Jzero,
You read at least 75% of my words? Man, I think that's some kind of record!
Really, I appreciate your comments. In high school, my English Composition teacher always used to say, "Coherent, Cogent, Cohesive," as she'd wrap us on the knuckles with that ruler. She also said, "Less is more." Unfortunately, I later met Stanley Elkin who told me, "More is more." Of course, there was also William Gass who would randomly shout, "#@*% Minimalism!" It was Gass, of course, who prompted Frederick Barthelme to write that New York Times piece, "Convicted Minimalist Spills Bean."
Again, my critique, if you wish to dignify it as such, is merely expression of a personal pet peeve and ought be taken merely as that. I understand that Adagio is in the business of selling gourmet tea, not assuring the sanctity of analogy nor rising above common logical fallacy nor in conducting scientific double-blind studies to discern levels of statistically significant correlation. They are appealing to the common senses of the common man with a story which they hope will resound with potential customers, kind of like Keebler makes us think that those little elves pack fudge into cookies in a magical tree. Who doesn't love those little elves?
The basis of my complaint IS NOT that Starbucks isn't selling the world's greatest coffee. They do offer premium specialty selections from high-quality single origin estates from around the world as well as signature blends containing 100% Arabica beans (just like Denny's). My complaint is that Starbucks is not singularly responsible for increasing demand for the quality of coffee available. Saying that, "And then Starbucks came along to show how much better it can be," is a dig toward those who truly have innovated and educated and advanced the cause of rescuing coffee from self-destructing crisis.
Starbucks has been of enormous help in calling attention to coffee with its glowing green spotlight; nevertheless, they have not been, "The Ones," to show the world how much better it can be. That would be like saying, "Then Taco Bell came along to teach us about Mexican cuisine." Yes, Taco Bell is a good company, part of the forward-thinking Yum! franchise group; yes, Taco Bell is the introduction and popularization for most Americans to the concept of Mexican food; no, Taco Bell has not taught us much about authentic Mexican cuisine.
Or it would be like saying, "Then Hershey's came along and showed us how much better chocolate can be." Yes, Hershey is a great all-American company; yes, they have many fine products including hugs and kisses and pots of gold; yes, their chocolate is the one of choice for many home bakers in making cookies and brownies and other warm chocolate delights; yes, Hersheys does own Scharffen Berger, one of the most lauded high-end chocolate brands in the US; no, Hersheys is not promoting the demand for distinctive, high-end chocolate so much as attempting to capitalize upon it and the future market potential of dark-chocolate's anti-oxidant benefits.
Or it would be like saying, "Coca-Cola came along and taught us about refreshment." (Or is it that they taught the world to sing in perfect harmony?) After all, they are a wildly successful ubiquitous international company.
Or it would be like saying, "Then the Marlboro Man and Joe Camel came along and showed us how fun and rugged smoking could make us be." You know, "Once you smoke a Marb Red, you'll never go back to Bronco's!" or, "Once you try a Camel Turkish Jade Light 100, you'll swear off GPC Menthol!" Need I say more?
In fact, a lot of people are altogether turned off by Starbucks' roast style, level of freshness, and zany re-invention of the words small, medium, and large. For instance, a lot of people prefer their Dunkin' Donuts coffee, which clearly is not made from the same level of quality beans (sometimes good is good enough: don't want to upstage the tasty deep-fried sugar-coated treats!) But hey, as Someone once said, De gustibus non est disputandum.
Now that my preamble is complete, I object to the coffee analogy on the following grounds:
(1) It is inaccurate.
Not only the part about Starbucks/Folgers/Sanka, but the part about all supermarket teas being low-quality bags containing tea dust. Aside from Lipton, Twinnings, and Bigelow, there is also Republic of Tea, David Rio, Stash, Harney & Sons, Tazo, Numi, Golden Moon Tea, Tea Forte, Celestial Seasonings and others on offer at my two nearest supermarkets, a regular good 'ol Kroger-owned chain store and a run-of-the-mill Safeway. Certainly, you cannot call all of these, "bottom of the barrel."
The key is that Adagio carries top-notch teas which are considerably fresher and a better value than what you find in the supermarket. Adagio offers a wealth of information (reviews, descriptions, stories, history, recommendations) and assistance beyond what the typical supermarket clerk can provide. Adagio offers convenient, affordable, speedy delivery to your door with superior packaging and service. Isn't that what it's all about? Or is Adagio instead about attacking competitors and saying that everyone will prefer Adagio tea to brand X?
(2) It is not truly relevant.
Sanka is an decaf instant-coffee product, a marvel of modern engineering ability, which provides quick, hassle-free, consistent beverages sans caffeine with a long shelf-life, which is good in case you are a ninja living in a mountain cave who loves simple instant coffee flavour without any of the fuss or nerve-jingling jitters of, "the real stuff." There simply is no Starbucks equivalent.
The core of people who drink Sanka are shown to not even particularly like fresh-brewed coffee, let alone high-quality fresh-brewed coffee or espresso. The number of consumers who switch from Sanka to Starbucks is statistically insignificant compared to other, larger trends. Let's make quality Adagio herbal and decaffeinated tea one of those trends!
(3) It is not useful.
Tea is very different than coffee. Coffee knowledge, technology, production, and economics has changed radically in the past few decades and continues to do so on a daily basis. As an organic chemical entity, coffee is significantly more complex than tea. As we are merely beginning to unlock the secrets of the coffee, we have yet to reach the apex of culinary achievement in extracting full potential from the bean. As we do so, people will hopefully be introduced to new, better coffee experiences. It's not that these options existed all along and were thwarted by other factors--it's because they were not previously possible!
Tea has been around for much, much longer than coffee and has been more largely understood in terms of how to grow, trade, grade, and prepare. The secrets we are beginning to unlock within tea pertain to the health-benefits of the leaf more-so than the chemical extraction of flavor components. Another path that is beginning to be explored is the flavor-rich use of tea as a cooking ingredient. But it's not like advances in brewing technology are going to change the game anytime soon. Oh wait, is that an IngenuiTea I see in the corner? Oh my, look at that TriniTea! Tell me: what are we talking about Sanka, Folgers, and Starbucks for with other much more wonderful things to promote?
Let's talk about the real issues of tea in America instead of the good vs bad, gourmet vs supermarket paradigm prattle. Let's really tell and show people what tea and Adagio are all about!
(4) I don't like it.
This, I assure you, is the best reason of them all.
Will Gladly,
Jing Cha
Today we've replaced your normal source of Jing Cha signature quotation with Folger's Crystals. Will anyone notice the difference?
