Mlesna Ceylon Tea News

Some Information And Tips About Teapots And Teacups

2007-02-09T16:27:00.000+08:00

Some questions have been asked about why is the shape of a teapot different from a coffee pot and how does a teacup differ from a coffee cup.

The teapot is designed with a lower rounded body to allow the tea leaves the proper room to expand, some call it the 'dance' of tea leaves, during the infusion process. The lower placement of the spout on the vessel allows for the tea to be poured without interfering with the leaves.

And when hosting an Afternoon tea session, the tradition is to place the teapot such that the spout faces the hostess or pourer.

A teacup is designed to hold 6 ounces of tea, about 3 1/2" in diameter and 2" to 2 1/2" in height, whereas a coffee mug holds 8 to 10 ounces. A teacup is shallow and wider than a coffee mug or cup, giving the beverage a chance to temper before drinking.

"Light Teas" of Sri Lanka

2006-12-30T20:03:00.000+08:00

Despite its diminutive size Sri Lanka manages to produce an astounding variety of teas. The black-leafed, deep coloured, thick, malty low country teas that are the backbone of blends in every country from Iran to Libya are produced less than 50 miles away from the light, bright high grown teas of Nuwara Eliya much valued by the Japanese and Germans.

What the tea trade call "light-bright teas" are grown on the slopes of Mt Pidurutagala, the island’s highest mountain, these teas are given virtually no oxidation time which makes for a distinctive rawness in the finished product. The taste is incredibly fresh and brisk, a product of the slow growth associated with the altitude coupled with minimal oxidation time ensuring that the teas retain as much of the character and flavour of the original green leaf as is possible. Mango and other tropical fruit aromas are clear on the infusions, and (without milk) the tea is astonishingly refreshing.

The way to consume Ceylon tea like a local is with a chunk of jaggery. Jaggery is an intensely sweet, solid block of sugars derived from the reduction of coconut. It has the consistency of Kendal Mint Cake and a sugary-fudgey character that makes it an ideal accompaniment to the intensely thick, strong, smaller-leafed teas favoured by the local market. Without jaggery, these teas would be a real trial to drink but much like the consumption of a sweet chestnut in Japan alongside the steamed green tea, the sugars counteract the strength and bitterness of the tea and ensure an energy boost to keep the drinker going until lunchtime.

An Interview With Anselm Perera, Managing Director of Mlesna Tea

2006-12-15T11:39:00.000+08:00

~ How product innovation in tea brings the strong aroma of business success ~

Mlesna tea, a household name in Sri Lanka today, enjoys iconic status in the highly competitive area of local value-addition teas. Its distinctive taste is enjoyed today in more than 50 countries and its onward penetration of newer and newer markets is powered by bold experimentation in new product designing.

"You forge ahead in this competitive arena by improving your product and innovating; by simply doing new things," explains Mlesna (Ceylon) Ltd's Founder and Managing Director Anselm B. Perera in this thought provoking interview:

Q: Your's is one organisation which has caught the imagination of tea consumers. Could you describe in brief, its origins and development ?

A: I started off with a small team in 1983. Prior to that, I worked at Brookbond's from 1969 - just after leaving school - until 1978. I shifted to Shaw Wallace's for a short time and launched my tea business subsequently, just before the ethnic violence of 1983. The first year was difficult but we persisted.

Right throughout my years at Brookbond's, what we saw was that the product was exported in commodity form. It could not be helped at that time because multinationals were organised that way and we learnt everything from them - the blending, the packing, the teatasting, the whole business. We used these practices as our basis and the rest of it we developed as we went along.

My ambition, when I moved out, was to bring out a value - added product, not to merely export the commodity.

The majority of exporters were just shipping the bulk at that time. Because the amount of work you have to do in this operation is limited. You blend it up, pack it, put a tag on it and export it. Value-addition, however, is our organised purpose - packaging, designing, marketing. It does not end up in just doing the product. You market it as well. From the point of export, until it reaches the consumer you are responsible.

For our country value - addition is the key. If you continue to do bulk only, you just don't add enough value. It is time the trade wakes-up to this.

Everyone has a different way of doing this. Tea bagging is a big thing today. Everyone in the world would eventually use tea bags for convenience.

There is this new concept of making leaf tea in tea bags - new pyramid-style bags and party bags and so on. These will also take a certain place in the market.

Q: Any special market compulsions which have led you to deal in value-addition tea bags ?

A: When we were children, tea was sold in a piece of paper. But that is no more. We have to come up with new gimmicks to sell the same product. We have to also upgrade the quality of the product.

If we sell tea as an average product, there is no exceptional value added to the product, to the modern day consumer. Because the modern day consumer is becoming more and more sophisticated, their income levels are increasing and they want something special.

Even if you take an average consumer item, like milk, even there one has value addition now. In the old days one had to boil one's milk and then consume it. Today it is specially packed, in ready-to-drink form. You store it in your refrigerator and consume it at your leisure. Tea is also coming to that.

Ready-to-drink tea is so popular among the present generation because they are so busy. All types of tea bags are becoming popular because of this time factor. The majority of young families do not want brewed tea, they want tea bags. Today, morning, noon and night, almost every consumer goes in for tea bags because they are convenient.

Q: Is the market for tea growing ?

A: The market for tea is growing internationally. The emphasis that tea is a health product or healthy product is greater now than ever before. Tea itself is a totally bio-product. Whatever fertilizer you add to the earth never enters the leaf in the form of chemicals; it comes in its natural form. But you also have this fuss about organic products, where you only add organic fertilizer to the soil and so on.

But if you only use organic fertilizer, the character and quality of the leaf drops. The taste is totally different. You cannot have super quality teas from organically-produced soil, because when the virgin soil is there you will have fantastic quality.

But ten or twenty years down the line, the soil will deteriorate and you will need to redo the soil by using fertilizer. You need fertilizer for good quality tea.

The organic tea market has also grown to a degree. A major slice of the tea market demands organic tea. But we do not ship to that degree. We also have a small line of organic tea. But the world needs to be extremely rich to go in for organic tea because this tea is very expensive. As a result the price of such teas are three, four times the normal teas.

Q: How do you cope with competition in your line of business ?

A: You keep abreast of competition by improving your product and innovating; by doing new things.

Twenty three years ago, when I started, you didn't have many people doing value additions, new teas, flavoured teas, etc. But now you have quite a few people coming into the market.

The biggest problem in this context is that when people copy products they do so in a very poor manner, at a very cheap cost and offer it to the market at a very low price. This is because they lack innovation; they do not have designing or start-up costs.

They are merely copying someone elses product. Then what happens is that their costs are low and they are using low quality material and teas to bring out a look-alike product and offer it cheap. When this happens they bring the whole value of the market down. Bulk tea business has rotted as a result of this. You offer it at $5, I offer it at 4.99 and the next man at 4.90, another at 2 and it perpetually goes down.

Actually prices must go up because of rising, new expenditure in the world. Everyday, expenditure increases. But most of our people insist on cutting it down.

When I started in 1969, a pound of tea was about two rupees, that is four rupees a kilo. Thirty seven years ago a dollar was four rupees. A kilo of tea must have been around four rupees. Today bottom end teas are around the dollar mark and top end teas are around the two dollar mark.

After about 40 years it has gone up by only a dollar. This is most unsatisfactory. Today, tea should be in the region of four dollars a kilo. This is a comfortable price for the plantations. This is the reason why all the plantation companies are suffering. The goose that lays the golden eggs does not get the right price.

Q: Does Ceylon tea continue to enjoy the prestige it once commanded ?

A: Still Ceylon tea is the cleanest and best quality tea. It still commands a high price compared to other teas.

Of course, our cost of production is also high. Because of that, whatever price they get is not enough for the plantations. Cost of production is high because of (a) bad labour (b) our yields are low (c) with the fertilizer subsidy gone people are up against difficulties when it cones to purchasing fertilizer.

Still, the trade continues and it is a trade which provides the biggest employment.

Internationally, we have a very good name and a very good brand. Ceylon tea is still regarded as the best in the world. It has a bright future provided our internal management is good.

Labour in the plantations should be managed better and political interference in their affairs should stop.

~Source: Sri Lanka Daily News

A Brief History of Ceylon Tea

2006-11-04T21:42:00.000+08:00

The history of Ceylon Tea goes back to the early 1860s, during which the main crop produced in Ceylon then was coffee. Owing to devastation caused by the coffee-rust fungus, the majority of the coffee plants were killed, which made estate owners to lose interest in coffee and to diversify into the other crops in order to prevent an entire ruin. As the owners of Loolecondera Estate had been having a long-stood interest in tea cultivation since the late 1850s, started sowing of tea seeds in 1867 under the supervision of James Taylor, a recently arrived Scot, who was appointed as the in-charge.

Ceylon tea from Sri Lanka is often acclaimed as the best tea in the world. The climate of this small and exotic country is ideally suited to producing a variety of delightful flavors and aromas. Ceylon tea is a pure, high quality tea with a distinctive, rich flavor and a bright golden color. Further, Sri Lanka, formerly known as Ceylon, produces the cleanest teas in the world in terms of pesticide residue levels.

Sri Lanka produces tea throughout the year, and the growing areas are mainly concentrated in the central highlands and southern inland areas of the island. Ceylon teas are broadly grouped under three headings according to the elevations at which they are grown. "High growns" are grown at elevations ranging from 1200 meters upwards, "medium growns" between 600 and 1200 meters, and "low growns" from sea level up to 600 meters.

High grown teas from Sri Lanka are particularly reputed for their aroma, rich flavor, and bright golden color.

De-stress With a Cup of Tea

2006-10-24T10:38:00.000+08:00

Tea is becoming one of the world's most popular beverages.

There's a large body of research suggesting that a cup of tea has more than just a refreshing taste, the tea plant contains natural chemicals that act as antioxidants. These chemicals, including polyphenols and flavonoids have been studied for their role in lowering the risk of certain cancers, heart disease and stroke.

There are even studies suggesting that tea may be helpful in weight management.

In addition to the health benefits, tea is calorie-free, contains less caffeine than coffee and can certainly be part of your recommended daily intake of fluids.

We often think of tea as one of those relaxing drinks that seems to make you feel better after a stressful day. Now, a new study suggests there may be some truth to this.

When you are faced with a stressful situation, your body responds in a number of ways, including an increase in heart rate and blood pressure and the release of stress hormones such as adrenalin and cortisol.

These responses prepare your body to defend itself. When the stress subsides, the levels return to normal.

In this study, researchers in London divided a group of men into two. One half were given a fruit-flavoured caffeinated tea mixture that had all the components of a cup of black tea. The second half were given a similar tasting drink, identical in taste but missing the active ingredients of regular tea.

They all drank their drinks over a six-week period, and at the end of the time they were given a series of tests designed to raise their stress levels.

The scientists found that both groups experienced a rise in heart rate, blood pressure and the stress hormone cortisol. However, the cortisol levels of the tea drinkers fell more quickly after the stressful tests than the levels did in the non tea drinkers.

The researchers suggest that although tea doesn't appear to reduce the actual stress that you experience, it does seem to help you recover and de-stress more quickly.

Black tea, Oolong and green tea have comparable health benefits. They all come from the same plant Camellia Sinensis but have been produced differently.

Source: Health Canada at http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca

Tea by the numbers

2006-10-11T17:55:00.000+08:00

6.2 Billion: US Tea Industry sales (US Dollars) in 2005.

3 Billion: Approximate number of cups of tea consumed worldwide every day.

200 Million: Approximate number of kilos of tea exported by India in 2005.

3.2 Million: Number of tons of tea produced worldwide in 2005.

800,000: Number of tons of tea produced in China in 2005

80,000: Number of tons of tea produced in Vietnam in 2005

342: Number of chests of tea dumped into Boston harbor during the Boston Tea Party.

65: Number of countries that India exports tea to.

4: Number of types of tea. Black, Green, Oolong, White. No, rooibos and herbal teas are not really tea.

1: Number of plant species that produce tea. Camellia sinensis.

[Sources: Tea Association of the United States, The Economist, Wikipedia]

Green Tea and Black Coffee - An Unlikely Pair of Healthy Beverage

2006-09-24T10:34:00.000+08:00

Coffee or tea? There's a growing body of research to suggest that both are probably good for you.

We've heard a lot about the health benefits of tea, especially green tea. It is high in polyphenols--compounds with strong antioxidant activity that in test-tube and animal models show anticancer and heart-protective effects. Good clinical studies are few, however, and although I and other physicians tell our patients to drink green tea, there hasn't been any definitive proof of the value of that advice.

Full Story at TIME.com: Green Tea, Black Coffee -- Sep. 25, 2006

Studies Suggest Green Tea is Good For You, But it's Not a Magic Pill

2006-09-23T20:15:00.000+08:00

When Ricki Heller's pen pal visited from Japan in the 1970s, she brought green tea as a gift. Her pen pal, Masayo, told her Japanese people drank green tea as a way to stay healthy.

Ms Heller, who is now a registered holistic nutritionist in Vaughan, took the advice to heart.

"Green tea is one of those super foods; it has hundreds of benefits," she said.

The anti-oxidants in green tea help protect against heart disease, stroke and certain cancers such as prostate, breast and ovarian, Ms Heller said. Some studies suggest the drink can benefit people with osteoporosis.

When it comes to green tea's benefits in terms of a healthy heart and longevity, one recent study seems to support the good news.

The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, tracked more than 40,000 green tea drinkers in Japan over more than a decade.

It revealed green tea drinkers (with no history of stroke, heart disease or cancer) who consumed five or more cups a day had an overall death rate -- and from heart disease, in particular -- 16 per cent lower than those who drank just one cup.

The effect on heart disease was stronger among women, maybe because men were more likely to smoke, the authors said. The study also found no benefits in terms of cutting cancer risk.

The results of the study are encouraging for those of us looking to keep our hearts healthy, said Nancy Prittie, a registered dietitian with Southlake Regional Health Centre's cardiac program.

But that doesn't mean a few cups of green tea each day can substitute for a nutritious, well-balanced diet.

"We always have to be careful of how we interpret these things," she said. "It would be interesting to see how it translates to a Western diet."

The typical diet in Japan, where the study was conducted, contains more vegetables, rice and fish than its North American counterpart. Ensuring you get enough fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as staying active, are also important parts of keeping a healthy cardiovascular system.

Still, Southlake's cardiac program recommends both green and black tea to patients and Dietitians of Canada has endorsed both as healthy beverages.

"But we don't recommend five cups a day," she said. "That seems excessive to me."

While praising the health benefits of green tea, Richmond Hill-based registered nutritionist Loriana Valente also warned against seeing the drink as the answer to all your health woes.

"There isn't one magic pill that will cure everything," said Ms Valente, of ProWellness, a health centre.

"Yes, green tea will be helpful. But you can't go and have a Big Mac, then swallow some green tea and think it will balance out because it won't.

"We as a Western society keep looking for that one magic pill and life doesn't work like that."

More Proof That Drinking Tea is Good for Your Health

2006-08-28T13:47:00.000+08:00

Drinking tea, particularly green tea, is a healthy habit, which may help reduce risk of a range of diseases from cancer to cardiovascular disease, researchers at Kings College London said in their review article published in a recent issue of the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Dr. Carrie Ruxton and colleagues reviewed epidemiological and clinical studies conducted between 1990 and 2004 and found there was clear evidence that drinking three cups of tea a day was linked with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease.

The finding is not in agreement with the conclusion the U.S. Food and Drug Administration made in May 2006 when the federal agency rejected a health claim proposed by Ito En, Ltd and Ito, En (North America), Inc. The FDA said in its disapproval letter to the companies that "Daily consumption of at least 5 fluid ounces (150 mL) of green tea as a source of catechins may reduce a number of risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease. FDA has determined that the evidence is supportive, but not conclusive, for this claim. (Green tea provides 125 mg catechins per serving when brewed from tea and 125 mg catechins as a pre-prepared beverage)."

Scientists attributed the health benefits are associated with tea drinking to the antioxidants found in tea including epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), epigallocatechin, epicatechin gallate, and epicatechin. These polypheols are abundantly present in green tea (40% extractable). Black tea contains low levels of polyphenols (3 to 10 % extractable), according to Nutruingredients.com.

Dr. Ruxton and colleagues also found there is evidence that tea drinking may help lower the risk of cancer as in vitro and animal model studies suggested. But they said there is not much epidemiological evidence supporting the association between tea drinking and lowered risk of cancer.

The FDA also in 2004 rejected health claim characterizing the association between drinking green tea and reduced risk of cancer proposed by Fleminger, Inc. The FDA said in a disapproval letter to the company that "FDA concludes that there is no credible evidence to support qualified health claims for green tea consumption and a reduced risk of gastric, lung, colon/rectal, esophageal, pancreatic, ovarian, and combined cancers."

The British researchers also said that drinking tea is not dehydrating. The dehydrating effect of tea has been widely speculated due to the fact that the diuretic caffeine is present in teas. Dr. Ruxton and team suggested tea with no more than 250 mg caffeine per cup should not lead to dehydration. To have an effect of dehydration, the tea must be so highly concentrated that most people can’t use it, the reviewers suggested.

BBC reported that The Tea Council funded the review, but researchers said the work was independent.

Souce: Foodconsumer.org

New Research Suggests That Drinking Tea May Decrease Risk Of Ovarian Cancer

2006-08-20T12:27:00.000+08:00

Women who consume two or more cups of tea daily over a period of time may lower their risk of ovarian cancer by 46% compared with women who never or seldom consume tea, according to new research published in the December issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

The study found that each additional cup of tea consumed per day was associated with an 18% lower risk of ovarian cancer in study participants. This is the most comprehensive epidemiological study to show an association between higher consumption of tea and lowered risk of ovarian cancer. "This research calls attention, once again, to the potential role that tea may play in disease prevention,” says Joe Simrany, president of the Tea Council of the U.S.A. “An abundance of research suggests that tea may play a role in the reduction of risk of cardiovascular disease and various types of cancer.

Full story at >> Health Benefits of Green Tea Blog

Mlesna Gourmet Fruit Tea Collection

2006-08-19T18:42:00.000+08:00

This Gourmet Fruit Tea Collection is packaged in a handcrafted softwood box. Each box contains 25 tea bags with 5 fruit flavors - Strawberry, Cranberry, Peach Apricot, Blueberry and Mango. Ideal for those who like to have a different tea flavor every morning.

These teas are harvested from the high grown tea plantations of Sri Lanka and each tea bag is individually sealed in foil laminated envelopes to retain the freshness, fragrance and flavor for an extended period of time.

White tea: Its time has come

2006-08-10T20:31:00.000+08:00

Albany (N.Y.) Times Union, Aug 9 -- There's no debate that tea trumps coffee in a battle of health benefits. Further adding to the score is the new kid in the pot: white tea.

Surging popularity, aided by a familiar Snapple commercial where a Chinese man educates a 20-something American on white tea while standing in the middle of a tea field, has brought this tea to the front of the shelves.

First, it has a lighter taste similar to green tea. University research also has shown that white tea may hold more antioxidants than other varieties.

Still, not all experts are pouring out their greens and blacks just yet and don't believe white tea is worth the extra cost. A quarter pound of white tea can cost between $10 and $30.

"It's more of a marketing campaign," says Joe Simrany, president of the Tea Association of the USA Inc.

White tea has been produced in China, most notably in Fujian province, for thousands of years. It made the leap to the Western world only recently. Most white tea still comes from China, but other countries are starting to make their own versions, Simrany says.

Buds of the Camellia sinensis plant are plucked before they fully open and while they are covered in white hairs. Hence, the title.

"It's a rare tea because it's all hand-processed and hand-picked. It's picked during a very limited time window," says Kevin Borowsky, owner of the Whistling Kettle, a tea lounge in Ballston Spa, N.Y.

The tea is steamed immediately after it is picked and then dried, explains Jane Higdon, a researcher with the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University, on the institute's Web site.

"Consequently, white teas usually contain higher concentrations of catechins than other teas," says Higdon.

Catechins are a main component of tea and are thought to fight cancer and boost the immune system.

Green tea has a high catechin level, too, but can wither before it is steamed, which releases some of the beneficial catechins. Oolong and black teas ferment and lose most of the benefits, Higdon says.

A study by LPI researchers showed white tea may help prevent DNA mutations, the first stage of cancer.

Pace University also studied the health effects of white tea and found it has a greater anti-viral and anti-bacterial effect than green tea.

The health benefit of white tea is the driving force behind its sales at the Whistling Kettle, Borowsky says.

"You have everything that green tea has and a little bit more," he says of white tea's antioxidant levels.

Pre-made white teas by Snapple, Arizona and Pom can be bought at local supermarkets and convenience stores.

Another quality of white tea, benefit or detractor depending on the consumer's view, is the higher caffeine level of white tea.

"It's more caffeine than green tea, because really what you're picking is the tip of the leaf, before it fully forms so there's more of a concentration," Borowsky says.

"I know when I drink white tea, I get more of a jolt than when I drink green tea," he says.

Simrany claims that caffeine levels are affected more by the preparation of the tea than its production. "The combination of less temperature and less steeping produces less caffeine in the cup," he says.

For the best flavor, boil water then set it aside for 10 minutes. Steep the white tea for only 30 seconds to a minute, says Simrany.

Even cosmetic companies have started infusing their products with white tea extract.

Dr. Elma Baron, director of the Skin Study Center at University Hospitals of Cleveland and Case Western Reserve University, worked on the study that proved white tea extract helped in the protection of cells from sunlight exposure.

Skin-care lines, such as Origins and Bath & Body Works, have added products that capitalize on the protective and restorative properties of white tea.

Mlesna Silver Tip White Tea is available from YourTeaPlace.com.

Sri Lanka Records Higher Tea Exports Last Year

2006-08-09T11:10:00.000+08:00

COLOMBO, Monday (AFP)-- Sri Lanka sold a record 308 million kilos of the commodity to overseas buyers last year, a brokering house said yesterday.

The tea exports in 2005 were 2.83 per cent higher than in 2004, maintaining a small but steady increase seen in the past three years, the Asia Siyaka Commodities said.

Russia and former Soviet Union republics remained the largest market for Sri Lankan tea, better known by the island’s former name of Ceylon, and accounted for nearly a fifth of the total exports.

Sri Lanka earned 814 million dollars from tea exports last year, up from 741 million dollars in 2004, the report said.

Tea is Sri Lanka’s largest single foreign exchange earner after remittances from its nationals employed abroad.

“For the third year in succession Sri Lanka shipped a record volume of tea,” the report said noting that the island had imported 10 million kilos of tea for blending and re-exporting.

Sri Lanka has been competing fiercely with Kenya in tea exports, but the official Kenyan tea board reported exports of 349 million kilos last year to lay claim to the number one place in the world tea market.

~ As reported in Lanka News Jan 31, 2006

Mlesna Flavored Loose Teas

2006-08-08T00:44:00.000+08:00

Introducing the latest range of delectable and fragrant flavored teas from Mlesna Ceylon Tea. These 100g loose teas come in handcrafted wooden boxes. These little boxes has sliding lids and are ideal as storage for your trinkets.

Add Honey Instead of Sugar for Your Tea - It's a Healthier Choice!

2006-07-31T22:24:00.000+08:00

Most people think of honey as the sweet, sticky stuff you put on toast or drop into hot tea, but in recent years, researchers have been exploring its potential in other ways.

One of life’s purest pleasures is a cup of steaming tea. Some like it pure but most like it sweet. Adding sugar is by far the most common way of sweetening tea. Common table sugar (sucrose) is comprised of fructose and glucose. While sugar satisfies a natural craving, it is not without its downside.

Sugar is the quintessential source of energy and most foods, when digested, are metabolized by the body as basic sugar (glucose). It is a major source of calories in the diet. The body will save the excess energy in sugar as fat. While some stored fat is necessary, too much is undesirable and pose several health concerns specially for diabetics. Sugar also supports the growth of the bacteria that causes tooth decay.

A healthier alternative is honey. Honey is one of the oldest sweeteners used by man and was highly valued by ancient Egyptians for its medicinal and healing properties. It is a sweet, usually viscous, liquid made by bees from flower nectar and stored in the cells of the hive for food. Consumed fresh or after processing, it is usually used as a nutritive sweetener.

"Honey is the ultimate in products derived from herbs. It's like liquid gold. Fashioned through an ingenious alliance between animal and plant kingdoms, honey delivers a diverse array of phytochemicals in one package. This bounty arrives courtesy of the industrious honeybee, who visits some 2 million flowers to manufacture just one pound of honey" said Dr Gina Mohammed, a plant physiologist in Sault Ste Marie, Canada. "Honey blends exceptionally well with black and flavored teas and enhances its fragrance", added Kim Yong, founder of Your Tea Place, an online tea site which focuses on tea and health.

A study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, shows that the level of antioxidants of honey is comparable to that of many fruits and vegetables. And while you are unlikely to devour a cup of honey in lieu of broccoli, the golden liquid may be a respectable alternative to sugar and a healthy supplement to your diet. It has been found that honey lessens the ill effects of radiation therapy in patients with cancer of the head and neck, improves oral health, preserves food, boosts antioxidants and enhances athletic performance.

Researchers at the University of Illinois studied 25 healthy men who consumed various combinations of hot water,buckwheat honey, black tea and sugar. They found that serum antioxidant capacity increased by 7 percent within two hours of ingesting 2 cups of hot water containing about 4 tablespoons of honey. Those antioxidants also help your arteries as it reduces oxidation of low-density lipoproteins (known as “bad” cholesterol), a benefit which likely thwarts development of atherosclerosis. The findings also show that many varieties are full of phenols and flavonoids – known cancer fighters even more powerful than vitamin E.

So the next time you want some sweetness in your cup of tea, do your health a favor by added a dash of honey, nature’s liquid gold.

How to Store Tea

2006-07-28T10:05:00.000+08:00

From time to time we receive questions about how to properly store tea. Many fine tea importers tell us that true tea, Camellia Sinensis, has a shelf life of 1-2 years. Tea, if kept properly will not spoil but it does go gradually stale.

In order to insure that the fine teas you purchase are going to last until you can consume every drop, be sure to follow the general guidelines below:

Do not buy tea in tremendous amounts. Keep your stockpile small enough to be able to store properly.

Store dry tea leaves in a Tea Jar or an airtight container. The smallest container that will hold your tea. (less air space to draw out tea's natural essential oils and any other added flavors)

Make sure that the air tight container you use is free of any odors. Tea quickly absorbs the odor of anything it is in contact with, and will taste of whatever was residing in
that tin before.

Be sure to store your tea away from: heat, light & moisture.

Tea enjoys a youth-fueled rebirth

2006-07-24T14:30:00.000+08:00

Who could have expected this? In 2001, when the sector was seeing flat volume growth and was faced with an ageing demographic, who could have expected that tea would suddenly become young and "hip" again? Long the domain of staid Orange Pekoe, Earl Grey and English Breakfast, the tea aisles the world over have seen a burgeoning array of new, almost bewildering tea varieties, including green, oolong, rooibos, white tea, chai and an expanding number of herbal teas.

According to a recent study by the Tea Council of Canada, this is also where the young people are heading: over 50% of young tea drinkers are drinking green or herbal teas. Non-black tea, because of its exoticism and relaxing atmosphere, is popular with young people, particularly women, looking for a milder, soothing alternative to regular coffee.

What kind of tea pot should I use to make tea?

2006-07-21T23:24:00.000+08:00

This is an interesting question and one which is seldom considered as important by a tea drinker. Porcelain, ceramic, unglazed clay, terra cotta, glass, leaded crystal, gold, silver, pewter and aluminum all produce different flavor profiles individually and from the same tea poured into different materials from the same tea pot.

There are many chemistry changes at play here. Most of them originate from the interplay between the tannin compounds and the material itself. Some materials are porous, some are not and this creates a bonding action between the tea and the material. Glass, for example, produces no bonding action because glass is not only a liquid in constant motion but also is non-porous and therefore creates no "seasoning" action on the surface.

Also, important in its own right is the method by which the cups are cleaned. Soap or detergent must NEVER be used on cups or teapots. They must simply be rinsed with cold water and wiped clean (never scrubbed). Soap produces a smooth surface and bonding actions will not take place.

Tea drinking on the rise

2006-07-20T10:48:00.000+08:00

Latest consumer reports indicate that tea drinking is increasingly popular in the U.S. There are some 2,000 tea houses nationwide, up from 200 a decade ago. Tea sales reached $6.2 billion last year, more than quadruple their level in the early 1990s.

Increase awareness of tea's health benefits and more widespread research into its health benefits is cited as one of the reasons that tea drinking is more popular not only in the US but in other parts of the world too.

Tea Growing Regions of Sri Lanka

2006-07-16T12:02:00.000+08:00

Today, there are over 221,000 hectares under tea cultivation in Sri Lanka, representing about 3.8 per cent of the country. Ceylon teas are classified under three categories, depending broadly on the climatic zones where the agro-ecology exerts a profound influence on the chemistry of the tea plant and on the tea shoots harvested for processing. Tea factories are situated on the tea estates so that no time is lost between plucking and processing.

Low-grown tea comprises over 65,000 hectares of the south-western region of the island where the factory elevation is below 600 metres. These teas were originally planted in areas covered by tropic al rain forest. When brewed they possess a strong character with much color and strength. They are generally sold on appearance. In the early days they were mainly shipped to West Asian and North African countries, but today many more markets support them and low-grown tea is now responsible for 50 per cent of total production.

Mid-country teas come from the northern part of the central highlands at 600 to 1,200 metres above sea-level, formerly referred to as the Kingdom of Kandy. Mid-grown teas are noted for liquors of full-bodied character which appeal to those who like a strong cup of tea, usually taken with milk.

High-grown teas, manufactured in factories located above 1,200 metres, make up about 30 per cent of total production and can be divided into three main regions. Nuwara Eliya estates produce the champagne of Ceylon teas; the best season is during the first quarter of the year, when a warm dry wind, cold nights and dry days cause the plant to absorb only a little moisture from the soil, concentrating the flavour in the leaf. The flavor is unique to the region, and is best appreciated without milk. Plantations in the Dimbulla were among the first to be converted from coffee to tea. They produce the typical high-grown teas known the world over for their colour, flavour and quality. Uva plantations are on the eastern slopes of the central hills and produce teas with their own special character that are among the most sought-after in the world. Their best season is from July to September when the dry south-west wind is blowing.

The End of Supermarket Tea is Near

2006-07-07T22:38:00.000+08:00

Ask for a cup of specialty tea by brand at any café and you will get a bewildered look in return. To the masses, tea comes in tea bags. Any brand will do. With many tea stores now specializing in fine teas online, anyone can now enjoy a fragrant cup of delightful tea with a few clicks of the mouse.

The majority of tea drinkers do not know that there are teas beyond what is found in supermarkets or cafes. These so called gourmet or specialty teas are usually products of passion and perfection by tea connoisseurs from small tea estates that do not have large advertising and promotional budgets.

"What you get in cafés and supermarkets are usually cheap tea bags that contain small broken tea leaves or tea dust left over when tea leaves are harvested. The result is poor tasting tea with low nutritional value compared to whole leaf teas", says Kim Yong, CEO of Your Tea Place, the online sales and distributor for specialty tea brand Mlesna (Ceylon) Tea of Sri Lanka.

"No café or supermarket is willing to carry high grade teas due to its costs. For example, top grade Ceylon Silver Tip teas, which are tea buds from the top of the tea plant Camellia Sinensis, cost around $600 to $700 a kilo at wholesale. To make economic sense to an F&B outlet, they will have to price it at $15 per cup. That's not what the average tea drinker is prepared to pay. That is why mediocre supermarket tea is the norm at regular F&B outlets", Kim continued.

With current efficiencies in international trade and shipping, these high grade teas are now available to all consumers by shopping online. Just perform a search by brand or type of tea and you will be presented with many fine online tea stores that will ship your choice of premium gourmet teas directly to the comfort of your home.

With internet users buying online expected to increase from 35% in 2004 to 80% in 2008 according to Jupiter Research, the end of mediocre supermarket tea is near!

About The Author

Kim Yong is Founder and CEO of Your Tea Place, the Official Mlesna (Ceylon) Tea Online Store that specializes in premium Ceylon teas and exquisite tea gifts.

The Delectable Mlesna Ceylon Tea is Now Available Online

2006-07-03T22:41:00.000+08:00

Press Release - March 2006

Mlesna (Ceylon) Tea has been providing premium Ceylon tea and unique tea gifts to tea lovers and tourists from all over the world through its exquisite tea boutiques in Sri Lanka. It is now able to serve its worldwide customers online.

Mlesna (Ceylon) Tea Company of Sri Lanka was formed in 1983 by a young team of tea experts with a passion for quality. Now, with 23 years of experience and dedication, they have discovered the formula to perfection by producing black teas of the finest quality.

Mlesna, a specialty tea brand, was the first to introduce the 'Tea Center' & 'Tea Boutique' concept that quickly gained huge popularity in Sri Lanka. Competing directly with world class international brands, Mlesna has today, arguably the widest range in the world, with over 3,000 varieties of teas and tea gifts. Mlesna 'Tea Boutiques', a concept that caught on favorably with tourists, visiting delegates and the up-market tea drinking community in Sri Lanka, houses a wide array of premium quality gourmet teas in award winning packaging. To better serve their growing customer base worldwide, these selections are now available through its official online distributor, Your Tea Place

"Tourists who visit Sri Lanka invariably buy Mlesna products at their exquisite tea boutiques as their products present real value and quality in smart packaging" said Kim Yong, Founder and CEO of YourTeaPlace.com. "However, after having totally consumed what they have bought, they are not able to find Mlesna teas and products in malls and supermarkets back home. Being high quality gourmet teas, Mlesna is simply not sold in supermarkets or served in cafes as they do not want to compete on price with other regular tea brands" continued Kim Yong.

Realizing this shortcoming, Mlesna has appointed YourTeaPlace.com to market its range of products online. Your Tea Place is strategically based in Singapore, home to one of the busiest and most connected air and sea ports in the world. Being at the crossroads of international trans-shipment, they are well positioned to bring the benefits of fast and efficient doorstep delivery to customers anywhere in the world.

Tea drinking is the culture of many Asian countries, especially in Korea, China and Japan. It is also fast growing in popularity in many other parts of the world because of its many health benefits. With online shopping and broadband penetration growing at a phenomenal rate in these countries and many parts of the world, YourTeaPlace.com with its multi-lingual website is well positioned to serve the growing needs of these markets.

Visit Your Tea Place for Mlesna (Ceylon) Tea, green teas and exquisite tea gifts.