A spot of tea
ASU Web Devil - Tempe,AZ,USA
Souvia Tea – Since April 2004, Souvia Tea has offered the best in tea leaves and tea essentials. This quaint tearoom shares tea culture from around the …
First Flush Darjeeling is HERE
Our first flush Darjeeling arrived this week. It is from Gopaldhara in the Darjeeling District and is grown at high altitudes resulting in a wonderful flavor unique to Darjeelings.
These teas are limited in quantity and we have a very limited supply. Stop in and have a pot or take some home to enjoy.
Darjeeling Delay
Unrest in Northern India is delaying the harvest, distribution and shipment of Darjeelings. It is not clear how this will ultimately affect the quality and timing of this years crop. “Most of the production has not been dispatched. There’s a stockpile inside the factory and it’s almost crammed up. And if this continues for some more time, there will be huge cancellation of our advanced orders…” says Owner, Makaibari Tea Estate, Rajah Banerjee.
You can read more about the issues online
We are discussing the issue with our suppliers and looking for suitable replacements for our Darjeelings should the saupply remain in turmoil.
Bottom line: Don’t expect the First Flush teas anytime soon 
Tea Prices
As I predicted in our February Tea Newsletter, tea prices are on the rise.
“Anyone who has traveled outside of the US lately knows that the dollar is weaker against many major currencies. Since almost all of the tea in the US is imported this can affect prices. The only saving grace is that ea is currently priced in dollars world wide but this may change or growers will have to raise prices to stay in business…Interestingly, the rising standard of living in China may put the biggest crimp on tea. As incomes rise in China, the Chinese are drinking more of the higher quality teas. Compounding the problem is a boom in PuErh consumption both in China and abroad (even Posh Spice is in on it). since Pu-Erh teas are traditionally made with tea from the Yunnan region, the increased Pu-Erh consumption is decreasing the Yunnan black tea supply.”
This two things are putting pressure on tea prices. This will have two effects. One, the better teas from China, such as Yunnan Royal Gold, will see large price changes due to demand. The second result is that tea prices in general will rise due to the weak dollar. We will be adjusting pricing in June to reflect. However, we will not be raising prices for the 100 gram and 250 gram bags except in a very few cases. This means we are absorbing the increases in all but the 50gram “trial size” of the teas.
We also will be changing our pot of tea pricing. From June 1, all pots of tea will be $3.99, hot or iced, in store or take away. We will also be introducing a new line of specialty blends and custom blends. Those will be sold at $4.99 for a pot.
For you pu’er fans
An interesting article in the New York Times on the small village of Pu’er in China. This article talks about how Pu’er grows wild there like blueberries in Maine and how people just pick it and process it. Also, some confimration of the pu’er craze going on in China.
The article only briefly mentions aged pu’er and highlights the potential to get ripped off on aged cakes. If you like to buy that kind of thing just make sure you work woth a reputable supplier and if it is 10 years old, it should be VERY expensive, think >$200/pound or more retail.
The trees in Pu’er are very old and produce large leaves, there are also cultivated varieties.
Red Wine and Black Tea
Two of my favorites! Now there is more good news with these two beverages and the helath front. A recent study found beneficial effects on glucose after consumption. And itnerestingly, it is a study that even compared different types of teas. It appears Balck Teas have the biggest effect….
More here - http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Health/2008/04/04/study_red_wine_tea_may_help_diabetics/9095/
New Teas 07 April
In the stores now
Coconut Black
Sweet Cherry
Pineapple Lemon
Sencha Pina Colada
Goiing, Going, Gone…
It is that time of year when we phase out our “winter” teas to make room for the summer teas. Gingerbread House and Nutcracker Sweet are on this list. In addition the Gopaldara First Flush Darjeeling is almost gone and the Next First Flush will arrive probably in June. The Ume Shiso has been discontinued by the supplier.
Get ‘em while they last!
White, Green or Black and Health
We get a lot of questions like “what is the helathiest tea?” We typically recommend people find the teas that they like and drink them regularly. 4-6 cups per day is recommended to get the maximum helath benefits. The is a recent article on Canada.com whcih provides a nice summary of health benefits by “color” of tea.
Some quotes from that article include:
”Most people don’t drink enough to get the kinds of results seen in research studies”
“like its greener kin, black tea contains antioxidants”
“To get the most of tea’s benefits, drink it freshly brewed, rather than bottled. Let tea steep for a few minutes to release the catechins”
It is a nice read and supports the consensus that all teas are good for you in different ways. It is great to have something that tastes good AND is good for you!
Update on Kenya
I mentioned about world events in the last Souvia Newsletter. I have just received a letter from the Kenya Tea Development Association with an update on the situation there. The KTDA produces over 60% of Kenyan Teas. They indicate that production was interrupted at in their facilities for only three days. In short, they beleive there will be no disruption to supply. Good news!
