• Golden Leaf Awards — Deadline Near

    Submit your tea to Australia’s tea awards by November 30

    The Golden Leaf Awards, sponsored by the Australian Tea Masters and suspended during the height of the pandemic, have returned in 2021. The deadline to enter the competition is November 30.

    View previous winners of the Golden Leaf Awards.

    Tea Collective — Winner Best Tea House and Best Tea Cocktail from 2019. Photo courtesy Golden Leaf Awards.
    Listen to the interview
    Sharyn Johnston on returning the competition to in person judging

    In-person judging returns for the 2021 Golden Leaf Awards

    By Jessica Natale Woollard

    Australia’s Golden Leaf Awards return in 2021 with live, in-person judging to crown this year’s best teas in the Australian market. Tea submissions are open until Nov. 30. View the award guidebook for more information.

    The Golden Leaf Awards are presented by the Australia Tea Masters and feature a number of categories : green, black, white, yellow teas; matcha; Pu-erh; herbals; chai; and iced tea. There’s even a category for tea packaging and best tea house.

    The judging is blind and done by industry professionals.

    Australia Tea Masters founder and CEO Sharyn Johnston speaks with Tea Biz’s Jessica Natale Woollard about this year’s event.

    Judges at work at the 2019 Golden Leaf Awards. Photo courtesy Golden Leaf Awards.

    Jessica Natale Woollard: Why should someone submit their teas to the Golden Leaf Awards?

    Sharyn Johnston: It’s a great opportunity for tea companies whose products are available in the Australian market. Small farmers, people who have unique teas, or people who are blending their own teas can showcase them to the public and get their name out there.

    Jessica: What should our listeners know about the blind judging for the Golden Leaf Awards?

    Sharyn Johnston, Australia Tea Masters founder and CEO.

    Sharyn: This year we’re back to our old style of judging; we’re able to have live judges coming out in different sections.

    We’ll have limited numbers of judges over limited day: four judges in person per day.

    We try to get specialists in each particular category; for example, packaging design would be judged by graphic designers.

    We include different sectors of the industry.

    Judges at work at the 2019 Golden Leaf Awards. Photo courtesy Golden Leaf Awards.

    Jessica: What was your objective in founding the Golden Leaf Awards?

    Sharyn: When Australia Tea Masters first started, after being in the tea industry for four or five years, I realized there were no tea awards in Australia or even throughout the Asian region. We thought it was a great chance to showcase teas.

    We also started a category of a focused country. I visited many small farmers around the world and realized that they didn’t have an opportunity to put their teas in the Australian market.

    We choose a different country each year; this year it’s Sri Lanka.

    We’ve chosen Sri Lanka to showcase a group of about 25 farmers who have developed some amazing teas, only available in small batches. We’re hoping to see some amazing teas from them.

    Mr. Charles Moon from Formay Teas of Korea – Winner International Green Tea category, 2019. Photo courtesy Golden Leaf Awards.

    Learn more about the Golden Leaf Awards and how to submit your tea before Nov. 30. Watch the awards website to see bios and information about this year’s entrants.

    This interview has been edited and condensed.

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  • Peter G. W. Keen

    Peter was born in Singapore in 1941 and grew up in Reading, UK; he lived most of his adult life in the US but kept his UK citizenship, as he always felt like a Brit.

    He was a writer, an academic, a thinker, and a teacher. He studied English literature at Balliol College, Oxford; a love of books and words endured throughout his life. He was a voracious reader, passionate about Shakespeare, and had an incredible vocabulary, which came in handy in Boggle matches with his daughter. He recently discovered the New York Times Spelling Bee and wouldn’t go to bed without getting to Genius.

    He was 79 when he passed on Oct. 26.

    After graduating with an MBA and Ph.D. at Harvard Business School, he became a professor, a noted international consultant, and a public speaker. He authored more than 30 books on business, information technology, and innovation and was a professor at several business and technological universities, including Harvard, MIT, and Stanford.

    In recent years, he focused his writing on his avocation:  tea – its history, cultivation, science, and the pleasure of drinking it. He wrote three books about tea and was a Contributing Editor for Tea Journey magazine and Tea Report Editor at STiR magazine.

    After a chance meeting on an airplane, Peter was married to his wife, Sherry, for more than 25 years. They loved to travel together, visiting six continents and more than 20 countries and shared a love of animals.

    He is survived by his daughter, Sara Keen of Cambridge, MA; his son, Chris Keen of Dublin, Ireland; and his son-in-law, Joaquin Figueroa, of Dublin, Ireland. He was predeceased by his daughter, Lucy. He is also survived by his sisters Patti Budd of the UK, Jenny Bigger of Texas, and Judy Covert of Florida. He will be greatly missed by his father-in-law Bill Richardson and Bill’s wife, Peggy.

    Donations can be made in his name to the Cancer Research Institute, or Bat Conservation & Rescue of Virginia, a favorite organization of his.

    A celebration of life is being planned in the spring.

    — Dan Bolton

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  • Puer Tea, Ancient Caravans and Urban Chic

    “Puer tea’s improvement with age is said to be its distinguishing feature. From this, several key values were drawn out by traders, connoisseurs, consumers, researchers, mass media and the government.”

    And that’s a quote from “Puer Tea, Ancient Caravans and Urban Chic” by Jinghong Zhang. (pg. 97)

    Caption: A stack of valuable aged Pu’er [beeng] bing cha

    Kyle Whittington reviews Puer Tea, Ancient Caravans and Urban Chic

    A Captivating Cultural Biography of Puer Tea

    By Kyle Whittington | TeaBookClub

    Jinghong Zhang

    Sitting on the academic end of the tea bookshelf, this is a fascinating and thoroughly well-researched foray into the complex and multi-faceted world of Puer tea. An anthropological study that explores the “cultural biography” of Puer tea, the ethnographic and anthropological research that has gone into this is book is exceptional and really opens up the intricacies of Puer. And yet, despite being such an academic text it is entirely readable and utterly fascinating.

    The first third (introduction and “spring”) sets up the rest of the book, introducing and outlining the research, including terms and definitions used throughout. With such a complex subject matter, this is invaluable and helps to deal with complexities around such things as fermentation (pg. 13) and geographic locations. In this, we get to grips with Puer, the tea, the people involved and begin to grapple with the issues surrounding authenticity.

    Indeed, the issues surrounding authenticity are central to the book as a whole and open up numerous questions and considerations we should probably all be aware of when it comes to exploring and particularly to purchasing Puer tea.

    Building on this grounding, the book jumps up and becomes massively absorbing in the latter two-thirds (“summer”, “autumn” and “winter”). Exploring the changing historical and current cultural context of Puer, the importance of location and differences and difficulties surrounding the production, and of course, aging is both revealing and fascinating. Accessing multiple areas and sources within the realm of Puer we get real insight and understanding without the veneer of the “sales pitch” that pervades much of the public Puer world.

    As a native of Kunming and with the rigor and perspective of an academic, Jinghong Zhang really gets at the heart of the matter and presents us with clear and thorough insights. The famed boom and bust of the Puer market are revealed in startling detail. How and why it happened and importantly how its effects were felt and dealt with in different circles. The impact and conversations that arose as part of and as a result of this around authenticity and what is valued in a Puer are explored from producers to connoisseurs and consumers. The importance and meaning of place and how this is varyingly defined in Puer circles and indeed how place affects taste and experience is revealed and explored.

    I could go on, there is so much content in this book! But suffice to say a thoroughly excellent read! Whether an aficionado or with an inkling of an interest in Puer, this book is an excellent and essential development of that interest. We thoroughly recommend it!

    Here’s what some TeaBookClub members thought:

    I’ve recommended this book to a couple of people since I started reading it because I think it’s possibly the best read on tea I’ve had this year.  – Aimee

    I really enjoyed the view from inside, from someone who got to get close. Especially the films, they’re very complimentary. – Aimee

    Her insight into the market crash. The how’s and the why’s were really helpful. – Nicole

    Strong research – Brigette

    The films are perfect little snippets that illustrate what she’s talking about. – Nicole

    It’s very rich. One of the bits I really enjoyed was the translating and contextualizing of some of the idioms. – Anesce

    I think she has access to very interesting materials about the producers and the traders’ lives that maybe wouldn’t have found their way in was she someone else. – Aimee

    I really appreciated that she defines what she’s talking about and the definitions she uses for words within the tea. The table in the introduction (page13). She explains her use of “fermentation” so I was like, that’s ok, I know what you mean so I get it. – Aimee

    She offers a very nuanced version of everything, always giving you more context on everything.  You understand more. – Aimee

    It’s made me think about how I would buy Puer tea, a lot more thought, a lot more questions. – Ernest

    It deepened my understanding and appreciation for Puerh. – Nicole

    Although based in the UK, The Tea Book Club is an international group of tea lovers and readers who meet up virtually every month to discuss tea books. If you’d like to join us for the next read, visit teabookclub.org or @joinTeaBookClub on Instagram. 

    Puer Tea, Ancient Caravans and Urban Chic

    Goodreads: In the 1990s, as the tea’s noble lineage and unique process of aging and fermentation were rediscovered, it achieved cult status both in China and internationally. The tea became a favorite among urban connoisseurs who analyzed it in language comparable to that used in wine appreciation and paid skyrocketing prices. In 2007, however, local events and the international economic crisis caused the Puer market to collapse.

    See video

    Amazon | Kindle Edition, 272 pages

    Published December 1, 2013
    University of Washington Press

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  • Jolene’s Tea House

    The rugged Canadian Rocky Mountains thrust nearly 20,000 feet into the sky, a haven for hikers that inspired a unique style of high-mountain tea houses built to provide warmth and shelter along the trail. In Banff, Alberta, Tea Biz correspondent Jessica Natale Woollard visits Jolene’s Tea House – a refuge for mind and body.

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    Jolene Brewster on the re-launch of her retail brand.
    Jolene Brewster, left, and partner Jess McNally in front of the tea house located in the historic Old Crag Cabin.
    Photo by Gareth Paget, courtesy Jolene’s Tea House

    Customers Enjoy an Educational, Interactive Experience

    Jolene Brewster’s new tea venture is the culmination of years of passion and business experience, along with a healthy dose of contemplation, courtesy of time spent in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. About 15 years ago, the entrepreneur from Banff, Alberta ran a tea café. Then she moved into selling tea exclusively online and at farmer’s markets. Now she’s back with a new business partner, a refined business concept, and a new name — Jolene’s Tea House.

    Jessica Natale Woollard: Jolene, our listeners from around the world may not be familiar with the tradition of taking tea in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Tell us a bit about the history of tea in the Banff region?

    Jolene Brewster: We live in a place where tea houses are unique to Canadian culture. They are a part of history here in Banff. The tea houses that we have were built by Swiss guides to be a refuge for hikers and explorers travelling and enjoying this countryside.

    And with the spirit of that, with the spirit of people having tea, drinking outside, having tea on the trail, over the fire, climbing a peak, and having a rest along the way. We’re still doing the same thing today. We are still a place that people come to enjoy this incredible atmosphere, the mountains, to find what their looking for, to explore, to have their, honestly, to have their minds explode with the beauty around them. And tea is the beverage of choice. That’s what you take in your thermos out in the mountains. And I really believe that whether you’re at home in front of your computer, working all day, we need those moments of pause, of presence, of introspection, of enjoyment, and a good cup of tea can give you all of that.

    To avoid distractions, the shop offers only dry tea. Photo by Gareth Paget, courtesy Jolene’s Tea House

    Jessica: Your original tea retail store closed in around 2010. Eleven years later, what lessons learned have you carried into your new business venture?

    Jolene: One hundred percent, the model of our retail business going forward is so similar to what I’ve done at markets, at farmer’s markets, and I’ve done hundreds and hundreds of local markets around Alberta, British Colombia, and across Canada. I’ve been to huge gift shows like the One-of-a-Kind show in Toronto, which is magnificent. And a lot of work!

    It was successful, and the interaction we had with people, it worked. I love that people can come into our shop; they can sample different teas, they can smell. It’s an educational process. The one thing that surprises people, especially because we’re promoting the culture of tea houses, and we’re making that as much an interactive experience as possible within our own beautiful heritage cabin here in Banff, we don’t serve tea. We don’t do food and beverage. I learned doing the markets that if I want to be able to talk to people and make it more educationally focused, we’re not able to constantly be pouring cups of tea and have that business and distraction. We’re not creating a to-go environment.

    Jessica: How is the business of tea different today than it was your first time around?

    Jolene: I think there’s been some amazing companies, like DAVIDsTEA, who’ve really made tea fun for people. They’ve brought people who normally wouldn’t be interested in tea, they’ve brought teenagers in, they’ve made it a modern exciting environment, and I think that has opened the door for us to go to the next level, to delve even deeper into the organic, the quality, the minute differences.

    Jessica: Paint a picture of the ideal Jolene’s tea drinking ritual.

    Jolene: Outside. if you can take a moment in your backyard, on your balcony, after your morning run. Something with activity outside. I’m an avid horse rider and trail riding in the mountains is one of my passions, and to be able to take a small saddle bag and pull out my thermos and have a drink of tea after my ride is incredible. My partner Jess would most likely run up a mountain and have a cup of yoga chai up at the top.

    To discover how the Canadian Rocky Mountains are infused in Jolene’s business, visit:
    Jolene’s Tea House
    211A Bear Street
    Banff, Alberta
    CANADA
    403-985-5500

    Located in Banff National Park, Lake Louise was named in 1884 after the daughter of Queen Victoria. In 1899 the Canadian Pacific Railway hired mountain guides from Interlaken, Switzerland to lead tourists on excursions into the mountains. It was these guides who built tea houses for refuge on the trails beginning in 1901 with the Lake Agnes refuge and later at Abbot Pass and the Plain of Six Glaciers.

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  • Tea Leaf Cuisine

    Pickled tea leaves may sound a bit out of the ordinary but not for Southeast Asian chefs. Burma, now known as Myanmar, is an ancient crossroads influenced by the cuisine of bordering Bangladesh, China, Thailand, and Laos. It is here that laphet has become a national dish that is now finding its way to US and European consumers as branded packaged goods.

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    Tea’s popularity is not limited to the choice it offers as a drink alone.

    Laphet or fermented tea leaf, is used in a salad called the laphet thoke or mixed with rice. The uses of the fermented tea leaves are not limited to salad or a dish.

    Cultured Tea Leaves Flavor Many Dishes

    By Aravinda Anantharaman

    Tea’s popularity is as a beverage, and a versatile one at that. A single plant produces leaves that are processed, blended, flavored, aged, rolled, compressed, bagged, powdered into a product that finds its audience. But tea’s versatility is not limited to the choice it offers as a drink alone. As a green leaf, it’s also an herb but surprisingly this side of tea has yet been tapped to its fullest potential. Except perhaps in Myanmar (formerly Burma) bordering India, Bangladesh, China, Thailand, and Laos. Not surprisingly, tea is also cultivated here, but its most famous rendition is as laphet or fermented tea leaf, used in a salad called the laphet thoke or mixed with rice. The uses of the fermented tea leaves are not limited to salad or a dish. It’s immensely popular in Burmese cuisine – probably the unofficial national dish. It’s said that only the finest leaves of any harvest are used to make lahpet. 

    Burmese cuisine enjoys fantastic influences, surrounded by countries with culinary wealth. Its popularity may not have reached the levels of say, it’s neighboring Thailand’s cuisine but there’s plenty of offer. Overseas Burmese are now seeing that there is an interest in the lesser known, unexplored cultures of the world, offering an opportunity to promote their own. There are a handful of brands, including Burma Love Foods, a 5-year-old brand from San Francisco whose product range is built on laphet. Besides variations of the dressing, they offer do-it-yourself salad kits which should hold appeal. Myanmar Tea Leaf’s Paline is a homegrown brand producing laphet, said to be the first to brand the product. 

    “Tea you can eat” is an attractive opportunity for promoters of Burmese cuisine, to take something so familiar as tea but offer it in newer ways, and equally for tea businesses that are looking for deeper cultural connections with tea. 

    • Fermented tea leaves in olive oil
    • Stir-fried tea salad
    • Fried mushrooms
    • Laphet and rice
    • Hors d’oeuvres
    Myanmar Laphet (SO) single origin edible tea leaf is picked and aged at 5,332 feet above sea level in Namhsan, Myanmar’s original capital of tea, producing the country’s highest quality teas for the past 1,000 years.

    — Aravinda Anantharaman

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