Tea - A Course in Culture: A Review of The Tea House Times

A man who wishes to make his way in life could do no better than go through the world with a boiling tea-kettle in his hand.

– Syndey Smith

Time for TeaNext to water, tea is the most common beverage in the world.  Beer comes in third, coffee a distant fourth, with the top five rounded out by Russian kvass.  (Sorry Coca-Cola!)  Die-hard coffee lovers will take their coffee any way they can get it.  However, anything less than tea properly prepared and served can risk a chilly reception with a true tea lover.  We don’t do this often on OdessaTalk, but we thought it would be good to serve up some extra international flavor with a review of The Tea House Times and TeaCourse.com.

TheTeaHouseTimes.com is an elegant site covering the tea industry published by Gail Gastelu.  This site presents the full tea lover’s repertoire spanning tea industry events, new products, finding guests speakers for events, tea party recipes and much more.  There’s nothing simple about a simple cup of tea.   Beyond its library of book and product reviews, you will be treated to articles on leaf selection, preparation, food pairings, tea tasting and more.  Few things more pleasant than a great cup of tea, but some may find special meaning at the bottom of every cup by way of an equally long-standing tradition known as tea leaf reading.  Subscriptions to TheTeaHouseTimes.com are only $1 per month or $10 for a full year.

Tea Time does not end there - for additional education you can opt in to a full course at TeaCourse.com.   Articles, podcasts and videos on this site serve to provide you with a comprehensive knowledge of tea, its preparation, and the whole tea market.  TeaCourse.com is worth your interest if you expect to be actively engaged in social settings, hosting events or frequenting countries, companies and people whom you know to have a deep appreciation for tea.  It delivers a specialized education you won’t likely ever come by so easily or conveniently.  Two subscription options are offered to suit your degree of interest.

It is deserving of a special note, per the site that, “Professional, Full Access members may download educational content for presentations or employee education. Professionals may participate in open or private forums and promote their business through a webpage and blog.”  You will find opportunities to promote your business or restaurant.  You will find ample opportunities to network with others owing to its degree of focus and nine years of operational history.

You will find many more items of interest than this short review covers – all geared to helping you serve your guests and business associates a cup of tea they won’t forget.   You’ve got one chance to make a great impression.   Never underestimate the impact of delivering a memorable experience.  Many tea lovers have very high expectations.  If you can exceed them, you’ve got their attention for a second cup, or maybe three.