The Big Teas

Mike Buzalka

If you want to know what's happening in the tea world, there's no better place to be than the World Tea Expo. The 2007 Tea Expo, held in the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta June 9 through 11, gathered some 5,000 attendees and more than 300 exhibitors, all with a common interest in this most ancient of beverages.

From specialty teas and allnatural Ready-to-Drink (RTD) teas to environmentally conscious and innovative products, here is a walking tour of some of the many new item introductions that took place there.

Specialty Teas
Reserved Ti Kwan Yin from Red & Green Co. (www.rngco.com) is aged 16 years and smoked every two years for premium flavor.

Antlers D'Amour from Teacraft Ltd. (www.nbtea.co.uk) is a rare, unusual white tea from Africa.

Wenshain Baozhong Oolong from A Tea Cup Dropped (www.aTeaCupDropped.com) are all organic rooibos and honeybush blends that are naturally caffeine free, antioxidant rich and low in tannins.

Orange Blossom Ginger White Iced Tea from China Mist (www.chinamist.com), said to produce a floral citrus burst and a zingy ginger tang in each swallow.

Rooibos Spiced Chai Organic from Davidson's Tea (www.davidsonstea.com) is harvested from rooibos shrubs from the elevated cape regions of South Africa. Also introduced was Cranberry Orange Organic, which blends the flavors of fresh fruit with all organic herbs like chamomile, rosehips and hibiscus.

Whittard of Chelsea 1886 Blend Teabags from EFG Foods (www.efgfoods.com) feature a smooth blend of Assam and Keemun teas that are best when brewed strong and drunk with milk.

Decholest Mulberry Green Tea from Far East Asian Trading Co. (www.mulberrygreentea.com) is a new super green tea from Laos made from mulberry leafs that will soon be imported to the U.S. for the first time. The company also introduced Chaisavanh Mulberry Green Tea, which is grown on an organic farm in Laos.

Pu-erh Chai from Golden Moon Tea (www.GoldenMoonTea.com) is an exotic blend of aged dark leaves, cinnamon bark and green cardamom pods, combined to form a sweet and full-bodied pu-erh chai tea.

Salada 100% White Tea from Redco Foods, Inc. (www.redrosetea.com), is harvested in the mountains of China; each cup contains 195mg of flavanoid antioxidants, a noted superfood compound.

Pomegranate Full-Leaf Green Tea from The Republic of Tea (www.republicoftea.com) uses china green tea as a base and pomegranate seeds for an extra flavor and antioxidant boost in its blend. The company also unveiled Double Green Matcha Tea that combines the organic green tea powder known as matcha with fine, organic green leaf tea.

A Premium Japanese Tea Line introduced by Rishi Tea (www.rishitea.com) features a variety of classic sencha, matcha infused teas and gourmet blends like ume shiso and yuzu citrus.

China Chai from The Tea House (www.theteahouse.com) offers a new Chinese twist on a traditional Indian favorite, providing a blend of full bodied, whole leaf, black teas and fragrant, exotic spices.

Ready-to-Drink (RTD) Teas
RTD Green Tea from DongSuh (562-633-7600) is an all-natural ready-to-drink green tea high in Vitamin C and antioxidants made from tea leaves from BoSung, Korea. DongSuh also unveiled a Green Tea Powder with Sprout Brown Rice, also from Korea, that's packaged for individual use and mixable with hot or cold water.

Cafe Sepia from ITO EN (www.itoen.com) comes in two varieties: Matcha Latte and Tea Latte. The former is made with Japanese matcha whipped with milk for a sweet green tea taste; the latter is made with premium Assam black tea with a shot of milk. ITO EN also teamed up with new age health guru Dr. Andrew Weil for a line of RTD, tea bag and loose tea products under the Dr. Andrew Weil For Tea brand.

Tea in a Jar from Puripan (www.puripan.com) is a traditional fermented Korean liquid fruit tea that comes in five flavors: citron, pomegranate, papaya, ginger and aloe vera.

EGCG RTD-Feel the Difference from Just Different Specialty Teas (www.jdtea.com) packs a dose of EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate), a strong antioxidant found most abundantly in green tea. The company also introduced Human Hydration, an organic bottled beverage full of antioxidants and nutrients designed to hydrate active individuals while containing no sugar, calories or caffeine.

Aloe Mixed Berry Green Tea from Papa's Simplici-tea, Inc. (www.simplici-tea.net) is an organic RTD green tea beverage line in six flavors that uses a high-quality green tea as a base and cane sugar for sweetness. Also from Papa's: Passion Fruit Bangkok Blast, an organic energy drink made with green tea , cane sugar, passion fruit and tamarind.

Tea-Related products
Tea Infused Chocolate Indulges from Torn Ranch (www.tornranch.com) combine chocolate with teas from around the world and come in milk and dark chocolate flavors. evening earl Grey Tea Soap and evening Oolong Orange Tea Soap from Androgiennei (http://androgiennei.com) are exotic additions to a health and beauty section, being personal cleansing products that incorporate teas for added benefit.

Another potential h&b product is Bathtea from Tracy Stern Salontea (www.salontea. com), which is sachets of homeotherapeutic blends of medicinal herbal teas and organic botanicals.

Monin Green Tea Concentrate from Monin Gourmet Flavorings (www.monin.com) is made with select premium green tea and pure cane sugar. Either alone or combined with other Monin flavors, it provides a highly versatile ingredient for iced green tea beverages, cocktails and smoothies. Also from Monin: Monin Blackberry Sangria Mix, a nonalcoholic flavoring consisting of six premium fruit and spice flavors that adds a touch of sangria flavor to any beverage, such as an iced tea.

Mint Green Powdered Green Iced Tea from Stash Tea Co. (www.stashteabusiness.com) is made from whole green tea leaves that have been ground into a fine powder with the addition of peppermint flavor. Stash also unveiled its Lightly Sweetened Powdered Green Iced Tea that is made from whole green tea leaves ground into a fine powder with a touch of pure cane sugar added.

Private Label Biscotti from Jordan's Gourmet Delight (www.jordansgourmet.com) are individually wrapped biscotti made with all natural ingredients packed inside an attractively designed display box and priced at only $0.49 per piece, making it a great "grab n' go" with an operation's logo printed directly onto the front of the wrapper.

The Teapresso LT machine series from Klub Manufacturing Corp. (www.tw-klub.com) brews loose leaf tea just like an espresso machine, and is capable of making both espresso and tea at once, using independent systems.