Clik here to view.
The surprising tea of Myanmar
When I was planning to visit Sri Lanka, many friends asked me to bring back some black tea for them. In the end, I changed my plans, deciding instead to visit Myanmar. When my friends heard of my...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The evolution of tea – Part 1
Tea has come a long way from a single leaf plucked from a plant. Today, the tea plant is processed using six methods to become green, white, yellow, oolong, black, and dark (AKA post-fermented) tea....
View ArticleClik here to view.
The inspiration behind my “Have Fun Teapot with Magneto-Bell Lid and Fuchsia...
If a beverage can be an inspiration, tea is mine. I need to explain why this is true. In February, the Arts Guild of Sonoma in California invited me to be a guest artist for their annual Repo Show, a...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Ancient tea roads
The British brought tea to India (or started planting tea in India) no earlier than 1828, but tea has a history as long as 5,000 years, so certainly tea traveled in and around India for a long time,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The vastness of nuance
There’s something very special about being still and focused when preparing and drinking tea. Lucidity is the word in this case. In the moment, there’s rich detail: cups/bowls, leaves, pots, water,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
China’s brown treasure – pu-erh tea
In China, Pu-erh is referred to as ‘Black Tea’ which can be a bit confusing to us Westerners as we use that term to refer to a specific type of tea that is definitely not Pu-erh. What we recognise as...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Are you a “tea snob,” or do you just love great tea?
I wrote a post on my own little blog awhile back and decided to share it here where there are more eyes to see and possibly relate to it. What really is a ‘tea snob’? That is my question. Ladies...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Never make a tea assumption!
Recently it has been my privilege to get to know a young woman raised in China. I mistakenly made the assumption that talking with her about Chinese teas would be a lengthy and fun part of our...
View ArticleClik here to view.
K2K and Darjeeling
Kunming of Yunnan, and Kolkata of Bengal, are now declared sister cities. This adds another jewel in the crown of Darjeeling! Kolkata to Kunming – K2K – is a regional co-operation group under BCIM –...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A serendipitous journey to the Ancient Tea Horse Road
A week ago, my husband and I took the train from Culver City to Exposition Park, home of the Natural History Museum. During the mere 7-mile trip, I anticipated the museum’s latest exhibit, Traveling...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Dr. Selena Ahmed: Pushing the tea research envelope
Dr. Ahmed with Tea Traders in Yunnan Province For many, particularly tea lovers, Dr. Selena Ahmed’s job sounds like a dream job – travel to China several times a year, converse with tea farmers, and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
China revisited
The 22nd Xinyang Maojian International Tea Cultural & Business Conference was opened on April 28, 2014, in Xinyang, Henan province of China. On its second day, the conference held a seminar which...
View ArticleClik here to view.
All praise to a braise, with tea
With the first intimations of cooler weather on the horizon, I’m ready for some long-cooked stove top or oven-braised dishes and tea is one of the best braising and tenderizing additions to a broth I...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Sisters in tea: Siliguri and Lincang
There is no doubt of the fact that Yunnan is the natural apogee of tea in the whole world given the location of world’s oldest tea tree in Fengqing, and tea trade routes going back several millennia....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Tea in another form: A jewel of a gelée
What’s better than a fresh-out-of-the oven scone? Give up? A fresh-out-of-the-oven scone spread with tea gelée. Take your favorite tea, brew it, sweeten it lightly with either honey or sugar, and then...
View ArticleClik here to view.
TBF: Real fake Anshun?
With its endless mountains, abundant rainfall and pure environment, China’s Southwest Guizhou (Gway Joe) province is a perfect location for growing tea bushes. However, despite a long history of tea...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Pu Er to the People: Part 2
The people who grow and enjoy this tea in Yunnan are not obsessed with its age the same way that people in Southern China or the West are. They generally drink tea that is one or two years old and are...
View ArticleClik here to view.
From the Archives: How to Break the Coffee Habit
Every day, new patrons come to our tea house looking for an alternative to coffee. Perhaps their doctor told them to cut down on their caffeine intake, or perhaps coffee wasn’t “working” like it used...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Why Not Splash a Bit of Tea Behind Your Ears?
Artisanal teas are one of those bandwagons that just keeps getting bigger and better every year, so it should come as no surprise that the legions of admirers climbing on board are growing too. As...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Global Tea Hut on Living Tea
In the first half of the twentieth century, the Japanese were in control of Taiwan and looking to develop the island agriculturally, exporting goods to help fund the rise of their empire; and tea was...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Finding a New Vocabulary to Describe Tea
In teaching my baking students about how to pair specific desserts felicitously with broad categories of tea, I got to thinking about the difficulties of being precise or even evocative when using...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Tea and Board Games
Reflecting on the day serenely with a cup of tea in hand is a great way to spend an evening, but that isn’t always what we’re looking for. Sometimes a little more excitement is needed. One of my...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Yunnan: a board game
Image courtesy the publisher Argentum Verlag Yunnan: A Game for Hard-Boiled Tea Traders is a board game created by freelance designer Aaron Haag and published by Argentum Verlag in 2013. The colorful...
View ArticleLoquats and Apricots: A Celebration of Spring in a Bowl of Tea
The post Loquats and Apricots: A Celebration of Spring in a Bowl of Tea appeared first on T Ching.
View ArticleA Fruitful Summer Tea Drink With Some Punch
The post A Fruitful Summer Tea Drink With Some Punch appeared first on T Ching.
View Article