Today’s topic: Jun Shan Yin Zhen Yellow Tea Part 2

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Today’s topic: Jun Shan Yin Zhen Yellow Tea

Thank you all for your comments regarding our video podcasts. We would like to create future podcasts on topics you all are interested in, so please contact us with ideas.

“The anti-cancer effects of green tea was cut by 50 per cent when the extracts were digested. But the tumour-fighting abilities of catechins in black tea were unaffected by digestion.”

[From globeandmail.com - DON’T DIGEST THAT TEA]

Interesting to note the study found that black tea’s healthful compounds jive well with the digestive process. The complementary nature of darker teas (ie more oxidized) to the digestive organs is one of the fundamentals of traditional Chinese medicine’s understanding of tea and health.

Andrew

Andrew

ITO EN, Ltd., a major manufacturer of green tea and tea beverages, and the Pack Corp., a package manufacturer, issued a joint statement that they have developed a new type of paper bag that employs used tea leaves left over from ITO EN’s tea beverage production process. The companies decided to consider used tea leaves not as residue, but as an untapped material that absorbs and fixes carbon dioxide.

[From Japan for Sustainability - Used Tea Leaves Contribute to Combating Global Warming]

[From Is a cup of tea the answer to everything - even anthrax? | Laboratory News]

Austin

There are other factors driving up the price. The price for good quality pickers has risien for a couple of reason. The first is a labor reform law that was passed this year the requires employers that pay 28% of a workers wages for a type of social security to help for retirement and other social benefits. While this is a great benefit for workers it raises the cost of tea production. There is another issue involved in raising the price of good quality tea. A lot of pickers have left the country for the city. This is a nationwide issue in agriculture in general, and because good pickers are very skilled, the shortage has also raised the price.

The other major factor is the weak dollar. The trend will probably continue over time as the Chinese economy continues to grow, the strength of the RMB will continue to grow too. China has tried to keep the RMB low to aid the price of exports, but they have started to adjust it against the dollar. The days of cheap imports from China are gradually starting to come to a close.

Of course, quality tea has never been cheap in China, but with the Chinese economy doing so well, the competition for the best tea is increasing. With the new restrictions on Chinese tea exports, ( I will write about this later) Chinese tea producers are seeing the domestic market as being far more attractive than the subsidized export market. This could have an affect on the number of producers that are organic certified. As a long time supporter of organics we will continue to help producers pay for organic certifications, but it may reduce the overall number. This may not happen, however, because the domestic market is becoming better informed and more demanding about the safety of the Chinese food supply. The environmental movement inside of China is also gaining momentum. It will be interesting to see what will happen over the next few years. Certainly things are changing and changing rapidly.

Austin

Today’s topic: The Business of Tea- “How We Buy Our Tea” -organic, traditionally made and high quality

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Andrew

Antioxidant Found In Green Tea Suppresses Breast Cancer Growth In Female Mice

April 9, 2008 11:34 a.m. EST

Cecilia Arceo - AHN

Jackson, MS (AHN) - Antioxidant found in green tea can significantly decrease breast tumours in mice, giving hope for the development of new drugs for patients with breast cancer, says researchers.

[From Antioxidant Found In Green Tea Suppresses Breast Cancer Growth In Female Mice | April 10, 2008 | AHN]

Today’s topic: Tea Makers

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Today’s topic: Gong Fu-Oolong Tea Ceremony (short version)

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