Tea Blog

For every magazine you might encounter on a newsstand today—whether physical or digital—there are many more that remain largely unseen unless you happen to work within the industries they serve.

These specialized journals—commonly known as trade magazines—serve niche audiences and often operate outside the spotlight enjoyed by major consumer publications such as The New Yorker, GQ, or Cosmopolitan. Despite their relatively low profile, they play an important role in sharing industry knowledge and trends.

There are even a few modern publications dedicated to tea, although many overlap with the coffee industry. However, this article focuses on a much older example: Coffee and Tea Industries and the Flavor Field. As its name suggests, the publication extended beyond tea alone, covering a broad range of topics related to coffee, tea, and spices.

Published by the Spice Mill Publishing Company and first established in 1878, the magazine described itself as being “devoted to the interests of the coffee, tea, and spice trades.” Thanks to digitization efforts, editions of this publication—such as the 1915 volume—are now accessible online.

While the full archive spans over a thousand pages, even a brief review reveals a fascinating glimpse into the tea trade of the early 20th century. Highlights include official reports such as the Annual Report of the Supervising Tea Examiner, suggesting government oversight of tea imports and quality control at the time.

Additional sections feature news-style columns with titles like Fires and Business Embarrassments, which provide insight into the everyday challenges faced by industry participants. There are also more unexpected inclusions, including poetry and detailed market reviews such as a Review of the Tea Trade of 1913.

The publication also contains numerous advertisements, offering a glimpse into how tea and related products were marketed. One example is a device called the “London Tea Bob,” produced by a Boston-based company—an inventive tool designed to simplify tea preparation.

If you’re curious to explore this historical resource yourself, you can browse this digitized edition of Coffee and Tea Industries and the Flavor Field archive.

Publications like this may not receive widespread attention, but they offer a unique and valuable window into the history and development of the tea industry.

See more of William I. Lengeman’s articles in this archive of tea-related writing by the author.

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