Coffee is ridiculously easy in my house. Espresso/french press, dark/light roast, demitasse/mug? Done. But tea?? The choices are staggering! Black, green, white, oolong, or pu-erh—with endless selections within each category. I consider my mood, whether I want to have the tea with food or by itself, if I have the time to savor an especially … Continue reading Collecting Tea and Teapots Is Good for You!
It's a new year and it's definitely time for me to return my attention to this blog. It's not that I've taken a break from tea or from research, despite the absolute paucity of posts. Rather, back in the spring, Lisa, tea sommelier and owner of TeaHaus, was asked to submit a proposal for a … Continue reading Tea For Dummies, Coming Your Way Soon!
Little cups are irresistible, whether designed for tea or coffee. A yard sale find, this small handleless porcelain cup was made in Ethiopia, land of coffee drinkers. But who's to say it can't be used for tea? Which made me wonder whether Ethiopians drink tea. Ethiopian Tea, or the Tea That's Grown in Ethiopia Evidently … Continue reading Ethiopian Tea
When "supply chain" is part of our everyday language rather than remaining confined to, say, auto part suppliers, we know that we're in unprecedented times. There's a spotty availability of random items—a baffling lack of certain paint finishes, a maple syrup producer can't get the customized jugs ordered months earlier. Raw materials are sometimes pricier … Continue reading World’s Tea Industry: February 2022
We have been getting a "moderate to heavy" snowfall, which began yesterday and is due to continue today. Despite promises that it would be neither fluffy nor super wet, the first inches were decidedly heavy-wet. Not fun to shovel, yet so beautiful. Between shoveling stints, I reached again for the 2021 Korean Green Tea Luxury … Continue reading Hadong Mt. Jiri Green Tea, South Korea
The Decline and Renewal of Tea in Korea When tea is part of a country's culture early on, it's interesting that it can fade from popularity. But such was the case in Korea, when Confucianism displaced Buddhism. Ramifications were culture-changing. The Choson Dynasty made a big push to eliminate Buddhist influence in all aspects of … Continue reading Boseong Green Tea, South Korea
While pandemic fatigue has certainly set in, most of us are still forced to deal with it—whether learning that our child's school has closed once again due to staffing shortages, or needing yet another COVID test, or finding out that {fill in blank} is out of stock indefinitely. The tea world has been hard hit … Continue reading World’s Tea Industry, as Pandemic Drags On
Since teas from Vietnam are spotty as far as purity and quality go, I was excited when TeaHaus was able get the oolong Oriental Beauty. But interestingly, many things come to play with this tea—its potentially problematic name, the role of pests, the source, and of course the quality of the tea itself. Here's a … Continue reading Oriental Beauty Oolong: The Name, the Science, the Tea
As fallout from the pandemic continues, many in the tea industry are using new tactics to maintain and increase their customer base; are adjusting to a changing market, especially as supply chain and shipping continue to be problematic; and are looking for ways to reduce production costs. According to shipping company DHL, ports are again … Continue reading The World’s Tea Industry: Fall 2021 Snaphots
One of the savviest restaurant servers I've ever had was the fabulous woman who, after hearing us nix our young daughter's request for soda, charmed our daughter by asking if she instead wanted "H2O on the rocks." Wow, would she ever! Our daughter was absolutely thrilled, especially when the iced water arrived in a fancy … Continue reading Getting Great Tea into Restaurant Menus
It's More Than Tea 