Steepster, an online tea community, is currently running the Ultimate Holiday Tea Gift Contest. The total value of the gifts amounts to $825.00.  This is probably the biggest tea prize ever offered on the Internet.

The prize package includes some really great gifts.  Whether you're into black, green, flavored, or herbal teas, this package includes more tea than most people would drink in a year.  The companies supplying the teas and other products include Maeda-en, Tea Frog, Golden Moon, Adagio, Art of Tea, Pearl Fine Teas, 52 teas, Teas Etc., Earthbound Tea, Tavalon, and Andrews and Dunham Damn Fine Tea.

Just to note some of the more interesting parts of the package, though the are all excellent, Maeda-en is offering a matcha set complete with bowl, chasen, scoop, a can of Shiki Matcha and more. Adagio has supplied the Utili-TEA Variable-temp Electric Tea kettle that allows you to heat the water for exactly the right temperature for the tea you are brewing.  Pearl Fine Teas has contributed a selection of black, oolong, green, and white teas, five teas in all.

However, the most treasured prize in the package is the Mirror Polished Sorapot designed by Joey Roth.  Roth created this new and fascinating modern teapot with elegant simplicity.  The tea steeps in a glass tube that allowes you to watch the tealeaves unfurl to their full size.  A mess in the pour spout prevents the leaves from ending up in your cup. The Sorapot by itself is favlued at $250.00

To enter the contest, follow Steepster on Twitter and tweet the message found here or if you are already a member, you can go to Steepster and reply to The Ultimate Holiday Tea Contest.  You'll find the complete rules and all the details at the same link for the Twitter message.

The contest ends 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Friday, December 18, 2009 so you'll need to hurry and enter right away