ITO EN Showcases Full Tea Repertoire at the 2009 World Tea Expo

ITO EN (North America), INC., the world’s leading purveyor of green tea products and beverages, will showcase their full collection of tea beverages at the 2009 World Tea Expo, taking place at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center from May 2-4, 2009. As the makers of Japan’s #1 selling bottled green tea, Oi Ocha, and the award winning line, TEAS’ TEA, visitors to booth # 423 will have a chance to sample ITO EN’s latest offerings, to include Traditional Japanese Tea, Natural Fruit Tea and the newly launched TEAS’ TEA Naturally Sweet lines.

“The World Tea Expo is the premier tea event of the year and, with our recently introduced beverages, we’re looking to generate real discussion among the tea community about the changing American palate,” says Rona Tison, senior vice president of corporate relations for ITO EN (North America), INC. “Our latest tea line extensions will be on display alongside our successful Oolong and Sencha Shots, which have helped to shift perceptions of what one can get from convenient ready-to-drink, and not to mention, healthy beverages.”

Additionally, Tison and Kiyoshi Ito, ITO EN’s official tea taster, will be conducting a skill building workshop (Sunday, May 3rd 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.) titled, “Professional Cupping Methods of Japanese Green Tea,” where tea lovers can learn the traditional methods and techniques of cupping Japanese green tea. This session will also examine and evaluate how master tea buyers identify and select premium senchas, gyokuros, hojis, genmais, and many other teas.

“Consumers continue to shift away from heavily sweetened beverages and are looking for healthier alternatives with cleaner taste profiles,” adds Tison. “Our teas cater to the ever-changing and increasingly sophisticated American palate, providing a pure and authentic taste for this upswing in consumer demand. We look forward to the cupping ceremony as an opportunity to educate consumers about ITO EN’s traditional brewing process and unique flavor.”

The full collection of ITO EN tea lines and beverages to be showcased include:

ITO EN Traditional Japanese Tea Line:
The ITO EN Traditional Japanese Tea line appeals to consumers who seek a genuine product with no added flavors, concentrates, colors or tea powders. Packaged in the original Japanese label to reflect the authentic taste of traditional Japanese teas, the line is brewed with premium quality tea leaves and bottled with ITO EN’s patented brewing process, maintaining its optimal taste profile.

Oi Ocha Dark Green Tea: for the serious green tea drinker, Oi Ocha Dark Green Tea offers a more robust flavor while retaining the authentic characteristics of Oi Ocha Oi Ocha Dark is higher in natural catechin tea antioxidants, containing a minimum of 400mg per bottle with 130 percent RDA of Vitamin C per serving.

Jasmine Green Tea: traditionally brewed and infused with Jasmine flowers that have been picked in the evening when the flowers are most fragrant, Jasmine Green Tea is delicate, and has a nuanced flavor with an emphasis placed on jasmine’s aroma.

Golden Oolong Tea: a blend of two flowery, fragrant and famous oolong teas – Golden Cinnamon and Iron Goddess. The two teas are separately steeped to reduce astringency, satisfying even the most particular Japanese palate. Golden Oolong is semi-oxidized, making it unique from green and black teas. Chinese and Japanese traditions hold that oolong tea may prevent weight gain and help promote fat burning.

TEAS’ TEA Naturally Sweet Tea Line:
TEAS’ TEA® Naturally Sweet, an all-new, naturally flavored tea line intended to appeal to consumers looking to switch from sweetened to unsweetened tea. The award-winning TEAS’ TEA line is brewed naturally using premium loose tea leaves and purified water. They are low in calories with only 40 calories per serving and contain no artificial flavors, colors, powders, or concentrates Meant to revitalize and renew, TEAS’ TEA is high in natural catechin tea antioxidants.

· TEAS’ TEA Blueberry Green - Fresh brewed green tea infused with the natural flavors of blueberries, creates a refreshingly healthy beverage with the winning combination of antioxidant rich ingredients.

· TEAS’ TEA Citrus Black - Brewed with earl grey tea leaves and infused with bergamot, an orange-like Mediterranean citrus, this blend of aromatic essence and zesty infusion creates a delicious flavor.

· TEAS’ TEA Mango Oolong - Naturally brewed with semi-oxidized tea leaves – Oolong Tea – and the exotic natural flavors of Mango, this unique blend creates a smooth and fragrant finish.

ITO EN Natural Fruit Tea Line:
Like all ITO EN bottled teas, Green Tea Ginseng is authentically brewed using state-of-the-art brewing techniques, which maximize the taste and aroma. With no genetically modified organisms or use of tea powder or concentrates, Green Tea Ginseng is slightly sweetened with natural cane sugar and blended with the perfect touch of ginseng, rounding off its smooth flavor. Available in 16.9fl oz bottles and containing 132 calories with 60% of the suggested daily requirement of Vitamin C, Green Tea Ginseng contains no high fructose corn syrup or artificial flavorings.

Green Tea Ginseng: Freshly brewed with premium loose leaf green tea and natural ginseng extracted from the Panax Ginseng root, Green Tea Ginseng joins the all-natural, authentically brewed flavors of Tea Apple, Tea Mango, Green Tea Blueberry, White Tea Pear, and Tea Peach.

ITO EN Shot:
Powerful anti-oxidant wellness shots have gained popularity for its convenient and portable 6.4 fl oz recyclable cans. Brewed with ITO EN’s proprietary double brew process, the Oolong Shot joins the popular Sencha Shot, delivering 153 mg of natural catechin tea antioxidants and 140% of the RDI of Vitamin C.

ITO EN Oolong Shot: Oolong, also known as Wu-long and traditionally called blue tea, is a dynamic balance between green tea and black tea. With 171 mg of tea polyphenols, this full bodied tea with a smooth finish is a portable wellness shot, with research showing that an unidentified compound in oolong may promote weight loss. The tea is gaining popularity in the U.S. among the health and weight conscious.

About ITO EN (North America)
ITO EN (North America), a subsidiary of ITO EN, LTD., is the nation’s leading purveyor of green tea products and beverages. The company is an innovator in the beverage industry, marketing award winning Japanese tea lines in the U.S., including: TEAS’ TEA, the Traditional Japanese Tea, Natural Fruit, and ITO EN Shots. With a New York City flagship store (voted Best Tea Shop by the Zagat Survey of New York City Gourmet Market Places) and four-star authentic Japanese restaurants (KAI & Donguri), ITO EN is uniquely positioned as a pioneer in the tea industry. For more information, please visit www.ItoEn.com.