TEA TIME: THE RISE OF TEA CULTURE
The latest trends in tea Plus: Blog fetches $350k book deal
This trend isn't simply about the next hot health-promoting variety or the latest free-radical fighting tea-infused facial serum, but rather, we've noticed a growing fascination around tea culture in general that encompasses the history, mystique, tradition, and ceremony of tea. As we continue to see the Slow Movement gain an American following, we expect that the ritual of tea will find a larger home within the US, with caffeine seekers exchanging a quick shot of espresso for a more relaxed pot of tea for social meet-ups. Similar to the US wine industry boom, we expect to see major growth in the American specialty tea market (which already brings in an estimated $6.8 billion/year) in the future.
While it may not have quite the effect that the movie Sideways had on the wine industry, the recently released documentary All In This Tea
has people talking and thinking differently about a beverage that's commonly perceived as, well... common. The film follows a world-renowned tea connoisseur as he journeys to China to learn about some of the world's best handmade teas and the ancient craft of tea making. Along the way, attention is drawn to the dwindling population of experienced tea farmers whose age-old methods have given way to the bigger industry of mass production.
For those who can't make the trek to Asia, you'll likely be able to experience a tea tasting in your own community, as a growing number of modern tea shops have begun to pop up in urban areas. In the past, we've written about New York's Tavalon Tea Bar, and Dr. Tea's (formerly Elixir) in Los Angeles has long been one of our favorite haunts. Lately we've been tea-ing up at Algabar where proprietors Gail Barel and Robb Wain have been hosting tea tastings. Using the "traditional tools of the tea master," guests can learn about the origin, production, proper preparation, and even appropriate food pairings for a number of rare handmade teas from all over the world. On the catering side of their business, the shop has also been seeing interest in "Marteanis".
Skeptics of this growing trend might just want to give tea another try—and this time, be sure to follow the specific tea brewing instructions, because if we've learned one thing from a recent tutorial on tea, everything from water temperature to infusion (i.e. steep) time will affect the taste and essence of a perfect cup.
And by the way:The writers behind buzz humor blog Stuff White People Like
already nabbed a book deal, with a reported advance of at least $350,000 from publisher Random House.
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* trendcentral articles are designed to be trend reports, not endorsements * The Intelligence Group is a trend-forecasting and marketing Consultancy focused on Gen X, Gen Y and Tweens. For more information on our services, or to subscribe to our syndicated studies, The Cassandra Report, Tween Intelligence, Latino Intelligence, and Mom Intelligence, contact Alina Goncalves at 212-277-5299 or via email at agoncalves@intelg.com.
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