In late breaking news from China, here comes a report that claims that some of the more rare varieties of spring harvested tea are apparently fetching prices that literally make them worth their weight in gold – or even more. Among those varieties, a Longjing (Dragonwell) green tea from Zhejiang province, which is selling at just over $1,600 per ounce. Which, if my math is correct, works out to about $128 per cup.

Speaking of pricey, here’s a report on some really expensive teabags that were confiscated by police in Orlando, Florida, not so long ago. The catch: they were filled with a leafy substance of another sort entirely and one that will presumably land their owner in a different type of hot water than the kind used to steep tea.

For high tea of a decidedly more genteel and traditional sort, check out this report on Virgin Atlantic’s efforts to bring afternoon tea to the skies for their well-heeled Upper Class passengers. As the report notes, “passengers can now choose between a full tea service featuring ‘English’ Breakfast or Earl Grey tea plus finger sandwiches, scones and cakes served in their own purpose-made dainty cake stand.” Pinkies up!

If you just can’t quite seem to get enough of tea, you always have the option of wearing it. Or at least, as the case is with clothing from a British designer, you can wear clothing made from tea bags that have been used and thoroughly dried to make a kind of cloth. Among the items Grace Robinson creates in this unusual manner are dresses, shoes and accessories.

For those who find themselves dreaming of tea, a mattress from Keetsa might be a great investment. The company’s Tea Leaf Dream, Tea Leaf Classic, and Tea Leaf Supreme models all include a product called EverGreen, which is “made from all-natural green tea” and which “is embedded into the memory foam for long-lasting natural odor control.”

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