The Green Teaist Newsletter   

March 2011

Volume 2, Issue 6

 
             

  

IN THIS ISSUE
MOTHER'S DAY GIFTS!
TGT LIBRARY
FROM THE CORPORATE OFFICE (Sendai, Fukushima and Green Teas; Chicago Tribune and Green Tea)
Quick Links
 
THE TGT WEB STORE

ABOUT US
 
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Greetings!

 
Welcome to this issue of our newsletter.

The Perfect Gift for Mother's Day

 

TGT Custom Silk Tea Case



Why not show that the mothers in your life are simply "TEARRIFIC" by gifting them with our exquisite silk tea case? This specialty item is now available for purchase at both of our TGT locations. We've commissioned this  tea sachet case from the famed Tatsumura silk company in Kyoto. The hand-embroidered silk case comes filled with five individually packaged TGT tea sachets and includes a custom-made wooden gift box and five more tea sachets (for a total of 10 tea sachets). This specialty gift item is one of a kind - just like all of the special ladies who are being celebrated this Mother's Day. 

 

(10 assorted TGT Tea Sachets include Gyokuro, Yamecha, TGT Blend, Sencha, Ureshinocha, Kukicha, Hojicha, Organic Genmaicha, Genmaicha, and Organic Sencha).  

 

*TGT is promoting environmental sustainability.  As part of this effort, TGT Tea Sachets are made from a corn-based biodegradable material.

  

While our website is being revised to include the Silk Tea Sachet Case and several new items, orders may be placed by calling (847) 735-0400 or by email, [email protected].




The Green Teaist Library

Book Review 


  

 

 

(The Green Teaist offers the most extensive collection of books on teas around the world, their history, provenance, practices and customs, with emphasis on the green teas of Japan.You may wish to browse  the more than 30 titles at TGT Lake Forest and a more limited collection at TGT Beverly Hills. We review each book in our expanding collection and, perhaps, interest you in increasing your understanding of teas.)

 

 

The Tea Enthusiast's Handbook: A Guide to Enjoying the World's Best Teas, Mary Lou Heiss and Robert J. Heiss, 200pp, Ten Speed Press: 2010, $16.99

 

'The Tea Enthusiasts Handbook,' by Mary Lou Heiss and Robert Heiss, is an exceptional guide to the world of premium tea. The Heiss' 35 years of experience in the tea industry is conveyed to the reader in an accessible manner by illustrating the history, culture, and enjoyment of fine teas.

 

The book introduces readers to tea by the following classic definition; "a caffeinated beverage brewed from the leaves of the Camellia Sinensis bush," (Heiss, 2). In chapters covering the six main classes of tea (green, yellow, white, oolong, black and pu-erh) the authors showcase tea's manifold characteristics by including flavor and bouquet profiles alongside beautiful illustrations.

 

While gaining a wealth of knowledge about the world's tea throughout the book, the reader comes to fully appreciate the special characteristics and intricacy of green teas from Japan.

 

The authors describe the distinctive steaming technique of Japan utilized in processing tea leaves, hand-rolling and other steps. The most important process emphasized is in the steaming of freshly-picked tea leaves which limit oxidation of the leaves, leaving them with the characteristic deep, green colors, and sets green teas of Japan apart from other teas of other countries.

 

'The Tea Enthusiast's Handbook' breaks down the many complexities of tea in a non-intimidating way to enlighten the reader. The book is also very useful as a practical reference by providing a vast understanding of all things tea.

 

Joseph Stellner   


From The Corporate Office 

 

 

 

Sendai, Fukushima and Green Teas

 

The yet unfolding tragedy on March 11, 2011, of the greatest earthquake and tsunami in Japan's recorded history has made the names of Sendai and Fukushima commonplace worldwide.

 

The geography of Japan is unique in that the country consists of four main island groups, Hokkaido (north), Honshu (central), Shikoku (southeast) and Kyushu (south). Sendai, the epicenter of the 9.0 magnitude earthquake, is in the upper northeast coast of Honshu, about 300 km or 180 miles from Tokyo, the capital. The nuclear power plant which was damaged by the tsunami is in Fukushima, just south of the epicenter.

 

Similar to the wine growing regions of France, the principal tea growing regions of Japan are located in the central, southwestern and southern parts of Japan, a country which is about the same length and square mileage, from north to south, of California. In Honshu, the principal tea-growing regions are located in Shizuoka and Kyoto. In Kyushu, they are located in Fukuoka and Kagoshima.  

 

The Green Teaist's green teas are grown and processed primarily in Kyoto which is about 800 km or 600 miles from Fukushima, separated by several different mountain ranges.Fukuoka and Kagoshima are even further distant by an additional several hundred kilometers or miles. The map below indicates the general distances.

 

 

 

 

                                             

 

It is important to note that, at this time, based on official government reports by authorities in Japan, agricultural products outside of a 200 km radius around Fukushima have not been affected by the damaged reactors. The U.S. Department of Agriculture also agrees with this estimation. We do not expect that any of the green teas which we import and distribute will be affected adversely from the tragic events  unfolding in Japan. 

 

If you should have any questions, please let our staff know and we will do our best to answer any concerns.

 

   

Green Tea in the News

 

                                 

An interesting article appeared in the Chicago Tribune last Sunday, March 20, 2011, from the Pittsburgh Medical Center espousing key factors in a healthy diet with emphasis on increasing metabolic rates by drinking green tea.