World Tea East - Who's with Me?

I am absolutely ecstatic that World Tea East is approaching. I plan on sharing more info on the event in the coming days, but I wanted to make sure you all had the basics. I will definitely be attending and I'm looking forward to meeting some of my readers and other tea lovers in person.

World Tea East

September 8 - 11 in Philadelphia

(Philadelphia Convention Center/Philadelphia Marriott Downtown - Market St.) 

From the press release:

"This new event features 100 innovative manufacturers and suppliers, best new tea products, expert-led educational sessions, focused tea tastings, pairing workshops and other special events for tea professionals, food and beverage manufacturers and decision makers in related industries. The expo also presents the unique "Reflections in Tea" interactive art exhibit, which will benefit victims of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan, a major tea-growing and tea-consuming region. In addition, World Tea East debuts the Cha Jing Lifetime Achievement Award, which will be presented to distinguished tea leader John Harney, founder of Harney & Sons Fine Teas, for his significant contributions to the industry."

The Schedule of Events

September 8 

World Origin Tasting Tour: All day exploration of tea from Sri Lanka, India, China, Japan, China, and Taiwan. Registration: $425.

September 9

The exhibition, day 1 - For the trade (retailers, distributors, etc.) Admission prices are here.

Educational sessions ($60 for seminars and $85 for tastings): Courses include Tea 101, retail trends, culinary tea, tea cocktails, and more. The full list is here.

North American Tea Championship Winners tasting circle: green teas and unflavored herbal infusions. 

Evening networking reception and presentation of lifetime achievement award to John Harney.

September 10
The exhibition, day 2 - For the trade (retailers, distributors, etc.) Admission prices are here.
Educational sessions ($60 for seminars and $85 for tastings): Courses include Tea 201, Fair Trade, marketing, history of tea, and more. The full list is here.
North American Tea Championship Winners tasting circle: black, blended and flavored teas.
STI (Specialty Tea Institute) certification courses - Level One only. (Note that this is a change from the original schedule.)

September 11
STI certification courses - Level Two only. (Note that this is a change from the original schedule.) Registration for STI classes is through Tea USA.

Lodging

Hotel discounts are available for this conference. The Philadelphia Marriott Downtown is offering a rate of $149/night.

What you can expect

More about what you'll find at World Tea East according to the latest press release:

"---New and leading-edge exhibitors of tea and related products - The exposition is set to deliver tea favorites like International Tea Importers, Teas Etc., Sungarden Teas and Rishi Tea, along with newcomers, including Best International Tea, British Delights, Custom Co-Pack, Revolution Tea, SerendipiTea, Teazzers, Tiesta Tea, Tracy Stern SalonTea and Woodford Wicks.


---Best new products - World Tea East also features the latest tea products, such as: the finum Traveler ZITA, Riensch & Held's newest and most impressive tea ware for on-the-go; and AIYA America's Matcha Zen Café Blend in single-serving packets for delicious Matcha smoothies and lattes at home, among many other exciting teas and wares.


---Expert-led educational sessions - Presentations include: Top Tea Retail Trends; How to Conduct a Successful Tea Tasting; Tea 201: Finding Profitability; Food Service Market Trends; Building Tea Community the Easy Way; Fair Trade Certification Alternatives for Tea & Herbs; Unusual Herbal Teas; Using Protocol and Etiquette to Increase Sales &Traffic; and the History of Tea in America, among other topics.


---Focused tea tastings - World Tea East tea-tasting sessions include type-specific teas, including the newest in Black, Unusual Herbal Teas, Blended/Flavored Teas, Oolongs, Puers and African Teas.


---Workshops - Unique workshops include "There's a Flower in My Soup: All About Edible Flowers" and "Tea and Cocktails - Flavor Fusion."


---World Origin Tasting Tour - This event stops at six different countries of origin, where attendees explore the country's tea culture, look at unique manufacturing processes and taste six to eight teas that are authentic to each origin, providing delegates a solid understanding of the flavors and profiles of each.


---North American Tea Championship Winners' Tasting Circle - This experience offers attendees the opportunity to sample winning teas, meet the suppliers and judge for themselves which teas are the best in each category.

Cha Jing Lifetime Achievement Award World Tea Media is also planning to introduce its Cha Jing Lifetime Achievement Award at World Tea East. The Award recognizes and celebrates individuals who have made considerable contributions to the growth, innovation and education of the specialty tea industry throughout their lifetime. This year, John Harney, founder, Harney & Sons Fine Teas, is the recipient of the award. Widely respected by his peers and a role model for many, Harney has made a significant impact on the specialty tea industry through innovation, mentoring and service. Attendees may congratulate Harney, who will be honored during World Tea East's Networking Reception, Friday, Sept. 9, from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. in the Philadelphia Marriott Ballroom."

I hope to see some of you there!

ATB meets Adagio Roots

** Update - I just corrected a URL that was not working and added "Teaspoon and Petals" to the list. Enjoy!

Today's post is part of the Association of Tea Bloggers latest blog carnival. Through the carnival, bloggers at a number of different sites will all tackle the same topic on the same day. Today's participants include:

Black Dragon Tea Bar

Gongfu Girl

LeafJoy

Notes on Tea
The Tea Enthusiasts's Scrapbook
Tea For Today
Teaspoon and Petals
That Pour Girl
Walker Tea Review
******************
If you have ever had the opportunity to visit a farmers market you understand how wonderful it is to talk with the people who have actually grown your food. It is not like choosing produce out of a bin at the grocery store where you feel that it could have come from pretty much anywhere on the planet. Suddenly these fruits and vegetables feel more real to me. This experience is even deeper when I am able to grow my own food and take my kids on a tasting tour of the back yard.

I have often wished for the same experience with my tea. It is that which makes me dream of traveling to tea farms and experiencing first hand the process of plucking and nurturing those leaves to a drinkable form. Since I am not yet able to make those journeys myself I find it very important to buy my tea from people who do. I seek out vendors who frequently travel to the farms and see how the tea is being grown and cared for. It is for this reason that I was intrigued by Adagio Teas Roots Campaign.

The Roots Campaign gives us a chance to get to know the actual farmers who have labored to make truly special teas. You can read about the people and also see pictures of their farms. The participants have even taken the time to answer questions that you might have. Visitors to Adagio's retail shops will also have the chance to send postcards to the growers which I think is a great way to allow us to offer thanks. You can check out the campaign here.

Last week I received a package of Pi Lo Chun (sometimes called Green Snail Spring) in the mail from Adagio. This green tea hails from China's Fujian province. What struck me immediately about this tea was the gorgeous floral scent that poured forth from the bag when I opened it and the soft, supple leaves that tumbled out. I could tell right away that this tea was right up my alley. It was a green but didn't have the marine or spinachy notes of some. It reminded me more of a very light oolong like a pouchong. Initially it had a soft light flavor but I found that it seemed to grow richer as I drank. Beautiful.

This particular tea was grown by a farmer named Huang Jian Li. I learned from his profile at the Roots Campaign that he grew up in a tea region and began his first tea job at 20. I appreciated his tips for proper brewing including recommendations for temperature and encouraging the use of open topped glass containers to properly appreciate the beauty and to ensure that the tea is aerated fully.

I look forward to checking out more of the teas in the campaign and I send my thanks to Huang Jian Li for his efforts in growing this lovely tea.

"The Secret Ingredient" review

I'm about to break into a box of McVitie's milk chocolate digestives and it seems the perfect thing to enjoy as I write this review. They are true comfort food and make an afternoon feel warm, cozy, and relaxed. I would say the same about Laura Schaefer's new book "The Secret Ingredient."

I fell in love with Laura's book series when it was a single book, "The Teashop Girls." In that first story we met a girl named Annie and her friends who help Annie's grandmother save her business, the "Steeping Leaf" tea shop. The book painted a beautiful picture of a Madison, Wisconsin and a welcoming shop that we all wish we could visit. Annie and her friends worry about the typical problems of middle school girls and navigate relationships and friendships.

"The Secret Ingredient" brings us back into these girls' lives as they prepare to enter the ninth grade. In the meantime they are all trying to make the most of their summer. Genna is recently back from theater camp and tries to balance a new long-distance relationship but also self-doubt about her appearance. The book touches on some of the issues young girls (and, actually, all adolescents), face with body image. Annie's friend Zoe spends her days cultivating her garden, exploring the community farmers' market, and working to convince the schools in her town to embrace the use of local and fresh foods in their lunch program. I should also mention that Annie's grandmother continues to run her shop and is enjoying the start of a new relationship. And now the star of the book, Annie.

Annie is entering a contest -- a scone making contest. In order to win she must create an original scone (in which she intends to use a secret ingredient) and gain the most readership for her new blog. The winner will get a trip for four to London. Throughout the book she struggles to create a special scone, deal with an online bully, manage friendships, and decide if the neighborhood boy Zach is a potential boyfriend or saboteur.

It is a truly charming book and, as a bonus, you will be treated to some wonderful scone recipes. You'll find everything from the expected (chocolate chip and plain ) to the unusual (parmesan strawberry!, bacon, and cookies-and-cream). Take an afternoon with a hot pot of tea, some sweet treats, and this delicious little book.

For more about Laura and her books, you can check out our interview with her from March of 2009 and June of 2011.