When with your significant other, what does it say that you re-steep your favorite gyokura (shaded green tea from Japan, typically expensive) and give him/her the 2nd cup. Given that excellent Japanese green are meant to be enjoyed through multiple steepings, I think it says great things….like, let’s enjoy this tea time together, let’s try…

Read More

Timing is an essential part of steeping tea correctly. For me, the perfect watch for this activity is the Omega Seamaster Apnea. Originally designed for free divers (in association with famous French driver Jacques Mayol, whose name is on the back of the case along with the Seamaster logo…see the 1988 movie The Big Blue).…

Read More

For this post I will rely on my good friends at Harney & Sons. An excellent tea retailer for nearly 4 decades. This family-run business was started by the patriarch John Harney (check out their website…there are a lot of Harney’s listed). They have two retail locations. I have only been to the one in…

Read More

Don’t get me wrong, I am not celebrating the tea bag. I will occasionally “roll my own” out of necessity for travel (see future post on best bags for your loose leaf tea), but the tea bag has become a staple for tea drinkers around the world. Many people think this is the only way…

Read More

If Japanese green tea is your thing, this is your place. It’s not for tea rookies. Don’t expect a table where you can pop open your laptop to scan your social media while sipping a latte, this is not That Place. However, this is where you can explore the fine teas this Japanese tea company…

Read More

Very tough call when a well-meaning guest, knowing your interest in tea, arrives to your event bearing a colorful box of brand name tea bags. Yikes, just smile and wave boys. Look on the bright side…this is a perfect opportunity to refine your hosting skills (the smile part) and re-gifting a hermetically sealed unopened gift…

Read More

Tea is more than a healthful beverage. It is a respite in a sometimes chaotic day. Deciding that this is the perfect moment for a cup, selecting the right tea, the steeping process, taking visual delight in the emergence of the proper shade of green and then finally sipping the warm umami flavor in the…

Read More