• Need to Know | Grocery Sales Spike

    Tea industry news for the week of April 13
    – Grocery Sales Spike
    – Tea Production Declines
    – Health Misinformation
    – Skipping Port
    – Edible Tea

    Consumers emptied shelves stocking up on tea, but there is plenty more in warehouses.

    Tea sales in grocery spiked as consumers rushed to stock up ahead of lockdowns in the US, Canada, and the UK. Sales in the UK the week of March 21 rose 55% compared to the previous year, according to Nielsen market research.

    Grocery shoppers in the UK, on average, spent an additional $80 (£62.92) stocking up during March.

    In the US, market information provider IRI in Chicago reports an 11% increase in year-to-date in sales of packaged tea in multi outlets (including grocery and convenience stores). Dollar sales of instant tea mixes rose 12%. Sales of refrigerated teas increased by 9.4%, and sales of refrigerated ready-to-drink coffee grew 23% year to date, compared to the same period in 2019. Coffee sales were up 8.2% to $2.6 billion through March 22.

    Major brands, including Lipton, Tetley, Twinings, and PG Tips assured consumers confronting empty shelves that supplies were sufficient as grocery sales rose 20% to their highest level in a decade, according to Kantar Research. Herbals associated with improving immunity spiked as well with top sellers listing ingredients such as echinacea, ginger, ginseng, and lemon and honey.

    Production Declines 

    Plucking resumed Monday April 13 in Darjeeling on government orders limiting the workforce to 25% of normal. A large factory like Thurbo, one of the Goodricke Group, employs 400 but can operate with 100 staff by reducing the number of processing lines. Processing capacity makes it possible to resume plucking the valuable first flush leaves.

    Financial analysts at ICRA estimate India’s tea industry will experience a decline of 90 million kilos in 2020. The estimate assumes 45-50 million fewer kilos of tea from plantations and 45 million fewer kilos from smallholders. Annual tea production will decline 6-7% in Assam and West Bengal and another 5-6% in South India. Bought-leaf factories remain closed.

    ICRA estimates that the earliest tea estates could start production would be around the third week of April, given the present situation, according to The Economic Times. The government permitted plantations to resume harvesting this week, but mandates staffing at no more than half previous levels. Social distancing and health precautions are to be enforced. Since the lockdown, now in its third week, weeds are encroaching, pest counts are high, and a light pruning is needed before plucking resumes. These actions will add INRs15 per kilo to the cost of production, according to ICRA, noting: “Any decline in production in the second flush teas would result in a substantially higher cost per kilo.” In India, labor expense accounts for 65-70% of the cost of production.

    Kenya saw exports decline by 4 million kilos in February to 40.5 million kilos compared to February 2019 totals, according to the Agriculture and Food Authority. Disruptions in the auction at Mombasa are to blame as the weather is excellent with moderate temperatures and favorable rainfall in the western and rift valleys. The harvest increased to 49.2 million kilos compared to 31.4 million kilos during the same period last year. Smallholders contributed 19 million kilos to the total. Prices at Mombasa were down, averaging $2.13 per kilo compared to an average price of $2.16 per kilo in February 2019.

    Curfews in Sri Lanka temporarily stopped tea production in March. Plantations Minister Ramesh Pathirana said the nation’s tea plantations would be allowed to continue operations so long as they adhere to guidelines set by the Health Ministry. To facilitate transactions, the Ceylon Tea Traders Association has switched to online auctions after 137 years of outcry bidding. Banks and the government departments regulating food safety and trade that are essential to export are now open three days a week but operated by half their usual staff.

    In Vietnam, first-quarter tea exports declined 2.4% in volume and lost 19% in value compared to the previous year. Shipments to China, Taiwan, and Russia, were virtually halted. The US is one of the top five destinations that together account for 75% of Vietnamese tea. Prices declined 13.5% to $37 million in February, averaging $1.48 per kilo, according to the Vietnam Tea Association. Trading partners are asking for lower prices, delayed delivery, and even canceling contracts, according to the association.

    Health Misinformation

    Physicians strongly disclaim a post stating that drinking tea is an effective cure for COVID-19, the disease caused by the newly discovered coronavirus. The World Health Organization (WHO) in March declared there is no known cure for COVID-19. “To date, there is no vaccine and no specific antiviral medicine to prevent or treat COVID-2019,” according to WHO. The post, incorrectly attributed to CNN, appeared on WhatsApp and Facebook and was widely shared. The report did not appear on CNN. “While tea may strengthen immunity, there is no “research” indicating benefits for COVID-19 patients,” according to Dr. Jayaruwan Bandara, director of the Sri Lanka Medical Research Institute, as reported by AFP in a Fact Check published March 26.

    “News reports in China in February also picked up on the claim that tea could be used to stop the virus but said it was not true,” according to the BBC News Reality Check.

    Related…

    Sri Lanka is promoting black tea as an immunity booster, and India may soon follow.

    Citing a study by the Tea Research Association (TRA) that Ceylon tea contains high levels of theaflavin, Sri Lanka initiated an advertising campaign claiming that ‘Ceylon Black Tea’ enhances COVID-19 immunity. TRA maintains that theaflavin, the main polyphenol in black tea, boosts immunity based on studies published in medical journals

    A 2003 experiment involving 21 volunteers by Dr. Jack Bukowski at Harvard Medical School showed that immune system blood cells from tea drinkers responded five times faster to germs than did the blood cells of a control group. Bukowski explained that L-theanine is broken down in the liver to ethylamine, a molecule that primes the response of an immune system element called the gamma-delta T cell.

    “We know from other studies that these gamma-delta T cells in the blood are the first line of defense against many types of bacteria, viral, fungal, and parasitic infections,” he said. In 2007 Bukowski demonstrated that drinking five cups of tea daily increased the body’s ability to ward off colds and flu. His work appeared in The Journal of the American College Of Nutrition

    The United Planters Association of South India (UPASI) Tea Research Foundation is compiling a brief to convince the Tea Board of India to follow Sri Lanka’s lead in promoting tea as a wellness drink.

    Tea Board Chairman PK Bezbaruah told the Hindu Businessline, “Indian teas, particularly Assam and the South Indian teas, have a very high proportion of the Theaflavin compound and hence should ideally be more effective.”

    “I think this can help push exports, particularly at a time when the output is expected to be at least 15% lower this year,” Bezbaruah said.

    Skipping Port

    Shipping companies are bypassing Indian ports essential to the tea trade. Container ships generally stop at one or two local ports to load cargo before traveling between continents. When containers are delayed in reaching port, ship captains have no reason to stop.

    Canceling India’s tea auctions for two weeks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus set in motion a sequence leading to this unusual logistical snafu. Tea is exempt from transport restrictions, but shipments delayed at auction experienced further problems in transit as law enforcement agencies stopped trucks en route to ports. Exporters next experienced numerous cancellations of consignments following the collapse of retail demand in foodservice. New buyers are scarce, leading to acute cash flow problems that subsequently hampered exporter’s ability to meet contracted delivery dates.

    NEW PRODUCTS

    Edible Beetroot & Parsnip tea


    Edible Tea

    Nim’s, a UK-based fruit crisp brand, recently introduced the first edible teas. These can be brewed or eaten as a snack. Nim’s located in Sittingbourne, produces air-dried snacks using beetroot and pineapple, kiwi and pineapple, and beetroot and parsnip. The tea sells for $6.25 (£5) for 12 sachets. Once the tea is steeped, you can enjoy the rehydrated fruit and vegetables “Drink, Eat and be Healthier.”

    Arizona Iced Tea introduces Hard Tea with vodka

    Vodka Tea

    Arizona Iced Tea launched a 5% ABV ginseng and honey-flavored green tea blended with vodka. The new line is named Arizona Hard. The initial rollout in Canada features 473ml single tall cans or 12-ounce (355ml) six-packs. The suggested retail price is CAD$3.49 for the individual can. In Canada, spiked tea can be delivered to your home by food delivery services such as SkipTheDishes.

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    Dan Bolton

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  • Retail Impact of COVID-19 is Devastating for Tea and Coffee Shops in China and Italy

    Survey finds 75% of Chinese tea and coffee shops closed at the height of the coronavirus epidemic.

    Statistics compiled from a survey of retailers following China’s unprecedented lockdown of 700 million people reveal that while international chains like Starbucks and Costa and big national chains, including Ten Ren and Luckin, experienced severe financial setbacks, independent tea and coffee shops suffered mortal blows.

    Now that the contagion has spread to Italy, shop owners are taking a hit comparable to their Chinese counterparts.

    “Being in the “orange” zone we’ve seen the downtown area of Milan losing its fabric, most people (not all, fortunately) are just not going out and are avoiding close contacts with others (i.e., any crowded area) We’re currently recording a drop of 40% to 50% both in the store and the tearoom. We’ve adopted the sanitary ordinances that set a “safety perimeter” of one-meter minimum distance from others and have had to cancel all planned events and tea seminars,” writes a veteran shop owner who established his specialty tea business in 2008.

    In China, a Kamen survey of 2,000 shop owners, those with ten shops or less, revealed that 75% of the stores closed during the epidemic. Closures were due to policy prohibitions (primarily in Hubei Province) and concerns about personnel safety as well as the absence of foot traffic.

    Globally there were 98,000 confirmed cases and 3,347 deaths, including 148 in Italy. The death count in Hubei Province is 3,000, with 23,972 of the 67,466 confirmed cases still in the hospital.

    Revenue, compared to the same period in the previous year, declined to zero at 65.9% of the shops surveyed. Business declined 50% to 80% at 19% of the shops. Asked to evaluate the loss, 65.93% of shop operators said the event was devastating, with 30.97% saying the impact is controllable. Only 3.1% reported minimal impact. The Chinese government has announced subsidies, low-interest loans, and relief from taxes for retailers in the vicinity of Wuhan.

    Starbucks announced this week that 85% of its shops in China have reopened. In a letter to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Starbucks estimated losses of $430 million from the closure of half of its Chinese shops.

    Morocco Hoards Chinese Tea

    Fearful of the impact on shipments of green tea imports, Morocco is hoarding tea. The president of the Moroccan association of tea and coffee manufacturers (AMITC), Mohamed Astaib, announced that Morocco had imported enough tea to last six months as a preventive measure. Logistics is partly to blame as hundreds of thousands of containers stacked up at China’s 34 ports.

    In an article published by the China Media Times Tea Weekly Yu Lu, vice president of the China Chamber of Commerce of Import and Export of Foodstuffs, Native Produce and Animal By-Products (CFNA) said that Morocco, China’s largest trading partner, implemented stringent standards for pesticide residue for 60 chemicals. As a result, sales decreased by 4.2%.

    Moroccans consume 70,000 metric tons of tea annually, making it the 9th largest tea importer in the world.

    London’s Fortnum & Mason Markets Children’s Herbals

    The tea floor at Fortnum & Mason in London’s high street is stocked exclusively with tea sourced globally. In first for the company, it will now sell a non-caffeinated children’s tea in four flavors.

    The Small & Wild brand, blended by two millennial-aged mothers, launched two years ago. The teas are ethically sourced, sugar-free blends of natural herbs and fruit.

    The decision follows a U.K. consumer shift to tisanes, which are growing in popularity. Hardly stodgy, the fabled tea company reaped a windfall last year on sales of a bottled sparkling tea.

    Teatime for Rampaging Vikings

    Fans of the widely acclaimed television series Vikings gave a nod of understanding with word that researchers attribute the Viking’s barbarian behavior to a hallucinogenic herbal tea. Warriors high on a brew of stinking henbane amd alcohol experienced less pain, according to Karsten Fatur, an ethnobotanist at the University of Ljbuljana in Slovenia. Fatur speculates that ingesting this tea before battle led 9th century Norse Berserkergang “berserkers” to howl like beasts as they rushed wildly into battle wearing animal skins and little armor. Unchecked aggression, unpredictability, and dissociative effects, such as losing touch with reality, might have allowed them to kill indiscriminately without moral qualms, writes Fatur.

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    Dan Bolton

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  • Locating the Richest Tea Retailers

    Location data is critical to retail success and essential to expansion planning. Market research firm AggData offers a revealing tool that TIME Labs used to rank the richest retail locations in the U.S.

    You can experiment with it free online.

    The interactive form compiles the U.S. median income of brands based on updated 2013 Census data. TIME ranked 2,996 chains by comparing the median income of the counties where stores are located. TIME used this information to rank the richest  department stores, grocery stores, and restaurants by location. You can use it to perform some useful local reconnaissance on tea, coffee and cafe chains.

    TEABIZ150831_ART_StoreComparisonI started with 390-store Teavana and DAVIDsTEA. The table only ranks U.S. locations which include 311 Teavana stores and 24 DAVIDsTEA locations along with 30 Argo Tea locations. In 2013 the median household (inflation adjusted) income for the entire country was $51,939 according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

    DAVIDsTEA has located its shops in very high income counties (Chicago, Boston, New York, San Francisco) with a mean income of $73,226. These stores are located in counties ranking in the top 30% of U.S. incomes. Teavana is more broadly dispersed with mall stores in 46 states. Teavana Tea Bars are located in places like Manhattan and Beverly Hills. The median county income for Teavana locations is $62,304. Teavana locations are situated within counties with households in the top 41% of U.S. incomes. Argo follows with stores in five states and a median county income of $56,263. These locations rank within the top 44% of U.S. household incomes.

    By comparison Starbucks has 12,231 locations in all 50 states (and two territories) with a median $52,739. The company also operates 27 Seattle’s Best Cafes in 16 states where the county median is $56,261. This number does not include the many thousands of non-branded locations where Seattle’s Best is sold.

    TEABIZ150831_ART_SearchToolTo investigate competitors within your own market click this image and scroll to the bottom of the TIME page. Then use the search box to compare chains including Dunn Bros. Coffee, Coffee Beanery, Dutch Bros. Coffee, Tim Hortons, Gloria Jean’s Coffees, Tully’s Coffee, Panera Bread, Au Bon Pain etc. Peet’s Coffee & Tea was not listed.

    TEABIZ150831_ART_StoreComparison2

    Methodology

    Household median income, from the 2013 American Community Survey, is averaged across all counties for every retail location available from AggData to find the “median shopper income.” Estimates for shopper’s income would likely show greater disparity if calculated by geographies smaller than counties, which include a broader spectrum of household incomes. Only brands with stores in 20 or more U.S. states are considered national chains and used in the lists above. Though all brands are available in the search feature regardless of the number of states they operate in.

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    Tea Biz serves a core audience of beverage professionals in the belief that insightful journalism informs good decision-making in business. Tea Biz reports what matters along the entire supply chain, emphasizing trustworthy sources and sound market research while discarding fluff and ignoring puffery.

    Tea Biz posts are available to use in your company newsletter or website. Purchase reprint and distribution rights for single articles or commission original content.  Click here for details.

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    Dan Bolton

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  • Oprah Can Sure Sell Chai — Need to Know

    What tea professionals need to start the week of Oct. 20, 2014 —

    Oprah Winfrey sure can sell tea… Mighty good match… Starbucks will test a pre-order app and Apple Pay starts today… Sensient announces a promising tea flavoring technology… Which do you prefer: Milk or Tea In First?

    Starbucks Donates $2 Million from Chai Sales

    Starbucks announced the other day that it had donated $2 million to benefit educational opportunities for youth through the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy Foundation.

    Oprah Chai Gift Set
    Oprah Chai Gift Set

    It’s been less than six months since Oprah supercharged the chai category and the beneficiaries extend well beyond Starbucks and Teavana. The company donates 25 cents for each Teavana Oprah Chai prepared beverage and $1 for every 2 oz. loose-leaf packet as well as $1 for the chai gift set or storage tin. The large gift set nets the foundation $4 for each one sold.

    If half of the donation is from prepared beverages that would mean 4 million chais served and if half the donation is from packages and tins (accounting for another million sales) that suggests just under 1 million transactions a month for the past five months. That’s a huge increase from a single drink just introduced in March, especially since Starbucks sells several other chai drinks.

    Starbucks sells an average 4 million cups of coffee a day.

    Apple Pay Starts Today

    The fingerprint purchase option on my new iPhone 6 is so convenient I’ve been buying iTunes and Apps on a whim – exactly as the genius Steve Jobs intended. Combine that convenience with the ability to pre-order Oprah’s Teavana Chai and the fast-pay option could boost traffic and speed service.

    Starbucks customers with an iPhone will soon be able to shop 150 locations near Portland, Ore. Android apps are expected in 2015.

    “This is the beginning of a national rollout. We feel we’re going to be constantly learning and improving how mobile ordering works,” Starbuck’s Adam Brotman, chief digital officer told Bloomberg.

    Currently 15% of Starbucks sales are from mobile orders, representing 6 million weekly transactions from 12 million active mobile users in the US and Canada.

    Source: Bloomberg

    Mighty Good Match

    Acquisitions of tea companies total more than $1 billion in the past three years with Teaopia, Teavana, T2, Tea Forte, Pickwick Tea and Mighty Leaf Tea among the top deals.

    Two months after its sale to Peet’s Coffee & Tea the legions of Mighty Leafers loyal to the brand are witnessing a smooth transition.

    “Now that we have completed the transaction, we really can’t imagine a brand that we could really feel as comfortable with,” co-founder Jill Portman told the San Francisco Business Times.

    LOGO-Mighty-Leaf-TeaAcquisitions are often acrimonious but these tea-friendly firms benefit from a nice fit. Co-founders Gary Shinner and Portman credit the benefit of a year-long courtship after Peet’s which approached the company following its own acquisition by German conglomerate Joh. A. Benckiser in July 2012.

    “This is a win for both Mighty Leaf and Peet’s as we both share a dedication to premium quality and craft mastery that will become even stronger together,” Shinner said in announcing the sale.

    Peet’s is legendary in specialty coffee. The founders were visionaries and the company, under the direction of CEO and President David Burwick, has continued to raise the bar on quality offerings first set by Alfred C Peet in 1966. Mighty Leaf has a similar pedigree.

    “We’re both Bay Area companies with core values built on the highest standards of quality and deep commitment to craft – it’s a natural, complimentary fit,” said Burwick.

    “This is an important step in Mighty Leaf Tea’s journey, and we’re excited to take our brand to the next level with Peet’s Coffee & Tea,” said Shinner.

    Portman and Shinner were living in Chicago when they discovered great tea. Portman worked in architectural design and Shinner was an investment banker. The couple began dreaming of their own tea company in 1992 and relocated to San Francisco in 1996 to open Tea and Co., a shop that could be mistaken for the latest iteration in style and selection. Alas, it was ahead of its time and closed its doors in 2000 after the dot-com bust.

    Shinner and Portman retained their wholesale clients and launched Mighty Leaf Tea just as loose-leaf became popular with hotels and resorts and a few restaurants concerned with sustainable practices.

    The company used high-quality ingredients, chose more expensive biodegradable (backyard compostable) sewn pouches and ultra-premium positioning that landed Mighty Leaf contracts to supply cruise ships, department stores including Nordstrom and national airlines. In 2007 private equity firm VMG Partners, itself a new venture, bought a 20% stake and financed the move to supermarkets. Eventually Mighty Leaf would find itself on the shelves of 14,000 stores from Kroger and Safeway to Publix and Stop & Shop. Revenue is estimated at $31 million at the time of the sale.

    Peet’s is headquartered in Emeryville at the other end of the San Rafael Bridge. During discussions the two like-minded ventures found common ground. Peet’s is undergoing rapid expansion, adding 60 stores by year end. It plans to sell Mighty Leaf blends alongside its existing line of single-origin teas in 300 retail locations.

    Shinner and Portman will stay on until summer. Peet’s is recruiting a new chief executive to take their place.

    Source: Peet’s Coffee & Tea, San Francisco Business Times

    Fast Drying Flavor Coating

    Blenders typically apply flavors to enhance the appeal of teas that contain dried fruit, floral and spice. Customers examining a colorful tea expect a whiff of pleasant aroma. In teabags the impact is less critical but the more expensive and showy the tea, the greater the expectation.

    The most common technique is to spray liquid flavorings on the tea. The intense mist saturates the leaves but the good strong flavor remains for only a relatively short time after the leaves are exposed to air.

    Special packaging such as vacuum or foil wrappers is necessary to retain freshness of these flavors.

    LOGO-Sensient_FlavorsSpray drying resolves some issues, but a great deal of dust is generated during the flavoring process. And both spray dried and liquid flavorings are hygroscopic, and are thus not ideal for use in tea bags as they can cause unappealing stains.

    Dry flavoring is less aromatic in the tin but bursts to life when wet in the cup. These flavorings are more stable over time but somewhat unsightly as they dust the tea and inclusions, dulling its luster. Depending on the mesh, dry flavors can also settle, sifting through pyramid bags. Applying agglomerated flavors is a low-dust way of adding flavor to the leaves but best suited to tea that will be filled in tea bags.

    Sensient Flavors, headquartered in Hoffman Estates, Ill., has developed a fourth option, a fast-drying, colorless coating ideal for blending premium tea.

    These flavor coatings are not limited to tea leaves and can be applied to pieces of apple, for example, or lemon and orange peel. This allows manufacturers to add additional interesting components to blends that really grab the attention of consumers looking for that something extra special from their tea.

    “The invisibility of the flavoring is a crucial aspect,” explains Hans-Juergen Sachs, General Manager Sensient Flavors, Beverage Europe. “Tea is a very natural and authentic product. Flavorings which are too heavy or characteristics which make the tea look artificial won’t meet the consumer’s desire for a sophisticated, premium product. With our new spray-coating technology, we have been able to improve the sensory profile of flavored tea without influencing the natural characteristics of the raw material.”

    “This proprietary technology opens up a whole new world of possibilities for adding premium appeal to tea,” according to the company.

    Coated leaves preserve a balanced sensory profile over a long period of time. The production process is virtually dust-free and the resultant tea has diminished hygroscopic properties.

    The process results in a homogeneous blend with a constant flavor profile, according to the company. Leaves are completely dispersible and are thus easy for manufacturers to process. Flavoring is done at Sensient’s facility which means there are no extra costs for additional equipment. After treatment, the tea can be further processed by the manufacturer as usual.

    A wide range of natural flavors are available for use with tea leaves. Samples are available based on black tea combined with a selection of popular flavors: bergamot, garden mint and jasmine. However, there are virtually no limits on possible compositions. For example, fruity notes can be combined with “creamy” flavors such as caramel or vanilla, suggests Sachs. And even cocktail notes can now find their way into the tea segment.

    Sensient Flavors & Fragrance Group is a division of Sensient Technologies Corp., a $1.5 billion venture operating in 35 countries with a staff of 3,600. Learn more at www.sensientflavorsandfragrances.com

    Tea in First

    Tea In First launched a line of ready-to-drink low-calorie all natural chai this summer that is made with fresh milk.

    Founder Nishita Mody said that he “wanted to create a modern take on the very traditional Masala Chi, while keeping in mind the health consciousness of our consumers.”

    Tea In First All Natural Chai
    Tea In First All Natural Chai

    The Long Island-NY company starts with high quality tea. Tea goes in first, said Mody.

    The Spiced Chai contains his unique blend of cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and black pepper. To replicate the rich flavor “you’d have to spend time obtaining all the spices and combining them with tea and milk in a saucepan,” says Mody. “Now you can just go to your local store and enjoy it chilled or you can heat it up and have a hot cup of chai anywhere…in minutes!” he said. The 110-calorie, 9.5 oz. bottles are distributed at natural food stores, delis and convenience retailers in Boston and New York City. A suggested unit price was not disclosed. The bottles are available in four-packs. He plans to add a Matcha Latte to the line. Learn more at: www.teainfirst.com

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    Tea Biz serves a core audience of beverage professionals in the belief that insightful journalism informs business decision-making. Tea Biz reports what matters along the entire supply chain, emphasizing trustworthy sources and sound market research while discarding fluff and ignoring puffery.

    Tea Biz posts are available to use in your company newsletter or website. Purchase reprint and distribution rights for single articles or commission original content.  Click here for details.

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    Dan Bolton

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  • Is that an ant in my tea?

    Image property of Sydney Living Museum and Kettle Town
    Image property of Sydney Living Museum and Kettle Town

    Australia’s Kettle Town tea company made it’s debut last December as a small specialty tea company that developed some unique blends for pairing with dessert. It is unlikely that anyone would have predicted that seven months later they would be getting international attention for introducing a red ant tea.

    Kettle Town was founded by Vincent Maneno and Lily Wang. Maneno became enamored with tea when he and his brother launched into a challenge to abstain from alcohol for one year. Wang, who loves to bake, instantly fell in love with the flavors and forms of tea and the ways that they could pair with sweet treats.

    They began with a small number of blends. One combined blueberry and almond with black tea and another used vanilla, black tea and peppermint. Then Maneno met Skye Blackburn of The Edible Bug. Blackburn, who has degrees in entomology and food science, is passionate about the ways that insects could be farmed as protein Strawberry Ant Hillsreplacements for traditional meats. Her online shop boasts a range of frozen and roasted bugs for snacking including silkworms, crickets and scorpions. Blackburn asked Maneno and Wang to take a chance on some ants.

    She shipped them a vial of dehydrated ants and when Maneno and wang put them in water they were struck by the tart, citrusy flavor that emerged. The result was a blend called Strawberry Ant Hills. It combines black tea with the dehydrated ants, raspberry leaves and some flavoring. Kettle Town describes the tea as having flavors of “sweet strawberry with a smokey citrus tang.”

     

     

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