Posted on June 21, 2009
In an earlier post, “Artisan Teas: Do Looks Trump Flavor?”, my take was fairly clear. It occurred to me that I should offer more information about how these teas are made. First, to return to the original question. I once asked a major tea supplier in China for his thoughts about the burgeoning interest in [...]
Posted on June 5, 2009
Go to any tea shop that stays on top of trends and you will find hand-tied “flower” teas. Judging by how many exhibitors display these at tea tradeshows, one would be right in recognizing the climb of a hot new item. In China these teas are ubiquitous not only in tea shops but wherever tourists [...]
Posted on February 16, 2009
I am lucky to have a fair amount of my favorite Ti Kuan Yin (Iron Goddess of Mercy) teas at home and consider myself fortunate not only because I needn’t pay retail for this premium Oolong but also because I don’t have to make guesses about quality, albeit educated ones, if I had to shop [...]
Posted on November 24, 2008
Most introductions or lectures about tea begin by listing the major tea categories, and it doesn’t hurt to repeat them here: White teas, Green teas, Yellow teas, Oolong teas, Black teas, Scented teas, and Specialty teas. It’s probably a good idea also to underline the fact that all teas come from the same plant, since it’s [...]
Posted on November 5, 2008
Naturally, I happen to think that teas make great gifts. It’s a way of introducing a personal favorite to someone who may not be familiar with that particular tea, or adding one special find to a tea lover’s collection. And like shared comments about wines, reactions to certain teas inform both the giver and the [...]