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LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT INTERVIEW WITH RONA TISON TOP 10 TEA MYTHS BOOK CLUB TEA RECIPES GOLDEN TEA LATTES GLOBAL DRINKS TRENDS

In this Issue

An Interview with Rona Tison

Top 10 Tea Myths Are you a Tea Lover

Shaking Bubble Tea Up Golden Latte

Book Club: Lapsang Chili A La Heston Blumenthal

Letter from the President

Manila's Rising Sun

Genmaicha Buttermilk Corn Muffin Rosemary Oolong Gimlet

Whether pursuing a career in the retail or hospitality industry or enhancing your enjoyment of tea, this course provides an introduction on the historical origin of herbs and spices as they are used in tea. This course will provide a general history of herbal remedies throughout the ages with emphasis on how it is used in China as well as in India over thousands of years. Students will be introduced to the basic concepts and philosophies and learn about the common herbs used in each of these practices.

HI-101 is a 4-week online course.

Register at www.tea.ca

HI-101 INTRO TO HERBS & I N F U S I O N S Â WWW.TEA.CAÂ

Shabnam Weber

Inspired by Tea

THAC President

On September 22nd and 23rd, the Tea and Herbal Association of Canada hosted Canada's first Tea Masters Cup. I've talked to you about the event in previous issues and told you all about its beginnings and concept. But none of that prepared even me for the extraordinary two days we spent with some beautiful tea people.

e th

When I build something in my mind, I have a very clear vision of what I want it to be, how I want it to look

m o fr

and how I want it to be executed. And nothing is more satisfying than watching that come to life

before your eyes. What I wasn't prepared for however

were the overwhelming emotions. Yes, they may have

t n e d i s e r p

been partially due to exhaustion. But the truth is that they were from watching seven tea professionals

compete in our first category, Tea Preparation; and three more in our second category, Tea Mixology.

These competitors brought with them their stories,

their passion and their remarkable attention to detail.

We watched tea being roasted in front of us, tea

brewed cold in 5 minutes without ever touching hot

water and a preparation that involved an alchemy of brewing tea in various water types and teapot

materials in order to blend the perfect combination.

Simply put...wow.

But even more than being enamoured by what I was served, I was beguiled by each and every competitor.

The camaraderie between them and the true love they showed of tea was a beautiful reminder of why we all do what we do. It was a refreshing reminder that inspired us all to simply find the LOVE in tea.

Winners Kate Kendall (Tea Preparation) Jean Francois Desaulniers (Tea Mixology)

THANK YOU TO OUR SPOSORS Platinum

Gold

Silver

Bronze

AN INTERVIEW WITH

RONA TISON Rona Tison is a tea industry connoisseur with a refined approach to the U.S. Japanese culture and innovative marketing. She is the Executive Vice President of Corporate Relations at ITO EN (North America) INC., Japan’s #1 green tea brand and the world’s leading purveyor of award-winning, premium and sustainablygrown green tea and healthy beverages. Tison has been with ITO EN since its inception in 2002 in the North America.

What is your first memory involving tea?

My first memory of drinking tea was with my Japanese grandmother on my summer visits to Japan. The first time was 7 years old at the time. Nothing ever started without first sitting down and having a cup of “ocha”-meaning tea in Japanese. It was our special time to take pause and share conversation. I was always fascinated with the ritual of her steeping the tea leaves in her little teapot called the kyusu.

I have very fond memories of her and am grateful to her for introducing me to tea.

What does a typical work day consist of for you?

My day certainly varies from day to day. There are days when I am conducting a tea workshop, speaking at an event or exhibiting at a trade show. Other days I will attend a committee or board meeting that I serve on Tea & Health, a Global Tea Sustainability and several community organizations that we are involved in.

How much tea do you drink in a day?

I usually start my day off with matcha. It gives a sustained energy boost that keeps me grounded throughout the day without the jitters. As I am always on the go, I will drink a couple of bottles of our Oi Ocha or steep our convenient teabags. I also have a loose leaf brewing bottle which I also enjoy throughout the day.

What’s the one thing you wish everyone would know about ITO EN?

What’s your favorite fact about tea that surprises people?

That ITO EN is Japan’s #1 tea brand and global leaders of green tea. We are innovators and pioneered the first ready to drink unsweetened green tea, as well developing the technology of recycling used tea leaves to make eco-products. ITO EN was recently recognized

by FORTUNE as one of “50 Companies Changing the World” ranking # 18, for our sustainable tea farming practices.

That tea comes from one plant- the camellia sinensis, unlike wine that has different varietals. It is the actual processing of the tea that differentiates the varietiesfrom green(unoxidized), oolong(semi-oxidized) and black (fully oxidized).

What are you seeing in the market that excites you for tea?

The continued demand for a healthier lifestyle that is embracing tea. More consumers are seeing “food as medicine” and with green tea ranking as a “superfood”, it is exciting to see the interest and appreciation for authenticity and quality of the tea leaf in our teas and the appreciation of the Japanese authenticity.

If you could drink tea with anyone-living or dead- who would it be?

I have great admiration for Michelle Obama, so I would love to have tea with her. She is such an amazing role model for women and has certainly encouraged a healthy lifestyle for young people.

If you weren’t in tea, what would you be doing?

I started my career in the hotel business and always had a dream to operate a Ryokan- a Japanese inn. Of course, an inn that would welcome guests with tea!

How do you take your tea?

I am a purist and like it as is. I do not add anythingthough I appreciate that it can be enjoyed with milk, lemon or with honey. Of course, I have enjoyed a number of tea cocktails with spirits that have been delicious!

What is the most interesting and unique experience you’ve had in your tea career?

To have had the pleasure of meeting and having tea prepared by the Great Grand Tea Master of The Urasenke School of Tea Ceremony- SEN Soshitsu XVI. With such deep-rooted history in “The Way of Tea”, it was truly an honor and an unforgettable experience.

RAISE YOUR CUPS

TEA WITH TRACIEFUNDRAISING FUNDRAISING RUNS UNTIL OCTOBER 31ST

TEA WITH TRACIE HAS PARTNERED WITH LOCAL CIBC BRANCHES TO RAISE FUNDS FOR CIBC RUN FOR THE CURE. Tea with Tracie is donating 50% of the profit of every pouch of tea sold at CIBC branches in Oakville, Burlington, Hamilton and Niagra.until October 31.

CIBC Run for the Cure FUNDRAISING UNTIL OCTOBER 31 "The fight against cancer is near and dear to my heart because I’m surrounded by best friends, family and neighbours who’ve battled this devastating disease… including my 95 year old Grandmother who is a survivor. It fills my cup to be able to give back to our local community with a product that is healthy for the mind, body and spirit. This is one of the reasons I love being an entrepreneur…deciding what causes are important to me personally and how I can use my business to help."

Tracie Michaud, Certified TAC Tea Sommelier Owner of Tea with Tracie

YOU CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT TEA WITH TRACIE FUNDRAISING AT WWW.TEAWITHTRACIE.CA. THOSE INTERESTED IN MORE INFORMATION ON CIBC RUN FOR THE CURE AT WWW.CIBCRUNFORTHECURE.SUPPORTCBCF.COM

TOP 10 TEA MYTHS YOU NEED TO KNOW NOW

By Erica Baillie, Certified TAC Tea Sommelier Professional Owner of Plan de Vida How well do you know tea? Behind water, tea is the second most popular beverage in the world. Despite its popularity, a lot of misinformation exists. Surprise yourself and see just how much or little you know about tea.

MYTH #1: REFERRING TO YOUR CUP OF BLACK TEA AS ORANGE PEKOE. Fact: When someone wants a cup of strong black tea, they usually refer to it as “orange pekoe”. This is a misconception, however, because the term orange pekoe actually refers to the physical characteristics of the tea leaf not the flavour. When tea producing countries like India or Sri Lanka grade their tea, they use orange pekoe to describe the tea leaf itself.

MYTH #2: ALL TEA IS STEEPED IN BOILING WATER Fact: The temperature of water required to steep your tea depends on the category (Here’s a reminder of the different tea categories if you need it: white, green, oolong, black and pu’erh).

Because each category of tea undergoes different manufacturing procedures and varies in oxidation levels, different water temperatures should be used. For example, black tea is steeped at 100C, yet green tea is steeped at 80C. Using boiling water to make green tea has the potential to scald the tea leaves.

MYTH #3: HERBAL TISANES ARE TEA. Fact: Only tea leaves that come from the Camellia sinensis plant can truly be referred to as tea. Any blend of herbs, flowers, fruit or roots that don’t contain tea leaves is a tisane. It’s very common to see herbal tisanes like rooibos and yerba mate referred to as tea or herbal tea.

MYTH #4: GREEN TEA TASTES LIKE GRASS Fact: While many green tea tasting notes include certain descriptive words such as grassy and herbaceous – it’s really the combination of steeping time, water temperature and water quality that influences its taste. It’s best to use fresh filtered water around 80C and steep for 1-3 minutes. Discard the teabag or tea leaves immediately after brewing. It’s important to note that different countries produce different tasting green teas. For example, green teas from Japan tend to be buttery, herbaceous and grassy. Whereas green teas from China have more roasted and smokey notes. Try comparing both to discover your preference!

MYTH #5: TEA NEVER EXPIRES Fact: Tea is a plant that should be consumed by the best before date.

Despite all manufactured tea having its moisture content reduced for storage, it’s best consumed within the recommended time to have the freshest tasting tea.

Properly store your tea in a cool area, away from direct sunlight and in an opaque airtight container. Because tea is hygroscopic (absorbs other aromas) avoid storing your stash alongside garlic, spices and other fragrant items.

MYTH #6: TEA TASTES LIKE HOT WATER Fact: If your brew tastes like hot water, tweak your preparation to enhance the flavour. Bring fresh filtered water to a boil, and cool to the appropriate temperature depending on the category of tea. Never boil your water twice!

Re-boiling your water removes the oxygen and nitrogen making your brew taste flat. Another tip is to rinse your tea leaves. Quickly pour your water over your tea leaves and pour it off, allowing the tea leaves to open up. After the initial rinse, you can begin brewing your leaves depending on the type of tea you’re drinking.

MYTH #7: TEA TASTES BETTER WITH CONDIMENTS LIKE MILK & SUGAR Fact: Use of condiments should enhance your cup of tea and increase your own satisfaction.

However, adding condiments to tea isn’t always necessary for a great tasting cup. You can get creamy, buttery and citrus notes directly from the tea leaves. For example, Silver Needle (white tea) from China has notes of peaches, without the addition of citrus or sugar. The manufacturing process and terroir (unique climate and growing conditions) of each tea impacts the aromas and flavours it imparts. But the bottom line is: adding condiments to your tea boils down to personal preference.

MYTH #8: TEA IS UNAFFECTED BY WEATHER, ECONOMY AND SUPPLY/DEMAND ISSUES Fact: The tea industry’s ability to keep the price consistent for the consumer is impressive. Tea is an agricultural product that is heavily impacted by climate, plant disease or pests. In order to mitigate any possible supply or demand issues, tea companies have contingency plans set up.

If the supplier they use is impacted by drought or by any other problem, they will select another supplier that can supply tea with a similar flavour profile. This ensures a consistent flavour and mouthfeel to avoid impacting the end consumer (you!). For most boxes of teabags, you may find it hard to find out the countries where the tea came from. This allows tea companies to substitute different teas from around the world in order to change suppliers on the fly.

MYTH #9: IT ALL TASTES THE SAME Fact: Every tea is as unique as the country it’s grown in. Tea is produced all around the world, with each country’s unique soil, weather and climate influencing the flavours and aroma of their tea. These environmental conditions that impact tea can be described by the word terroir.

Terroir, along with manufacturing practices influence the flavours and aromas of your cup. A green tea from Japan tends to be a bright vibrant green, with herbaceous and grassy notes.

Whereas a green tea from China tends to be a darker green brown with roasted and toasty notes. The difference in flavours within the green tea category comes down to terroir and how each country manufactures their tea (Japan steams their tea to reduce moisture, whereas China panfires their tea).

MYTH #10: TEA IS FOR GRANDMAS Fact: Tea has been consumed as a beverage for thousands of years. The diversity in different blends, tea producing countries and methods of preparation is astounding. Tea can be served hot or cold, and enjoyed anytime.

There are thousands of different teas across every category that are a true expression of craft. Shake off that image and pair your tea with food, by complementing or contrasting flavours on your plate and in your cup.

B O O K C L U B

by Shabnam Weber

My love for books began at a very young age. In fact, I don't ever remember a time I didn't love books. And when I say books, I mean real books. I love my technology, I truly do.

My laptop, my tablet, my smart phone, my smart watch.

These are all things I wouldn't know how to live without anymore. But I simply can't give up a real book for the electronic alternative. The feel of paper, the turning of a page, nothing quite beats that.

My love for books is rooted in the love of being transfixed into another world. And

nothing transfixes me more than finding a book whose characters I fall in love with.

Characters that become my friends. The ones I care for and am rooting for. The ones I know I will truly miss as I turn the last page.

So surely, a lover of books belongs to a book club. I do indeed. Well, I mostly do. I don't attend meetings nearly as often as I should, but I take great comfort in knowing they're there for me when my schedule allows.

Being a part of a book club does require an important

skill; knowing how to be a host.

Most book clubs rotate, which means that at some point...it will be your turn!

In the next few pages, I'm going to guide you through hosting a book club. I'll give you book club tips and give you an ideal autumn book club menu. As always, I promise, it will be easy to follow and even easier to execute!

BOOK CLUB TIPS 1

BREAK OUTSIDE YOUR CIRCLE It's natural to draw on your own circle of friends when starting a new tea club.

Reaching outside however, will add another layer of opinions to your discussions. Some ideas are work colleagues, or friends of friends.

2

KEEP BOOK LENGTHS MANAGEABLE

5

Some people join book clubs for the intellectual stimulus. For others it's a social event that is more about being around friends for an evening. Set your goals clearly. This will define as well the types of books your book club chooses. Are they light reads or are they Pulitzer Prize winners?

Choosing books that are under 200 pages, makes being a part of your book club manageable for everyone. Avoid the temptation of long books!

3

DON'T OVER-MEET Having a book club schedule that everyone can commit to is so important to ensure long-term success. Six weeks is usually a good cycle for everyone. You may want to stretch that to eight weeks over the summer months when everyone is busier.

4

6

BE PREPARED AS A GUEST Sometimes, finishing the book just isn't in the cards. You can choose to skip your book club when that happens, or you can be upfront and contribute to the conversation where you're able. Either way, being a part of a book club means reading the book, be prepared for conversation - reading reviews always helps here, take your turn hosting...and show up.

SET A METHOD FOR CHOOSING BOOKS Having everyone agree on how things are done will set clear guidelines for everyone.

Some book clubs let the host choose the book they'll read for a cycle. Others take a democratic approach and decide together at the end of each meeting what the next book will be.

WHAT ARE YOUR BOOK CLUB GOALS

7

HAVE FUN Remember why you started this book club.

It's a social setting. No matter what your intellecutal goals may be...remember to have fun!

HOSTING BOOK CLUB Being a host means guiding the

When choosing what you'll serve, keep

discussion. It's your responsibility to not

your setting in mind. If you're meeting in

only begin the conversation but also to fill

a living room, then food needs to be easy

it in and get it rolling again when there

to eat. Does your book inspire a

are lulls. Know the book. Read reviews of

particular menu? Do you want a theme?

the book. Take notes and have discussion

As with all parties, remember to serve

questions ready to spark conversation. You

non-alcoholic options for your guests.

can find some great help online for this. A lot of books have suggested book club discussion questions online, or even at the back of the book. Remember that your role is to facilitate the conversation, not take it over.

"A ROOM WITHOUT BOOKS IS LIKE A BODY WITHOUT A SOUL

BOOK CLUB MENU Give your guests something to graze on.

Having food you can pick at is a good way to start book club, particularly as most discussion is had towards the beginning. I find that cheese or charcuterie platters are always my go to for grazing. I gave you tips on putting together a charctuterie platter in issue 03 of sip. But popcorn is another good addition and surprise for your guests. I mean, come on, who doesn't love popcorn?

And there really is something decadent and lovely about this Pumpkin Spice Caramel Corn.

Cicero

PUMPKIN

SPICE

CARAMEL

CORN

WHAT YOU'LL NEED 10 Cups of Popped Popcorn (salted if desired) 1 Cup Butter (I prefer salted) 3 tsp or 3 teabags Pumpkin Spice Tea 1 Cup Light Brown Sugar 2 tsp. Vanilla 1/2 tsp. Baking Soda WHAT YOU'LL DO

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat with tea. Take off heat and allow to steep for 15 minutes. Strain/remove tea and put butter back on stove. Add 1 cup of brown sugar and stir until thoroughly mixed. Stirring continuously, bring the butter and sugar mixture up to a boil on medium heat. When it reaches a boil allow it to cook for 5 minutes without stirring on medium heat. Add the 2 tsp. of vanilla at the 4 minute mark and stir into mix. Continue to boil for one additional minute. Add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda. Drizzle the caramel mixture over the popcorn. Use a spoon to gently fold the popcorn with the mixture until the kernels are all covered. Pour the popcorn out onto a cookie sheet covered with wax paper. Let the popcorn cool.

LAPSANG À

LA

CHILI

HESTON

BLUMENTHAL

I love taking recipes from famous chefs around the world and adding tea to them. Quite often, these are not chefs you would associate simple comfort foods with, like chili. But their perfection to their craft usually results in a deeper and more complex flavoured recipe and this one is no exception, with the additon of a spiced butter.

At book club, I would serve these in a mug.

What you'll need 6 tbsp olive oil 450 g minced beef (10% fat) 1 large onion, diced 2 whole star anise 2 tbsp ground Lapsang Souchong Tea 3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed 1 green chilli, deseeded and diced 2 tbsp tomato purée 0.5 a bottle red wine 400 g can chopped tomatoe s500 ml beef stock 400 g can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed 230 g jar Fragata Pimiento Piquillo peppers, drained and roughly chopped Spiced Butter 2 tbsp olive oil 1.5 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp chilli powder 1.5 tsp smoked paprika 1 tsp tomato ketchup 0.5 tsp Worcestershire sauce 0.5 tsp Marmite 125 g butter, softened to room temperature

What you'll do: Spiced Butter: Heat olive oil in a frying pan and lightly fry the cumin and chilli powder for approximately 1 ½ minutes. Pour into a bowl and add the rest of the spiced butter ingredients; mix together and once cool, place in the fridge until needed.

Chili: Add 3 tbsp olive oil to a large sauce pan and heat over high heat until smoking hot. Add the mince, cook until evenly browned. Remove and drain the meat. Add a little water to the same pan to deglaze it and tip the water and bits in with the drained meat so none of the flavour is lost.Turn the heat down to medium and add the remaining olive oil. Add onions and star anise and cook until the onions begin to colour, then add the garlic and green chilli and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the tomato purée, stir and cook for another 5 minutes until everything turns a brick red colour. Add the browned mince and juices, pour in the red wine and Lapsang Souchong and allow to reduce by two-thirds. Add the tomatoes and stock and simmer over a low heat for at least 1 hour or until it has reduced to a thick sauce consistency.

Fold the beans and chopped red peppers into the chilli and simmer until they are heated through. Stir in 2½ tbsp of the spiced butter for mild-medium heat (or more if you like it hotter).

Remove the star anise and serve with sour cream, grated cheese and lime (as desired).

EVEN BETTER HEATED THE NEXT DAY!

GENMAICHA BUTTERMILK CORN MUFFINS Offer these delicious bites up with your chili for the perfect accompaniment.

What you'l do

What you'l need 1½ cups fine cornmeal 1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour 3 tbsp)sugar 12 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp salt 1 ¾ cups buttermilk 3 eggs, lightly beaten ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted 2 or 2 teabags Genmaicha tea

Place butter in saucepan with tea and melt. Set aside to steep for 15 minutes.

Remove/strain tea. With the rack in the middle position, preheat the oven to 180 °C (350 °F). Generously butter a muffin tin or line with paper instead.

Set aside. In a bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Make a well in the centre and add the buttermilk and eggs. Mix thoroughly with a whisk. Stir in the infused butter. Pour into muffin forms.

Bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Let cool. Serve warm or cold.

CHAI

BROWNIE

À

THOMAS

LA

KELLER

What you'll need 3/4 c all-purpose flour 1 c unsweetened cocoa powder 3 sticks unsalted butter ; cut into 1 Tbsp pieces 1 tsp salt 3 large eggs 1 3/4 c granulated sugar 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 1 1/2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips ) 3 tsp or 3 teabags Chai tea

What you'll do: Butter and flour a 9" square baking pan. Set aside. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Melt half the butter with tea. Take off heat and allow to steep for 15 minutes. Strain/remove tea and pour steeped butter into a small mixing bowl. Let cool to room temperature.

Add the remaining butter and whisk until creamy and there is just few bits of butter left.

In a large mixing bowl of your stand mixer, beat together eggs and sugar until pale and thick. Mix in vanilla extract, alternating with butter, add the dry ingredients in 3 parts ( dry, butter, dry, butter, dry, butter ).Stir in chocolate chips. Spread the batter in prepared pan. The batter will be thick. Smooth the top with a spatula. Bake 40to 45 minutes, until the toothpick test shows only few crumbs. Cool in pan to room temperature.

·

Mix whiskey, tea, maple syrup and Angostura. Pour into glass over ice. Garnish with orange peel.

ODEXUT NAIDANAC

2 oz Whiskey 2 oz Kenyan black tea (brewed and chilled) 1 tsp maple syrup Dash of Angostura Orange peel to garnish

TELMIG YRAMESOR

2 oz Dry Gin 2 oz Oolong Tea (brewed and chilled) ¾ oz fresh lime juice ¾ oz rosemary simple syrup ROSEMARY SIMPLE SYRUP ¼ cup water ¼ cup sugar 1 ½ tbsp chopped rosemary Combine water, sugar and rosemary in a saucepan. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool. Strain out rosemary Mix gin, tea, lime juice and rosemary syrup in cocktail shaker over ice.

Shake well.

Pour into cocktail glass and garnish with a sprig of rosemary.

Are you a tea lover?

TEALOVERS.COM

TEALOVERS.COM Tealovers.com is a social platform for you guessed it, tea lovers. It has been built to empower people to learn more and connect with others, so you can live healthier with the power of tea.

The scheduled launch will be on December 15, 2020 in Toronto.

The online tea community is organized into different sections: Reviews The ambition is to build the world’s largest online tea database powered by a community of millions of tea lovers.

Tealovers.com wants to inspire the tea discovery experience using social recommendations from its community members. Product information is strictly controlled by the brand; however, reviews are unbiased and opinions the voices of the community.

Articles Stories, how-to guides and in-depth articles around tea written by the community for the community. You can find everything from simple ways to make milk tea, to popular tea quotes favourited by tea lovers.

Articles are created to inspire and educate tea lovers on every level.

Social Inspiration Tealovers.com will bring together a growing community of tea lovers and enthusiasts. Just like your favourite social platform, you can follow, share and engage with other tea lovers alike. The newly added cupboard function allow you to inspire others with your personal collection OR to inspire one another with our own tea collections. Furthermore, post any question on the community forum board and get answers from a fellow member.

Now what?

We would like to encourage all local as well as national tea businesses to get in touch with us. The registration is free. We will guide you to set up your brand / tea / location page, so it reflects your business.

Get in touch before October 15th to be part of a soft launch. teamaster@tealovers.com

Shaking Bubble Tea Up

by MysTea Who Is MysTea? Mystea, a Sherbrooke based business specialised in tea and herbal tea, has known constant growth over the past three years. Owner and founder Anne Ricard says that to get to this point, “efforts, integrity and perseverance were necessary”.

Anne Ricard has always had a strong interest in teas and herbal teas. Even before launching her MysTea business in 2011, the entrepreneur from Sherbrooke worked in a small tea shop and advised customers on this universe that interweaves flavours and smells. The idea of opening her own specialized business came to her when the owners closed the shop for which she worked. After working for Chinese immigrant owners with whom she had tasted the more purist culture of this tea industry, Anne wanted to continue to offer health through tea.

When she opened her shop in Sherbrooke, her clientele requested more than she had ever offered before. They were asking for something new!

The goal is to offer customers a wide range of 100% natural teas and herbal teas, as well as offering advice and surprising recipes surrounding the topic. In order to offer a unifying product for all, Anne took interest to Bubble Tea, but it seemed it could not be natural enough to be part of her initial vision.

Anne, for her part, found the product was too sweet and the tapioca was generally rubbery and difficult to digest.

The History of Bubble Tea In Taiwan in the 1980s, street tea dealers faced a major problem when summer arrived, heat! It was too hot to consume tea, so their "hot" product lost all popularity. So, they had the great idea of adding ice to the tea and shaking it up to get a refreshing drink full of foam.

Bubble Tea was born! Later the Japanese added milk, sugar and tapioca beads to appeal to most young people.

More Natural, Why Not! After two years of exploration, Anne came up with the best iced tea recipe on the market, reduced in sugar and made with 100% natural

tea and herbal tea to retain all the healthy benefits. The success was undeniable, Anne says:� in all the events where we presented our iced tea the reaction of our clientele was more than favourable".

Fusion Bubbles Then came the search to find a supplier of fusion bubbles offering a product that was very low in sucrose and made with REAL fruit juice. Thus, BubbleMystea was born. Its 20-ounce format contains just 140 calories and is oh so delicious!

This result appealed to a wide clientele ranging from ages 9 to 99 years old!

Everything is Compostable!

Anne Ricard had not said her last word! The iced tea was delicious, the fusion bubbles were reduced in sugar and made of real juice and now the container! Yes, it had to be biodegradable! In 2013 it was rather rare and expensive. Never mind, MysTea served its BubbleMystea in a 100% compostable glass and a lid long before it was fashionable! Since 2017, our straws are also 100% compostable. In the past year alone, more than 22,000 BubbleMystea have been served at the shop, at other outlets and events. Products are appreciated by a loyal and happy clientele who is able to enjoy a delicious and healthy refreshment, from a company that respects the environment by using 100% biodegradable containers. MysTea!

TEA SOMMELIER® CERTIFICATION PROGRAM

What is a Tea Sommelier?

A trained and knowledgeable tea professional who has successfully completed the Tea and Herbal Association of Canada’s certification examination, as a result, is well versed on all aspects of tea as it affects the consumer. He or she will have a thorough understanding of tea and its history, processing methods and preparation and will be able to interact easily with anyone on the subject of tea and make recommendations based on their needs in an approachable and easy manner.

Where are courses offered?

Students can take the program in person through THAC (Toronto), through Cambridget Tea Academy (UK). As well, the courses are available online through the Academy of Tea, in Italian at ProTea Academy and in Spanish at Escuela Mexicana de Té.

To begin your journey visit the Tea and Herbal Association of Canada at www.tea.ca or www.teasommelier.com.

tumeric

GOLDEN LATTE

by Adi Baker

Family Name: Zingiberaceae Botanical Name: Curcuma Longa

earthy and mildly spicy, but it is primarily used in dishes for the beautiful golden colour it gives. It is most commonly found in its powdered form, but is available at some specialty grocery stores in its

Popular Names: Curcuma, Indian Saffron, Yellow Ginger, Haridra and Yu Jin.

fresh form (it looks similar to

Parts Used: Rhizomes

thousands of years in

Habitat: Southern Asia.

Cultivated in China, Bengal and Java.

ginger, but a little smaller).

Tumeric has been used for Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese medicine as a warming element. It also has a rich history of being used as a dye, not only for food but as a natural fabric dye as well...

Over the last few years you

Take this as a caution when

may have noticed a trend in

using turmeric and wearing

the number of foods that

white clothing.

include turmeric as an ingredient and drinks such as

The vibrant hue compliments

golden milk and turmeric

any fall drink menu, whether

lattes. This deep golden

you are a café owner or at-

amber coloured spice is a

home latte making guru. The

close relative of ginger, and

base of these drinks is either

like ginger it is the root of the

turmeric powder or turmeric

plant that is used within

tea (available in tea bag and

culinary dishes. The taste is

loose leaf formats).

BASIC

GOLDEN

LATTE

What you need 1 teabag or 1 tsp loose tumeric tea 1 cup boiing water 1/4 cup milk of choice sweetener of choice pinch of cinnamon pinch of nutmeg

What you'll do Steep teabags in boiled water for 5 minutes. After removing bags add in 1/4 cup of milk. Using a sweetner of your choice, sweetened to desired amount.

Sprinkle cinnamon and nutmeg over top and enjoy.

CREAMY MILK

GOLDEN

LATTE

What you need 1Â cup nut or oat milk 1 tbsp ground tumeric powder 1/2 tsp cinnamon pinch nutmeg 2 tsp coconut oil 1.5 tbsp maple syrup What you'll do In a small sauce pan bring milk to a simmer. whisk in tumeric, cinnamon, nutmeg, coconut oil and maple syrup. While continuously whisking bring mixture back to a simmer. Once a simmer is reached pour mixture into blender. As you will be dealing with hot liquid in the blender make sure to remove the centre cap from the lid to allow for venting. Pulse until the mixture becomes nice and frothy. Pour into your mug.

Global drinks trends and the opportunities they create for tea and herbal infusions

by Jane Milton Certified TAC Tea Sommelier Professional I live in the UK, but travel extensively for work, helping food and drink businesses adapt to changing market conditions and take advantage of trends in order to safeguard their business for the future, and grow.

The advantage of being out of my home market regularly is that this allows me to view that market more objectively and compare it to others , seeing opportunities in the UK and also understanding the advantages and disadvantages of our market and others too.

The UK, for many years has held the dubious honour of spending the smallest % of its household income on food and non-alcholic drink of all EU countries , 8.2% against an EU average of 12.2%.(Eurostat for European Union2017 ) .

In fact in recent years this figure has dropped as discounted retailers entered our market and fought for market share with the 4 more established supermarkets and price wars ensued. Outside of the EU the USA spends just 6.4% of household income on food and nonalcoholic drink with, Singapore on 6.7%, Canada 9.1% and Australia at 9.8%.

Against that backdrop it had been harder for quality tea producers to flourish in the UK, as most British people, counter intuitively to our reputation as big tea drinkers, don’t spend big amounts on tea, preferring most often to buy the cheapest black tea to drink with milk. The volume of tea sold in the UK dropped by 2.8 per cent from 94.5m kg in 2016/17 to 91.9m kg in 2017/18 (Kantar Worldpanel.)or 870m fewer cups of tea being drunk. However, herbal (and speciality, or specialty depending on where you live) tea sales have shown growth and one reason for that is said to be the increase in people in the UK adopting a vegan lifestyle(7% of population) and switching to dairy free tea options.

As health awareness and the need for self care has spread in the UK over the last few years ,

kombucha has slowly entered the frame and in the same way that craft beer and gin has seen a surge, we are beginning to see a really wide range of UK made and imported kombuchas, and an increasing interest in home brewing too.

We have a long way to go to catch Canada, USA or Australia, but now at least most people have heard of it. The Global Kombucha Market was worth USD 939 million in 2018 and estimated to be growing at a CAGR of 25.0%, to reach USD 2866 million by 2023(Reuters) North America is leading the market regionally, due to presence of market leading brands. Asia Pacific is expected to grow the fastest owing to its increasing disposable income, growing government initiatives to manufacture Kombucha and growing adoption rate.

Many of the millennial generation (currently aged 22-38) have turned their back on alcohol or greatly reduced consumption, a trend being reported in the media from Australia, to USA, to UK, leaving a big opportunity for exciting soft drink options to fill the space.Diageo, the global drinks brand better known for its brands such as `Johnnie Walker whisky has increased its stake in nonalcoholic distilled spirit brand Seedlip to majority ownership. This is an opportunity for tea brands to work across the hospitality sector and show them how to make interesting, low sugar alternatives to conventional soft drinks with a more adult flavour profile that people are happy to drink instead of alcoholic drinks. Iced teas, mocktails and refreshing tea based drinks can often command a good price too and give the business a chance to recoup lost revenue from alcohol sales, with a better margin.

Recognising that many operators find it difficult to train their staff to consistently make good quality tea based drinks quickly, Dilmah Tea launched their Elixir of Ceylon Tea range, extracted from fresh black or green tea with a lower sugar level than traditional syrups used in the café and bar markets, and using ingredients such as honey and natural fruit flavours, this range has quickly been adopted by a number of global hotel companies and foodservice operators and has quickly grown to 12 flavours, showing how watching trends and reacting to changes in the market quickly can have real benefits for a business.

A rise in the average disposable income globally has encouraged tea producers to introduce premium and health-oriented products, adding healthy ingredients to their tea to target some common health conditions including diabetes, beauty, obesity, heart health or more general well-being through teas claiming to promote calmness or reduce stress.

Currently tea is the world's most consumed beverage after water. It has very high penetration levels in Asia and Europe, despite the rise in ‘coffee culture’ in many countries and so gives a strong platform from which to encourage people to trade up to speciality products.

Tea offers a very good value drink and is consumed across all socio-economic consumer groups, so it is also a great leveller and way to engage a diverse group of people by inviting them to share a cup of tea. A major catalyst which has supported the popularity of tea across various developing markets, such as India and China, is the fact that it is affordable by the mass population, a majority of whom belong to low income groups. Back in our own markets, Tea is the perfect corporate gifting item as it widely accepted by all faiths, suits all dietary needs such as dairy free and is beneficial to health. Perfect for companies to give to employees or share with their customers then and a great opportunity for tea businesses.

Over the past few years, the out-of-home market for tea has been expanding with tea lounges opening across the globe. These lounges offer different benefits to the consumers such as the availability of a variety of handpicked teas from different regions. Soft drink options and often an alcohol free environment in which they can socialise all through the day.

As I travel I see growing interest in speciality teas, and better quality black teas and I certainly feel optimism for our industry if we embrace change and act on it , but also back up the hospitality sector by offering them training and support so they in turn will inspire their customers to drink more tea and buy more for home consumption.

The Alberta "Famous 5" were the

the Senate. She was denied at first,

petitioners in the case that changed the

because at the time, the word 'persons'

lives of Canadian women forever. What

did not include women. The case was

became known as the 'Person's Case'

filed with the Supreme Court of Canada

was led by Emily Murphy, Henrietta Muir

and denied on April 24, 1928.

Edwards, Nellie McClung, Louise Crummy McKinney and Irene Parlby.

These remarkable women did not stop.

Remember these names, because if

They took their case across the ocean to

you're a woman in Canada, they

England, and on October 18th, 1929, the

changed your life. What these women

Judicial Committee of the Privy Council

forced the courts to answer was: 'Are

declared that the word 'persons' did

women persons under the British North

indeed include women.

America Act'. The case was triggered by the attempt by Emily Murphy to run for

How does tea fit into this equation?Â

by Shabnam Weber

When the suffragette movement began, meetings were often broken up and quite often women were also regularly forbidden by their husbands to attend the meetings.

This is where pink tea parties enter the picture. Women would have 'pink teas' in order to distract attention from the real purpose of their meeting. They would be as pink and feminine as possible, in order to keep the men away. These tea parties only included women and the subject of equality was quickly changed if any dissent was felt to be present.

As women who have grown up with all the rights we have, we take for granted the immense work that came before us to ensure that we have these rights. The right to vote, the right to hold political office, the right to work, the right to an education and the right to healthcare, just to name a few.

Knownig our history however, is not only important to knowing where we are headed, but also in paying respect to the women who came before us. The ones with the great courage to stand up for equality. And we are grateful that the humble tea gave them a means to get to their ends. To that, I raise my cup!