Leaf Life

Summer Tea Events!

2009-06-16T14:47:00.000-07:00

It is iced tea season at the The Jasmine Pearl!
Did you know that 80% of the tea consumed in America is iced tea? That is why we have decided to keep our summer tea events cool.

We will be doing iced tea tastings throughout the season. We encourage you to visit the Events page of our tea Blog "Leaf Life" to find out when and where we will be sharing new flavors with the public.

Here are a few upcoming Events scheduled:

Saturday June 20th
11:00 am-2:00 pm
location: Whole Foods Market, Pearl District (1210 NW Couch st. Portland, OR 97209)

Whole Foods Block Party! - We will be launching our new Eco-Canisters at the Pearl District location of Whole Foods. There will be vendors sampling yummy foods and we will be there serving refreshing iced teas. Please join us!

Saturday June 27th
11:00 am-2:00 pm
location: Whole Foods Market, Pearl District (1210 NW Couch st. Portland, OR 97209)

Whole Foods Iced Tea - We will be sampling two iced teas and profiling our new Eco-Canisters at Whole Foods' Pearl District location. Please join us!

Saturday July 18th
2:00 -5:00 pm
location: Whole Foods Market, Pearl District (1210 NW Couch st. Portland, OR 97209)

Tea Tasting & Talk with The Jasmine Pearl - Stop by for a sit-down tea sampling with The Jasmine Pearl. We will be talking about how tea is manufactured, best brewing methods, and sampling some delicious blends!

Saturday July 16th
11:30 am -1:30 pm
location: Guse's Gourmet Coffee (1208 Commerce Ave. Longview, WA 98632)

Tea Sampling with The Jasmine Pearl - Stop by for a sit-down tea sampling with The Jasmine Pearl. We will be talking about how tea is manufactured and how to brew an excellent cup at home. Also, we will be sampling some unique teas from around the world...on ice!

Saturday August 8th
2:00 -5:00 pm
location: New Renaissance Books (1338 NW 23^rd Ave. Portland, OR 97210)

Iced Tea Tea Tasting! -Stop by for a sit-down tea sampling with The Jasmine Pearl. We will explore the world on teas on ice! We will be talking about tea tea types and optimal ways to brew a great cup of tea.

Summer Sale!

2009-06-01T14:28:00.000-07:00

We've been having wonderfully warm weather here in oft-rainy Portland and it's gotten us in a summery mood. That means it is time to stock up on iced teas!

Buy 4 oz. or greater of any bulk tea or herbal blend and we will discount:

25% off the retail price.

Discount taken at checkout. Limited to stock on hand. Offer good from 06/01/09 to 06/30/09

Reflections on Small Business Posperity During a Big Time Recession

2009-03-11T15:16:00.000-07:00

People over the years have always asked how business is going. At first you could see that look in their eyes, the one that really asks the question "Are you guys going to make it?".

Over time, people continued to ask how business was doing, but instead of note of concern, it became more of an air joyful anticipation. Our friends and customers had begun to share the joy of watching us grow.

At the end of 2008, when the economy tanked and people first began to panic, we saw many small business close their doors, and we saw slower sales during what has been historically our most prosperous time of year.

The concern on our friends faces returned, and we at the Jasmine Pearl began to brace ourselves for a challenging 2009.

Surprisingly, 2009 arrived without drama. Instead it came with a flood of new business. We scratched our heads in early February assuming that it was entirely a fluke. After all, how could we be doing so well when others were struggling to get by?

February passed, and again we did more growth than ever before.

We have ushered this new prosperity in with a feeling of deep gratitude for our friends and customers. We are humbly aware that without all of them The Jasmine Pearl not be where it is today.

Beyond counting our blessings, we have done some real soul searching on what has gotten us to this place and how we can continue to grow during an economic recession.

Here are some things that we have done to keep thriving:

1) Continuing Education - We are constantly reading tea industry news, listening to our suppliers, and growing our knowledge base with volumes of tea books, and classes. It keeps us interested, focused and deeply connected to what we do...blending great teas!

2) Homework - When we are not reading about tea, we are usually reading about marketing or small business management. Sounds boring huh? It can be, until we realized that our livelihood depended on it. There is a wealth of information out there from people who have failed and people who have succeeded. It seems foolish not to learn from other people expertise.

3) Running a Tight Ship - For us that has always been about watching our sales and expenses closely. It means always staying current on our bookkeeping. Accounting is the most loathed part of most small business owners existence, but I have always gotten a sense of peace knowing exactly where we stand financially (even if it we were losing money).

4) Communication - We love our customers, we love our vendors. and we always try to let them know. This is helpful when we make mistakes or we need something out of the ordinary from a supplier. Everyone is much more obliging, when you show respect and gratitude for the things that they do for you.

Yours in tea...
H.

Organic Certification Part 2

2009-02-03T16:29:00.000-08:00

In Part 1, we addressed the reasons why processors like ourselves need Organic certification in order to label our products as USDA Organic. In this segment, we will discuss how we got through the process, and some of the lessons that we learned while doing so.

Firstly, we started off with an attitude. Mainly the attitude that certification was going to be a huge undertaking, and that we couldn’t afford the certification fees.

After an attitude adjustment we realized that, yes this was a huge undertaking, but with diligence and focus we could whittle away at the requirements over time. It seemed epic, taking us nearly 2 years to carry out the requirements, but we did prevail.

In terms of the cost, our attitudes adjusted as we recognized that we couldn’t afford not to become certified. Our resistance was not because we lacked passion about organics. We had been providing quality organic teas to our customers for years. It was simply that we had a hard time coughing up so much money for a label, something intangible. Eventually, our circumstances changed and we budgeted ourselves into a place that we could pay the costs of certification.

With a new attitude, we made our second step; tackling the organic paperwork.

Paperwork

There are five parts to the organic paperwork;

1) The form regarding the facility and the business (general info).

2) The forms for each product that we intended to sell.

3) The copies of the organic certificates from all of our suppliers and farmers.

4) Examples of our new prospective labels, featuring the organic labeling that we intended to use.

5) Maps of the tea blending facility, including a flow chart of how ingredients and products are received, stored, processed and shipped.

There was also some additional paperwork that was required, but that we already had completed to comply with department Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) rules:

*A pest management plan.

*Cleaning & Sanitizing logs.

*Batch Logs

*Blend Logs

No big deal, right? For our purposes it was a bit of work. Because we wanted to market all of our herbs and spices as certified organic, we needed to submit these forms for each ingredient as well. This meant roughly, 75 product forms, 75 copies of certificates, and 90 new label designs (some items are sold in bags and tins, thus 2 labels for 1 product).

The purpose of doing all of this paperwork, was to create our part of the trail from tea garden to consumer, thus giving the product transparency.

Additionally, the labels needed to comply with organic standards. Everything had to be accurately represented, and there are certain rules about the size and type of certain statements that we could make.

Once the paperwork was done we had a stack of forms 3 inches thick (ouch!). Then we had to tackle the changes in our processing methods and the layout of our facility to be in compliance.

In our next section. We will discuss those actions we took to implement organic handling practices.

You haven't lived......

2008-12-15T07:19:00.000-08:00

.....until you've tried a good oolong! I'm serious. There is a lot of tea out there. And I'm referring only to whole- or broken-leaved varieties: The good stuff (I don't count teabags, though I know there are a few that taste decent). When I talk tea, you can rest assured that 99% of the time, I'm referring to the loose-leaf, high-grade goods.
Anyway, as I was saying, spend a little on a good oolong. There are some surprising ones from mainland China, a few new ones from India, some I've not tried from Japan, and even a few from Thailand and Vietnam. My favorites, however, are those really good ones from Taiwan. Oh, my! Some are buttery with corn coming in over the top. Others are very, Very floral. You've got graham cracker/pastry versions, honey versions, toasted grain versions, and even milky versions. And these haven't been flavored, my friend, that's the natural taste of the leaf coming through. High mountain varietals tend to be the best (and most expensive, but Taiwanese teas are probably the only teas I'd say consistently taste better the more they cost).
The market for oolong teas is still small, but I can see them outstripping other teas, in terms of popularity, in a few years. Because of the flavor. It...is...just......fascinating. Indescribable (though I've done my best to capture overarching essences - no pun - above). We'll be adding to our repertoire as time and cash-flow permit, but our Alishan and Honey Oolong are two that come foremost to my mind. The Emerald and Jade are very quality examples of low-elevation Formosan (Taiwanese) oolongs, as well. The GABA is outstanding and represents a whole story unto itself, for a future post, of course.
Time for a cuppa, now that I think about it. Have a fine day.

In Tea,

C.

Dragonwell, Shmagonwell

2008-12-11T07:46:00.000-08:00

We've got a backlog of pending orders for Dragonwell, the 'roasted chestnut', slightly astringent green tea from Hangzhou, China. If you haven't had it, I recommend venturing forth and obtaining some (it's appearance on China's own 'Ten Most Famous Teas' list says more about the tea than I could write). Pressed, with a yellowish-green appearance, the leaves open to reveal tender, young budsets which brew a yellow hue with discerning flavor. There are more expensive, pre-spring rain pluckings, but we tend more toward the post-rain harvests, which are somewhat hardier in flavor. I digress.
As I was saying, orders are stacking up because we are currently out of Organic Dragonwell. Last week we received an awaited shipment, which turned out to be very disappointing - not what we usually receive from this broker; dark leaves and very lacking in flavor. Organic, yes, but not something we want to offer our customers. So we shipped it back and turned to another broker with whom we do some business. Their version is not organic, but they are more consistent in what they offer and we are willing to forgo the organic status for this round to at least be able to offer a good-quality Dragonwell. It should be back on our site by Friday - after we cup it, of course.

In Tea,

C.

Recieve a Free Gift Certifiicate!

2008-10-13T17:02:00.000-07:00

Would you like a FREE Gift Certificate for The Jasmine Pearl?

In 2003 we started a program to reward business referrals. The offer was surprisingly successful and has truly helped our small business grow. It is primarily because of these referrals that our teas can be found in over 85 locations around the country!

So we at The Jasmine Pearl wanted to introduce those who are new to our referral program and remind those of you who have forgotten about it.

You can earn a $30 Gift Certificate with your suggestions. Here’s how:

Tell us about your favorite restaurant, cafe, or other business that you would like to see carry teas from The Jasmine Pearl Tea Merchants.
Send us their contact information and yours.
We will reach them, begin a dialogue, send samples, and go from there.
If the business you refer chooses to carry our teas in their shop, we will send you a free $30 gift certificate to use toward any of our products.

Once again, we want to thank everyone for their patronage and support. We would not be here today if it wasn't for you!

(Send referrals or questions to: mail@thejasminepearl.com)

About Organic Certification - Part 1

2008-09-26T13:05:00.000-07:00

After much delay, we finally submitted our organic certification paperwork in early August to Stellar Organic Certification Services. Stellar is a division of Demeter USA, a Biodynamic and Organic certifier.

Our paperwork has been reviewed and we have been green-lighted for an inspection. We are awaiting the call from our local inspector to arrange the assessment. The certifiers have delayed the process for several weeks and we are quite excited (as you can imagine) to get the process completed.

Many people have asked us why, if our products are certified organic at the level of the farm, does our business have to get a certification as well. I though I would dedicate the next 2 blog entries to explaining the hows and whys of organic certification for a processing facility.

The reason that Organic Certification exists is to ensure that products were not only grown organically, but stored, handled, processed and packaged following USDA Organic Standards.

This means that every person and business that comes into contact with the organic product not only needs to be handling the products in compliance with these standards, but they also need to maintain paperwork tracing the product from their origin to their present location.

This leaves nothing about the movement and quality control of the organic item to chance by giving the entire process a transparency.

So as a "processor" of tea, The Jasmine Pearl was required to submit paperwork that allowed the certifier to follow the teas, herbs, spices and flavors all the way back to the point of origin. Additionally the certifier needed to see how we processed the tea in our facility to make sure that we were not co-mingling organics with non-organics and not using harmful chemicals in the storage and cleaning of our processing equipment.

Coming up next: Part 2 of About Organic Certification.
We will share our own experience with the organic certification process.

Our Tea Tasting Room is Open!

2008-09-01T12:21:00.000-07:00

The home of our humble new tasting room is the Activ Space Building on NW Raleigh in Portland, OR.

The Tasting Room is a venue for private tea tastings, and meetings with new clients. We will also be holding, tea classes, workshops and open houses at the space.
To schedule an appointment, request a private tea tasting, or participate in a tea class, please contact; Heather Agosta 503-236-3539 heather@thejasminepearl.com

The Jasmine Pearl Tea Merchants Tasting Room

1722 NW Raleigh St., #108 (Activ Space Raleigh) Portland, OR 97209

Organic Certification Update.

2008-02-28T10:04:00.000-08:00

Our top priority for 2008 is completing the organic certification process for our tea blending facility. As many of our customers know, over half of our tea selection and nearly all of our herbs and spices are organically grown. The last step to acquiring the USDA Organic seal for our teas is to submit the paperwork and get our blending facility inspected.

We are about 90% with the paperwork. The plan was to complete the process in summer of 2007. Things were delayed by the need to attend to a substantial increase in new customers. Additionally, the introduction of new teas, increased the amount of paperwork to complete for this process.

After the holidays are over, our goal is to finish attending to these details, and to complete the final inpsection. We look to have our facility certified by early Spring of 2008. We are very happy to support organic growers around the world, and we all look forward to being able to assure customers and consumers of the organic integrity of our products at the Jasmine Pearl Tea Merchants.

What's in Store For The Jasmine Pearl in 2008?

2008-02-17T12:28:00.000-08:00

Events
The World Tea Expo is coming up this June and we look forward to attending for our fourth year. One of the highlights of our year is connecting with others in our industry, learning about the new discoveries of tea and health, and tasting samples of the newest crops. The expo always gets us really jazzed about our company mission and it helps to maintain relationships with our colleagues from around the world.

We are very excited about exhibiting and demonstrating at the Lavender Festival in Sequim, WA this July. This will be our third year participating in the festivities at the Purple Haze Lavender Farm. The amazing support we have recieved from their staff as well as the enthusiasm of the visitors keep us coming back again and again!

New Teas Have Arrived!

2008-01-01T09:40:00.000-08:00

Oolongs - A new shipment of oolongs have arrived, and we are eager to share some of our recent discoveries. One is a beautiful green oolong from Vietnam that is reminiscent of our now discontinued Green Heart. We are also hoping to bring back some new Ti Kuan Yin and reintroduce the Velvet Oolong to our customers.

Pu-erh - In partnership with Paul Rosenberg of Sacred Tea, we are more widely expanding our pu-erh selections to include rarer and more diverse styles of this precious type of tea. Stay tuned for our updated Pu-erh page on this site.

The Jasmine Pearl Turns Three!

2007-11-04T08:00:00.000-08:00

2007 WAS a great year for The Jasmine Pearl.
We celebrated our third year of business!
Below are some of the highlights of this successful year at JP:

Expansion:
People are finding us more easily on the web. As a result, our teas are
being served and sold in more locations across the country than ever
before. We emerged from mainly supplying coffee shop and retail gift
shops this year to adding grocery stores, and gourmet kitchenware stores to our list of customers.

Our online sales have been growing steadily for the past year as people all over the world have been ordering our teas and loving them.

New Additions
One of the most exciting changes here at JP is the addition of Tait Christensen, our new partner in tea blending and a huge asset to our team. We are thrilled to have him join us!

We added many new selections to out tea line this year, including; Golden Monkey, Cranberry Sencha, Orange Spice Black, Lemon Hibiscus, Lavender Rose White, Tangy Grapefruit White and the ever popular Matcha Latte. These new teas have all gotten off to a great start with enthusastic customer feedback.

The Jasmine Pearl Partners With the Barefoot Sage

2006-11-18T14:22:00.000-08:00

This Autumn, The Barefoot Sage foot spa, located in Portland, Oregon, introduced its line of privately labeled teas from The Jasmine Pearl as a complement to their other retail products.

Two of the new featured blends in this line are:
The Barefoot Sage Blend - a fusion of vanilla black tea, cardamom, and lavender Amaretto Spice - Indian black tea, cinnamon, and amaretto

Tea service is available at both Barefoot Sage locations. For more information about The Barefoot Sage, go to www.thebarefootsage.com.

The Jasmine Pearl Partners With Purple Haze Lavender Ltd.

2006-05-30T13:03:00.000-07:00

The Jasmine Pearl is happy to announce they are working in partnership with Purple Haze Lavender in Sequim, Washington. In the spring of 2006, they worked with the farm to re-develop their line of four loose-leaf teas.
The new flavors include:
Purple Haze Morning- Wake up with this refreshing blend of black tea, lavender, and tarragon.

Jazz Man Delight- A harmonious blend of green tea, jasmine blossoms and lavender that tastes like music in a tea cup!

Purple Haze Sunset- A perfect way to end the day! A relaxing blend of spearmint, peppermint, lemon myrtle, lemongrass, orange zest, lavender & rooibos.

Bell Bottom Breeze- An herbal blend of chamomile, lemon verbena, lavender, rooibos, bee pollen, and natural honey flavor.

Each new Purple Haze tea features 1oz. of loose-leaf tea, 10 paper infusers, and one infuser pick. Each package makes 10 - 14 cups of tea. They can be purchased at www.purplehazelavender.com.