Tea and Decaffeination Processing

I was taken by surprise when I recently read an excerpt from a newly released book, written by highly recognized tea industry professionals, that was clearly inaccurate when it came to the topic of decaffeination processing and tea. Decaffeination and tea is a subject that has long been misunderstood not only by consumers but also by industry professionals.
I began questioning my own information on decaf processing and decided the best thing to do was to verify what I believed to be true. I decided to talk with the definitive authority on the subject, Joe Simrany, President of the Tea Association of the USA, Inc (TAUS).
So what do those guidelines consist of? If that was unsuccessful the FDA would be notified and would follow up to see that the necessary changes to processing were made. The first line of defense is the TAUS, who would attempt to correct the issue diplomatically.

So what happens if a group is distributing "decaffeinated tea" that does not meet the standard? There is no sanction, legal or otherwise, for non-compliance. The FDA does not have its own set of guidelines but relies on the expertise of the Tea Association Technical Committee (TATC) for the best practices. Unlike what I thought, decaffeination processing is not regulated by the FDA and adhering to industry standards is completely voluntary. So here is what I learned.

I soon was relieved to learn that my critical information was indeed correct although some of the details need fixing.
The Guidelines
Teas labeled Decaffeinated will contain no more than 0.4% caffeine on a dry weight basis.
Caffeine Free Tea is an inappropriate labeling term for any tea regardless of the degree of decaffeination processing.
There are currently only 2 methods approved for decaffeinating tea leaves, solvent extraction using ethyl acetate and carbon dioxide in the supercritical state. Both are selective for extraction and create no toxicity hazard.
Carbon dioxide is considered the better of the two, keeping more of the benefits and flavor intact.
The Facts
Decaffeinated teas have between 1/3 and 2/3 fewer beneficial components than regular, non-decaffeinated teas.
Both ethyl acetate and carbon dioxide are considered, and subsequently labeled, "natural", because trace amounts of both components exist in the tea leaf, a fine line for many of us who rely on natural to mean exactly that.
"Water process" , aka Swiss Water Process, Natural Water Process etc, sometimes used on packaging, is not recognized by the industry as being anymore effective than pouring off the first brew at home.
While this does eliminate caffeine it is difficult to be sure just how much caffeine is still present and likewise how much health benefits. Then steep as you normally would. Decaffeinating at home by the "water process" would be done by infusing the tea leaves for 30 seconds and pouring off that infusion.
Tea bags will deliver more caffeine in your cup than loose teas because they infuse more quickly.
The amount of tea leaves used, brewing time and water temperature help determine the caffeine content in your cup.
Cultivation, environmental factors, region and growing conditions, while out of your control, do affect the caffeine content in your cup.
1 pound of coffee which yields 40-50 cups. The only time coffee has less caffeine then tea is prior to brewing, 1 pound of tea yields 200 cups vs.
The ONLY government approved decaffeination processing is ethyl acetate and carbon dioxide. Methylene chloride is NOT a guideline or government approved processing method in the United States.
While we have a limited selection of decaffeinated teas, we guarantee all of the decaffeinated teas sold by Teas Etc. Inc. are processed using carbon dioxide
In summation, with the growing public interest in issues surrounding health and food, accurate labeling is likely to become a major issue in the future. Be a wise consumer. Beware of slick marketing and misleading information. Most importantly drink good, quality tea everyday.
© 2006 Teas Etc., Inc
This article may be freely reprinted only in it's enterity and must include the resource box and copyright information.
Beth Johnston, owner of Teas Etc., is a noted tea expert, importer and tea enthusiast. To learn more about life style enhancement, health benefits and the ease of brewing loose leaf teas, sign up for our monthly newsletter at
http://www.TeasEtc.com/newsletter.asp
or visit
http://www.TeasEtc.com
.

Teddy Bear Tea Party - Start the Tradition Now!

The joy a stuffed animal can bring to a child is a wonderful and amazing thing and I believe every child should have at least one favorite bear in her lifetime. They're cuddly, warm, and cute and they don't make a mess on your living room floor before guests arrive! Children of all ages love stuffed teddy bears and for good reason!
The Teddy Bear Tea Party! Now, combine this great love of all things fluffy with a little girl's tea party and you have the makings of the grandest event of the year for your daughter.
So let's look at both in just a little more detail. the tea and the teddy bears. Obviously the two main elements must be accounted for...

There are several ways you can create this memory-filled event for your little one.
Remember mom; all the little ones will probably have a good toothbrush at home anyway! More sugar is required in the form of cookies, little chocolates and other tea fancies to complete the tea table. Don't make the tea too strong and remember to have plenty of sugar (get the cubes...little girls LOVE the cubes) and cream for those who have not yet acquired the taste for afternoon tea yet.

You can go with the varieties from the tea aisle in the grocery store or find some fine lovely teas at various upscale tea shops or even online. Blackberry, apple or vanilla are a few of our favorites. Choose a tea with some added flavor. Not too much scrimping on the sugar here, mom...this is the event of the year remember? Assuming you're planning your party for the younger of the young ladies, you'll want to keep the tea simple and SWEET!

The tea. 1.
Or, if you want to get even more elaborate, have a make your own stuffed animal event as part of your party, where each guests can build a bear or other stuffed animal to take home. Providing a simple craft for the girls to make a teddy tea shawl (an inexpensive cloth napkin and some fabric makers or rubber stamps will do nicely) will help to make the stuffed animals more at ease at the tea table. The most economical way to include the animals is to ask each child to bring their own favorite teddy or other animal along for the event. As you know, not all children choose a bear as their favorite stuffed animal so you might want to offer some flexibility here!

The Teddy Bears. 2.
Include the picture with your thank you notes so each will have a grand remembrance of the day as well. Finally, remember to take a photo of each guest with the guest of honor and their bears. You'll want to take plenty of pictures of the little ones, pinkies high sipping their tea while enjoying their tea dainties. Keep the entire party short and simple for maximum memory making and remember your camera and film.
At the end of each year's celebration, create a special page for a scrapbook so your girls will have something wonderful to pass on to their daughters along with the annual tradition! One is never too old to love a stuffed teddy bear! and each year you can guarantee the teddy bears will come along too.

I bet you'll find that the tradition you start when your girls are young will continue on into their teen years and beyond... Celebrate the start of the school year or celebrate the first day of spring. Make this an annual event for your girls. Teddy Bear tea parties don't need to be just for birthday parties either.

Tea Blending-An Accidental Invention! It Needs More Support From Tea Research!

There was an English tea merchant selling tea packs in his town during the year 1660 A.D. He used to get a bag of tea from one estate or the other and make small packs and sell them to the people in his area.
People were buying from him, but used to make remarks on the quality of the tea he supplied.
THE GOODNESS OF TEAS!
The flavor was not always the same. Again, when the taste was good, the tea color was very low. Again, when the taste was not so.

Again, when the taste was not so. Again, when the taste was not so. When the color was good, the taste was good, the taste was not so. They said, "The tea was good last time, but it is different now".

It had become quite customary to hear comments of his customers about his tea.
The merchant was not able to find out a way to escape from the unsatisfied customers' remarks. Man could be a silent listener of all these things and cannot control. The tea characters change from grade to grade, season to season, process to process and even time to time.

This is because the teas grown in different estates differ in their characters. When ever he buys a new tea bag and distributes it in small packs, the customers' comments were also changed.
NO SINGLE TEA HAS ALL CHARACTERS IN PERFECT MATCH!
It was quite surprising to hear from almost all consumers that the tea was good that time in all respects. To cover up the time, he mixed all the remainings of tea bags and made into small packs and sold to his customers with all the reluctance. Once it happened that the merchant sold almost all the tea bags as remnants.
He had actually mixed all the leftover teas purchased so far and supplied to the consumers only to avoid the time gap. But, the customers were satisfied and started asking to supply only similar teas in future also.
MIXING MAKES IT BETTER - AN ACCIDENTAL INVENTION!
The color, taste and flavor are average and were acceptable to the people of the town. It was fine; blending of various kinds of tea had helped the merchant to run his business without much of bad comments. He started mixing and selling!

The trader understood the idea and started buying different kinds and grades of teas from a number of estates!
THANKS TO THE ANANYMOUS TEA MERCHANT!
We cannot continue with just mixing any kind or grade of tea available in the market as did by the merchant. But, this will not suffice the varying market needs of this modern day. It has its own merits!

So, tea blending was born. Though accidental, it was really an invention worth to be written in the history of tea industry!
WANTS ARE DIFFERENT! TEAS ARE DIFFERENT!
The tea taste changes with so many factors, natural and man made too. Some like leaf teas and others dust teas. Some love teas made by orthodox way and others the modern CTC way of production. There are different kinds of people loving different kinds of teas to make varying tea drinks.
NEED TO INVENT, INNOVATE AND STRATEGISE!
The growth of any product depends on the merits of invention to begin with, innovation in course of time and finally the strategy to cope up with the market competition.
RESEARCH NEEDED!

Hence, there is a need to do a research at a higher level with identification of tea grades, their physical and functional characters in relation to the final tea drink. There is also a compelling need to have an unbiased tea evaluation technique to judge true market values of the teas in question.
ART OF TEA TASTING - WITH HUMAN ERRORS!
Evaluation based on this gives only artistic values and do not speak about the real value of tea. It has erroneous influences of human mind. Simply because, the traditional tea tasting is an art and has no scientific base.

However, it has all the demerits of the human errors. It took a number of years gradually to improve up on the art or knowledge of tea tasting.
You know an art is enjoyable, but contains more of illusions and not the truth always. An art is always kept as a secret and not open for scientific analysis and confirmations.
SCIENCE IS TRUTH, A FOUNDATION FOR GROWTH!

However a revolutionary tea research culminating into a unique "scientific tea testing, tasting and blending technique" was done only very recently. Science is truth always and gives confirmative results and paves way for innovative and progressive growth of any business.
There is delay and it is due to the strong belief of the tea industry as a whole!
TEA TESTING, TASTING AND BLENDING TECHNIQUES:
Is it different from traditional tea tasting?
Yes. With all scientific base!

Is it a competition technique to the art of tea tasting?
No, it is complementary and supportive!

Tea researchers and students will also get benefited! In a big way! Yes.

Will this help the tea business and industry?
Tea blending, an accidental invention has opened new vistas to tea industry through scientific tea testing, tasting and blending techniques!
To know more about scientific tea testing, tasting and formulae of tea blending, please contact: pnkguru@yahoo.com Also visit:
http://www.teablends.blogspot.com/
RESOURCES:
FROM OWN RESEARCH AND BUSINESS EXPERIENCES OF THE TEA SCIENTIST AND THE AUTHOR.

My Mythical Journey to Gourmet Tea Bags

Though the actual level of increased health benefits may be in question, there are very few who will refute the statement, "It is a good idea to drink tea." Whether it is the cancer fighting abilities, the immune system strengthening, the weight loss assisting, the headache relieving, or any of the other superhero capabilities possessed by this beverage, drinking tea is beneficial to your health.
There is nothing new to that statement. And in regards to other blurbs surrounding the quote, there is a general consensus that teas such as Jasmine Green Tea, and Rooibos tea contains Anti oxidants that help fight dangerous free radicals in our bodies that can cause cancer and prematurely age our skin. And there are standard tea bags on the market, and there is a small selection of gourmet tea bags, that for one reason or another are gourmet.
To find the answer to this, I began walking down the main street of Tea Town, USA. So if all of this is at least somewhat true, then the next question might be, how can I let this information best help me (with as little disruption to my life as possible).
My footsteps were stopped as I enjoyed a cup…Such exotic names, and a mesmerizing color, I remained stunned and unaware. Perhaps only a sailor to these sirens, I listened to their song. I was interested in drinking tea, and the description was intriguing. Upon first arrival, I ran into a couple muses who promised a pretty package and a sweet taste.
Forward, I moved on. Though not completely sure what the future would hold, I was confident it was better than where I was. But as a drought hit, the buzz subsided, and my eyes wandered to the horizon.
I thought I was where I wanted to be, drinking tea (plus the tea bags had a nice smell ). My only knowledge of my location was what was told to me. With my first step, I found myself in darkness.

As I walked in, I kept my eyes open, ready for any ghosts there may be. I could not shake the feeling that there was something missing. Big buildings with even bigger names thoroughly saturating a market. As I continued on, I found I was in a City with a solid infrastructure.
As I slowly moved closer, the darkness began to fade revealing the truths about my surroundings….Nothing but Dust. Onward I pushed. Down a side alley I viewed a small window, allowing in rays from the now rising sun.

I began looking for a light. But as I decided to stay, the weather became stormy, as a harsh and bitter taste was left in my mouth.
Though at first I was not phased by the discovery, the seed was planted as I sat by the window soaking in the light. And as another storm began, the rains soon followed, conceiving the birth of a tree. As this tree quickly grew, the foundation was cracked, exposing the inside to the sun. With the revealing of the light, so to did the site of leaves covering dust… And as I looked at this, I remembered where I was, Tea Town, USA.
This green world of tea, a plateau hidden from time. Finally, I was where I wanted to be. I quickly dusted myself off, and ran for the hills, arriving in a field of green.
All was fine until one day I began to wander and wonder as I a questioned the distance of the fields. I explored down towards the valley, and I started to notice a change in the color as I entered into a small town neighboring my new village.
The Gourmet Tea Bags are easy to use, easy to clean, and most importantly provide an increased level of health benefits… With this Classic looking bag, I had finally found my choice. A Tea Bag that contained the high quality tea I found to be the best. And as I remained, and lived in peace, it was in this small corner of the globe. A mixture of high quality teas of different colors and tastes.

I had found my balance. High quality teas were not just whole green leaves, but also Red Bush teas, and black teas, and aged teas, white teas, floral teas.

How to Cater Tea Parties and Add To Your Bottom Line

Are you interested in a rapidly growing
business
opportunity
Are you looking for that is an ideal addition to your catering business?
creative, fun and exciting
ways to expand your business? If so, consider
adding specialty tea parties to your list of services.
Tea parties are a unique and fun way to reach a large
market that includes children's parties. Many parents
are seeking alternative options to traditional parties.
Tea parties
easily fill this need
.
Tea parties are festive, can be adapted to any theme,
are safe, healthy and are different. All these factors
provide you, as a caterer, with an
instant market and
marketing angles
.
Tea parties can be a great way to expand your business and are a
wonderful option for caterers
, as
you already have much of the equipment.
As a caterer, you can provide a full service of food and fun because you
already have experience
From here, all you have to do is learn the art of tea and you're on your way. in the industry!
A small investment in bulk teas (which have a big mark-up), and possibly some props, and you're ready to
expand your business
to afternoon tea or even children's tea parties.
Children love theme-based parties
and tea parties can be
as creative as your imagination allows. The idea
that a tea party has to replicate an English Tea is
simply not accurate (although some may love this type
of party).
Examples of themed children's tea parties include
favorite books or characters (such as Harry Potter),
dress-up parties or
birthday parties
with a tea twist,
incorporating fun and fruity teas.
As a business owner, you're already
familiar with
methods to promote your business
Use these same tools to promote the tea party aspect of your services and watch your business grow! .
Word of mouth is a great way to start, as you already
have a customer base. People are always interested in

new and unique services
, so this will be one way to
get the word out quickly about your business. And
because this business is unique, many people will be
naturally curious about what you do.
Create targeted marketing materials to hand out to Add the tea party option to all of your existing marketing materials as well.
parent groups
, the local library, childcare providers and other places that target families.
Also run ads in
local publications
that are distributed
to families. When it comes time to renew your yellow
pages ad, include information about afternoon tea and
your children's tea parties. Be sure to add cross-
references in the yellow pages that will target children
in addition to your regular catering clientele.
Running a tea party business is
affordable
As your business grows, you can expand your offerings. You don't need a huge amount of startup cash to purchase teas. and when running the business through your existing catering company, the overhead is very low.
For example, you could begin by stocking some
traditional favorites and as you expand,
add unusual
teas for specialty parties
But don't skimp on the quality of the tea or your tea education. .
You will be surprised to find that many customers
know their teas just like coffee lovers know their
espresso.
Knowledge is power
with tea just like any other gourmet food.
The tea business is a growing one, with sales in the
billions of dollars each year and expanding, with sales
expected to reach
ten billion
by 2010. For those
looking for a unique way to expand a catering
business, tea can provide the creativity and flexibility
to make it happen.
(C) Dawnya Sasse
Dawnya Sasse is the creator of the ultimate tea business training school allowing students to discover the secrets of the tea industry, "quickly and easily" without ever leaving home.
Why do some people succeed in the tea business?
Discover how to "Unlock the Secrets of the Billion Dollar
Tea Industry from the Comfort of Your Own Computer"
and make your tea dream a reality. Free audio mini
course
www.StartATeaBusiness.com
This article may be distributed freely on your website, as
long as this entire article, including links and this
resource box are unchanged.
Copyright 2006 Dawnya Sasse All Rights Reserved.
Tea Events
www.TeaEvents.com

Tea Grading System

You've seen FTGFOP, BOP, CTC on labels of tea...
What do these codes mean?
These codes are used to classify single estate teas such as Darjeeling, Ceylon, and Assam. At the end of a tealeaf makeing process, a machine will separate the tealeaves according to their type, size, and categorize them into different grades.

Letters like P: Pekoe, O: Orange, B: Broken, etc, are connected to indicate the different grades of the black tea.
Here is a summary of the most commonly used codes:
OP
: Orange Pekoe Usually refers to relatively longer and complete tealeaf.
BOP
They make a stronger brew than OP, so they are more suitable to make milk tea. : Broken Orange Pekoe Refers to broken orange pekoe.
FOP
: Flowery Orange Pekoe Refers to tealeaves that have buds, which would create a floral fragrance in the tea.
FBOP
Makes a stronger tea with floral fragrance. : Flower Broken Orange Pekoe Contains both buds and broken tea leaves.
TGFOP
Makes a much more fragrant and strong tea than FOP. : Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe Contains young buds, which appear golden.
FTGFOP
: Fine(est) Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe Very high quality tea that went through an extra procedure of rolling, which would draw out the best flavour in tea.
SFTGFOP
The meaning is obvious. : S stands for Super or Special.
CTC
It is ideal for consuming with milk. CTC leaves make a very strong brew in short amount of time. : Crush, Tear, Curl These teas are compressed into small pieces by a special machine.
Others:
Fanning
,
Dust
Usually used in India to make Chai or milk tea. Refers to very small pieces of tealeaves.
It means the first grade of that FOP. Sometimes, there is a "1" at the end of a tea name, such as FOP1 or FTGFOP1.
Some people prefer BOP instead of FTGFOP becuase BOP makes stronger tea, which is suitable for consuming with milk. The number of letters, however, does not necessarily mean the quality of tea.
Please visit is a tea lover and the founder of O-Square Tea Company. Tom H.
http://www.osquaretea.com
for more information.