Becoming Wu De: A Conversation with the founder of Global Tea Hut
Aaron Fisher was born and raised in Ohio in the United States. He studied Asian Philosophy and Anthropology in college. During his freshman year, he got into tea and meditation. After college, Aaron moved [...]
Say Tea (and Cheese)
Watermelon, ice cream, corn on the cob. Check. Cold beer. Fresh-squeezed lemonade. Check. Then there’s hot tea. Probably not the first thing that comes to mind for hot summer days. But it’s a real [...]
Zhang Ping Shui Xian Production in Photos
Zhang Ping Shui Xian (漳平水仙) refers to a style of compressed oolong made from the Shui Xian cultivar of Camellia sinensis. The tea is produced in Zhang Ping, Fujian Province. Below is a gallery [...]
That’s Amari: An Ancient Love of Herbal Drinks
I loved amari before I even knew what it was. I lived in an old-time New York-Italian neighborhood for ages and sometimes found myself ordering digestifs from dessert menus. It’s what you did. In [...]
Growing Green Tea in Victoria, Australia
For many of us, thoughts of Australia conjure up images of the Sydney Opera House, its world famous harbor and bridge, Bondi Beach or a sunburnt outback with a few kangaroos. Some may have [...]
Tea Masters Cup: An Exposé
Tea preparation in Russia and several countries in Eastern Europe is sophisticated. Tea there is treated as more of a craft much like third-wave coffee is being treated in the United States. It's amazing to see how tea culture [...]
2016 Tea Festival and Trade Show Schedule
January January 30-31: Toronto Tea Festival in Toronto, Canada February February 14: Tea Lover's Festival in Los Angeles, California (USA) February 20-21: Houston Tea Festival in Houston, Texas (USA) February 27: Southwest Tea Fest in Las Vegas, Nevada [...]
2015 Tea Book Roundup
In this article, I cover 9 tea books that came out in 2015. Tea writers are raising the bar with each passing year and there are a few that came out in 2015 that [...]
Is the Rooibos Supply Really Threatened?
Rooibos is a tisane made from the oxidized leaves of the Aspalathus linearus plant. The plant is native to South Africa and rooibos production is protected by a Geographical Indication. The Geographical Indication states [...]
The Definitive Guide to Tea Cocktails
The following is an interview I conducted with my good friend, Tyler Fry. Tyler is a bartender at Chicago's famed "The Violet Hour." The bar was the recipient of the James Beard Foundation's 2015 award [...]
World Tea Expo 2015 Highlights
World Tea Expo here in Long Beach has been a blast! From the moment James Norwood Pratt cut the ribbon, it's been an action packed expo. There were a few stand-out exhibitors and sessions [...]
How We Used Tea in Our Wedding Ceremony
Because tea is what brought Katie and I together, we thought we'd use it in our wedding ceremony. Let me explain first how tea brought us together because some people seem to think this kind [...]
Fermented Tea Classification
Fermented Teas China Hunan Heicha 湖南 黑茶 Fu Zhuan 茯砖 “Fu Brick” Hua Juan Cha 花卷茶 Qian Liang Cha 千两茶 “Thousand Tael Tea” Bai Liang Cha 百两茶 “Hundred Tael Tea” Shi Liang Cha 十两茶 [...]
The United States League of Tea Growers
The United States League of Tea Growers had it's founding meeting on June 8, 2013 in Las Vegas, Nevada at the World Tea Expo. The meeting was attended by several tea growers and many [...]
The Average Color of Tea
This is a composite image from photos of 85 different teas spanning green, yellow, white, oolong, black, and post-fermented teas. The "average color of tea" if you will.
Tea in Michigan
Katie and I were attending a wedding in Traverse City, Michigan last fall and while heading to Sleeping Bear Dunes, we made an awesome discovery. We happened upon a small tea shop called "Light [...]
Beginner’s Guide to Steeping Japanese Green Tea
Did you know that green tea is the most popular type of tea in Asia? It's the most consumed tea in China, and Japan practically specializes in it. Steeping Japanese green tea isn't particularly [...]
British Tea Culture
British Tea Culture, we all know it exists, we all know it's important, but what exactly does it mean? I set out to figure this out by interviewing over 110 people from the United [...]
Tasting Tea: Taking it Deeper than “Vegetal”
One way that people describe green teas (not just green teas, just using it as an example) is by using the word "vegetal" -- meaning that the taste reminds them of the taste of [...]
Tea Business Model: Buying Directly From a Tea Producer
As the tea scene explodes in America, we’re seeing many different business models, both on the wholesale side and on the retail side. One that I find particularly interesting is the small but growing [...]