Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/737343
16 STiR coffee and tea / Issue 5, 2016 (October/November) Tea Report: Jane Pettigrew AUSTRALIA Cha Cha Tea Mixers Melbourne based Cha Cha, owned by Sam Manning, has developed a range of exciting fruit infusions and tea concen- trates that are designed to pour over ice with sparkling water, or to create colorful lattes by adding to steamed milk. The innovative mixers can also be blended with alcoholic drinks and so add to the repertoire of cocktail mixologists and creative bartenders. A concentrated powder form is also available for mixing into hot dairy milk or steamed almond, oat or coconut milk. Produced at a nearby microbrewery in the small town of Geelong, Victoria, the mixers use whole tea leaves, fruits and spices, and include Cha Cha Chai Tea Mixer (black tea, purified water, cold pressed ginger, raw Australian honey, cinnamon, green cardamom, black pepper, cloves, start anise, and vanilla bean); peeling fantastic tea mixer (pineapple, mango, orange strawberry, marigold, safflowers, and vitamins); and strawberry swoon tea mixer (hibiscus, rose hips, apple pieces orange peels, and strawberry). The Langham Hotel in Melbourne serves the pink tea latte with their afternoon tea service and the products are attracting international attention. All natural and locally sourced from small holding plantations, the concentrates contain no extra sugar and no additives. modern era," commented Wuyin, editor in chief. "We are creating a relaxing interactive platform between tea and people who love the natural organic lifestyle." Guangdong Chasheng Culture Media is also producing a series of books on different geographical sources of tea. The latest issue focuses on Lancang, one of the most famous Pu'er tea regions in Yunnan province. With material from reporters and photographers who visited the famous tea mountains and talked to tea farmers face to face, this book provides 100% original content, the most up-to-date information, and a valuable insight into Lancang as an important tea origin. INDIA Darjeeling eAuction Troubles The decision to include India's famous Darjeeling tea in the nation's e-auction system is under intense scrutiny as buyers struggle to reach financial settlement requirements. In October the India Tea Association (ITA) complained that the Bank of India and India Tea Board have failed to resolve software impediments that first came to light in May. "The facilitators of the e-auction system have failed to interact in-depth with the auction organizers and grasp the requirements of the associated stake holders namely sellers, buyers, auction- eers and warehouses operating in the auction system," the association said in a statement. Tocklai Funding Crisis The Tea Research Association's center in Tocklai, Assam has been facing a funding crunch for months requiring severe cutbacks in programs. The center, founded in 1911 as the Tocklai Langham Hotel pink tea latte CANADA Teafarm' s Rare Teas New tea growers Victor Vesely and Margit Nellemann this year offered two specialty teas produced from their six-year old hardy plants that have survived regular winter snowfalls at the 11-acre organic farm in the Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island. The spring-picked organic tree frog green is named for the tree frogs that are heard in the meadows and wetlands that surround the farm, and sold for $350 per 25 grams. And the swallow tale oolong, so called for the swallows that settle on the farm in late spring each year and are harbingers of longer warmer summer days to come. The oolong yielded beautiful amber liquor that was smooth and buttery with honey notes. Teas are hand-picked, withered, rolled and bruised to provoke partial oxidation, then panned, and cooled and baked several times before being finished in the wok. The teas were presented in different quantities in stylish black rice paper pouches. Learn more: www.teafarm.ca CHINA Chinese Tea Lifestyle Despite the rise of digital media and 21st century challenges to paper media, 'Cha Dao Life', thrives in China. The print magazine, produced by Guangdong Chasheng Culture media company, is the first Chinese tea magazine in China which aims to explore human geography in depth, and focuses on tea, tea origin, tea culture, and tea's connections to modern lifestyle. "We are committed to returning to the land and to promoting tea as the very center of different lifestyles in the Tree frog green tea The tea tree king of Lancang