Sip - issue 12

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21 eussI

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LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT INTERVIEW: KEVIN GASCOYNE GABA TEAS BRINGING THE TEA SPIRIT TO CAMPUS DESIGN MATTERS TEA TIME: RECIPES

w e r C w e r B #

Editor: Shabnam Weber THAC President

Assistant Editor: Adi Baker, THAC Communication & Programs Coordinator

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sip is published four times a year by the Tea & Herbal Association of Canada www.tea.ca

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Karen Donnelly is a certified TAC Tea Sommelier® Professional and

has

been

an

afternoon

tea

event

planner,

speaker

and

teacher for over 20 years. She is the owner of Greenhalgh Tea and

manager

of

the

Orchard

Tea

Room

at

Rose

Hip

Barn,

Thornton, PA.

Theresa Lemieux is a Certified TAC Tea Sommelier® Professional and food blogger at

theeverythingkitchen.ca. She incorporates

tea into everyday cooking and baking to showcase the many wonderful types of tea produced around the world. A freelance writer

with

a

background

in

advertising

and

copywriting, Theresa wants to expand the appreciation of fine tea to a more general audience. She firmly believes that there is room for tea in everyone’s life, and that tea really does make everything better.

Tina McDonald is the Program Director at the Academy of Tea and a certified TAC Tea Sommelier® Professional. Loving tea since she was a little girl, starting with garden parties drinking tea out of tiny ceramic cups with her great-grandmother in Kent, England.

Since

then,

she

has

been

tenaciously

tea-focused,

poring over yard sales, flea markets, and auction houses for tearelated accouterments – all for a beautiful cup of tea!

Pheinixx Paul is a freshly licensed certified TAC Tea Sommelier® Professional

with

a

long

history

steeped

in

tea

culture,

appreciation and experience working with Canadian fashion and food brands as a graphic designer and brand builder. 13-Birds is the artist, maker, and blogging alter-ego of Pheinixx: offering eclectic tea-adjacent stuff imagined by the joyfully inquisitive.

The University of Western Ontario Tea Club aims to provide a cozy atmosphere, where students can relax as they grab a cup of tea.

They host information sessions, where members can learn how to brew a perfect cup of tea, the way of tea, different types of tea, and the list goes on. By the end of the year, the members will have better understanding about tea!

In this Issue

Letter from the President An Interview with Kevin Gascoyne

Genmaicha Tea - A toasted rice green tea delight Simple Syrups

GABA Tea Western University's Tea Club: Bringing the Tea Spirit to Campus

Tea Time:

Mochi Banis Manila's Rising Sun Notice Design: How the Le Goûter Design of Tea Affects the Madelines Taste Almond Ghiriba Kaju Katli Teapots & Other Vessels

Shabnam Weber THAC President

e th

m o GROWING...SLOWLY r f t n e d i s e r p There's a Confusion proverb that says "Be not afraid of growing slowly;

be

moving

afraid

and

variables. resulting

doing

I've

in

the

though,

standing

this

had

past

moments

knitting

extravaganzas. get

of

projects,

still".

year

At

what

has

filled

pace

depended

with

energy

organising

you've

on

and

sprees

a

been

lot

of

inspiration

and

cooking

Other moments have required everything in me to

bare

minimum

that

even

done.

during

It's

the

been

difficult

important

moments,

to

remember

small

growth,

small things matter as much as the big ones - perhaps even more.

We

all

seem

because stories

we

in

to are

this

understand literally

issue

are

that

as

watching aimed

at

we

enter

spring.

life

grow

around

growing,

at

Perhaps us.

The

innovating,

at

expanding your world. The world of tea is vast and filled with so much to learn. I promise that when you think you know it, you'll stumble

upon

something

new

and

that's

called

growing.

What

ever your pace is, I hope you sit back with a cup of tea and enjoy this issue and consider your own growth.

AN INTERVIEW WITH

Kevin Gascoyne Kevin first bought tea in Asia in 1989 and has since spent every Spring there as for almost

25

obsessive

years.

quest

for

Aside

from

Darjeeling’s

his

finest

leaf, his interest in the teas of Nepal, Sri Lanka,

and

the

African

continent

have

added these regions to his repertoire.

Born in Yorkshire the North of England, Kevin was weaned on tea and has been drinking since.

copious

amounts

According

to

his

daily

ever

colleagues

his

daily tea consumption compares to the flow of some small rivers. His interest in the

teas

teenage years

of

Darjeeling

years

old

in

until,

the

grew

during

backpacking

Himalayas,

he

at

his 19

tasted

fresh leaf from the source. That’s when his

hobby

started

turned

writing

Darjeeling necessity,

tea he

serious!

for

first

magazines

and

began

At

then,

buying

he

about through

and

selling

small amounts of fancy teas to pay for his expensive habit. In the early 1990’s he registered his first company ‘Kyela Teas’ which

ticked

along

quietly

for

years.

Then in 1999 he met Hugo, François and Jasmin in their crazy Bohemian teahouse.

His old-school carousel slide shows of the tea

lands and his tasting kits of fine leaf

piqued

their

curiosity

and

fueled

their

friendship. In 2004 they officially merged

patchy kitchen memories of the comforting aroma and the visual pleasure of the white milky

clouds,

bursting

and

blending

with

the dark warmth of the malty magic tonic.

the 2 companies.

Too fidgety and energetic for sitting in the office, with

Kevin

staff

teahouses.

habitually

and

clients

in

the

chatting stores

I

think

have

too

many

to

call

current

pandemic

and

activities range from my annual Himalayan

consulting,

trade

projects

of

field

development

and

jeeping

from

extracurricular

garden

taste

few

writing for various publications, teaching in

times! But nobody really knows what Kevin

our Tea Schools, spending time making tea

does aside from drink most of the profits!

at the Tea Studio, our little factory in the

Tea

Awards

a

Nilgiri

What is your first memory involving tea?

and

Hills,

and

various

tea

the

to

to

World

for

to

the

and

the

teas

my

of

publication. He has even donned a tuxedo co-host

select

garden

restrictions

one

conferenced about tea all over the planet many

the

hats

Outside

in

lectured

or

typical.

involved

has

up

and

is

He

ends

What does a typical work day in the tea industry consist of for you?

catalogue

conferencing, shenanigans

to

consulting

all

over

the

planet.

To be honest my tea drinking starts before any clear memories form.

Yorkshire,

drinking

Growing up in

soothing,

strong

But the majority of my time is spent working

black

with my three exceptional partners to run

tea blends with milk were part of daily life

the many facets of our beloved Camellia

from the time I was old enough to hold a

Sinensis, which would include my particular

cup.

passion for shop keeping.

I do however have some vague and

How much tea do you drink in a day?

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

A healthy amount. Rarely less than 3litres rarely more than 5 litres.

Arts of some form…painting or writing.

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

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

The increasing enthusiasm for the inherent

There

fascination and diversity of origin specific

factory

teas, now adopted by so many as part of

tea

their daily lives.

down to share an unblended single origin they

specific

so

and

taster

tea,

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

are

many

infusion

and

are

flavour

a

variables that

when

complete

both profile

in a

veteran

neophyte

experiencing for

field,

the

sit

that

very

first

time.

How do you take your tea?

How

about

Sheng

Husbandsman’,

in

the

Nong, grove

the as

‘Divine

the

‘leaf

I

see

tea

as

sophisticated

a

noble

the

product,

flavour,

so

I

however drink

all

falls into his cup’. I would then serve him a

qualities of our favourite leaf (though I am

Classic First Flush Darjeeling from original

really not a fan of flavoured tea). I take my

China seed. I would like to see his face as I

tea

tell him the story and then as he tastes the

exception of a strong black tea blend that

distant future.

is simply made for a light splash of milk.

straight

with

hot

water

with

the

&

INFUSIONS Whether pursuing a career in the retail or hospitality industry or enhancing your enjoyment of tea, this program looks at the historical origin of herbs and spices as they are used in tea.

HI-101: INTRODUCTION TO HERBS & INFUSIONS (4 WEEK COURSE) HI-102: HERBAL PROCESSING & COMMON HERBS IN TEA (5 WEEK COURSE)

REGISTER AT TEA.CA

ONLINE COURSES

HERBS

GABA TEA

by Theresa Lemieux Certified TAC Tea Sommelier® Professional

A glowing, brownish red in the cup.

A tentative sniff. The diesel smell, something

I

cherish

in

wine,

is

overwhelming. I try again, this time a

deep

inhalation.

eucalyptus, jarring missing boiled

malt

set

of

in

the

raisins

almond

Charred

vinegar. flavours cup.

and

essence.

wood,

But is

this

oddly

Instead, apricot

Nothing

it’s jam,

of

that

famous sour finish for which GABA oolong

is

wondering

so

renowned.

when

the

I

wait,

tea-bliss

is

about to kick in. It’s not here yet, but

it

will

come.

Somehow,

I

feel

healthier already.

GABA tea is the latest health-craze to make the rounds on the Internet: biohackers,

fitness

fanatics,

and

seekers of natural remedies are all talking about GABA. And while the buzz

is

getting

louder,

GABA

tea

has yet to become a big seller for

most tea vendors in North America. This is somewhat puzzling;

after

all,

GABA

oolong

is

a

mainstream

grocery store item in Japan, as well as Taiwan and Thailand.

All

three

GABA-enriched cookies,

rice,

countries

foods, noodles

produce

adding and

a

GABA

even

slew to

of

juice,

chocolate.

Tea,

however, is the gateway product for GABA-enriched consumables

in

the

West,

and

in

health-minded

circles it’s being touted as the next cure-all for the stresses of modern living.

So, what, exactly, is GABA, and how does it find its way into your tea?

GABA

is

shorthand

otherwise acid,

known

normally

glutamic

as

“Nature’s in

(glutamate)

neurotransmitter

that

system.

thereof—can

gamma-aminobutyric

produced

acid

nervous

for

The

affect

Valium”.

the is

presence

calm of

anxiety,

amino

brain

ingested,

regulates

stress,

human

This

acid,

in

is

a

the

when major

central

GABA—or

lack

depression,

and

sleep disorders.

To begin with, GABA is naturally present in all tea— sort

of.

Camellia

sinensis

contains

both

glutamate

and theanine; both are precursors to the production of

GABA

in

the

human

brain.

Why

not

just

drink

regular tea, then? Well, by synthesizing the glutamate into GABA, tea manufacturers are able to increase the amount of GABA several times over. Thus begins GABA

tea’s

“nootropic

transformation

¬ ”—marketing

from

speak

that

super-food translates

to into

greater health claims and higher prices. And credible studies have shown that GABA tea can lower blood pressure and alleviate anxiety and depression.

The

claims,

however,

can

be

even

more

grandiose:

supplemental GABA is credited with everything from boosting the immune system, aiding with weight loss, preventing heart disease, increasing sex drive,

treating addiction, alleviating insomnia and

brain through the vagal nerve. This remains

even

to

curing

oolongs price

a

can

of

hangover.

cost

regular

two

or

Since

three

tea—and

GABA

be

proven,

but

times

the

demonstrated

they

are

reduce stress levels in test patients.

since

that

studies

dietary

have

GABA

can

being recommended for some very serious health

conditions—it

seems

prudent

to

examine the evidence a little more closely.

Since

this

last

possibility

is

more

of

a

suggestion than a working theory, I reached out to the Dr. Virginia Lovelace, author of

GABA

levels

are

enhanced

in

two

ways:

Three

Basic

Teas

and

How

to

Enjoy

Them

first, teas are shade grown, to increase the

and more recently Tea: a Nerd's Eye View.

presence

If there is a high priestess of tea science, it

through

of

glutamate.

processing,

Next,

tea

is Dr. Lovelace, and yet even she found no

leaves are placed in large tanks. Oxygen is

greater evidence to prove or disprove any

sucked out and replaced with nitrogen for

of

about 8-10 hours. This process converts the

says, “we just don’t know.”

glutamate

into

the

partway

unfinished

straight-up

GABA.

the

above

theories.

“Bottom

line,”

she

Japan

has strict requirements for the levels that

What we do know is that GABA is proven to

must

lower

be

present

before

a

tea

can

be

blood

pressure,

to

reduce

stress

labelled GABA tea: at least 150 milligrams

levels, to help people to fall asleep and to

of GABA per 100 grams of tea. Taiwanese

stay

teas are manufactured to these standards

extent, is yet to be determined. Given that

to

so little is verifiable about GABA tea, many

service

process teas

the

can

or

Japanese

be

oolongs,

applied but

market.

to

This

green,

oolongs

black

seem

to

be

the most popular.

asleep.

Canadian

How

it

works,

retailers

and

are

to

what

unsurprisingly

reluctant to list any health benefits on their websites.

And

yet,

more

and

more

tea

sellers in Canada are offering at least one There

is

some

dissent

amongst

scientists,

GABA

oolong

as

part

of

their

selection,

however, as to whether GABA in this form is

with or without the health claims. Some are

actually synthesized in the body in a way

offering

that

knowledgeable consumers.

will

quick

yield

glance

any

beneficial

through

a

variety

effects. of

A

a

selection,

for

more

online

articles will have some claim with absolute

This

certainty that GABA cannot possibly cross

Squared at all. Since the science is “a little

the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Others claim

foggy,” as he puts it, and the specialized

that

more

processing makes it more expensive, GABA

skip

the

tea is not terribly easy to promote at the

use

the

moment. Still, he thinks the time is right for

it

recent

may.

Then

theory:

bloodstream

the

(ENS),

brain. which

GABA

altogether

gastrointestinal to

there’s

system

The

to

enteric

contains

another,

may and

transport

GABA

nervous

system

many

GABA

receptors, is directly connected to the

a

doesn’t

product

surprise

like

this

Frank

to

Weber

enter

the

of

Tea

market,

especially since research is ongoing.

“With a little more information, we may see

each

of

the

dozen

more demand. Tea in general is the fastest

website. That is something every tea drinker

growing segment in hot beverage industry,

must

especially premium loose-leaf tea. People

people will taste tea the same way or react

want the health benefits of tea and better

to caffeine in the same way. Neither can

quality.”

anyone describe how you might feel after

experience

GABA

for

oolongs

themselves;

on

no

her

two

drinking GABA tea.

Frank is no fan of the Western tendency to isolate

and

ingredients, prefers diet,

tea

hyper-focus like

as

without

potential

green

part

of

being

benefits.

tea an

too

He

on

specific

extract.

overall

healthy

obsessed

drinks

He

with

GABA

not

“Some

people

asleep,

some

say

they

people

drink will

it

drink

to it

fall to

energize before they go out at night. So, each

person’s

reactions

are

entirely

different,” she explains.

because he thinks he should, but for sheer enjoyment.

“One

client

called

to

ask

which

of

our

GABA oolongs is really intense. But the one “Our

GABA

oolong

is

no

different

than

I suggested didn’t impress him at all. And

other categories when it comes to flavour.

yet he absolutely loves our GABA Diamond,

Ours is quite lovely, highly fragrant, intense,

which is one of our nicer GABAs, but not

with beautiful fruity notes.”

mind-blowing in terms of the tea state. So everyone has their own perception.”

Jane

Krupenia

GABA unique

oolongs flavour

benefits,

of are

Tea

sought

profile,

although

Joint

many

after

not of

agrees for

their her

that their

health

customers

I tell her that I brought my GABA tea to the office.

After

drinking

nothing

but

GABA

oolong all day, I was so relaxed as to be almost entirely unmotivated.

are definitely seeking a physical sensation.

Clients will call asking her thoughts on the

“That’s a good excuse,” she smiles, adding

kind of “tea state” they can expect from

a wink.

The next day, I try a new GABA oolong, one

Tea Biz podcast, (Jan.29, 2021) consumers

with 250mg per 100 g of leaf. According to

are feeling battered by the ongoing

the vendor’s website, that is 25 times more

pandemic and are turning to tea for relief.

GABA than is found in regular oolong tea.

Sales

This

with

one

intensely hay,

is

much

flavoured

osmanthus,

nose.

sweeter,

although

as

the

first.

honey

and

lemon

Coconut,

arrowroot

as

Summer on

biscuits,

the and

more honey in each sip.

in a

enhance

functional specific mental

well-being.

As

have

interest capacity

tea

increased,

in

teas

and

a

sommeliers,

that

sense we

of

know

that tea already contains both in a perfect combination: theanine

Do I feel tea-drunk? It’s more of a tea-high,

teas

for

caffeine a

for

blissed-out

alertness sensation.

and If

it

ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

actually. I’ve had an anxious morning: poor sleep,

no

breakfast

everywhere

I

look,

a

yet,

and

persistent

clutter

But even inconclusive science is alluring if

lockdown

it hints at possible relief in troubling times.

challenge. As I drink, my shoulder muscles

And

unclench and the sense of agitation leaves

appear,

me. I don’t know if this stuff works for other

greater surge in popularity. Who knows? It

people, but it sure is doing it for me.

might even deserve all the fanfare.

Tea

Joint

GABA with

saw

a

brief

oolongs

in

the

waves

“functional”

of

burst

fall

of

intensified

categories,

in

sales

for

2020,

along

interest

other

including

pue’rh.

Unsurprising, given the times. According to

Learn teas,

should

to

any

GABA

love

friends.

scientific oolong

these The

breakthroughs

may

intense

GABA

well

and

wave

is

see

a

unique coming.

But no worries—it promises to be a smooth ride.

NOTICE DESIGN: HOW THE DESIGN OF TEA AFFECTS THE TASTE

by Pheinixx Paul

Our

Certified TAC

tree

Tea Sommelier® Professional

remember. We make comparisons and references.

senses will

shape

affect

our us

perception.

–

we

Looking

begin

to

at

think,

a to

We feel things. We are responding to a visual…to visual stimulus. We will (certainly) have different thoughts and feelings if we looked instead at a bar of gold.

This undeniable connection between what we see and what we perceive is not limited to what we are

thinking

or

feeling,

but

it

effects

our

other

senses. Seeing a picture of a lemon while eating sorbet

will

therefore

heighten lemony

fascinating research Krishna).

of

all

the

flavours

connection sensory

is

citrus

in

that

being

marketing

aromas

and

sorbet

(this

explored

lead

by

in

the

Aradhna

When we are engaged in our tea tastings

an

-

there are two different conversations that

or

for

that

matter

any

other

tasting

audience.

evaluation - there are circumstances that

are

can, and will, affect our perceptions and

personality

ultimately

experience

the

tasting

Adaption

and

Errors

or

Biases,

topic

of

debate

outcome:

Suggestion. and

We

they

call

have

amongst

like these

been

a

psychologists

and sommeliers alike.

being

In

the

created of

-

the

of

case

the

of

messaging

brand,

the

packaging,

as

well

product

and

as

itself.

the The

brand message can be one of health, or comfort,

luxury,

or

sustainability

-

it

can

be whatever the brand desires. Designers make very intentional choices with regards to layout, colour, shape, typography, and

The Bias that is more fascinating to me as

material in order to communicate specific

a

messages

graphic

designer

is

the

Stimulus

Error,

to

their

packaging, presentation and/or container

consumer what the product is like. Within

in which the tea is delivered. The effect of

the

that delivery includes the colours, shapes,

design

materials, and all manner of visual stimuli.

used

When we are presented with a container

use of curves to denote sweetness are two

of tea, we form opinions. Before the tea

which instantly come to mind.

industry

choices a

we

can

being

shorthand

the

second

conversation

as

telling

The

specifically when we are affected by the

food

is

audience.

potential

see

common

repeated:

for

health,

green

and

the

has been tasted, before it has even been examined, the container and the manner

Typographer

Sarah

of

anecdote

her

presentation

of

that

tea

will

have

us

in

passing judgement on quality, source, and

Smell

taste.

conducted

It

is

no

wonder

that

packaging

is

the

Hyndman

TEDx

Fonts” with

talk

about

a

group

relays

“Wake

an

up

&

a

taste

test

of

adults

who

intentionally hidden far away

were asked to try two different jelly belly

from the tasting room.

candies

and

sweeter

vote

recipe

on

-

they

was

were

opening. If the tea container has a picture

different

of a tree, we will feel differently about the

almost universal claim that the candy with

tea than if it has a picture of a gold bar,

the big curvy letters on the package was

or

noticeably sweeter. Of course, they were

container

is

bar.

Whether

inexpensive

the

cardboard

tea or

the

products

exact

same

candy

-

was

the

an

only

solid gold, our perception of the tea will

experiment was really a test of cognitive

be

communication

that

will

influence

our

and

visuals

two

difference

and

the

there

these

carved wood, or if the box was made of

different,

was

and

for

shown

different

chocolate

designs

the

Let us go back to those images from the

a

package

which

the

shown.

impact

This

visual

senses long before we began to heat the

design has on our senses. We can certainly

water.

see the evidence of this down the candy isle, where brightly coloured wrappers call

The

weighty

responsibility

of

a

graphic

designer is to communicate a message to

out

to

curves.

us

with

swooping

arcs

and

thick

How many times have we seen something

been

new

Packaging has been influencing tea from

on

a

shelf

and

thought

“that

looks

expensive” before seeing any price? This instant

judgement

is

really

the

the

happening

Ming

became

for

Dynasty,

a

long

when

fashionable:

time.

loose

until

that

leaves

time

the

culmination of many design decisions that

compressed tea retained their shapes and

were made to create visuals that steer our

simply

perception:

these

materials like bamboo leaves. With loose

things due to the choice’s designers make.

leaf tea however, there became a need to

essentially,

we

think

required

wrapping

in

organic

ship, store and contain tea in a different The

Suggestion

that

our

Error

perception

in

tasting

of

taste

tells

us

can

be

way. In the design around the shipping of tea

we

see

both

like

pure

factors like sunlight and moisture, as well

moment

as the sensory experience of the display

pretension when

I

until

tasted

I

thought

that

my

was

long-ago

first

Shu

Pu-erh)

and

and

presentation

of

vs.

practical

aspects

(which

longevity

the

influenced by a person saying, “this tastes leather”

of

how

the

environmental

container

have

then that suggestion can either guide our

always been considered. Grant lacquered

own tasting, or simply make it easier for us

chests from China and tall porcelain jars

to

from

articulate

the

flavours

we

were

Japan

transported

experiencing but had not yet determined.

cargo

on

This is essentially what visuals are doing -

home,

these

same

the shapes, colours, materials, typography,

made,

albeit

at

lines,

ceramics,

and

images

“outdoors”, “natural”

to

are

saying

“comforting”, us

and

things

like

“energizing”,

those

messages

or

will

affect our taste of the product.

often

health

enough

benefits

to to

denote a

the

consumer,

idea we

of see

commercial tea blends with illustrations of fruit

on

the

box

–

looking

at

this

while

making tea tells our brain to be prepared for

these

flavours

so

we

seek

them

out.

Bright yellow boxes with bursts of ornate graphics turn up the intensity of the tea flavours, and the real question would the tea have tasted just as intense if we did not see the package?

Do

not

think

that

this

journeys

a

the

seas.

considerations smaller

caddies, with

over

precious

and

storage,

scale

as

chests

manipulation

guidance of our perception is new – it has

At

were tins, were

presentation,

and usage of tea in mind. From the first decorated blue and white pottery tea

Adding the image of a leaf to a package is

designed

long

this

canisters from China in the 1600’s to the

therefore the tea tastes better to them as

current cardboard boxes and foil stand-up

well,

pouches

connection to the cups that I have.

lining

containers

a

for

grocery

tea

have

shelf,

the

always

even

the

emotional

been

designed.

There has always been ritual around tea, whether

Carvings, 18th

without

paintings,

century

and

storage

inlays

adorned

containers

and

it

is

a

professional

formal

presentation,

pot,

a

or

solitary

a

tasting,

casually

moment.

In

a

shared

each

ritual

added a layer storytelling and experience

we see the evidence of design influence –

to

the

favourite

the

long-used

the

consumption

literacy

is

continue senses the

used to

and

tea

of

today

tea:

by

itself.

Which

visual

designers

communicate ultimately

this

our

who

through

our

perception

would

you

hold

display

mug, pot,

which

of

artwork.

in

rituals

Part

is

to

the

formal

and

the

tea

tea

were

bought

the

purpose

of

appreciate

the

tins

on

for of

the these

moment

the

(so

higher regard – the tea in a clear plastic

beautifully

defined

bag and sealed with a twist tie, or the tea

concept

Ichi-go

presented in a hand carved wooden box?

focus on the act of making tea as we wait

of

by

ware,

Ichi-e),

Japanese

to

stop

and

for the water to heat, or we feed a tea The

visual

being

stimuli

influenced

we

are

by

is

receiving

are

imagery and graphics - the shape of tea

senses

preparatory

ware

place

the

materials

limited

used

are

to

pet during Gongfu Cha preparation. These rituals

and

not

and

also

us

also

in

certain

our

engage

and

frame

influences our perception, and this is not

florals,

inherently

tastes

better

grandparents down

to

me.

in

these

and Of

believe

cups

aunts

have

late

handed that

negative

aspect

–

but

it

is

something we need to be aware of. It is called

the

Stimulus

Error

because

if

we

own emotional connection is impacting my

want to be influenced and we must take

judgement, but when I bring them out for

steps to remove that influence. However,

a guest there is always an exclamation of

if we are creating a moment for ourselves

“being

or

that

know

my

a

ritual

are trying to taste tea for itself, we do not

and

I

tea

this

The

my

fancy”,

course,

that

that

during

tea.

to

saucers heavily adorned with filigree and

us

the

mind,

design

around

enjoy

of

of bone china, stacks of delicate cups and

resolutely

better

to

allow

enable

I

to

time

to

communicating with us. I have a collection

and

us

a

designed

shift

in

the

others,

then

we

need

to

make

perception of my guest due to the design

intentional choices around design, so we

of

can

the

cup

will

affect

that

guest:

they

believe something special is coming and

affect

perception

to

create

an

experience.

REGISTER

WEBINAR: The Influence of your Brand Design

NOW

05.02.2021 from 2-3pm ET

with Pheinixx Paul

Visit tea.ca for registration

TEA P

ELS SS

H T E O R & V S E T O

by Adi Baker

We

all

prepare

have and

our

chosen

drink

vessels

our

to

favourite

However, just because I have this special cup,

does

not

mean

I

do

not

have

a

beverages in. Every day I reach for the

cupboard full of different cups, teapots

same cup to have my black tea in. It is

and other vessels to prepare my tea in -

nothing

that I also love.

overly

special,

but

I

find

it

comfortable to hold, pleasing to look at and large enough for the amount of tea

Looking

at

these

different

items

I'd like to consume in one sitting.

occured to me that I had never really

it

thought about their origin. That often is

Traditional

the

makes sense that his trade would have

case

of

utilitarian

items,

we

take

their existence for granted.

him and

in

Chinese

the

forest

boiling

Medicine

with

cauldron

a

–

thus

crackling

of

water.

it

fire

Upon

The teapot for example, is an object that

tasting the cooked tea he noted its many

most would consider to be an essential

qualities, including its good taste.

tool

in

come

preparing about?

tea.

When

But

did

how

did

people

it

start

During the first few centuries of people

using it and if they did not what is used

consuming

in its place?

boiling

tea

additions A

few

into

of

things

that

consideration

preparation which

cooking

for

vessels

tea

was

the are

being

methods

technology

we

need

take

it

was

leaves

such

as

prepared

in

water

orange

or

by with

ginger.

Looking at the cooking implements of the

difference

in

time, and how they were preparing tea,

the

in

it

ways

consumed,

available,

available

to

tea,

to

and

makes

sense

that

a

version

of

the

the

teapot did not exist yet. Not only would

the

you

manufacture

household items.

use

a

cauldron

to

cook

over

open

flame, but it would not be advisable to use

clay

your

pots

as

a

consideration,

cooking you

vessel.

would

For

never

Tea legend places the discovery of tea

place a porcelain tea pot on a stove top

in

today

China

during

the

year

2737

BC,

by

for

the

certainty

that

it

would

Shen Nong. One day, while Shen Nong

break. Rather we boil water in a metal

was out in the wilderness working, a tea

kettle

leaf

from

water into a teapot.

tree

and

a

wild

tea

plant

coincidentally

fell

fell

from

into

a

on

the

stove

top

and

pour

that

his

cauldron of hot water. It should also be

Another idea to consider when thinking

noted

about

that

he

was

a

master

herbalist

and is believed to be originator of

how

people

cooked

at

the

time

was the different implements that were

1. Yixing Teapot at Hallwyl Museum / Jens Mohr / CC BY-SA, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons 2. Silver Teapot (c. 1800-1810), Metropolitan Museum of Art, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons 3. Lear Teapot, coloured glazes majolica (c.1880), Davidmadelena, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons 4. Teapot (c. 1736-1795), Walters Art Museum, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons 5. Display at Flagstaff House Tea Museum, Seader, Seader, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

available to prepare and serve food. If a

The

earliest

person from the 3rd century BC were to

time period is dated to 1513 AD, and is

look at a modern kitchen there would be

part

an array tools and items (not considering

House Museum of Teaware in Hong Kong,

electric ones) that they would not have.

China.

of

the

existing

teapot

collection

of

from

the

this

Flagstaff

While there are similarities in items, such as the cauldron to a stainless-steel pot,

These

early

there

Yixing

teapots

are

differences

that

reflect

the

way that we consume food.

collected

teapots that

today.

were are

The

the

still

familiar

made

design

and

of

the

teapot is likely to have originated from Returning

tea

other vessels that had been created for

consumption, tea eventually grew out of

serving and consuming wine and water.

Shen Nong’s medicinal purpose and into

It

a

created the need for a different vessel.

daily

to

the

beverage.

evolution

This

of

occurred

during

was

the

change

in

preparation

that

the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) where tea drinking

evolved

elaborate

art

into

form.

In

an

780

almost

AD

Lu

Yu

Eventually, different

as

tea

made

cultures

countries

from

proliferated. From porcelain and clay to

powdered and ground tea. Moving into

metals such as copper and silver. All the

the

the

while, the essential elements remain the

a

same – a vessel with a spout, handle and

Sung

method

Dynasty of

bamboo gained imagine,

whipping

whisk in all

(960-1279 tea,

and

these

using

powdered

popularity. of

AD)

As

you

methods

are

tea,

of

the

focused

tea

types

to

creation

preparing

different

way

wrote Ch’a Ching, or Tea Classic, which on

of

and

its

teapots

lid.

can not

Of course, this is not the only method of

conducive to a teapot. These teas would

preparing

have been made is an open vessel such

types of teas there are a myriad of ways

as a bowl.

to prepare it using a variety of different dishes

tea,

and

It was not until the Ming Dynasty (1368-

compare

1644 AD) that people began to prepare

believed

their

interesting

tea

by

steeping

it.

It

is

believed

that the first teapots, as we know them, were

created

and

during this time.

became

widespread

with

so

utensils.

the

to

relatively new.

But,

discovery

invention

of

note

many

of

the that

different

when tea,

to

teapot, teapots

you the it

is

are

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April 28, 1-2pm ET Tea Tasting Speaker: John Snell

May 4, 1-2pm ET Origin Profile: China Speaker: Jason Walker

June 2, 2-3pm ET The Influence of your Brand Design Speaker: Pheinixx Paul

June 15, 1-2pm ET Botanicals Richard Enticott

Register at tea.ca

Genmaicha Tea – A Toasted Rice Green Tea Delight

by Tina McDonald Certified TAC Tea Sommelier® Professional & Academy of Tea Program Director

No, it’s not popcorn.

No, it's not weird seeds

either. It’s brown rice.

And when paired with

green tea, it is amazing.

I

have

found

that

there

are

a

few

tea

favourites that always ‘wow’ my students or audience

when

speaking

about

tea

–

Genmaicha is really one of the best.

A

Japanese

green

tea

with

toasted

brown

rice, it will quite often have bits of rice that have ‘popped’ creating an almost ‘popcorn’ look

to

the

tea.

But

trust

me,

it’s

not

popcorn.

Typically, the green tea used for is

bancha,

making

everyone

since

expensive

than

it

highly

bancha premium

is

Genmaicha

accessible so

green

much teas.

to

less Even

though bancha is a lower grade tea that

comes from the same tree as Sencha, it

like

is

unpurchased cakes.

harvested

later

market price. called

‘The

and

has

a

lower

an

ingenious

way

to

salvage

It also may be why it is

People’s

Tea’

-

using

the

I think it’s the nutty/roasted flavour that

inexpensive bancha ends up being a far

surprises people the most the first time

more economical green tea to purchase.

they try Genmaicha. At least, it did me since

But

don’t

let

Genmaicha

that

can

dissuade

also

be

a

you;

while

Sencha

higher grade green tea base,

or

I still think

a bancha Genmaicha is perfect.

at

that

time,

really my fancy. your

thing,

something this

but you

gentle,

green

tea

wasn’t

If green tea isn’t really the

are

health

benefits

thinking

about,

mellow

green

tea

are then

is

a

perfect place to start.

And the rice? content,

Well due to that curious

Genmaicha

tends

to

have

a

Genmaicha is what I consider one of the

lovely ‘rice cracker’ scent to the leaves –

best

‘comfort’

foods

out

there.

While

and surprisingly savoury notes.

many people, when unwell, will run to a black tea with lots of milk and sugar, or

But where did it come from? Every tea

an

has

find

a

romantic

behind

it,

time.

Created

Japan,

a

started

to

or

right?

fantastic

Well, in

local break

the

really

1930s

seller the

not

of

legend

in

rice

cakes

this

herbal

for

its

beneficial

Genmaicha

favourable

to

to

feeling

be

qualities, far

better.

I

more Less

Kyoto

caffeine due to the bancha to rice ratio,

cakes

as well as a small complex carbohydrate

into

tiny

count on the nutrition scale due to the

Why?

rice content - it is a healthy drink that

Well, that part I haven’t quite been able

won't cause the undesired jitters during

pieces and add them to the tea.

to

suss

mother

out, of

but

suffice

invention

is

it

to

say

necessity,

the

a busy or rough day.

and

adding the rice cake bits to tea seems.

Genmaicha is a great iced tea making it

a fantastic pre and post workout drink.

ratio. Smooth and nutty, it is a beautiful

Because

no

golden colour in the cup; mostly due to

complex

carbs

one

understands wellness

loves

than

the

routine.

fibre-based

someone

benefits

to

their Finally, while Genmaicha is quite easy to

element

source out, it too can be made at home

Acid

to your own personal specifications. It is

(GABA). This is the element that reduces

as simple as toasting brown rice in a pan

your

over medium-high heat.

called

contains

a

brown

the brown rice.

in

Genmaicha

The

who

rice

natural

Gamma-Aminobutyric

blood

pressure,

as

well

as

You may even

triglycerides which helps you relax. And

get some of those little grains to ‘pop’

frankly,

is

which is always a delightful sight in the

blood

dry tea. Try using jasmine rice to add yet

we

beneficial

all to

know the

how

lipids

green in

the

tea

system. It is just a win-win situation all

another

around.

maybe a dusting of matcha.

But

the

green

best

tea

is

part that

about there

is

this

roasted

almost

zero

astringency due to the bancha to rice

layer

to

the

flavour

profile

or

Whatever your fancy, please take some time

to

enjoy

a

cup

of

beautiful Genmaicha today.

wonderful,

TEA TIME

by Shabnam Weber

Never has taking time for tea been more important, or even more appreciated. But taking tea how? The many things we celebrate about tea is all the countries its grown in, all the cultures it represents. Over the next few pages, I'm going to share with you some tea time ideas that will hopefully push you outside traditional scones and clotted cream. Warning: this may either increase your wanderlust or help feed it. expand your horizons and try something new.

Either way - I hope you

お茶

MOCHI

糯⽶

Mochi

are

They're

little

soft

pillows

and

light

What you'll do:

Remove the bowl of mochi from the double boiler and turn out on

of

like

magic. a

cloud

Make a double boiler by fitting a

to

heat

surface that has been generously

proof

bowl

into

a

pot.

Fill

a

cutting

coated Sprinkle

(The

Pat out to a half inch thick disk

should

remain

throughout

the

fully

cooking

with

layer

more

your

hands.

will still be hot!)

Whisk together all ingredients in

While

the heat proof bowl until smooth.

enough

simply Japanese rice cakes and my

Return

favourite

pot,

you

the

bowl you

filling

choose

of

can

to

be.

be

whatever

They're

accompaniment

Matcha.

the

leaving

it

basic the

I'm

Mochi

filling

up

quite

to

sharing recipe to

you,

a

with and with

some recommendations of course!

What you'll need:

the

cover

1 tbsp +

½ cup water

2 tbsp confectioner’s sugar

with

to a

the

boiling

mochi.

clean

kitchen

knead

(Be

warm

on

top.

careful,

but

cooled

to

handle,

shape

Use

your

fingertips

into

a

ball,

then

it

your to

flatten

towel, then cover with a lid. The

into a disk with your palms and

towel

fill with your favourite filling.

will

absorb

condensation

so it doesn’t fall back into your mochi.

Steam

for

boiling

½ cup mochiko sweet rice flour

bowl

still

mochiko.

mochiko

process.)

and

of

work

to a boil and set the bowl aside. water

a

or

with a few inches of water, bring

boiling

in

board

20

water,

minutes

over

stirring

TIPS:

once

halfway through. When you stir it,

Fill with traditional red bean

it will be lumpy, it doesn’t need

paste, strawberries or ice

to

be

smooth!

mochi

is

white/opaque,

2.5 tsp corn syrup

translucent

Pinch salt

gummy,

about

safer

to

undercook.

Steam

until

no but

quality 20

has and

the

longer a

more

is

very

minutes.

overcook

It's

than

cream.

Modify the flavour by adding Matcha to your dough.

緑茶

WHAT TO SERVE GENMAICHA

Legend says that some rice kernels fell out of

the

sleeve

of

a

Samurai's

servant

(Genmai) into the tea he was pouring for his master. raised

his

In a fit of rage, the Samurai sword

and

for ruining his tea. and the

upon rice

filled

with

servant.

To

the

added

remorse honour

Genmai

He then drank the tea

realising

had

beheaded

to for

his

delicious the

tea,

having

flavour he

was

killed

servant,

he

his

named

the tea after him - Genmai-cha.

The nutty flavours the rice adds to this tea are truly delicious and well enjoyed as an afternoon refreshment.

MATCHA Although Matcha is synonymous with Japan today, the practise of stone ground green tea has its roots in China. whipped and

up

this

refreshed

tea

during

to

Chinese monks

keep

their

them

long

alert

hours

of

meditation.

For some, the vegetal flavours of Matcha can

be

perfect time.

intense,

which

accompaniment

is

why

it

is

the

to

sweets

at

tea

ෙ

ෙ ලාව

banis What you'll need:

3 cups Bread Flour with 3 tbsp separated 1 egg 1 egg yolk 1 cup warm milk / cream Keep about 1/4 cup reserve to add if dough is too dry 1/2 cups sugar 2 1/4 teaspoons Active Dry Yeast 1 packet 1/3 cup butter softened 1 tsp Salt 1/2 cup packed raisins

What you'll do:

For the Tanzhong In a saucepan combine half the milk and 3 tbsp of flour. Whisk until there are no clumps.

Heat gently on the stove until the mixture thickens and is a runny paste.

Set aside to cool.

For the Dough Mix the rest of the milk, half of the sugar and yeast

in

a

bowl

and

leave

for

about

15

minutes until bubbles (froth) start to appear.

In a mixing bowl, mix the flour, rest of the sugar, butter.

salt,

egg,

egg

yolk

and

softened

Tangzhong is a water and flour roux that is added to the bread dough to increase the moisture content of the bread and make it soft.

With the dough hook turned to low, add the

Punch the risen dough down and turn it out on

tanzhong

to a lightly floured surface.

and

the

milk/yeast

mix

in

to

the

flour and mix until the dough comes together.

Divide the dough into 8 portions and form

Add a few teaspoons of milk if the dough

balls and place them on a baking tray with

looks too dry, or some flour if the mix seems

parchment

too wet.

between the dough to make sure they do not

Knead for 10-15 more minutes on low. Stop

stick together.

and scrape the sides of the bowl regularly.

Cover

The dough should stick to the dough hook

paper.

loosely

and

Leave

let

it

plenty

rise

for

of

room

about

45

minutes to an hour.

and the bottom of the bowl when kneading.

Preheat oven to 325°F. Bake in pre-heated

Kneading is finished when the dough is soft

oven

and

brown on top.

smooth,

and

a

little

shiny

as

well

as

sticky, when touched by your hand.

Add

the

raisins

in

the

last

5

minutes

for

15

minutes

until

buns

are

golden

Best eaten warm. of

kneading.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave in a warm place to double in size for at least 1 hour.

ෙ

WHAT TO SERVE

CEYLON BLACK TEA

Ceylon

is

the

naming

tea

name

from

Sri

often

used

Lanka.

The

when former

name of the 'resplendant island' seems to have

stuck

over

the

years.

With

seven

distinct tea regions, the tea you can enjoy is quite varied.

But if you can buy a high

grown tea from Nuwara Eliya or Dimbula, you'll

find

the

light

fragrance

and

floral

character of these black teas will have you reaching for a second and third Bani!

LE GOÛTER

You'll find a recipe for Chocolate Mint

Macarons in sip issue 07, pp 34-35

18

MADELEINES Besides macarons, I would say that Madeleines are quintessentially French.

You can of course

modify flavours by adding lemon zest or orange zest to the recipe below. I've given you a classic recipe

to

start

and

will

leave

it

to

you

to

experiment. What you cannot however forego is investing

in

Madeleine

a a

scalloped

baking

pan.

without

it's

Madeleine

Is

classic

shape? I say - non.

What you'll need:

1/2 cup unsalted butter (plus another 2 Tbsp for the pan) 2 large eggs, room temperature 1/2 cup granulated sugar 2 teaspoons lemon zest 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/8 teaspoon salt optional: confectioners’ sugar for sprinkling on top

What you'll do:

Melt the butter and set aside to slightly cool as you prepare the rest of the batter.

Using whisk

a

handheld

attachment

or

stand

beat

mixer

the

fitted

eggs

with

and

a

sugar

together on high speed for at least 8 minutes. The mixture will be thick, pale, and form ribbons when you lift the beater(s). Beat in the lemon zest and vanilla extract until combined.

Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in a small bowl. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, gently

fold

batches.

into

egg

mixture

slowly

and

a

in

with

緑茶

Stir 1/4 cup of the batter into the melted butter at a

Dust

confectioners’

sugar,

time. The batter will be thick, silky, and shiny.

serving. This is not a forgiving recipe, so don't try and

Cover the batter and chill in the refrigerator for 30-

make ahead and don't try and freeze them - they

60 minutes.

just won't have the same texture.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Melt the remaining 2 Tablespoons butter. Using a pastry

brush,

lightly

brush

the

pan

with

if

desired,

before

melted

butter.

The

batter

will

be

quite

airy

and

spongey

after

resting. Do not try to deflate it. Spoon 1 generous Tablespoon

of

batter

into

the

center

of

each

scalloped well. No need to spread it to the edges.

(Cover and refrigerate remaining batter if you do not have 2 madeleine pans to bake the batter all at once.)

Bake for 10-12 minutes. The madeleines are done when the tops spring back after lightly pressed with your finger. Invert the pan onto the counter. Transfer the warm madeleines to a wire rack to lightly cool.

thé

WHAT TO SERVE

KENYAN WHITE TEA

Kenya tea. black

is

the

world's

largest

exporter

of

And although you may think of it as a tea

producing

country,

it

also

produces some exquisite white teas.

The

high

Rift

grown

teas

grown

east

of

the

Valley have a light delicate sweetness with a

buttery

the

finish.

delicate

Madeleine.

The

perfect

simplicity

of

addition a

to

French

MOROCCAN TEA ‫ﺷﺎي اﻟﻌﺼﺮ‬

ALMOND GHRIBA What you'll need:

2 1/4 cups almond almond flour 1/3 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/3 cup butter, softened 4 egg yolks 2 teaspoons lemon juice zest of one lemon 1 teaspoon orange flower water (optional) 3/4 cup powdered sugar

What you'll do:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine the almond flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder.

In a large mixing bowl, add the butter and egg yolks,

whisking

until

smooth.

Add

lemon

juice,

lemon zest, and orange flower water (if using).

Add the almond flour mixture to the egg mixture and stir to combine, but do not over-mix. Cover dough with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to allow it to firm up a bit.

Put powdered sugar in a small bowl. Form dough into 2” balls (I use a cookie scoop), then roll in powdered sugar. Place dough balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, about 2 inches apart. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until cookies are golden. Let cool completely on a cooling rack.

‫ﺷﺎي‬

WHAT TO SERVE

GUNPOWDER GREEN TEA Morocco

imports more gunpowder green

tea from China than any other country or combined rolled and

region

green

smokey

tea

in

the

has

aroma.

world.

a

full

When

This

body

tighly

flavour

combined

with

fresh 'nana' leaves (spearmint) and a lot of sugar, it creates the classic Moroccan Mint tea.

A

beverage

the

region

truly

cannot

live without.

HOW TO SERVE The

true

started

history

is

a

of

where

mystery.

It's

this a

tradition

'tea

service'

which is almost always served by men.

The

tea

hot

is

first

'rinsed'

in

a

teapot

with

water and the first brew thrown out.

The

teapot is then filled with tea, handfulls of fresh

mint

leaves

and

generous

lumps

of

white sugar.

This brew is allowed to steep,

then

stirred

and

glass

cups

from

finally a

it

great

is

poured

height.

A

into true

master will pour high enough to create a foam at the top of the tea.

चाय का समय

Kaju Katli What you'll need:

Lower heat and while stirring add 1 tsp ghee.

Continue

stirring

until

the

dough

forms

and

1 cup whole cashews raw cashews

releases from the side of the pan (10 minutes).

1/2 cup granulated white sugar

Remove from heat. Your dough should be able to

1/4 cup water

be rolled into a small ball. Transfer dough to a

1/2 teaspoon rose water optional

sheet of parchment paper and allow to cool.

1 teaspoon ghee

Once cool, knead the dough with your hands to

edible silver leaves also known as chandi ka

make it smooth. Make sure to knead while the

vark and is used for garnishing, optional

dough is warm. If your dough appears dry, sprinkle a little water on it.

Place another sheet of parchment paper on top of the dough. Roll to 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick using a

What you'll need: Grind cashew nuts into a fine powder. Be careful not

Once rolled, apply chandi vark if using and cut

to overgrind as you don't want to release the oil.

Add sugar and water in a pan on medium heat. If using rose water, add it now. Stir to combine. Allow sugar to melt and boil for 1 minute hen lower the heat

and

combine.

add

in

the

powdered

cashews.

Stir

rolling pin applying equal pressure on all sides.

to

the dough into diamond shape by first cutting the dough vertically and then horizontally.

Separate the kaju katil and enjoy! You can store the kaju katli in the refrigerator for up to a week.

चाय

WHAT TO SERVE

DARJEELING BLACK TEA

The

very

prized

first

tea

was

Darjeeling

Campbell.

planted

region

in

in

today's

1841

by

Dr

A civil surgeon stationed in the

region who experimented with the Chinese tea

varietal.

altitudes gave

The

and

these

cool

unique teas

weather,

growing

the

status

high

conditions they

hold

today.

To

truly

taste

astringency, without

any

the

these

flaovur teas

milk.

are

They

nuances best

and

enjoyed

balance

the

sweetness of afternoon treats perfectly.

ASSAM BLACK TEA The Assam region of India lies east of the Himalayan

mountains

where

the

Brahmaputra River running through it. the

largest

tea

producing

region

It is

in

the

world with approximately 800 tea gardens.

The monsoon rains and tropical climate of this region produces a distinct malt, honey and sweet characteristic to this tea. that

the

flavours

of

the

leaf

are

I find

enough

quite often to satisfy my sweet tooth.

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 Tea & Herbal Association of Canada (Toronto & Vancouver), through Cambridge Tea Academy (UK). As well, courses are available online through the Academy of Tea, ProTea Academy in Italian and at Escuela Mexicana de Té in Spanish.

LEARN MORE AT TEASOMMELIER.COM

TEA SOMMELIER COURSES

WHAT IS A

INTERNATIONAL TEA DAY

by Shabnam Weber

We're just around the corner from celebrating our second official International Tea Day. The date, May 21st, received it's designation by the United Nations General Assembly through Resolution 74/241. As an industry, we take great pride in this day as we are the only beverage with such a designation. It truly is a testament to the value tea has in the lives of so many people around the world.

With lockdowns and restrictions last year, the question of how to celebrate the very first International Tea Day was a difficult one. But out of necessity immersed creativity and the first Sofa Summit was born.

For those of you who joined me online for the marathon, you will have seen, heard and felt the energy and love the people in this industry have towards tea. The prevailing theme for each of my guests - from China to India, from Africa to Europe and from North America back to the Far East - was commitment, dedication and an inexplicable connection to a leaf. Each person who shared my virtual sofa couldn't fully explain what had gripped them about tea, but for all that watched and heard and for all that are in tea, we understood.

And so, before last year's Sofa Summit was over, I was planning the next. In celebration of our great beverage and an opportunity to raise our cups to all the men and women around the globe that make it possible for us to be on this journey. I hope you join me on May 21st.

WESTERN UNIVERSITY’S TEA CLUB: BRINGING THE TEA SPIRIT TO CAMPUS BY

UWO

TEA

CLUB

UWO Tea Club is one of the coziest social

ways to maintain membership numbers and

clubs

keep the tea lovers on campus entertained

on

Despite

Western

being

hundreds together snacks,

a

of to

University’s

relatively students

share

and

their

club,

have passion

over

and

engaged.

banded

outside

of

and

London,

government

members

Ontario,

restrictions

are

living

while

school

have

limited

our ability to gather in person and continue

mouth,

some of our event traditions, such as our

introduced by friends who share a love of

many field trips and serving snacks with our

tea, but once they do, members find that

tea

they are able to make new friends quickly.

were

In

numbers

past

join

conversation.

tea,

of

Many

Many

students

good

new

campus.

from

years,

word

membership

of

would

hover

pairings

events,

to promotion at Western’s yearly club fair.

still

Our booth at the fair would always attract

still

students

members

interactive

our

activities,

conversation.

Fair

fresh and

attendees

tea

décor,

each

concerned

around 200, in part because of the ability

through

at

in

but

saw

a

being

the we

for

were

able

despite

art

of

struggling

are

able

to

requirements

to

of

15.

to

number attract

meet We

first,

we

membership all

overjoyed

many

to

At

our

transition

wonderful

the

event.

when

of

on

the

we

signups,

around

clubs

still

virtual

100

campus minimum

managed

to

chat with our enthusiastic executive team

cultivate a community (through the power

and

of Zoom and the internet) of students who

enter

raffles

or

play

games

like

our

popular “Guess the Tea!” activity.

are passionate in meeting new people and expanding their knowledge of tea.

Online

school

has

definitely

created

certain challenges for the club’s executive

That’s

not

to

say

that

this

team as we had strived to think up creative

brought struggles for the club.

year

hasn’t

For many students, their first day of school

The main goal of Tea Club has always been

started through their computer screens and

to

the lack of in-person interaction continues

interaction

to take its toll on student’s mental health

life. The act of tea drinking lends itself to

and

their

appreciating the slower pace of life, and

lower

the club has been lucky to be the one on

their

peers.

ability

While

to

our

socialize

with

membership

was

promote

than last year, as students were not able to

campus

experience

Especially

booths,

it

the

bustling

was

low

with

such

of

that a

university

to

students.

fragmented

digital

hard time relaxing and keeping their mind

promotion

away

media

as

provide

stress

expected. This was largely due to our heavy social

as

club

to

the

social

learning environment, students are having a

our

nearly

of

amidst

and

we

on

not

aisles

relaxation

platforms

from

academics.

and the virtual club fair held by Western’s

strengthened

Student

connectivity

Council.

The

online

fair

lasted

a

our by

This

goal

has

to

providing

simply

increase

in

such

a

week in late September where each club

fragmented digital learning environment. In

had an opportunity to present their posters,

our

presentations,

students’

links

to

digital

any

pictures,

student

Zoom

and

who

booth.

social

stopped

Several

media by

the

students

events,

minds

make

new

personable

to

atmosphere,

to

one

of

our

many

amazing

executives and ask any questions they had about tea or the club.

The

smaller

group

doesn’t

mean

more

distance, though. In fact, in many ways the online platform has made our events more accessible to our members, as students can attend from the comfort of their home and interact with each other at leisure, without the added hassle of a commute to campus, especially with majority of students having asynchronous classes. Most planned events are

over

Zoom,

but

the

creation

of

our

Discord server has been an integral part of our

mission

community,

to

develop

as

we

a

post

more

close-knit

questions

of

the

day, encourage impromptu chats about our members’ favorite teas/teashops, and have routinely

posted

memes and puns.

a

string

of

hilarious

tea

strived away

to

turn

from

fellow

academics,

giving the opportunity for our members to

attended the booth daily and had a chance talk

we

friends

and

conversations while

tea of course!

connect in

drinking

a

their

through

low-stress favourite

Flagship Events:

well-known and largest social gathering of the year. Past parties have included finger

Since its inception, Tea Club has hosted an

foods and games customized to a unique

annual

theme,

international

Western

students

tea to

festival

for

coincide

with

and

the

club

rented

local

café

spaces in London to provide an authentic

International Week. We work with numerous

British

cultural clubs across campus to bring a tea

scones,

sandwiches,

flavour tour to students. In years past, we

course,

fine-china

would set up tea tasting booths and each

missing

club

party did feature a semi-formal theme to

would

present

a

featured

tea

from

afternoon

was

tea

the

tea!

The

British

and

only

accents,

but

and

the

tea

historical

making

origins

process.

Past

designs

menus

collaborations have included tea from over

goers,

in

20

during

the

different

countries

including

India,

and

addition event.

dress

the

exec team makes decorations by hand and

tea’s

to

thing

well

the

chance

of

give

share

a

macarons,

serving

their respective countries and cultures, as as,

everyone

experience,

banners to

for

running

Typically,

up.

The

party-

activities

we

build

a

China, Turkey, and Japan. This is the club’s

photobooth backdrop and props, which for

biggest

our Starry Night party in 2019, included a

collaborative

hundreds

of

effort

attendees

as

and

attracts

students

and

huge

yellow

moon

and

fairy

lights,

or

faculty are able to drop by throughout the

streamers with paper cranes and mock hot

day in between classes to taste the diverse

air balloons for Up in the Air.

variety of teas and snacks. While most of our

events

this

is

the

tend one

to

be

event

member-exclusive,

that

is

open

to

the

entire Western community.

Unfortunately,

our

Roaring

20’s

Tea

Party

(that was supposed to be held in 2020 of course)

was

cancelled

at

the

end

of

the

school year due to the pandemic outbreak, The

International

Tea

Festival

was

made

but

we

are

fortunate

enough

to

have

virtual in 2020 as a Tea Around the World

planned ahead for an online party. With the

video

added time at home over the last year, our

campaign

series.

We

still

collaborated with cultural clubs but instead

theme

of an in-person event, we asked each club

centered

to

baking, encouraging members to share any

produce

a

short

TikTok

format

video

this

year,

around

Tarts, the

idea

&

of

is

quarantine

baking/tea

tea and share the story behind its creation.

holding

Throughout International Week we posted a

party. To bring the tea party experience to

few

them, we’ve mailed out mini tea packages

videos

on

our

Instagram

page

each

day. That way, people could learn to make

to

their own tea at home at any time, and use

ticket

their

tea

to

taste

buds

to

travel

from

comfort of their own home.

the

participating to

the

pairings,

laid-back

members

party, and

a

created, version

that

menu

samples

of

of

hold

and the

their

suggested

of

different

flavours of tea, so that we can all drink the same

Our yearly spring Tea Party is our most

more

they’ve

Tidbits,

tutorial on how to make their own specialty

a

recipes

Teas,

tea

distance.

together

at

the

event

despite

Left: Matcha Info Session Right: Wisdom Cafe Field Trip

Left: Tea Sommelier Tasting Middle: Starry Night Tea Party Bottom: Kombucha Info Session

Top: Starry Night Tea Party Bottom: Up In the Air Tea Party

Partnerships & Connecting Local:

continue fostering a network of tea-minded individuals!

Tea Club is proud to partner with several tea

shops,

cafés,

and

restaurants

in

the

A Community of Collaboration:

local community. Every year, all Tea Club members receive a membership card that

Tea

allows them to receive a discount on tea

with

related

annual events that our members can look

items

at

sponsorship

any

of

our

locations.

participating

unique

to

provide

events,

and

its

members

while

we

have

forward to each year, we aim to come up

importance of supporting local businesses

with new events and ideas that are fresh

by

and unique. With our events, our goals are

our

sponsors

stress

strives

the

featuring

We

Club

at

all

of

our

events and sharing any new promotions on

not

our social media platforms, especially this

welcoming

year

but

with

our

Sponsor

Spotlights.

only

to

also

to

opportunities,

sponsors

experiences.

the

year

to

host

a

atmosphere

Additionally, we partner with many of our throughout

create

positive

for

our

members,

encourage creativity,

For

this

learning and

reason,

we

often

Western

clubs,

collaborate

study events, and guest speaker nights. In

host

2020,

with local businesses in the community.

hosted

a

Match

Info

Session

speaker

other

new

numerous events such as tea info sessions,

we

several

and

series

nights,

and

interact

where one of our sponsors, Wisdom Café, taught

One

of

Matcha Tea and the art of making it. That

Tea

Leaf

same

Zoom.

Night,

our

year a

club

we

members

also

Bubble

several

members

to

businesses

in

would

a

making field

person, not

or

session,

to

and

for

many

otherwise

of

Kombucha

event

our

first

events

Reading

Last took

year,

night, our

place

this

on

year

was

hosted

Tea

Leaf

campus

our

through Reading

and

led

by

our

guest speaker Amy Taylor, from The Art of

local

Tea and Tasseomancy, located in Hamilton.

students

This year, we wanted to bring our members

these

as

reason

history

trips

introduce

have

opportunity

hosted

Tea

organized

the

had

the

venture

off

campus and explore the city of London.

the

same

about

the

great

experience

different

beliefs

of

and

learning art

forms

related to tea, but we had to get a little creative.

We

opted

to

with

While a year of online learning has made

Western’s

many of our past events impossible to host,

Harry

Tea

local

explore their mutual interest in the art of

community by maintaining our partnerships.

divination. We explored various aspects of

We

tea

Club

continues

encourage

our

to

support

members

the

to

purchase

Dumbledore’s

partner

Potter

leaf

fans

reading,

and

but

Army

club,

where

tea

fans

could

also

how

tea

and

from our sponsors e-commerce stores and

reading tea leaves relate to the world of

have increased our use of social media to

Harry

stay

endeavour to plan the best possible events

connected

with

our

sponsors

and

Potter.

our

Not

members,

only

we

does

members. We are always looking to support

for

love

the

more local businesses and hope to

make through collaborations!

Tea

Club

friends

we

Some

of

our

other

collaborations

include

Our Future:

Paint with Tea with the Student Council’s Public

Arts

concentrated

Commission

(using

over-steeped

tea!),

While

our

members

fondness together,

a

tea

brought

shared

Western

Brescia

new cultures, food, and art has been the

where members baked tea-infused desserts

foundation of Tea Club. While the club is

or

still

desserts

that

Baking

pair

with

well

with

tea

in

Brescia University College’s kitchen.

Although

we

couldn’t

meet

a

relatively

and

small

learning

in

meeting

and

people

interest

our

Calligraphy & Tea with the Calligraphers of Club,

new

of

one

on

about

campus,

its

friendly members, engaging events, and its

members

in

dedicated

executive

team

have

ensured

person and serve tea, we’ve been able to

the club’s presence rivals that of any other

get

social

to

know

our

members

by

creating

a

club

warm and welcoming atmosphere through

incredibly

events like these, making sure everyone is

wonderful

comfortable

communities

and

enjoying

themselves!

on

campus.

proud

to

be

a

Western and

Tea

Club

part

of

and

hopes

to

is the

London

steadily

foster

We’re committed to continuing our passion

new bonds with the Western student body,

of uniting the Western community through a

local

mutual

enthusiasts(!),

love

of

tea,

and

it’s

always

businesses,

and

hope

Club

around us for years to come.

friends

or

tell

us

how

much

of

course,

being

their

source

we

of

rewarding to hear people recommend Tea to

a

and,

to

positivity

all

tea

continue for

those

they enjoyed our events!

Left: Tea Leaf Reading Session Right: Matcha Info Session

SIMPLE SYRUPS

by Karen Donnelly Certified TAC Tea Sommelier® Professional

My

husband

knows

cooking with tea.

how

much

I

love

Not only am I always

for

this

use.

Simple

syrups

have

many

uses. Use to sweeten iced tea to avoid

experimenting with adding different teas

the

to my culinary creations, I teach classes

bottom

on

(professional and home) brush the tops

cooking

and

ingredient.

baking

So

with

naturally,

tea

as

when

an the

of

settlement

layer

of

of

the

cakes

crystals

glass.

Many

before

the

on

cocktails with simple syrups.

for

a

Quarantine”

moist.

frosting

Philadelphia Inquirer published an article “Cocktails

cake

sugar

Bartenders

at

the

bakers

to

keep

sweeten

(3/25/2020) that included a tea simple syrup,

he

immediately

brought

it

to

my

attention.

The

fun

of

simple

you can add.

syrups

is

the

flavors

Once the syrup comes off

the heat, add a handful of mint, lemon Simple syrups are just that: simple. basic

recipe

is

equal

parts

sugar

The and

slices, fruits, herbs, or tea. to

5

minutes

for

the

tea

Steep for up and

water, bring to a boil, set the timer for 2

taste for any other ingredient.

minutes

well.

and

then

take

off

the

heat.

Keep in the fridge after it cools down. keep a collection of empty jam jars just

I

more

to

Strain

Now you have mint simple syrup for

Mojitos,

Mint

Juleps

and

iced

Lemon for brushing over teacakes.

tea.

Tea for cakes and cocktails.

Syrup No. 1 was steeped tea (steeped for 5 minutes) and Syrup No. 2 was tea

What

in

this

leaves

article is how the tea was used.

The

minutes and strained.

author water

caught

used to

my

attention

steeped

make

the

tea

instead

syrup.

I

steeped

in

hot

syrup

for

5

of

have

The first thing I noticed was that the

always added a couple of tablespoons

syrups looked exactly the same, same

of tea to the hot syrup.

depth of color.

The difference was in

more than 5 minutes and then strained

the taste test.

Syrup No. 1 was more

very well.

floral

Steeped no

and

lighter

in

taste.

And

it

wasn’t bitter as I thought it might be.

Could

the

author’s

way

be

better?

Sounded as if it might be easier. wouldn’t being

the

tea

boiled?

get I

bitter

had

as

But

it

time,

was so

I

Syrup No. 2 had a deep, Earl Grey tea taste.

I also performed a blind tasting

with my husband and his response was immediate:

the

second

syrup

was

experimented.

best!

I used 2 tablespoons of Earl Grey Tea

Experiment with your favorite flavors.

to one cup water and one cup sugar for both syrups.

Earl Grey Cocktail 1-1/2 ounces of vodka or gin

Earl Grey Simple Syrup

1-1/2 ounces Earl Grey Simple Syrup 1 ounce fresh squeezed lemon juice

Add 1 cup sugar to 1 cup water in a

Directions:

saucepan over medium heat. Give

Combine ingredients in cocktail shaker

a good stir and bring to a boil. Turn

and add ice. Shake well and strain

down heat to low, continuing to

into cocktail glass. Garnish with a

heat for 2 minutes. Turn off the

lemon slice. Enjoy!

heat and add 2 Tbsp. loose leaf or 3 teabags Earl Grey Tea. Steep for 5 minutes and then strain out the tea. Let the syrup cool before using. Makes enough for several (67) cocktails. Flavored simple syrups can be kept in refrigerator for 1-2 weeks if stored in sterile containers.

Poached Pears in White

Himalayan Gimlet

Cloud Jasmine Tea Syrup

For non-alcoholic “gin”: 4 cups water

2 cups water 2 rounded tbsps. crushed juniper

cup White Cloud Jasmine loose tea

(or favorite jasmine green tea)

berries 2

¼

level

tablespoons

2nd

Flush

2 cups simple syrup (recipe below) 2 Tbsp. honey

Darjeeling loose leaf tea

1 vanilla bean, split length wise

Directions:

Lemon peel strips from one lemon

Bring water to a boil and pour over crushed

juniper

minutes. add

At

2nd

the

end

Flush

Glenburn

berries.

Tea)

of

Time

5

minutes,

Darjeeling to

5

(I

steeping

used

juniper

berries. Stir, cover, and set timer for 5 minutes. Strain well using a coffee filter-lined

sieve.

Cool

completely.

Extra “gin” can be cooled and used

6 small, ripe, but firm, Anjou pears, peeled.

Directions: Heat 4 cups water to 175 degrees and add the tea leaves. strain tea.

Steep for 3 minutes and

Add to a pot large enough to

hold the pears.

Add simple syrup, honey,

lemon peel, and the seeds scraped rom the split vanilla bean.

to make other beverages.

Heat until honey is

dissolved and add the pears.

Simple Syrup:

Poach the

pears in simmering syrup for 15-20 minutes until tender.

1 cup water

Remove pears.

1 cup sugar Continue simmering the liquid until it is Stir bring

well

in

to

boil.

small Boil

saucepan 2

and

minutes

until

reduced by half, about another 20 minutes.

Cool.

sugar is dissolved. Cool completely.

When ready to serve, place each pear on

Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice:

their own dessert plate and spoon over

5 small limes produces enough juice

some of the cooled syrup.

Garnish with

flowers or the lemon strips from the

for 2 cocktails.

poaching liquid.

Half fill a cocktail shaker with ice.

Add

1-1/2

oz.

lime

teaspoons

simple

syrup

Darjeeling

“gin.”

Shake

into

a

cocktail

with a lime slice.

glass

juice, and well

and

3

3 oz.

pour

garnish

Simple Syrup: Combine 2 cups sugar and 2 cups water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.