Teatulia Teas

Mayor John Hickenlooper has proclaimed this week, beginning March 16th, Global Sustainability Week in Denver. The City is a co-host of the upcoming Sustainable Opportunities Summit, along with CORE and the Deming Center for Entrepreneurship at the Leeds School of Business, CU Boulder. The Mayor will present his welcoming remarks to the Summit at 9:00 AM on Thursday, March 19th. Read the Proclamation and get more information Here: Sustainable Opportunities Summit

Teatulia is excited to partner with Open House - a modern, urban living store in Philadelphia!

About Open house:

Open House Manifesto: The Foliage

Though gas now costs as much as low grade Plutonium, every fall, people still spend hours driving aimlessly around upstate PA and New England looking at leaves, burning fossil fules and mispronouncing the word “foliage.”  The leaves burst with color, creating scenes that people can stare at for hours.  It’s true:  people love change, and they love things that look good.
Open House covers both of these categories by keeping an up-to-the-minute stock of stunning designs that reflect modern urban living. Stop by one week and you’ll be floored by the latest rugs by Adams.  The next week you’ll be illuminated by the latest lighting from Cardinal.  You never know what you’ll find.  Except for lower gas prices.

Check out Open House online at www.OpenHouseLiving.com/openhouse

Or, visit their store at:

107 S. Thirteenth St.

Philadelphia, PA 19107

Teatulia Teas will now be carried in one of California’s largest independent grocers - Berkeley Bowl Marketplace.

Berkeley Bowl is an independent, full-service supermarket committed to bringing you the highest quality groceries at the lowest possible prices. We first opened in 1977 as a small neighborhood market. In 1999 we moved into a 40,000 sq. foot renovated former Safeway. Our specialty has always been produce and we have a selection that is second to none. Throughout the rest of our store we carry a wide array of organic and natural foods, conventional groceries and everyday items.

Visit www.BerkeleyBowl.com for more information.

There are many tea myths out there, as we all know. Check out this article from the Chicagotribune.com that dispells common tea myths:

MYTH: Tea comes in many varieties. False! Only one plant gives us tea leaves—the Camellia sinensis. The differences in color and flavor among the three basic types—black, green and oolong—depend on how the leaves are processed. For black tea, the most popular type of tea in the U.S., the tea leaves are exposed to air, or allowed to oxidize. Green teas are less processed to preserve the green color and delicate flavor. Oolong tea is between black and green.

MYTH: Herbal tea is tea.

False! Even more shocking is that Rooibos isn’t tea either. Technically, tea must come from the Camillia sinensis plant. Herbal teas such as Celestial Seasonings’ popular Sleepytime product are made from other plants and called “tisanes.” Rooibos or “red tea” is not a leaf; it’s a seed from a bush that grows in South Africa. Though herbal teas can have health benefits, most of the research has been done on tea, not tisanes.

MYTH: Tea can help fight cancer.

True—if you’re a rat. Studies show tea has a powerful cancer-fighting effect in rodents, said nutrition professor Jeffrey Blumberg, who runs the Antioxidants Research Laboratory at Tufts University. For humans, the data are less clear. But tea can help reduce your risk of heart disease, Blumberg told me. Catechins, a type of flavonoid, are what make tea healthy. Flavonoids are plant compounds known as phytochemicals. Tea is one of the most highly concentrated food sources of catechins.

MYTH: Black tea contains more caffeine than green tea.

False! Even though some black teas have names like “Awake” and green teas are called “Zen,” the difference between green and black tea is in the processing, something that doesn’t affect caffeine content. Because they’re derived from the same plant, they contain similar amounts unless you brew your green tea for short periods. By the same token, green tea isn’t healthier than black tea.

MYTH: You can decaffeinate a regular tea.

False! You can certainly try, as I have, by brewing a cup for 30 seconds, tossing out the water, and starting again. But this popular technique isn’t backed by any evidence. If it does work, you’re not just tossing out caffeine, you’re also throwing out catechins and flavonoids, which tend to be released in the first 30 seconds.

MYTH: Drinking green tea will make you skinny.

False! Some scientists speculate that caffeine and EGCG—a highly active catechin in tea—may act together to increase fat oxidation. But study results are mixed, and the effects, if any, are so modest that they’ll be wiped out by half an Oreo, said Blumberg. Still, tea has zero calories if you don’t add milk, honey or sugar. (A 12-ounce Tazo Berry Chai Tea Infusion from Starbucks has about 190 calories.) So even if tea doesn’t boost your metabolism, as some say, it can have a good substitution effect.

MYTH: Adding milk negates the health benefits of tea.

It might! But it might not. Only one study has shown that adding milk decreases the body’s ability to absorb catechins in tea. But the results haven’t been replicated, said Blumberg. The debate is whether the proteins in milk bind to the flavonoids in tea, potentially reducing them.

MYTH: Restaurants know how to serve tea.

Not necessarily. If they give you a cup of hot water with the tea bag on the side, you’re forced to push the floating tea bag down with a spoon or, even worse, your finger. Bad, bad, bad! “Always put the tea bag in first, then add the water,” Mark Ukra counseled in “The Ultimate Tea Diet” (Collins Living, $16.99). Ukra also wrote that if you’re making it at home, put milk in first, then the tea bag and then the water. Others (including my husband) insist that you should add milk after the water. Use boiling water for black tea and brew three to five minutes. For green tea, steep for two to three minutes in water that was about to boil, says the Tea Association.

MYTH: Tea bags are lowbrow.

Actually, they come in classy whole-leaf mesh pouches these days. Michelle Wu, owner of Chicago’s Loose Leaf Tea Loft, noted that loose-leaf teas are considered higher quality than bagged tea because the leaves are larger and have more room to expand and give up their flavor. If you do use tea bags, “buy a brand such as Mighty Leaf where you can actually see the tea leaves,” said Susan Blumberg, author of “All the Tea in Chicago” (Des Voeux, $9.99).

Click here to go to the full article

Sustainable Teas: 

Giving back to the land and the people through tea cultivation 

Teatulia’s Linda Appel Lipsius will be presenting this fascinating lecture at 

the 2009 World Tea Expo in Las Vegas on 

Saturday, May 2 11am-12pm

Learn about revolutionary farming and social practices being implemented in gardens around the world. As we become more aware of where our teas come from and how they are produced, it is becoming increasingly possible to hold producers accountable for sustainable farming and just social practices.

To learn more and register, visit 

http://www.worldteaexpo.com/Core-Conference-Schedule.html 

Recorded at the World Tea Expo 2008, this interview gives first hand information of what Teatulia is doing to revolutionize what you should expect from your tea growers.  Linda Appel Lipsius (COO, US) and Dr. Kazi Anis Ahmed (CEO, Bangladesh) talk about what makes Teatulia such a uniquely premium tea.

Click here to be taken to Tea Radio and listen, no down loading required.  Teatulia on Tea Radio

by: Juditha Ohlmacher

The Mountain is Real!

We were always told that it bodes well if the mountain greets you when you arrive in the Tea Estate. Today we were greeted in fine form with a truly glorious view of Kanchenjunga and its nearby peaks. This is usually not the month for visibility so we weren’t expecting it. And not only did she greet us but she stayed with us during the entire trip. Every day we could just look up and see her towering over the tea and the bungalows.

We have been telling people for years that it is just the haze in the air which prevents one from seeing the mountain, which “is RIGHT THERE!” [Picture rolling of eyes and "sure, sure" nodding of heads.] Well, to all naysayers, I offer these totally un-retouched photos taken with my dinky point-and-shoot.

Bikram 3 Monhts

The trip went well in other ways, with the news of the birth of a new foal, Bikram, who is only 3 months old. He is quite a cutie - mostly white like his father, but with one dark hoof.

He spent his time not far from mom but would now and then get a burst of energy and suddenly take off running about the bungalows. He’s right at home and will use the verandas as a shortcut from the back to front lawns.

I also got to see some plucking of white tea - which is a funny thing because the collection bags are so small. Only the very buds are plucked, so the bulk is so much less.

The weather was beautiful but is getting quite cold at night. We had to bundle up and put T-shirts on our heads to stay warm in bed. But the days dawned bright and warm, and became quite hot again as the day progressed.

It was only a short trip of 3 days so there isn’t too much else to report. But what a 3 days it was!

About Juditha:

Juditha grew up in a happy home in the Washington DC area but still always longed to travel the world. She studied Liberal Arts at St. John’s College, first in Annapolis, MD and then in Santa Fe, NM. After graduation she refused to return to the East Coast and instead moved to Denver, Colorado. While working as an analyst at MCI Telecom, she took two backpacking trips around Europe.

Finally she gave up her safe career track to go to film school in New York City. After receiving her Masters in Cinema Studies from New York University, she worked as an Educator and later Associate Curator at the unique Museum of the Moving Image.

It was just after returning from a backpacking trip to India that she met and fell in love with Anis Ahmed. They were married in 2002, and lived in Brooklyn while he finished his PhD and she pursued her love of Bharatanatyam, a classical Indian dance form. Then on January 1, 2004, they moved to Anis’ hometown of Dhaka, Bangladesh, where they have been living for the past 5 years.

Juditha finished her Bharatanatyam education with her “arangetrum” (graduation) in 2005. Later she joined the Media Studies Department at the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh as an Associate Professor in film and media studies. She continues to teach there, with a deep love of the students and the liberal arts foundation of the institution.

Juditha and Anis visit the tea garden often.

For all of you who love Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters, you’ll definitely LOVE Terrain. Meet the newest addition to the Urban / Anthro family - Terrain at Styer’s. Terrain is a Garden Center, Landscaping Service Greenhouse, cafe, store, and resource center for everything home and garden. With the same hand crafted, artisan style as Anthropologie, Teatulia Teas fit right in. Terrain has plans to open a second store in March 2009, but right now visit them in Glenn Mills, PA.

Terrain at Styer’s
914 Baltimore Pike, Glen Mills, PA 19342
610-459-2400

Teatulia teas are right at home in this new-age Restaurant and Inn. The Creamery is setting new standards when it comes to serving fresh, organic food.

Stay at The New Creamery

We use the freshest and, when possible, organic ingredients for our seasonal menus. Our chef has relentlessly pursued local farmers, growers, and foragers to bring the best seasonal food to our menus. Enjoy! - The Creamery

You can visit The Creamery to enjoy fresh local food with your Teatulia tea in a variety of ways:

• The Restaurant - Taste the seasonal menu developed by Executive Chef Brian Griep, Using fresh herbs, literally a step out his kitchen door, he believes good food can be simple, straight forward cuisine.
• The Tasting Bar - They offer several local mico-brews on tap from both Rush River and Sand Creek breweries. Also, the full-service bar includes several martini options and mojitos made with fresh mint from their gardens.
• The Brickhouse Bakery + Cafe - The Bakery makes house-made, natural bakery items to compliment the great teas and coffee served in the cafe. Enjoy fresh baked goods, pastries and breads while staying at the Inn, dining in the restaurant or eating at our café.
• The Birdhouse Inn - The Birdhouse Inn has twelve non-smoking rooms with king beds and double whirlpool tubs. Every room has a view to the woods, grounds and two oxbow ponds. Inn rooms are spacious with vaulted ceilings and beautiful handmade tiles in the bathrooms. Organic bedding includes sheets, duvet covers and quilts. Their comforters and pillows are made from Wisconsin sheep wool covered in 100% organic cotton from Kerry Hills Farms near Milwaukee.

True Organic Luxery!!!

The Creamery Restaurant + Inn
E4620 County Road C
Downsville, Wisconsin 54735

Reservations: 715-664-8354

From Teatulia COO - Linda Appel Lipsius

I recently attended a lecture on Sustainability hosted by the University of Denver and I want to share information presented by John Powers of The Alliance for Sustainable Colorado. The Alliance is a collaborative building and virtual building for non-profits, many of whom are focused on the environment. But what struck me most was the building itself – a LEEDS Gold & Silver and US EPA Energy Star Leader – that serves as an example for us all to follow as we attempt to green our environment.

Notable Points:

Of total US Energy consumption, 48% goes to Buildings, 27% to Transportation and 23% to Industry
Of total US Electricity consumption, 76% goes to Buildings, 1% to Transportation and 25% to Industry

The Alliance building has incorporated the following sustainable technologies (mostly pretty low-tech!):
- Toilets: Consume only 1 gallon per flush - Mansfield Plumbing
- Urinals: Water-free - Falcon
- Faucets: Water-efficient, self-generating, run on hydropower - TOTO
- Faucets: Aerator and flow-restrictors to produce foamier, “wetter” water - Whedon Products Inc
- Showerhead: Aerated shower head that delivers less than 2 gallons/minute
- Landscaping: Xeriscaped native greenery - Xeriscape Colorado
- Temperature Control: Computerized Direct Digital Controls - LONWorks
- Insulation: Recycled blue jeans - Bonded Logic
- Flooring: Biodegradable, recyclable floor tiles - Interface FLOR
- Entryways: Walk-off mats to keep toxins out
- Drinking Fountains: Unrefrigerated - Halsey Taylor
- Lights: Intensity control - Axis Technologies Inc
- Windows: Insulated glass to keep heat in in winter and out in summer
- Window Treatments: Sun shades to control sunlight - Ecoveil
- Power: 100% windpower

Amazing technologies that we can all consider when we undertake our next fix-it project!