But I was asked once, how is the tea for a Keurig machine?   Well, I know that I’ve had it before and it’s been tasty, but I can’t exactly leave it at that, can I?   Is this a high-quality brew or just something to grab when you are in a rush and need tea in the next thirty seconds?

So, I asked to borrow my sister-in-law’s K-cup (and I promised her I would pay her back the full 25 cents that I now owe her as a result) and dissect exactly what is within those little white cups.

First, the unbrewed version:

A K-Cup of Earl Grey

So, when I opened up the K-cup, this is what I found – tea leaves that were almost resorted to a powder.   Now, as many of you know, I highly advise against this if you are looking for a high-quality brew.   The more you can identify within your tea (meaning I can pick the leaf up and know that it is a leaf), the better your tea is.   The reason why you want to identify the leaves and the parts of the tea is because your tea becomes bitter the more it is broken up.   While this is all well and good for certain teas, it is not appropriate for all.

However, one reason why the K-cups probably contain this finer tea is because it will brew that much faster.   And when you have thirty seconds of 192-degree water hitting the tea leaves, the faster the brew, the better for the process.   However, given that you cannot control the temperature, nor the time for the brew, it is a bit iffy.

Now, what does it look like when the tea is brewed?   While I did have to use a different tea, here’s the picture:

Lemon Herbal Tea

So, the stream of water only hit the middle part of the cup.   Meaning only the tea in the middle of the cup got the main blast.   The rest doesn’t even look like it was moved (other than that little bit in the bottom right-hand corner that I moved).   So, considering that you have a portion of the tea hit and the rest that just kinda… sits there… this is not a positive sign.

So, in the long run, if you want to grab a fast cup of tea, just understand that the Keurig cup isn’t exactly high quality.   Fine if you want a quick cuppa but understand that high-quality tea can never be done quickly.

A Wonderful Mother’s Day To All The Mothers Out There!

Well, what better way than to treat your dear mommy to a cup of tea?

Mommy and daughter sharing some tea.

If you live in the New Jersey area, there are three tea events that you might be interested in attending:

Wednesday, May 8th – Mother’s Day Afternoon Tea – Liberty Hall Museum - 1003 Morris Avenue, Union, New Jersey 07083

Liberty Hall Museum‘s Afternoon Tea is the perfect place to sip tea, lunch on finger sandwiches, and nibble on delectable desserts while gazing at the formal English garden from the comfort of our glass-enclosed porch. A tour of Liberty Hall Museum will follow tea service.

Reservations required; $40 per person. Please call 908-527-0400, or visit www.kean.edu/libertyhall for more information.

Saturday, May 11th – 12PM – 2PM – Mother-Daughter High Tea – Ramapo Reformed Church - 100 Island Road, Mahwah, New Jersey 07430

The Ramapo Reformed Church invites mothers and their children of all ages to celebrate Mother’s Day with a Tea on Saturday, May 11th, from noon to 2PM. Sandwiches, activities, and a gift for “Mom” will also be provided. Cost is $5.00 per person or $15.00 per family. Please call the church office at 201-529-3075 for more information or to reserve a place for tea.

Sunday, May 12th – 1PM – 4PM - Mother-Daughter Tea – Acorn Hall - 68 Morris Ave Morristown, NJ 07960

Treat your mother to something special and different this year! Special exhibits and themed items for all ages will be on display. Tea and desserts will be served; tours of the Hall will be available.

Enjoy!   If anyone does attend one of these fantastic events, be sure to comment here and let us know how they were

Zagat recommends tea houses that range from the edgy, stylish The Lambs Club, so named after drama critic and essayist Charles Lamb, all the way to the more traditional Afternoon tea served at the Crosby Street Hotel.

Currently, my friends and I are all a-twitter about heading into the City for a day and stopping at each tea shop and tea house on the list.   But, that brings me to another question.   Where would you rather go?   Do you prefer more traditional?   Or more of an updated look?   Or maybe you would rather purchase the tea and head home to cuddle in a blanket and a nice book?   Leave a comment here to let me know!

Sadly, in Kalasa, India, there has been a lack of rainfall that has affected tea.   The tea plant requires a hot, moist environment in order to grow, preferring an annual rainfall of 1800-3000 mm, or 72-100 inches.   However, this year, the typical rainfall started in March but did not continue into April.   On top of this, the temperatures are on the rise, which will result in a drier crop.   Already, the crops are starting to show the reduced amount and quality.

Throw on top of this a pest problem and a labor issue in the area, and there’s going to be a problem with the Kalasa tea this year.

A View of a Tea Plantation in Kasala, India

Now, the small town that relies heavily on agriculture is concerned over their crops.   Darjeeling and Assam have already succumbed to the dry season and now, the issue spreads.   Tea production is already predicting a huge hit this year due to the weather.   Assam alone produces 13% of the world’s tea.   Slowly, it seems that tea production will be struggling.

Therefore, the best to do is be ready for rising tea prices.   With the weather conditions, sub-par tea might be pushed more in the marketplace, so be choosey about what you are looking at.   Maybe even try your hand at growing your own tea, depending upon your region.

What do you plan to do to prepare?   Or are you hoping this is worse than it sounds?

Some Lovely Tea-Dyed Easter Eggs

Second, I want to thank everyone who came out for my Tea 101 – A Brief Introduction this past week!   We had about 20 people total show up (a full house!) and I am in the works of planning other talks across New Jersey   Stay tuned!

I want to give a thank you to the librarians at the Hickory Corner Library for their delicious scones, wonderful tea pots and lovely set-up for the event, as well as the Friends of the Hickory Corner Library, who made it all possible.   Make sure you keep your eye on their calendar of events for more fun talks on their website!

I also want to give a shout-out to my friends over at Tea Spot, who provided the tea that everyone was raving about!   The owner always does a fantastic job and knows her tea well.   If you ever find yourself in Cranford, New Jersey, pop your head in for a cuppa

While at the talk, there are two questions that I wanted to follow-up here and address:

Q – One person mentioned that her mother had the unfortunate diagnosis of kidney stones and was instructed that she would need to give up tea.   Why tea?

A – Tea, it turns out, contains oxalates, which primarily makes up a kidney stone.   These nasty-little buggers can be found in high concentrations in the plant, but low to moderate concentrations in the brew due to the small amount of leaves used for brewing.   Teas do have different amounts of oxalates depending on the type, according to the Asia Pacific journal of clinical nutrition with black tea in tea bags and loose tea leaves measuring 4.68 and 5.11 mg/g tea, respectively, green teas and oolong tea ranging from 0.23 to 1.15 mg/g tea, and herbal teas ranged from not detected to 3.00 mg/g tea.   If black tea is imbibed with some milk, then the calcium binds to some of the oxalates and cuts down on the amount that you are drinking.   All the same, it’s best to keep away if that’s the doctor’s orders.   If you REALLY cannot give up tea, make sure you mention this to your doctor to find out what the best plan is for you.

Q – How much caffeine is in a cup of tea?

A – While at the talk, I explained that depending on the tea, you’ll have different amounts of caffeine content.   There’s no set, “Oh, each tea has this much caffeine.”   However, the caffeine content of tea is typically much lower than coffee.   Find a comprehensive list of caffeine content at The Mayo Clinic, in case you have a sensitivity to caffeine or you just want a tea that will not keep you up all night if you drink it at midnight.

Thank you, all, again!   I’ll keep you posted for more tea talks soon

Now what else do I need?   I need YOU!

Make Sure You Come Out!

*Please note that, on the Patch, the date reads Friday, March 27th.   It is actually Wednesday, March 27th.   I apologize for the confusion*

Come out, have fun, learn more about tea and enjoy a cuppa with yours truly   Hope to see you there!!!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

For a deliciously green iced mint tea recipe, visit Delish.com!

While normally, tea is looked at as a relaxing drink, causing elation and even improvements in health, when a person in China says that they are getting a “tea talk” or are being “forced to drink tea,” it is a highly negative experience.

What is more interesting is that these tea talks, per Global Voices Advocacy, ”have become so common that Chinese netizens, in particular those who are active and influential, regard it as part of everyday life.”

Good Tea Or Bad Tea?

People are called for tea talks for various reasons.   Perhaps it is for a person’s political posts on the internet.   Maybe you shared something that shouldn’t have been shared or shared information the wrong way.   Maybe you even signed an online petition.   Whatever the reason, the police in China can pick up the phone and request a cup of tea in order to make sure that you as a political leader are behaving in what they deem a “responsible” manner.

The police sometimes ask for the sources of the political dissenters’ information during these talks.   If the dissenter does not comply, (s)he can be held for spreading rumors or causing a public disorder.   Other times, these tea talks can serve as more of a warning, letting the opinionated know that they are being watched.   Even worse, some dissenters report that “the tea was really bitter.”

Global Voices Advocacy summarized opinion leader’s Wu Gan‘s advice on how to deal with the tea talks, quoted below:

“1. Don’t be afraid and don’t be angry.

2. Only talk about yourself. Try your best not to provide information about others.

3. Tell the police that you believe in what you have done and that you are prepared to face the consequences.

4. Don’t take their questions personally.

5. Don’t humiliate or criticize them during or after the tea talk.

6. Don’t trust them and don’t assume that you’ll be able to persuade them to take your side.

7. If you don’t want to engage with them, you may consider signing the guarantee document. [This document certifies a citizen's promise to follow police instructions, which might stipulate that they may not blog about certain topics or discuss politics online. This document is not legally binding, so you do not have to abide by what you have signed.]

8. If you want to minimize risk, avoid getting involved in local incidents. Pay attention to other provinces as you are outside their jurisdiction. [Internal security police usually operate at the provincial level. The standard procedure for carrying out cross-border operations has to go through the local police unit, which requires a lot of paper work.]

9. They may try to put pressure on your friends, family, or employer. Try to tell your social circle about it and get their support for your cause.”

Thankfully, I must say, I’ve never had to face such pressures as a “tea talk” and I pray I never will.   It’s just amazing how something so sinister can begin with the sentence, “Let’s have some tea.”

Imaginative and sensitive
Compassionate and kind
Selfless and unworldly
Intuitive and sympathetic

On the dark side….

Escapist and idealistic
Secretive and vague
Weak-willed and easily led

All The Symbols of the Zodiac

So, what would the ideal cup of tea be for her?

No need to fret about what to get this vague sign.   Adagio Teas has it all figured out.  They have worked together with tea lover Inguna T in order to blend up some wonderful zodiac teas.

But what is Adagio Tea all about?

Founder Sophie Kreymerman started out small, purchasing her teas from the local Chinese markets.   Then, in 1999, she decided to stop working working as a manicurist part-time and start selling tea.   After all, how hard would it be?   Open a teashop, serve a cuppa every once in a while, make a few bucks, nothing big, right?

Well, when you factor in the fact that her son just came home after living in Eastern Europe for six years working with companies adjusting to capitalism and her other son worked in the tech department of a high profile financial company, it might be a bit bigger than expected.

The family decided that the internet was more the way to go, so they found a tea supplier and built a Web site.   Now, the name.   That dreaded, “Let’s come up with a cool, awesome name that no one thought of before and is witty to engage everyone in the internet realm” task.   According to Adagio, “Not only did it have to match the mood of a cup of tea, it also had to appear at the top of the alphabet (the way search engines of the late 90′s prioritized their searches). A brief read through the first few pages of the dictionary and Adagio was found. Chosen also was a theme – music.”

The tea company quickly grew, expanding from their former site in Clifton, New Jersey to Garfield, New Jersey in a 26,000 square-foot warehouse and now ships from a 24,000 square-foot warehouse in Fresno, California.

And that’s the scoop!   Learn more about Adagio Tea and sample some of their wares!   Or, better yet, buy some Zodiac blends for a birthday pal

Don’t forget to stop by Tea Love on Facebook and wish Victoria a happy birthday!