According to a new press release, Lipton is releasing a line of "large-leaf" teas in mesh teabags. For now, the release is limited to Australia, but it could have implications for other tea markets. The line includes:
There is much debate over loose-leaf tea vs. teabags. Many consumers prefer the convenience of teabags, but a growing number of people are unwilling to make the quality sacrifice associated with teabags, opting instead for loose-leaf tea. However, a Lipton is not the first tea company to break the "teabag=low grade tea" rule. Revolution Tea and Steven Smith Teamaker (whose line I recently reviewed -- scroll down) have also taken to putting substantially better grades of tea in their bags then are common. This is great news for fans of teabags, though I wonder how many loose-leaf tea drinkers will regularly drink teabags after making the switch to loose leaf....
Tea drinkers, share your opinion! If you drink teabag tea, would you try "large leaf" teas like those in Lipton's new tea line? If you drink loose-leaf tea, would you drink "large leaf" tea in teabags? Join the vote:
Want to check out some of the teabags that are currently available on the U.S. market? Read these teabag reviews on About Coffee / Tea.
(Full Disclosure: I have previously worked as an independent contractor for Lipton/UNILEVER.)
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- English Breakfast - "a full bodied, richly favoured tea and perfect to wake up to"
- Imperial Earl Grey - "a robust tea with aromas of bergamot"
- Mediterranean - "a herbal infusion with lime tree blossom, releasing light and floral flavours"
- Morocco - "an infusion of spices, herbs and crushed mint for a calming experience"
- Alps - "a unique herbal infusion made with hibiscus, enriched by rosehip, strawberry, raspberry and cranberry fruits"
There is much debate over loose-leaf tea vs. teabags. Many consumers prefer the convenience of teabags, but a growing number of people are unwilling to make the quality sacrifice associated with teabags, opting instead for loose-leaf tea. However, a Lipton is not the first tea company to break the "teabag=low grade tea" rule. Revolution Tea and Steven Smith Teamaker (whose line I recently reviewed -- scroll down) have also taken to putting substantially better grades of tea in their bags then are common. This is great news for fans of teabags, though I wonder how many loose-leaf tea drinkers will regularly drink teabags after making the switch to loose leaf....
Tea drinkers, share your opinion! If you drink teabag tea, would you try "large leaf" teas like those in Lipton's new tea line? If you drink loose-leaf tea, would you drink "large leaf" tea in teabags? Join the vote:
Want to check out some of the teabags that are currently available on the U.S. market? Read these teabag reviews on About Coffee / Tea.
(Full Disclosure: I have previously worked as an independent contractor for Lipton/UNILEVER.)
Do you tweet? Follow About Coffee/Tea on Twitter.
Are you on Facebook? "Like" About Coffee/Tea.
Interested in learning more about tea? Sign up for the free, easy Tea 101 e-course.
Comments
I prefer loose-leaf tea, but I don’t blame teabags since they are handy and their quality have been much improved these days. What makes me sadder is knowing that less young people in Japan don’t have a teapot at home because of abundance of PET bottles. Tea directly from refrigerator instead of teapot??? It might be OK for quenching our thirst quickly, but this is not “my cup of tea”.
Thanks for your comment, Tomo!
In the U.S., I am usually very pleased to see unsweetened tea available in convenience stores and vending machines, as it is a welcome change to the other options and it helps more people try tea and, perhaps, start drinking hot tea, too.
However, during a recent trip to Japan, I saw that tea was far more available in PET bottles than in teabag, loose-leaf or hot/fresh form, and many people like yourself expressed a great deal of concern over this trend. One gentleman even told me that PET bottles were a sign of the death of Japanese food culture. Given the many cultural associations and food traditions surrounding tea in Japan, it was sad to see that the younger generation has very little knowledge of how to prepare or enjoy freshly made tea.
Could you talk about why you think it’s important for young people in Japan to prepare tea from loose leaves or a teapot instead of drinking it from bottles? I’d love to hear what you think!
In my opinion, PET bottles tea is like “fast-food”, while loose-leaf tea is like “slow food”. So, slow food, which means loose-leaf tea, is healthier and more tasty to me. Also, I can feel more consideration, attentiveness and love of cook in slow food. Historically, the custom of drinking tea in Japan started as a part of practice for Zen Buddism monks to cultivate one’s mind. Then, it has a great influence on Japanese culture including food, aethetic and even hospitality spirit. (We call hospitality spirit “omotenashi”.) So, I can say, by preparing tea using teapot, we will be able to think and learn naturally “omotenashi” which means how we care company, how we make company feel at home and so on. In modern society, PET bottles became indespensible, but, I hope more young people have time to prepare tea using teapot at least several times a week or so.
Thank you for sharing, Tomo! That’s fascinating… It sounds like the importance of brewing tea relates to the culinary experience and the spiritual / interpersonal experience associated with tea in Japan.
In the U.S., most people talk about the flavor difference vs. the convenience. Some people say bottled tea (even unsweetened bottled tea) isn’t as healthy as fresh-brewed tea because it loses antioxidants.
Fewer people talk about manners and etiquette, or the connection with family in the current wave of tea culture here, but the idea does exist. (An example of this kind of view of tea is Emma Lea Books.)
I would love to hear more about your thoughts on the hospitality spirit! Is it closely linked with chado in Japan, or is it a broader idea than that? How is it taught and learned (from parents to children, through books or classes, etc.)? What kinds of behaviors or actions are associated with tea and omotenashi? Is this way of thinking and acting reserved for guests and formal tea/meals, or is it practiced on a wider scale?
I think that Japanese “omotenashi” spirit basically comes from the philosophy of chado (also called “sado”). This spirit has a great influence on every aspect of Japanese culture and even lifestyle including everyday tea, although it is not as formal as chado.
In our daily life, when we have guests at home, we serve tea with teacups suitable to season. When we serve tea during meals and teatime, tea is served to Father first. So, we can learn common ideas such as how we welcome the guests, and who is the breadwinner of the family (Can I say “tea-winner”!??) from parents to children. In the business field, when we have customers at companies, mainly female employees serve tea with attentiveness and consideration to show their welcome.
Some companies teach female employees the proper preparation for tea and tea-serving manners including beautiful posture for holding a tea tray and serve tea, how to check the face of teacup and “chataku” (a kind of tea saucer often made of wood or bamboo), how to distinguish the first person to be served tea in the meeting room, and so on. (Sounds like a training for hotel man, doesn’t it?) Of course, some books on etiquette are available, too.
The tea-brewing preparation way by using teapot was relatively new. Teapot widely came to use around 18th century after sencha was developed by Nagatani Soen in 1738. (Before that, since tea was mainly prepared by decocting in a tea kettle. Other than this, matcha preparation style that tea is beaten by a bamboo whisk also existed among high-class people.) Along with the improvement of our lifestyles, tea-drinking custom using teapot became popular among common people.Gradually, it became a part of our daily life and a part of symbol of happy family. And now, it is too familiar and common to discuss what tea means to us.
I don’t drink tea using teapot while thinking this kind of stuff all the time. I do just because I like it. So I feel sad to hear that less people even don’t have a teapot at home. However, there is good news, too. Japanese tea cafés are getting popular here in Japan. Some cafés create new ideas to enjoy Japanese tea and have classes to teach proper preparation for Japanese tea. This trend will help re-consider and re-discover the beauty of Japanese tea even to young Japanese people.
Sorry, this is not clear answer to your question. My thoughts may sound very nostalgic, but we feel relaxed and are able to show our respect and hospitality to others by preparing tea. So, I just wanted to say that it is important to look for new style while preserving good aspects of tradition.
In addition to my previous comments, I have to tell you this.
Tea-serving job was considered to be a female job in business field before. However, it was too man-oriented, so, these days, less companies teach female employees tea-serving etiquette, and ask female employees to serve tea.
And, you might find an interest in this, too.
Japanese-style living room used to be nicknamed as “cha-no-ma” (literally means “a tea room”). This represents family members often gathered at the room and enjoyed their time while having tea. Nowadays, the term of cha-no-ma become obsolete. I guess this is because Japanese houses become westernized, and we spend less time with our family due to the change of our lifestyles.(busier society, more nuclear families and so on.)
Thank you for showing your interest in Japanese tea culture, Lindsey!
Thank you for the wealth of information, Tomo! I think that the relationship between tea and etiquette in Japan is very interesting. Tea as a symbol of welcome seems to cross many cultures, but each culture has such a different approach to it.
Your mention of cha-no-ma helped me make more sense of a place I visited in Tokyo. It was a cozy, relaxed tea house with wonderful tea, and it was called Cha-Cha-No-Ma. I thought it meant tea-tearoom, but it is really a pun for tea living room. Very clever!
I’m sorry to hear that (tea) living rooms have fallen out of favor. Sen So’Oku said in an interview I had with him that the tea aspect of living spaces has started to return somewhat with Modern Teaism. Have you seen that happen where you live?
I’ve seen the Lipton stuff piled up at the local supermarket here in South Australia.
I would not normally touch teabags. Also Lipton seem to be favouring Kenyan tea, which I think is probably cheaper, in their EB generally.
However, just for you and your readers, I’ll buy a box today and pull it apart on video this weekend. I’ll also get a locally available EB loose leaf and compare.
Thanks, The Devotea! We’d love to see what’s in them.
Have you been to Cha-cha-no-ma?? I haven’t yet, but I know the tea house. Definitely, I would love to go when I visit Tokyo next time.
Thank you for sharing Mr.Sen’s comment, Lindsey! I really agree and understand what he means. Tea is not only a beverage, but a part of time-honored culture. But we shouldn’t stick to it too much in a way, because our lifestyle changes. Although a lot of aspects of culture seem to be obsolete, but good news is that I can also see more people are returning to tradition including tea, Japanese food (called washoku), and so on, these days. My previous comment that the number of Japanese cafes is increasing is one of the examples. The style how to enjoy is not the same as people did in the past, though. As Mr.Sen said, the style should change according our lifestyle. But “with one condition”. May the original ideas of Japanese culture be unchanged!
And, I need to keep that in mind, too!
Yes, I went to Cha-Cha-No-Ma after a food-savvy friend of mine in Tokyo recommended it. It’s a wonderful tea shop! The man who runs it is very knowledgeable about Japanese teas, and he takes great pride in helping people enjoy the nuances of each brewing. If you can visit, I highly recommend it.
I’d really like to know more about Japanese tea cafes. I visited quite a few in Japan, but I’m sure you have a different perspective on them, as you know far more about the culture. Do you (personally) prefer to brew tea at home or drink tea in a cafe? Do you think most cafe customers only drink tea in cafes, or do you think they also brew tea at home? Do you find that Japanese tea cafes attract a certain type of customer (such as people who are interested in traditional Japanese foods/culture, or people who already drink tea often)? Which traditions or ideas do you think tea cafes successfully carry into a modern environment or lifestyle? If you have any thoughts or opinions on the matter, I’d love to hear them!
Personally, I prefer to brew tea at home, but when I find and hear about nice tea cafes, I usually visit them out of curiosity! But, I am sure you have been to more than I have.
I think more young people go to the Japanese tea cafes mainly because of health-consciousness, fashion, and the attraction of mouth-watering sweets, which may be the most important. Magazines and TV programs sometimes feature the trendy cafes and tea’s benefit. Young people get the information from media.
Traditionally, we don’t pay for Japanese tea at many restaurants. When we order, during and after meal, Japanese tea (less expensive one such as bancha and houjicha) is usually served with free of charge. (Water is served at restaurants such as Italian and French, and cafes, instead.) Therefore, this is the fact that many still hesitate to pay for regular Japanese tea.
Actually, around the time when the PET bottled Japanese tea was first put on market, many people were thinking “Do we have to pay for Japanese tea???” But, now, there is a variety of PET bottled Japanese tea and they are everywhere. I think this is because the PET bottles-related companies keep trying to develop their goods, and also people care about their health more than ever. (Because they are sold as a healthy drink through cool and sophisticated TV commercials or other media. Excellent marketing!)
Going back to Japanese cafes, they are relatively new trend. There is a variety of types of Japanese cafes. Some place an importance on real taste of Japanese tea like Cha-Cha-no-Ma, the others try to popularize new style of Japanese tea like IEMON in Kyoto. So, it is hard to make a comment on Japanese cafes in general. But, ordinarily young people go to those cafes, as I mentioned earlier. In any reasons, more young people might find interest in Japanese tea through the cafes, which is good.
I heard the trend in the U.K.. People once stayed away from English tea, but nowadays, more people go back to tea again because of Tea Associations promotion saying tea is good for you. Unless the past, people prefer less fat milk for tea and less fat tea cakes even for afternoon tea served at hotels, though.
I believe that the recent health-conscious trend supports the popularity of tea not only in Japan.
Considering this, PET bottled Japanese tea may be an “icebreaker” for this trend of going back to Japanese tea. And then, Japanese tea cafes will be another “icebreaker” to make their own nice cup of tea at home, once they realize the taste of the freshly made tea at cafes.
Am I straying too far from the point??? We have a lot to talk about Japanese tea, don’t we, Lindsey? Of course, this is fun for me!
I know you saw the current Japanese tea circumstances through the visit to tea plantation and tea cafes, and the interview with tea-savvy people while in Japan. I would love to hear about your thoughts on Japanese tea in Japan and the current trend of Japanese tea in the U.S., if you don’t mind!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on Japanese tea cafes! From what I saw in Japan, it makes a lot of sense.
I was somewhat surprised by the variety of tea shops in Japan. When Americans think of tea in Japan, it tends to be a rather two-dimensional image. The reality is very of tea in Japan different. For example, tea culture in Kyoto extends far beyond matcha and chado. Iyemon was very trendy and chic, with lots of tea cocktails and a funky, modern environment. Ippodo was much more traditional, but they had a cozy cafe area and offered all kinds of classes on tea brewing to help people understand Japanese teas better.
Two other shops in Kyoto combined a modern, clean aesthetic and a traditional Japanese look (with wooden surfaces, large stones, etc.), but they were still very different from each other. (One was more like a cafe, while the other was a huge store with a floor devoted to tea blending, a floor for chanoyu, a floor for matcha teaware, etc.)
A Lipton flagship store and Toraya were both focused on food, but they each offered a completely different type of tea, food and ambiance. There were also a number of different tea stalls, each with its own style.
Each tea cafe or tea shop was so distinct, even though they were in the same city and (generally) focused on Japanese teas.
Likewise, when I visited tea shops in Tokyo, I found that each one was completely different.
I think that the diversity of tea shops has the potential to appeal to a wide range of people. It is my hope that it will be the “icebreaker” you mentioned, and it will encourage a resurgence of tea culture in Japan.
So many people I spoke with in Japan said the old ways are dying, and that means tea culture is being lost. I agree that the old ways of tea are not popular anymore, but I also saw a new type of tea culture emerging there. In some ways, it’s similar to the emerging American tea culture (which is focused on quality, connoisseurship, novel drinks such as tea cocktails, healthy lifestyle branding, and food pairings), but it is also distinctly Japanese.
It is my hope that Japanese tea culture will not be lost, but will instead evolve (like Sen So’Oku has proposed with Modern Teaism, or like the many approaches to tea I saw in Japanese tea cafes and tea shops).
The conversation that we have talked here spurs me to explore Japanese tea (including tea cafes) more. Thank you, Lindsey!
May I ask just two more questions?
I know, recently, Japanese tea attracts American people more attention compared to the past. Less popularity compared to other bevarages such as coffee and black tea, though.
1) How do people in the U.S. enjoy Japanese tea? Do you enjoy Japanese tea as you would coffee and black tea? Or do you enjoy the arranged version such as Japanese tea cocktails, tea au lait, and tea sweets?
2) Do you think Japanese tea will gain more popularity among people in the U.S. in the future?
I would appreciate it if you could share your comment.
I’d be glad to answer!
1) Personally, I tend to drink Japanese green teas brewed in a kyusu (or I drink whisked matcha). Most in America people drink Japanese green tea more like they would drink black tea. However, a lot of people also enjoy matcha lattes, matcha smoothies, matcha sweets (like Green Tea Pound Cake or Green Tea Cheesecake) or green tea cocktails (which can be made very easily with infused spirits like this green tea vodka).
2) Yes, I think that as tea gains popularity and more people become interested in organic tea and the health benefits of green tea, more people will drink Japanese green tea. I also think that, as more people learn to brew Japanese green tea, more people will learn to enjoy its true taste and become fans of it.
Many people asked me about this trend in Japan. However, when I spoke with several farmers about whether or not they want Americans to drink Japanese green tea, some said yes, but others said they didn’t really care — they were more interested in local production and local consumption. Although the latter viewpoint surprised me at first, I think it makes sense given the current economic trends in Japan.
Thank you, Lindsey!
I know a highly skilled tea farmer in Kyoto. He wants more people in overseas to drink tasty Japanese tea (hopefully including his tea, he said). So, that’s interesting to know that some don’t care about the overseas market.
Also, I have read your article about In Pursuit of Tea. I am impressed that they are so knowledgeable as you are. Yes, I can see more people in the U.S. will come to like Japanese tea thanks to the experts like you and Mr.Beckwith.
Thanks!!
There is an increasing number of knowledgeable merchants of Japanese tea in the U.S. Companies like Rishi Tea (which I have reviewed before) and In Pursuit of Tea are part of this growing movement, as are several Japanese tea companies with U.S. branches.
I hope to see more tea companies join the trend soon, but I think that traveling to tea origins to study tea there is a key part of this, and many tea business owners do not have the time and/or skills to do this. Fortunately, as a tea writer, I have the ability to travel to tea origins, learn about tea, and then share what I’ve learned. While it’s not the same as traveling to origin, it helps tea business owners learn more about the teas they sell (or so I hope!).