Sifting The Night Away

There’s a blog about tea simmering away in my head. Usually they come to the boil within a day or two, but this one won’t, so I found myself simply searching through tea news for something to blog about.

Searching through tea news? How does one do that?

Obviously I read a bunch of blogs, but I don’t want to pinch someone else’s topic. And as in the case of my last post, sometimes mainstream media carries a tea-related story that isn’t just a shonky and shoddy re-telling of of a scientific study.

Every so often, I have a look though the various tea media outlets, but they tend to be duller than dishwater. “Darjeeling Harvest up 0.3 per cent”. “Mr Chun elected tea supervisor in Sum Spot Tea District”. “Goat Feed Now Accounts For 90% of Genmaicha sales” etc.

So, it’s time for a Google search.

Let’s start with “tea news”.

First item is a link to World Tea News. That’s the guys who put on the World Tea Expo, and it’s ok, but has the sort of articles described above. I did learn that tea is only the 7th most consumed beverage in the US, which filled me with wonder at the potential of it all.

Next up is the Texas Education Agency.

You’d be amazed how often I get these guys. Virtually every time I search for anything. I think it actually might be some sort of front for a cult. Or a coffee company.

Then I get a couple of those things where you get “See articles about <x> at <media outlet> . In this case it’s the New York Times and Topix, and so I have a look through them. The former is much better than the latter, though both are not exactly inspiring.

However, following through the articles, I learn of Lipton’s plan to improve their offering. Like most of the tea world, the thought that Lipton might improve things is kind of a mixed blessing. I mean, if they decided to sell only good quality loose leaf tea tomorrow they could put everyone else out of business.

True to form, however, Lipton’s big innovation is this: They are making the yellow on their Yellow Label teab*gs a brighter shade. Well done, all those R&D folk who slaved away to make that possible.

Back to Google.

Next up we have the UK Tea Council, who make the startling claim that tea can re-hydrate you! Yes, according to all these guys in white coats, one of the key ingredients in tea – it’s called ‘water’ –  has now been found to make you less thirsty. Bravo, guys!

Jennifer Peterson’s Paper.li tea newspaper pops up next. Frankly, it’s a bit dull today. Headline news is you can clean windows with black tea. Why? I don’t care. If it was a particularly appalling tea, great, but otherwise, I’ll stick with tea for drinking and window cleaner for cleaning windows.

And finally; there are two news items.

BINGO!

The first is so obviously made for Beasts of Brewdom, that I have posted it there instantly.

And the second: why, it’s from a community newspaper in my home town. And it is a follow up to the topic of my last blog post.

And it’s (mostly) good news! As the links can be variable, it’s here, but also summarised below:

The backflip followed public pressure from bowlers …

Bowls SA member clubs initially voted to scrap the break. But the organisation was flooded with negative feedback after the move was announced in The Advertiser last month.

Bowls SA asked its four metropolitan regions, representing 54 greater Adelaide-based clubs, to re-vote on the issue over the weekend. Today the regions voted 3-1 in favour of retaining afternoon tea, a reversal on the 3-1 vote against the break last month.

The afternoon tea break will remain abolished from the top two Saturday open-gender divisions, after no complaints were received over that change.

 

So there you have it. Sifting through the tea news. Well worth it.