Ready to spill: UC Davis to host international tea conference
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Tea culture has a steep learning curve, but UC Davis is brewing a conference that’s sure to school beginners and experts alike.
The university is holding the fourth annual Global Tea Initiative for the Study of Tea Culture and Science on Thursday at the UC Davis Conference Center.
This year’s conference theme is “health, psychology and spirituality around tea,” according to university spokesman Michael French, and will feature discussions and presentations led by international tea industry experts.
“The impetus behind this year’s event is tea’s own early history as medicine and the public’s perception of tea as a healthful drink,” said conference founder and UC Davis associate professor of art history Katharine Burnett.
Some of this year’s featured conference speakers include Dr. Ping Chung Leung of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Dr. Weronica Ek of Uppsala University, and Dr. Yvonne Wan of UC Davis. Topics of presentation will include benefits of tea drinking, healthful matcha, tea consumption and epigenetic changes in women, and tea and health from the perspective of a tea master.
The event was founded by Burnett in 2015 in order to focus on the cultural heritage of tea and encourage collaboration between science, education and medicine, according to a news release from the university.
“The conference always aims to offer a provocative set of talks on the culture and science of tea – talks that will help us think further and deeper about this fascinating little leaf,” said conference founder and UC Davis associate professor of art history Katharine Burnett.
The university will feature a tea careers networking event before the conference for UC Davis students. Attendees will see a tea mixology demo and participate in a panel discussion.
Other conference activities include tea company showcases, tea tastings and networking. The event is open to the general public.
Admission to the conference is free, though tickets must be reserved on Eventbrite. The event runs from 1 to 5:30 p.m.
This story was originally published January 28, 2019 at 1:27 PM.