If you have been following the tea trend over the past couple years you noticed that both green and white teas are becoming popular for their health benefits and that there are bottled white teas like Revolution White Tea that even taste good as well. A new report from Packaged Facts confirms the trend and says that U.S. consumers are becoming more interested in specialty teas like green and white teas. Packaged Facts says Starbucks has been ready to pounce on this tea trend with its Tazo brand.
Tea in the United States has never had the popularity of coffee, nor do Americans drink as much tea as consumers abroad. Indeed, the lion's share of U.S. retail tea revenue is generated by sales of ready-to-drink bottled and canned ice teas. However, as Americans become more health conscious and the health properties of green and white teas become more widely publicized, tea has acquired a new cache.
As traditional black tea sales decline, specialty tea sales continue to grow. This is a very competitive arena, with many small companies vying for shelf space and attention. A marketing partnership between Kraft and Tazo Tea, owned by Starbucks, may catapult this brand to leadership in specialty teas.
"Green tea is hot right now -- in fact it's getting dangerously close to becoming a cliche, for a food to contain green tea," said Don Montuori, publisher of Packaged Facts. "White tea is the newest trend, and it's said to have even more health advantages than green tea. But, it may not take off with the same trajectory as green tea, since it's more expensive and the flavor is more subtle."
Packaged Facts expects the overall tea market to grow in the U.S. from $6.8 billion today to $10 billion by 2010. The $10 billion includes the delicious black Earl Gray tea and the specialty teas as well. Tea rooms, cafes and restaurants that serve specialty teas, bubble teas and tonics, are also becoming more popular and commonplace. Try TeaGuide, which provides a worldwide directory of tea rooms, if you are looking for a tea room in your area.
If you have been following the tea trend over the past couple years you noticed that both green and white teas are becoming popular for their health benefits and that there are bottled white teas like Revolution White Tea that even 
