Did you know…

That the word for tea is the same in many countries: “cha” or “chai” is what tea is called in China, India, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia and other countries.

Green, black, white and oolong teas all come from the same plant - the only way they differ is how the leaves are processed after picking.

Tea is the #2 consumed beverage in the world, after water.

Tea was initially promoted as a medicinal beverage or tonic when it was first imported into Britain in the 1700’s.

The only way to determine quality of tea is to taste it - even if it is a whole leaf tea, it may be a poor quality blend.

Tea has no carbohydrates, fat or protein, but contains over 700 chemicals, many of which contribute to better health and well-being.

In the 18th century, tea smuggling was a big industry in the U.K. because of high taxes on legal tea. Most of the tea consumed in those days was illegally smuggled into the country by gangs and criminals!

We are exhibiting this year at the Natural Products Expo West, the largest tradeshow for natural and specialty foods, beverages and supplements. We’ll be in booth #2284 in Hall C. The show is held on March 12-14th, 2010 in Anaheim, CA. For more information, please visit www.expowest.com.

In December 2009, Olga and I travelled to Australia to explore the country, see the Great Barrier Reef (on our list of must-dos) and get some sun and warmth. Since Australia was settled by the British, it has a rich history of tea traditions as well. We learned that Australians love their tea! Here are some cool facts about Australia and tea:

Billy Tea - tea made in the bush using a billy can (metal canister) over a fire or camping stove. Billy tea evokes thoughts of outback explorers waking up and making their morning cup before heading out further into the bush. We had a chance to experience billy tea while watching a sunrise over Uluru, which is in the centre of Australia.

Australian-grown tea - there are some tea estates in Australia that grow and process tea. They are located in the north part of Australia in north Queensland and northern New South Wales.

Tea Tree Oil - it comes from a different plant than the tea we drink. The tea we drink comes from Camellia sinensis, while tea tree oil is derived from Camellia oleifera. Traditionally, tea tree was used by the aboriginals for its antiseptic and antifungal properties when applied to wounds, cuts and other skin conditions. Today, tea tree oil is found in many skin care products.

Tea houses in Australia - we were fortunate to visit several tea houses in Australia. They serve tea traditionally with scones, jam and cream. The most memorable was the Lake Barrine Tea House, built in the 1930s that is situated on a volcanic lake about an hour outside of Cairns. Surrounded by ancient rainforest, the tea house is a quaint look at the culture and wildlife of the Atherton Tablelands area. If you are visiting Cairns, we highly suggest to take a tour or rent a car and see the ancient rainforests. We recommend the Wait-A-While Rainforest Tours company, an independent small business that took great care of us and provided a fantastic rainforest tour.

Fully Loaded Tea is now available at Metro in Liberty Village, Toronto!

We are announcing today that Kehe Food Distributors now carries Fully Loaded Tea blends. We will be exhibiting at the Kehe Holiday Show 2009 on July 25-27th at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL. For the full press release, please click here!

Fully Loaded Tea is available in Calgary at Sunterra Markets at these locations:

Sunterra Market - West Market Square
1851 Sirocco Drive SW, Calgary, AB T3H 4R5

Sunterra Market - Britannia Marketplace
803-49th Ave SW, Calgary, AB T2S 1G8

Fancy Food and Culinary Products blog wrote about us at the start of the month and we just found the article: http://fancyfoodmagazine.blogspot.com/2009/03/editors-choice-fully-loaded-tea.html

Thank you for the write up and we`re really glad you enjoyed our teas!

We’re proud to be included in the official “Welcome to Vancouver” gift bags for Canada’s largest and most prestigious music event - the 2009 Juno Awards! The Junos are happening in Vancouver on March 29th at General Motors Place! Our blends will be included in bags given to Juno nominees and VIP guests by the host city committee, “Music from Sea-to-Sky”. They will be delivered directly to high profile guests’ hotel rooms, welcoming them to the city of Vancouver!

This marks the second year that we are involved with the Junos - we received the call directly and the organizers said that we were one of the first on their list to call, being a hip Vancouver-based tea company! We’re very proud to support the arts community and to be considered for involvement in high profile events such as the Junos!

This year, we’ll be in booth #5222 at Natural Products Expo West 2009 in Anaheim, CA on March 6-8th! Stop by and see us at the show! Add us to your planner here!