Cha Thé Tea

State of the Industry

What the Tea Leaves Say

Glossary of Terms

Tea Fact Sheet

A Tea By Any Other Name . . . All tea comes from the Camellia sinensis plant, a warm-weather evergreen. How the fresh leaves of the tea plant are processed and their level of contact with oxygen determine resulting types of tea. During oxidation, tea leaves undergo natural chemical reactions that result in distinctive color and taste characteristics. Green tea is not oxidized at all—the leaves are steamed, rolled and dried while black tea is allowed to oxidize for two to four hours. Oolong tea falls somewhere between green and black teas, in that the leaves are only partially oxidized. Tea is grown in thousands of tea gardens or estates around the world, resulting in thousands of flavorful variations. Like wines, each tea takes its name from the district in which it's grown, and each district is known for producing tea with unique flavor and character. Tea is also divided by grades, determined by leaf size. Smaller sized leaves are used in tea bags while the larger sized leaves can be found in packaged loose tea. Herbal teas do not come from Camellia sinensis, but are an infusion of leaves, roots, bark, seeds or flowers of other plants. They lack many of the unique characteristics of tea and are not linked with the research on the potential health benefits of traditional teas.

Prepared by Joseph P. Simrany
President, Tea Association of the U.S.A., Inc. If anyone believes that the United States Tea Industry is not undergoing a dramatic period of change, they should take a quick tour of their local supermarket and observe what is happening. Even within this single distribution channel, change is pervasive and immediately apparent.
When walking through the supermarket, a noticeable new development is that tea can be found in several different locations throughout the store, not just in the "coffee" aisle. But, even in its traditional location, the amount of space devoted to tea has increased tremendously and the number and size of competitive offerings has changed dramatically. In addition, many new sections have been added within the supermarket to accommodate all the new forms of tea that have been introduced in recent years.
You may observe the significant amount of space now being devoted to ready-to-drink teas in the "soft drink" & “water” and “functional beverages” aisles. This, of course, is only the beginning. Traveling around the store, you may also find tea in the dairy department in both bottles and gallon jug containers. Additionally, depending on the size of the supermarket, you might encounter a refrigerated cabinet dedicated completely to tea. More often than not you may spot some form of tea on a promotional display or in a vending machine near the entrance or exit. Most recently, organically grown tea is finding its way into special departments that have been set up to organize these products. Tea is even finding its way into the health and beauty aisle as an ingredient in other products or as a concentrate. Please don’t forget the juice aisle where tea is being added as a beneficial ingredient to several juice products. You may even find tea in the candy aisle in the form of tea-infused chocolate bars.
During this supermarket tour other changes become obvious. Among them is the number of new companies marketing tea in new and unique forms. Traditional packers of black tea now offer herbal blends and traditional herbal packers now offer new black and green tea blends. Bottled water and soft drink companies have expanded their product lines to include ready-to-drink tea and new startup companies are pouring into the marketplace. Green tea once nearly impossible to find in conventional supermarkets is now in widespread distribution, and even Oolong and White tea is occasionally found.
Additionally, Specialty Teas have also found their way into supermarkets in a greater variety than ever before and are available from large packers as well as from smaller regional tea companies. New shapes, sizes, and flavors abound as well as new consumer interest in the tea category. Even the tea bag has jumped the barrier from Traditional to Specialty Tea in new materials and new shapes.
Venturing outside of the supermarket environment, the casual observer continues to be bombarded with changes taking place within the Tea Industry. Thanks, in large part, to the ready-to-drink version of tea, the availability of tea in nontraditional outlets has increased dramatically. Today tea may be found in warehouse clubs, mass merchandisers, gas marts, drug stores, and convenience stores. Also, the availability of tea has benefited from large distribution increases in the vending sector and in the foodservice sector. Even if you don't shop in supermarkets, mass merchandisers, convenience stores, or use vending machines, you're probably still exposed to the changes taking place within the Tea Industry. Evidence of tea’s many contributions to health can be found on television in the form of increased publicity; in newspapers and magazines through paid advertising, on radio through news announcements and interviews, and published in medical journals in ever-increasing numbers.
Even if you're a confirmed coffee lover, there is no escaping the fact that tea’s popularity is ever-increasing. One only has to note the growing availability of Specialty Teas in the thousands of coffee shops across the country. Even for confirmed coffee lovers, tea has a new appeal in the form of a product called Chai - a blend of tea, spices, and milk. And for a new generation of tea drinkers, or simply the young at heart, bubble tea outlets are popping up in major metropolitan areas across the United States. Today, there are over 2400 specialty tea rooms and retail shops in big cities and small towns across America. Also, there are an ever increasing number of upscale hotels offering Afternoon Tea service.
Obviously, most Tea Industry insiders view all of these changes positively because they are serving to make tea more readily available and convenient to millions of potential consumers. More importantly, these changes are useful in raising top-of-mind awareness among consumers. As any marketer will tell you, top-of-mind awareness is critical to future growth.
Why, after so many years, is change so rampant in the Tea Industry? What has occurred to cause a beverage that has been commonly available for hundreds of years in the United States to behave as if it were introduced yesterday? These answers are found by examining the changes, by questioning the trade, by reviewing overall food and beverage trends, and by understanding consumer motivation.
A predominant force driving tea’s new popularity is its convenience. Ready-to-drink tea in bottles, cans, aseptic packaging, plastic containers, or any other packaging configuration brings the ultimate in convenience to consumers. Ease of preparation has never been a strong selling point for tea and, in a nation that demands convenience, has served to act as a constraint on sales until now. It was this same demand for convenience that caused the Tea Industry to introduce the tea bag in 1904 and to create instant tea and iced tea mixes in the 40's & 50's.
Closely linked to convenience is availability. Ready-to-drink bottles and cans made tea more readily available to consumers than ever before, particularly at the point of consumption. Both the convenience and availability factors are entirely compatible with basic trends at work in the business world, specifically the erosion of free time available to American consumers and the resulting trend towards eating meals “on the run.”
An important secondary factor contributing to the popularity of tea is the increasing health consciousness of American consumers. While this trend has been developing over the last three decades, it received a tremendous boost from the NLEA (Nutritional Labeling and Education Act) implemented in May 1994.
The American consumer's concern for health has already had a dramatic effect on the Food & Beverage Industry. Examples of manufacturers trying to meet the perceived needs of this “healthy” consumer are found in every aisle of the supermarket and range from the introduction of bottled water to the use of exotic ingredients to replace fat. Tea is uniquely positioned to flourish in this kind of environment because of the positive consumer perception from which it already benefits and because of the abundance of new scientific research that serves to reinforce that perception.
Another reason why tea has become popular is linked to the marketing programs in which millions of dollars have been spent to launch ready-to drink teas. This effort has served the entire industry well; not only has it ensured the success of ready-to-drink teas, but also has helped to communicate the positive intrinsic attributes of tea in general.
Tea has always been a versatile drink. Its versatility includes the many uses for the leaf as well as the many different benefits derived from its consumption. The range of these uses and benefits is broader in tea than for any other food or beverage.
Given this market environment for tea, is it any wonder that the ready-to-drink sector has been consistently ranked as one of the fastest growing new product entries over the last several years? Additionally, is it any wonder that the total category has grown in excess of 6.85 billion dollars in sales in 2007?
The following estimates are derived from hard facts from both inside and outside sources as well as informed judgments from Tea Industry experts. ESTIMATED WHOLESALE VALUE OF THE UNITED STATES TEA INDUSTRY   1990 2007 Traditional Market (supermarket, drug stores & mass merchandisers) $0.87 billion $1.95 billion R-T-D Market 0.20 billion 2.80 billion Foodservice Segment 0.50 billion 1.0 billion Specialty Segment 0.27 billion 1.1 billion Total Sales $1.84 billion $6.85 billion Given this as a starting point, the next logical question is where do we go from here? Does $6.85 billion represent the zenith or simply the foundation upon which the Tea Industry will continue to build? Fortunately we are dealing with tea and with industry people who know how to read the tea leaves. What they see is a long period of growth based on their past experiences as well as their assessment of what opportunities remain to be discovered. Let's take a look into the bottom of their teacups and see what there is to see:

Ready-to-drink tea will continue to grow in popularity with annual dollar increases in the range of 12 to 15%.

Foodservice sales will continue to grow, spurred by an increase in customer demand, increased promotion on the part of operators, the expansion of tea offerings to include specialty and herbal selections, increased awareness of the profitability potential of tea, and improved delivery of hot tea. We expect annual dollar increases in the range of 3 to 5%.

A long-term increase in consumer demand for Specialty Tea, with annual dollar increases in the area of 8 to 10%.

A slow but steady long term increase in consumer demand for traditional forms of tea spurred by an expanded core group of users, much broader demographics of the "typical" tea consumer, and increasing awareness of the potential health effects associated with tea consumption. Annual dollar growth in the area of 1 to 3% is expected in this category.

Given the experience of the last several years, the intrinsic qualities of tea, and the lifestyle and consumption trends that appear to have become firmly established in the marketplace, only one logical conclusion seems possible; the future for tea in the United States looks very hot indeed!

By Alan Bjerga Sept. 18 (Bloomberg) -- Tea may improve the ability to concentrate because of a substance found almost exclusively in several types of the beverage, according to research presented at a conference highlighting ties between tea and good health. Theanine, an amino acid present in black, green and oolong teas, actively alters the attention networks of the brain to improve both calmness and alertness, according to John Foxe, a neuroscience professor at City College of the City University of New York. ``The only way you or I are going to get ahold of theanine is through a good cup of tea,'' Foxe said today at the conference at the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington. His research was sponsored by Unilever, which includes Lipton Tea among its more than 400 brands. Claims of health benefits have helped tea sales in the U.S. surge, to $6.5 billion last year from $1.84 billion in 1990, according to the Tea Association of the USA. Beyond helping alertness, tea can also ease the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease and reduce cholesterol, scientists said. Foxe said that in human trials, theanine has been shown to affect the brain's alpha waves within 20 minutes, and that the calming effects and state of heightened alertness can last three to four hours. High Doses The doses given to test subjects were about 10 times what a person would get in a normal cup of tea, said Foxe. He now plans to lower the amount of theanine administered to see its effects at lower levels. Improved alertness is one of several benefits tea companies and scientists are touting for the beverage, which Americans consume at the rate of 2.25 billion gallons a year, or 4 percent of world consumption. That's far behind global leaders India and China, which together drink about 40 percent, according to the Tea Industry Forum in Kingston, Australia. Researchers have also linked tea to better heart health and immune function and reduced risk of some forms of cancer. Sylvia Mandel, a scientist at the Eve Topf Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases in Israel, said her research suggests the equivalent of two to four cups of green tea a day may keep brain cells from dying in animals induced with Parkinson's disease. The next step is to see if the results can be replicated in humans, said Mandel, whose research was funded by her center. Today's conference was sponsored by the American Cancer Society, the American College of Nutrition and the New York- based Tea Association, which includes Peet's Coffee & Tea Inc. and Tazo Tea, a unit of Starbucks Corp. Bloomberg.com: News

When, Where and By whom was tea first discovered? The first references to tea go back nearly 5,000 years and are understandably obscure.  Many countries have their own version of how tea was discovered, but the Chinese version is the oldest.  According to Chinese literature, Emperor Shen Nung, who was known, as the “Divine Healer” would routinely boil his drinking water before consuming it, a healthy practice even by today’s standards.  As the story goes, one day some leaves from a nearby tree fell into the pot, which resulted in an excellent tasting and fragrant beverage.  For the record, tea grows on bushes which are usually kept pruned to 3 feet but, left unattended in the wild, could easily grow to a tree of 30 or more feet high.  In this manner, according to legend, tea was discovered. How many kinds of tea are there? The three basic kinds of tea are Green, Oolong, and Black tea.  In the United States about 94% of the tea consumed is Black, Green accounts for about 5% and Oolong the remainder.  In the world, about 80% of the tea consumed is Black, about 19% Green with the remainder being Oolong.  There is a very rare tea which some experts consider to be a fourth type of tea; White tea.  White tea is a Chinese tea produced exclusively from the buds or tips of the tea bush.  The three basic forms of tea are determined by the degree of processing, which takes place of the identical tealeaves.  Green tea is the least processed and Black tea receives the most processing.  The only differences in the processing is that Black tea leaves are allowed to oxidize (exposed to air) before the leaf is dried. Next to water, tea is the most popular berverage of the world. In the United States, in addition to water, it trails soft drinks, coffee, beer, and milk which makes it the sixth most popular beverage. Over 80% of the tea consumed within the United States is consumed as an iced beverage. According to reports, iced tea was discovered accidentally by, of all people, a young Englishman ­ Richard Blechynden who had come all the way from Calcutta, India to represent teas from the Far East at the 1904 St. Louis World Fair.  Not meeting with much success in the stifling heat, Mr. Blechynden poured the tea over ice and met with a near instant success. Who invented the Tea Bag? In 1904, Thomas Sullivan an enterprising tea and coffee merchant in New York is credited with the accidental discovery of tea bags.  To control costs, he sent out samples of his tea to potential buyers in small silk sacks as opposed to the customary tin cans.  The recipients of the samples didn’t bother to remove the tea from the silk sacks and brewed up the tea in that form.  To Mr. Sullivan’s astonishment, orders began to pour in for tea in little bags! Consumption of tea started at approximately the same time in the U.K. and The Continent of America. Tea bags account for approximately 60% of the tea sold through supermarkets and food service outlets.  Surprisingly, the number is very similar in the U.K. where the perception of much greater reliance on loose tea is widespread. The Irish consume more tea on a per capita basis than any other nationality.  The Irish consume 7.1 pounds of tea annually equivalent to 1,417 cups per year or nearly 4 per day.  By comparison, the British consume 5.74 pounds per person or 3.2 cups per day and in the U.S., .75 pounds equivalent to about _ cup per day. For the most recent 12 month period approximately 66% of the tea consumed in the United States is imported from Argentina, China, and Indonesia.  All told, approximately 3 dozen countries have exported tea to the United States in 1995. Although the term “fermentation” is frequently used to describe the processing of tea, the term “oxidation” is a much more accurate description of the chemical transformation which takes place. Although tea can grow in a great many environments, the ideal is areas of heavy rainfall, very warm days and cool nights, which can often be found at higher elevations. Contrary to popular perception, Orange Pekoe is not a flavoring at all it  simply connotes a certain size of tealeaf (usually the largest pieces of leaf available).  Over the years, through marketing efforts, the name has acquired an image associated with high quality. Once again, contrary to popular opinion, the correct pronunciation is peck o, not peek o. On the surface this appears to be a confusing answer but its meaning becomes crystal clear with a little bit of explanation.  On a dry weight basis tea has twice as much caffeine per pound as does coffee.  However, on an as consumed basis tea has between _ to 1/3 as much caffeine as a similar serving of coffee.  The reason for this is that a pound of tea yields about 200 servings while a pound of coffee yields (according to the National Coffee Association) between 40 and 50 servings.  According to FDA figures, published in March 1984 FDA Consumer, on average a 5 oz. cup of tea contains 40 milligrams of caffeine and a 5 oz. cup of coffee between 80 and 115 milligrams depending upon the method of brewing. Most branded teas are blends of teas from many different tea gardens and several different countries.  This is done to make it easier to maintain a particular flavor profile that consumers of that particular brand have become accustomed to.  Most specialty teas, but not all, are unblended teas from a particular region of a specific tea producing country.  Some specialty teas, like fine wines, come from a particular tea garden known for certain flavor characteristics. The price of tea is set as a result of auction bidding or direct negotiation between buyer and seller.  It is not formally traded in a commodity exchange. Tea should not be placed in a refrigerator since the change in temperatures when the product is used could contribute to “sweating” which could lead to mold formation and deterioration of quality.  Similarly, tea should be allowed to breathe so that excess moisture may safely evaporate.  Shipping tea in airtight containers for short periods of time is an acceptable practice which serves to protect the fragile product from harmful outside contaminants. Brewing Black or Oolong tea with water, which has just started to boil but not boiled too long is the ideal practice.  This ensures the optimal brewing temperature (212º F) without destroying the quality of the water through excessive loss of oxygen.  Green tea is an exception and should be brewed with water which has not come to a boil.  Ideally, this water should be between 165º F and 185º F.  A common practice is to take water which has been brought to a boil and set it aside for several minutes until it has cooled before brewing Green tea. The tea leaves are a little hazy regarding the correct answer to this question, but answer ‘c” comes closest to being the most correct.  The Tea Association has prepared guidelines for commercially brewing hot and iced tea as well as for many other subjects.  Green tea requires special care and should be brewed with water which is not as hot as for Black tea and for much shorter periods of time.  Depending upon the type of tea being used, some trial and error may be in order.  Another excellent source of information on this subject is your specialty tea supplier. Serving tea in a ceramic (like) teapot is the ideal way and adds considerably to the flavor development as well as the overall mood of the occasion.  Metal teapots are an acceptable alternative as is serving it pre-brewed out of an insulated container, particularly for large groups.  However, nothing compares to the statement, which is made when a ceramic (like) teapot is used.  The least desirable method of serving tea lukewarm water in a teacup with a bag on the side. The obvious answer is to simply ask “Would you like more tea?”  There is perhaps no greater insult to a tea lover than to ask; “Would you like more hot water for your tea?”  Now there are exceptions to everything and some teas, especially Green tea, may be reused several times, but for general Black tea service, a new tea bag or loose tea should be offered to the customer. It is extremely important to clean your iced tea brewing equipment on a daily basis to prevent a build up of bacteria.  Very specific guidelines have been established and are available from the Tea Association of the USA, the National Restaurant Association, your tea supplier, or from the equipment suppliers.  Cleaning recommendations included sanitizing all surfaces and complete dismantling of the dispensing mechanism. Assam, Nilgiri, Dimbulla, and Uva are all regions of tea producing countries known for the high quality of their teas.  It is reported that there are more than 3,000 varieties of tea and that many tea experts are able to identify many of these teas by their appearance and taste.  For the rest of us would be connoisseurs, learning to distinguish between a great many fewer types will generally pose a lifetime challenge. A great cup of tea totally satisfying to all of your tea lovers can be brewed using tea bags as opposed to loose tea.  Evidence of this may be seen in the number of imported teas in tea bag form being offered in the United States by foreign packers of tea known for their excellence.  Further evidence is found by the near universal usage of tea bags, even in countries that take their tea drinking very seriously.  That said, a cup of tea brewed from loose tea will likely have a superior taste than a cup of tea brewed from the same leaves in tea bag form.  The nuances will be small, but due to the fact that the larger loose leaf sizes will have more room to expand and give up all the flavor which they have to offer.  Loose tea also adds to the overall mood and “romance” of tea and could add immensely to customer satisfaction and retailer profits. India is the largest producer of tea in the world producing 819,877 tons of tea in 1994.  China is next with 648,675 tons, followed by Sri Lanka with 268,482 tons and Japan with 95,133 tons. Sri Lanka is the largest exporter of tea in the world shipping some 247,177 tons in 1994.  China is the next largest shipping 198,062 tons, followed by India with 159,557 tons and Japan with only 1,653 tons exported in 1994.  As might be expected, India, China, and Japan have well developed markets for tea within their own countries. This was a bonus question since if you answered a, b, or c you would have been correct.  Tea is perhaps THE most profitable food or beverage item available to you within the food service sector.  Incredible gross profit potentials are the norm and are maximized by aggressive merchandising strategies.  Your supplier of tea and/or the Tea Association of the USA are good sources for merchandising tips. Back to a technical question, both Green and Black tea contain similar amounts of caffeine.  This too is contrary to popular opinion, which generally holds that Green tea has less caffeine than Black tea.  Support for this conclusion lies in the fact that both types of tea are derived from exactly the same plant, Camellia sinensis and that the processing differences between the two types of tea have little to no effect on caffeine content.  Once again exceptions to this rule are possible if your brew your Green tea for very short periods of time, which is often recommended.  However, the raw tea itself has near identical caffeine levels. New scientific evidence touting teas many contributions to human health are coming to our attention on an increasingly frequent basis.  While more research is needed to confirm the many claims, which are being made, tea consumption most certainly seems compatible with a growing number of consumers who are adopting healthy lifestyles. Yes, there are several sources for additional information about tea including:
      Your supplier of branded and specialty tea.
      The Tea Boards of various producing countries.
      The Tea Association, Specialty Tea Institute and Tea Council of the USA.

中国茶は数百種類あるともいわれ、地域や季節によりさまざまな茶文化が育まれてきました。 中国茶の主な産地

関連リンク

中国茶の主要産地 | お茶百科

2006年中國生産了102萬噸茶葉（中國統計局數字）。這是首次超越印度成為世界最大的茶葉生産國家。與此同時，國内消費量創歷史紀録達到66萬噸，盡管受到嚴格的日本和歐盟農藥殘留（最大殘留限制）、人民幣升值和生産成本上升的影響，出口顯示邊際成長了28.7萬噸。
　　在這巨大的國内市場内，主流仍舊是緑茶，大约占領市場份額的一半以上。烏龍茶、普洱茶保持上升，而茉莉茶和紅茶持續緩慢下降，在2%的邊緣挣扎。松散采購一直是老年人和低收入群體根生蒂固的習慣，他們要麽“眼見為實”，要麽是簡單的價格意識。但是，隨着越來越多的包裝産品和更大範圍的選擇，例如消費者能够從超市貨架上隨意采購大批商品。包裝茶葉（美味茶葉或茶袋）受惠于健康意識，深受城市内富裕的年輕人喜愛，他們要求質量、品牌和感知的産品印象。他們也熱衷于有機茶和傳統茶葉（例如，草藥茶、伯爵茶、錫金茶）。RTD茶目標定位于更加年輕的喝罐裝飲料長大的一代。夏季RDT茶消費達到峰值，越來越多女性加强了體重管理意識。在公共假日特別是中國新年，禮品包裝茶葉銷得樂翻天。
　　喝茶偏好明顯地受到地域影響。北京和周圍北部地區是茉莉茶的市場。在過去，北部地區居民選擇味道芬芳茉莉茶原因是壓制水質難聞的氣味。
　　上海位于揚子江畔，是中國最為重要的城市。其茶葉市場發展迅速，每年人居消費1,000克。根據上海茶葉委員會介紹，80%的城市居民喝茶葉。在出租車裏看見駕駛員放杯茶喝是非常普遍的現象。茶是人們解渴的飲料，會對人體健康帶來好處。
　　距離上海200公里的城市杭州市浙江省省會–中國最大的緑茶生産地。2006年，浙江精品緑茶産量達到50,000噸，占全國37.24%的總産量。杭州還是緑茶城市，茶葉愛好者群衆基礎廣泛（只有9%的人説自己不喝茶）。杭州被許多精品茶葉環抱，茶葉愛好者更加關心茶葉的味道，與上海茶葉愛好者相比，他們不太關心茶葉的外表。新春緑茶是他們必買商品。除了不出産在浙江的烏龍茶外，來自其他省份的茶葉很難滲透杭州市場。普洱茶在這裏遭到冷遇，消費者習慣了新春新鮮的氣息，不喜歡普洱茶的味道。
　　南部更遠地區，在珠江三角洲，那裏的土壤和氣候更加適合于烏龍茶的生長，那裏有中國兩個主要出産烏龍茶的省份廣東和福建。炎熱潮濕的氣候，加上長期形成的鬥茶風俗，使得那裏的茶葉消費非常發達。
　　盡管廣東茶葉品種繁多，緑茶的銷售仍然較弱。相反，普洱茶占據主要的份額：在廣東芳村茶葉市場（中國南部最大的茶葉市場）幾乎每個擹位都銷售普洱茶。60%以上的國家普洱茶交易在廣東市場。據估計超過100,000噸的普洱茶庫存落在地區的收藏家手中。
2006年中國進口3,295噸茶葉，比前年相比上升了17.5%。主要的進口國是斯裏蘭卡809噸。通過有效的市場，錫金茶現在最好品質的茶葉，它被認為是時髦和國外風情飲料的像徵。
2006年出口没有國内市場那様振奮人心。盡管出口質量穩步上升，還是有來自進口商和中國貿易商兩方面的抱怨。商務部（MOC）下屬茶葉委員會正在研究實際方法來解决問題。

2008 February 14 - 16, 2008:
5th African Fine Coffee Conference & Exhibition (EAFCA), Kampala, Uganda, Tel: +(0256) (0) 41269140, E-mail: secretariat@eafca.org, Web: www.africanfinestcoffee.com February 15 - 17, 2008:
Coffee Fest Washington, D.C. Washington, DC Convention Center Tel: +1(425) 283-5058, E-mail: TamaraS@coffeefest.com, Web: www.coffeefest.com. February 17, 2008:
The Victoria Tea Festival, Victoria Conference Centre, Victoria B.C., Canada. Email: info@victoriateafestival.com Web: www.victoriateafestival.com February 24 - 27, 2008:
International Las Vegas Coffee & Tea Expo, Las Vegas Convention Center Las Vegas, Nevada. Tel: +1 (888) 966-2727, Email: registration@oxpub.com, Web: www.internationalcoffeeandteaexpo.com. March 6 - 8, 2008:
National Coffee Association 97th Annual Convention, The Fairmont Turnberry Isle Resort & Club, Aventura, Florida. Tel: +1 (212) 766-4007, E-mail: info@ncausa.org, Web: www.ncausa.org. March 9 - 11, 2008:
The Ultimate Barista Challenge: International Restaurant & Foodservice Show of New York, Jacob Javits Convention Center, New York, New York. Tel: +1 (888) 334-8705, Web: www.ultimatebaristachallenge.com. April 7 - 8, 2008:
The Great American Dessert Experience, Atlanta, Georgia. Tel: +1 (718) 854-4450, ext. 104. Email: info@dessertexpo.com Web: www.dessertexpo.com April 12 - 13, 2008:
3rd Annual Coffee & Tea Festival. Metropolitan Pavilion, 125 West 18th, New York, NY. Tel: +1 (631) 957-7035, Web: www.coffeeandteafestival.com April 27 - 29, 2008:
10th Spring Fancy Food Show, McCormick Place, Chicago, Illinois. Web: www.specialtyfood.com. May 2 - 5, 2008:
SCAA 20th Annual Conference & Exhibition, Minneapolis Convention Center. Tel: +1(562) 624-4100, Web: www.scaa.org. May 14 - 16, 2008:
The Ultimate Barista Challenge, Seoul Food & Hotel, Kintex Hall, Seoul, Korea. Web: www.ultimatebaristachallenge.com. May 20 - 23, 2008:
Santos International Coffee Seminar, Hotel Sofi tel Jequitimar, Guaruj? S緌 Paulo, Brazil. Tel: +55 13 3212 8200; E-mail: seminario2008@acs.org; Web: www.seminariocafe2008.com.br. May 30 - June 1, 2008:
World Tea Expo, Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas. Tel: +1(702) 253-1893, E-mail: info@worldteaexpo.com, Web: www.worldteaexpo.com. June 6 - 8, 2008:
Coffee Fest Kona, Hawaii. Tel: +1(425) 283-5058, E-mail: TamaraS@coffeefest.com, Web: www.coffeefest.com. November 20 - 22, 2008:
Tea & Coffee World Cup/Asia, Hyderabad, India. For Asia, Eastern Europe, Russia: contact: Glenn A. John, Lockwood Publications, Inc. Tel: +(66) 22 55 66 25, Fax: +(66) 26 55 22 11 or +1(212) 937-3476 E-mail: glenn@teacoffeeasia.com, Web: www.tcworldcup.com/hyderabad. For all other areas, contact: Robert Lockwood, Lockwood Publications. Tel: +1(212) 391-2060, Ext. 112 Fax: +1(212) 827-0945 E-mail: Robert@lockwoodpublications.com.

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Send calendar announcements to: Tea & Coffee Trade Journal, 26 Broadway, Floor 9M, New York, NY 10004, Fax: (212) 827-0945, E-mail editor@teaandcoffee.net. Tea & Coffee 02/08 - Calendar of Events

東方美人茶 東方美人茶，又稱香檳烏龍茶、白毫烏龍茶或椪風茶(膨風茶)。早年茶葉外銷至英國時英國女皇驚豔其特殊的風味，又因來自東方，因此賜名為東方美人茶。此項說法是相傳美人茶名稱的由來。 此茶要經由小綠葉蟬吸食茶菁裡的養份，使茶葉的發育受阻，讓葉緣呈褐色最後脫落，所產茶葉才有特殊的芳香。此項特殊的做法也成為它品質的關鍵，而為使小綠葉蟬可以群聚茶園吸取葉菁養份，正統的東方美人茶是不能使用農藥的。 台灣有兩大產區;一處是竹苗地區，以新竹北埔峨嵋為此區最大產地，這裡所出產的東方美人茶可說是台灣最佳，同時也是最出名的產區。另一處則是台北縣的坪林及石碇茶區。這兩處產區茶各有其特色，竹苗地區特重「著涎」，茶種主要是以青心烏龍為主，而坪林石碇茶區之特色為，除了注重「著涎」外，還注重茶菁的「梨子氣」，這裡的製茶茶種有青心烏龍、大慢種及白毛猴白茶，其中大慢種也只在坪林茶區種植，用此種所製作的「梨子氣」特別顯著，所產的茶相當受到喜愛。 近幾年台灣茶茶市場吹起「有機茶」的風潮，東方美人茶因不可使用農藥，加上風味純淨，因此大受歡迎，售價也不斷飆高。膨風茶比賽的冠軍茗茶，甚至有十幾萬的叫價，可見東方美人茶受歡迎的程度。 東方美人茶泡茶順序 1.)溫壺：以沸水倒入茶壺、茶盅、茶杯，溫潤茶具 2.)置茶：東方美人茶茶味較濃，因此茶量只需約空間４分滿 3.)注水：水溫約８０度，太熱會破壞味道 4.)飲用：第二注水入壺等待約一分鐘後開始飲用 5.)品茗：第三注後每注等待時間增加約１５秒，約可沖泡６次

中國時報 2008.03.05　 鹿谷鄉農會 推精典茶藝班    葉明憲／鹿谷報導 　▲鹿谷鄉農會推動精典茶藝班，採取小班制，成員們個個聚精會神汲取新知。（葉明憲攝）      「只有真正了解各種茶葉，才能知己知彼，也才能知道凍頂烏龍茶到底好在那裡！」鹿谷鄉農會近期推展「精典茶藝班」，採取小班制逐一研究品嘗國內較常見的茶葉，農會推廣股長林獻堂強調，如此才能落實、紮實鹿谷鄉茶鄉文化。      鹿谷鄉栽種凍頂烏龍茶百餘年，直到農會舉辦茶葉比賽後才真正起飛，全鄉人口有高達9成以上的經濟活動與茶葉有關，比例之高全國難出其右，茶鄉美譽得之無愧。 小班制 落實茶鄉文化      林獻堂表示，茶鄉要永續發展，不能單單侷限會泡烏龍茶，消費者到來買幾斤茶而已，鄉內「茶人」應該博曉茶文化，充實茶知識，消費者能夠在喝好茶之餘還能吸收新知，才能奠定茶鄉真正屹立不搖的地位，讓觀光客一到台灣，想到茶葉就指定要到鹿谷鄉來。      也因此，農會在已穩定的生活茶會團體中，再推動精典茶藝班，採取平均以12人為原則的小班制，每人再輪流擔任講師，須自行找尋相關資料及多人品嘗各茶種，才能講得生動有內涵，接觸茶葉範圍擴及鐵觀音、老茶、包種茶、金萱茶、綠茶、紅茶、貴妃茶、東方美人茶、四季茶甚至是大陸的普洱茶。      林獻堂指出，要泡出好茶，必須針對茶葉的特色，茶量、水溫、茶壺、時間均有所不同，不能千篇一律以凍頂式泡茶；如烏龍茶以紫砂、朱泥壺為宜，水溫度95到100度；紅茶為玻璃罐、約40秒；貴妃茶以標準壺較適當；東方美人茶以蓋碗為佳；鐵觀音則是黑鐵砂壺；老人茶普洱茶以厚罐為宜。 互動佳 將做更細分班       林獻堂指出，目前初分5班仍要再行分班，昨日更有3班進行講習，學員們個個手拿紙筆、邊聽邊記心得，還得排隊逐一聞香、觀察茶渣、品嘗茶湯，氣氛活潑有趣。學員們強調，觸類旁通後，茶藝最終仍回歸烏龍茶，確實發揚鹿谷鄉茶鄉文化。

文‧季野‧‧‧ 有很長一段時間，我完全沉緬在自己的生活中，雖然有茶相伴，卻沒有參加任何與茶相關的活動，直到2001年末受到陳總會長懷遠先生及柯會長燕燕小姐的相繼邀約，我才又陸陸續續的參加了若干場茶藝盛會，自2002年春末後，我開始週期的與【會心茶集】的茶友們的茶友切磋茶事，很自然的有了更多參與茶界活動的機會，經過這一年多的觀摩，我發現台灣目前的的茶藝發展，已甚有可觀，就風貌而言，不但多元，亦且華麗，誠然可喜，不過仍然衷心期待，除了跨度大，樣相多，表現巧之外，各方茶友能在深度建構及理論基礎上多用點心思，因為茶的推廣不能不依靠形式，但本來就偏向靜態，又缺乏衝突及動感的展演形式，如不能從內涵著手，賦予張力，則不論在形式上如何爭奇鬥艷，終難免因內容的空泛而成繁華過眼，談論茶事可大可小，本文願就茶的【沖泡器】為主，以就教於各位茶友，敬祈方家不吝指教。 台灣茶藝發展初期，基本上是以潮汕功夫茶的模式為藍本的，所以小壺沖泡、小杯啜飲的觀念植根至深，影響深遠，直到茶藝資訊已經十分流通的今天，仍有許多茶友仍然不論是什麼茶，都是用一把紫砂小壺，及一百度的沸水沖泡，在過去台灣只生產局部醱酵茶至高醱酵茶的時代，其中誤謬恐怕還能勉強接受，但自兩岸開放以來，市面上流通的茶，已經是無奇不有，而這種情形，在WTO的效應完全釋出後，會更加繁複，若不能在觀念上補強，確實掌握一些選擇沖泡器的原則，可能除了在展演的過程中造成缺憾之外，更實質的損失則會是失去了品味許多好茶真味的機會，當然，沖泡器的選擇，若從沖茶技巧結合茶的特性來討論，其實可以談得更細更深入，但本文的宗旨不在討論沖泡技巧或茶的特性，所以後文將依沖泡器的材質特質，分項加以討論： 一、陶壺

紫砂壺：紫砂壺即一般所謂之宜興壺，產於江蘇省宜興市丁山鎮，明朝以後飲茶方式丕變，隨著茶葉興起，而受重視，被譽為茶具中的天下第一，但從茶具的觀點看紫砂壺，則天下第一的美譽，恐怕就有討論空間了，傳統紫砂壺，自泥料練製、泥片切割粘接、拍打身筒成形、上流、接把、蓋鈕製作完全是以【空手摶泥】的純手工方式完成，加上舊式的窯燒方式燒結溫度也比較低，故有明顯的毛細作用，非常適合微量且長時間浸泡的泡茶方式，或者是作為局部醱酵茶至中高醱酵茶的沖泡器。如今宜興紫砂的生產，手工壺已是鳳毛麟角，泥料處理及窯燒方式也都已現代化，燒結溫度也大幅提高，因此，在做為沖泡器時，造型和厚薄，對茶湯詮釋的效果，反而比材質來得明顯，一般而言，在相同的燒成溫度下薄、高、窄、開口大、出水快的紫砂壺有傳熱快，散熱也快的特性，圓、厚、開口緊密、出水慢的紫砂壺則屬於傳熱慢散熱也慢，較能持續保溫的沖泡器，有很多茶友喜歡用紫砂的顏色來斷定它的沖泡效果，然而現在多數的紫砂已經不是自然呈色，所以顏色也失去了參考的價值，紫砂壺曾經在台灣風靡一時，其實純就泡茶的工具特性而言，紫砂並沒有絕對優勢，但若就傳統手工壺而言，其成型方式的獨特，堪稱是世界唯一的，因此如有一把手工精良，能適切詮釋某一茶類，又造型美好，且稱手好用的紫砂壺，那不僅是茶人的最愛，也會是人人稱羨、值得寶藏的工藝品。

台灣壺：台灣壺大致可分為兩大類，其中一類是以拉坏為成型手段，以傳統宜興壺的水平壺系列，及汕頭壺的造型為藍本，泥色以紅為主，窯燒溫度都超過石火點，也都上泥漿釉，通常都以薄身、出水順暢、蓋口緊密為訴求重點，雖無新意，但在坊間還頗受歡迎，這類茶壺宜選高身，大口、出水速暢、壁薄者，作為輕醱酵茶的沖泡器，至於中高醱酵茶，因其有傳熱散熱均快的特性，故皆不宜。
第二大類則為陶藝家創作壺系列，這些壺多數不願被宜興壺的形式風格限囿，故在造型創意上常常另人驚豔，是台灣該走的一條路線，若今後能在實用性及手感上稍加考慮則被接受度一定會大幅提高，這一類壺，大多都上了釉，因此完全沒有毛細作用，燒結溫度也都在一千兩百五十度以上，所以也只適合做輕醱酵茶的沖泡器，陶藝家們若能在燒結溫度上，及泥料配製上多作嚐試，茶友們在本土茶具的選擇上，將會有比較大的空間。

汕頭壺：汕頭壺的生產，已經很有歷史，我們深信宜興壺中紅泥水平小壺系列，其造型是模仿汕頭壺做成的，汕頭壺是以拉坏成型，體積較小、素面、上泥漿釉、紅色泥、燒結溫度低是其特色，中醱酵以上的茶、焙火茶、陳年茶以其作為沖泡器效果特佳，這是因為它具有持續保溫的特性，汕頭壺絕大部份都是商號壺，老一輩的茶友幾乎人人都想擁有一把【老安順】的汕頭壺，為的就是要用它來沖泡中火以上的功夫茶。

欽州壺：欽州壺在二十年前的坊間，由於大家對壺的認識不全面，有些人幾乎是見壺便收，所以還能常常看到，現在則比較少見了，基本上欽州並沒有製壺的傳統，完全是因為宜興紫砂的熱賣，才跟著仿造製作，但泥料機理並不相同，工藝水準也不高，不過現在回想起來，欽州壺的泥顆粒超細，燒成溫度很低，若以之作為中火以上半醱酵茶的沖泡器，效果應該也不會差。

建水壺：建水壺生產在雲南建水窯，建水以生產汽鍋而名聞宇內，後因見宜興壺大賣，便生產茶壺，更派人至宜興紫砂廠學藝，終因原料特性相去太遠，成效不佳而作罷，台灣市面上曾有一些產品流通，偶而還能見著，其作品雖然一昧模仿紫砂乏善可陳，但也是因為燒成溫度較低，而成為沖泡中火以上半醱酵茶的好幫手。

二、石壺 台灣石壺的最早創作者是林岳宗先生，他是一位書法家、盆栽大師、雅石大師更精通茶藝，他的石壺作品，都以質地堅硬的石材雕成，使用最多的是梨皮黑石，為了保持石頭的完整性，及石頭美麗的皮層，他一定是先以一塊石頭雕成壺身，在耗時費日的去找另一塊肌理、紋路、色澤完全一模一樣的石頭配成蓋，他的壺也只有流孔，而沒有流及把，這樣的壺在不使時，根本就是一塊雅石，如果你問我使用的效果如何？老實說：並不好用但值得讚賞的是他把自然之美引進生活器用，又不破壞自然的那種創意，我稱之為【觀念藝術】。從器用學的觀點來看，我們想用石頭做成器具其實是一種反動，因為它不具方便性，厚了太重，薄了易碎，即使把它刻成有把有流的壺，這種不方便性依然存在，泡茶的效果，不論香氣和湯質的表現都一無是處？更何況把美麗的石皮破壞更是大煞風景的行為！因此，如果茶友們從觀念藝術的角度切入，而收藏實用一把雅石般的茶壺，我會覺得那是雅事，但若要用一把去了原皮的石壺做沖泡工具，那一定會得不償失的。 三 蓋杯 蓋杯是源自北方的茶具，用來喝綠茶、香片、蔘湯，冒辟疆在【碧沈香泛】的句子，顯然用的就是蓋碗。瓷製的蓋碗密度高，傳熱快，散熱快，加上口大蓋鬆，是輕發酵茶、條索較壯的綠茶、高香類茶理想的沖泡工具，即使是發酵度稍輕、或秋季產製的鐵觀音也都一體適用。 四、個人品茗組： 個人品茗組是方便性優於功能性的沖泡器，原來是茶藝館為了方便單一客人品茗而發展出來的茶具，前身是同心杯，材質已漸漸由瓷而陶，體積也逐漸增大，配有杯子，造型釉色多樣化，十分講究，在微量泡茶的狀況下，水溫稍降，時間稍長，只要不是高火茶樣，效果仍然不差，工作場所或一人獨飲，這種方式是不錯的選擇。 五、玻璃杯、碗： 記得謝資政東閔先生，生前對茶藝發展非常關切，只要是中華茶藝協會的活動，他都會親臨指導，有好幾次他都指著講臺上的玻璃茶杯說：用玻璃杯泡茶太不搭調了，當時他的指正很有道理，只是時過境遷，現在我們能接觸到的茶樣有些卻是非用玻璃杯沖泡不可了，如碧蘿春、銀駝毛峰、峨嵋雲霧、毛峰毛尖、龍井、君山銀針等，一方面當然是沖泡溫度的考量，一方面是則沖泡過程中，這些茶在杯中的變化實在是視覺上的一大享受。如果是玻璃杯則每人一杯，司茶者只須備湯注水就可以了，如果仍以小杯分享，現在亦有玻璃蓋碗可以選擇，效果也很好。 六、敞碗： 大碗喝茶，感覺似乎不雅，其實另有一種暢快淋漓的感覺，取敞碗為沖泡器的理由，就在於降溫去茶蔽，凡沖泡困難度較高，茶質強烈刺激者，不妨試用此法，但須注意碗口宜大，碗底宜平，茶量宜少，水溫宜低，唯時間拿捏要恰到好處，總要能做到淡而有味才算成功。 七、分奉茶沖泡： 茶會或宴席中，若有未能入席之賓客茶友，最好也要饗以分奉茶湯，分奉茶湯沖泡為求與茶席茶湯儘量一致，除水量與茶量的比例要正確計算掌握外，沖泡時儘量不要採茶球沖泡法，以免茶湯產生悶雜之氣，應以寬大之容器，水沸後投茶，再將茶湯瀘出，置於保溫桶內，桶篕須留縫，不可密封，亦不可久存，要能掌握時間，與茶席同時分奉茶湯。 八、瓷壺： 瓷壺雖為低溫沖泡器，但與篕碗及敞碗相較又自不同，差別在於它傳熱散熱雖快，卻能在注水起始的霎那間，短暫扣住高溫，幫助茶葉的舒展及茶質的釋出，這對條索較為緊結的輕發酵茶，如高山茶，或需要矛盾泡法的東方美人及已有一些後發酵的普洱青餅均有十分突出的效果。 九、金、銀茶壺 金、銀茶壺售價昂貴，說它們是富貴茶具也並不為過，但除了財富及身份的彰顯之外，它們還是各有特性的，金茶壺在注水時所能產生的瞬間溫度是所有沖泡器中最快最高的，因此，若以沸水不降溫立即沖泡，恐怕芽葉較嫩，或輕發酵茶都可能會受傷悶熟產生熟湯味，同時它散熱快的特性又會被它的厚度抵消，但它又不能持續保溫，因此就沖泡器的功能而言，它的選擇性是非常強的，銀茶壺在溫度的傳導及產生上，略遜金茶壺，適用性相對好得多，同時它的銀離子對水質的軟化有明顯而良好的作用，但不論金銀茶壺在使用中都要避免直接觸及肌膚否則勢必燙傷，壺把也必須有隔熱裝置，否則根本無法持用。 季野 2003.02.17於會心茶集 春水堂2004

製作技術佳加上天候好，才能製成茶湯橘紅色、有花香味的凍頂烏龍茶。（記者陳鳳麗攝）   凍頂烏龍茶的茶葉會有紅邊，即外形會有紅緣綠腹的情況。（記者陳鳳麗攝） 〔記者陳鳳麗／鹿谷報導〕堅持正港台灣味，台灣的烏龍茶大有可為！新東陽食品公司最近建議鹿谷鄉公所舉辦傳統鹿谷凍頂烏龍茶比賽，比賽茶該公司將負責收購行銷，讓鄉公所對推動恢復傳統製茶法更具信心。 鼓勵傳統製茶法 鹿谷鄉凍頂烏龍茶在民國七、八十年代曾稱霸台灣茶壇多年，當時製茶成本低，價格好，一斤比賽茶可以賣到一千元以上的價錢，身價翻了數倍，但這幾年台灣烏龍茶受到越南和中國茶的衝擊不小。 鹿谷鄉農會的春、冬茶賽依然是全台比賽件數最多的，去年底冬茶賽甚至有五千一百多件參賽，再次刷新紀錄；不過鹿谷鄉茶園有的老化而休耕，有的則讓年輕一代接手，年輕茶農較偏愛焙火較輕，香氣較揚的高山茶製法，使用傳統凍頂烏龍茶製法的凍頂烏龍茶數量日益減少，惟恐鹿谷鄉茶葉在改採新製法後失去特色而無法與外地或進口茶競爭，鄉公所去年起大力推動恢復傳統製茶法的行動。 今年將舉辦茶賽 鄉公所去年辦過一次年輕茶農的研習，請老師傅來傳授；新東陽食品公司最近也與鄉公所接洽，希望鹿谷茶能維持傳統製法，並建議公所舉辦傳統凍頂烏龍茶比賽，該公司將收購比賽茶行銷，茶農不心擔心銷路問題。 賽前擬先辦研習 此舉讓公所大為振奮，曾經擔任鹿谷鄉農會總幹事長達三十六年的鄉長林光演，決定今年舉辦茶賽，賽前先辦研習，鼓勵更多年輕茶農來學習。林光演指出，傳統鹿谷茶因製茶方式繁複，才能有獨特的喉韻和香氣，不過費時費工，年輕人嫌麻煩而捨棄，將失去鹿谷凍頂烏龍茶的競爭力，恢復傳統製茶法才能找回鹿谷茶的春天。

〔記者陳鳳麗／鹿谷報導〕鹿谷凍頂烏龍茶傳統製茶程序繁複，要花一般發酵較輕的烏龍茶二倍時間，製茶程序最重要是要在陽光下殺菁五分鐘，才能移置室內靜置，接著要浪菁、靜置重複四次，這些程序都不能簡省。 鹿谷鄉凍頂烏龍茶傳統的特色，在鄉公所舉辦的研習活動中明白點出，包括「沖泡前玄色緊結似夔龍」、「沖泡後葉緣褚紅、葉腹淡綠」、「香氣濃郁、花香原味」、「金黃茶湯、喉韻回甘」四大特色，而這些特色端賴繁複的製茶技法才能達成。 鄉長林光演指出，鹿谷茶採茶後，要在大太陽下先曝曬殺菁五分鐘，再移到室內靜置半小時，接著浪青和靜置步驟交替四次，讓葉脈中的水份蒸發，直至手能揉捻，讓葉膜攪碎汁液出來，才可以進行乾燥，讓它的乾燥度達到八十％，最後再以布球整型，完成所有程序。 林光演表示，這些步驟一道都不能簡省，少了一樣，味道就會不同，它比輕發酵茶製茶時間多了一倍以上，因此，大多數年輕人覺得太浪費時間。