Robot Serves Tea

Engineers at the Honda company have taught Asimo the humanoid robot how to serve tea to guests.

The tea needs to be prepared by a human and placed on a tray on a cart. Asimo will then push the cart to the table, lift up the tray and place it on the guest's table. The robot then takes a couple of steps back and bows, as is the tradition in Japan.

Tea as a cooking ingredient

Tea, used as a cooking ingredient, adds depth and subtlety to a variety of dishes.Tea Cooking

World's Largest Tea Bag in Toronto

On Saturday, December 15, 2007 Toronto's is host to a Tea Party and Guinness World Records record-breaking attempt sponserd by Celestial Seasonings. Measuring 12 feet x 12 feet, the World's Largest Tea Bag is the highlight of this wintertime outdoor tea party. Guests can warm up with cups of hot complimentary Celestial
Seasonings tea, see the future in tea leaf readings and "tea off" at mini golf to win some great prizes. Costumed characters will entertain the crowd while Celestial Seasonings' tea blendmaster reveals secrets of the tea trade through tales of worldwide travels in search of tea. The Tea Association will be on hand to discuss the role tea plays in maintaining good health, and donations to the Heart and Stroke Foundation are encouraged. The Tea Party is located at Yonge-Dundas Square, Corner of Yonge Street and Dundas Street.

Tea Plants

Camellia sinensis is an evergreen plant and grows in tropical to sub-tropical climates. Many high quality tea plants grow at elevations up to 1500 meters (5,000 ft), as the plants grow more slowly and acquire a better flavor. Only the top 1-2 inches of the mature plant are picked. These buds and leaves are called flushes, and a plant will grow a new flush every seven to ten days during the growing season. Tea plants will grow into a tree if left undisturbed, but cultivated plants are pruned to waist height for ease of plucking. Two principal varieties are used, the small-leaved China plant and the large-leaved Assam plant.