed.
Afterwards, the bags are hand painted and used for coasters, trivets,
ornaments, tea holders, and greeting cards. Their most popular cards
features the Artful Reminder, a framed T-Bag with the quote from Eleanor
Roosevelt, “A woman is like a tea bag…you never know how strong she is
until you put her in hot water.” Check them out at
www.originaltbagdesigns.com.
For a cool and delicious alternative to hot teas, there was Java Frost,
a taste pleasing treat. In flavors of Mocha, Milk Chocolate, Vanilla
Latte, Espresso Mocha and Espresso Latte, mixed with crushed ice it is a
refreshing delight and a great alternative to, dare we say it,
Starbucks. If you want to get away from coffee and drink cold flavorful
teas, this is the drink to try at
www.222javafrost.com
Finally, since our experience at the Himalayan Cuisine Restaurant (see
our Media Diva’s Column), we are in LOVE with the drink called Chai and
couldn’t pass up stopping to check out the The Chai Company (www.chaico.com)
booth. We just loved their variety and it is obvious that they love
their product. It is authentic, with whole spices, a touch of regular or
soymilk, and slow brewed to bring out its entire flavor. If you haven’t
tried Chai, we urge you to expand your palate and try this delightful
drink.
Tea is one of the fasting growing industries in the US, valued at well
over 6 billion dollars and projected to grow to over 10 BILLION by 2010.
The World Tea Expo (www.worldteaexpo.com)
showcases the ever changing industry. Launched in 2003 as the Take Me 2
Tea Expo, it has tripled in size with over 3,000 attendees from all
aspects of Food and Beverage, restaurants, retailers and distributors.
According to Brian Keating, publisher of Specialty Tea Hot Report 6th
Edition, “2006 is going to be a major year for specialty tea in America.
Tea is going mainstream and within three years, tea will positively
impact every aspect of our culture.” We were there to cover this trend
and enthusiastically embrace our new appreciation of teas as we drink
the many varieties available to us today.
Remember, The Media Divas make entertainment news DIVALICIOUS!
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