Express Your IndividualiTEA and Win $500 and a Year's Supply of Tea

Every cup of tea has a story to tell and the Tea Council of the USA is launching the second annual #IndividualiTEA Photo Sharing Sweepstakes to learn more about each tea lover's individual story. Whether you like a hot cup of tea to start your chilly winter morning, cook using tea as an ingredient or sip warm tea to end your day share your photo, video or description with us on Twitter with the hashtag #IndividualiTEA and tag @TeaCouncil for a chance to win $500 and a year's supply of tea. That's right just show or tell your absoluTEAly delicious tales for a chance to win! Need additional inspiration? We're celebrating America's third annual National Hot Tea Day on January 12, 2018 and the winner of the #IndividualiTEA Sweepstakes will be featured on the Tea Council of the USA's social media channels! So America, what's your #IndividualiTEA story?

Although all true teas come from the same plant, Camellia sinensis, there are four main types that pair well with food and each have a story of their own to tell:

• Black Tea, The Tea of the Masses: Black tea is the most commonly consumed tea in the world accounting for approximately 68% of all consumption. In the United States, well over 80% of the tea consumed is black. Black teas are fully oxidized* and pair well with creamy desserts, chocolate and spicy jerk chicken.
• Green Tea, The Tea of Well-being: Green tea is heated after plucking to prevent oxidation. Heating can be done by either steaming or pan-firing the tea, which denatures enzymes that would cause oxidation to take place. Green tea is the most popular form of tea in China and Japan, and pairs well with chicken, melon and key lime pie!
• White Tea, The Tea of Delicacy: White Tea's origins are found in the Fujian province of China around A.D. 1000 and it is considered to be amongst the rarest of teas and to possess the most delicate flavor. Today, its production follows very strict harvesting and processing requirements. One type of white tea looks like silver needles and pairs well with freshly sliced fruit, light fish like salmon and salads.
• Oolong Tea, The Tea of an Artisan: Oolong tea is partially oxidized tea. Plucked leaves are withered and are then allowed to oxidize before drying. Oolongs lie between green and black teas on a sliding scale and pair well with lobster, duck and maple syrup.

"Leading up to Hot Tea Month and Day in January last year, we were delighted that consumers showed us their love for their favorite beverage tea in so many unique ways! This is why we're committed to continuing the #IndividualiTEA Sweepstakes as a way to inspire and encourage consumers to continue sharing the individual ways they enjoy hot tea," says Peter Goggi, President of the Tea Association of the USA.

Visit the Tea Council of the USA or follow @TeaCouncil on Twitter to learn more about the many unique characteristics of tea.

IndividualiTEA Photo Sharing Sweepstakes Details

Entering is easy! Simply:

• Share a photo, video or explanation of the unique ways, times, and places you like to cook with or sip your favorite tea (it can be as unique as you'd like!) on http://bit.ly/individualiTEA and on Twitter with the hashtag #IndividualiTEA and tag @TeaCouncil.
• You'll be prompted to finalize your entry for a chance to win at http://bit.ly/individualiTEA

The sweepstakes runs through January 31, 2018. A copy of the official rules can be found here. Enter as many times as you'd like and don't forget to tag and tell your friends! We're excited to hear your tea stories!

*Oxidized is the correct chemical term for the natural process that takes place during the manufacturing of different types of teas. Fermentation is still commonly used by tea makers around the world, simply out of habit. The only tea that actually undergoes a fermentation process is Dark Tea.

About the Tea Council of the USA:
The Tea Council of the USA is a non-profit association that was formed in 1950 as a joint partnership between tea packers, importers and allied industries within the United States, and the major tea producing countries. It functions as the promotional arm of the tea industry with a primary goal of increasing overall awareness of tea by providing information about its many positive attributes. One of the Council's primary objectives is the dissemination of key scientific findings about tea to the public. The Tea Council does this in several ways including: funding scientific meetings to bring tea researchers from around the world together to share key information and identify next steps for future research projects; and working with health organizations and international scientists to disseminate information about potential positive health effects of tea consumption on a public level.

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