I can imagine, with an admitted twinge of horror, the founders of Stash Tea sitting around an ugly yellow formica kitchen table on an overcast Oregon afternoon in 1972, when one of them perks up and says, “Dude! We should totally name the new company after our dope, man! ‘Cuz it’s like tea is also [...]
Several months ago, inspired by the examples I had obtained of traditionally-prepared teas aged inside of citrus fruits, I decided to try making some of my own. This venture was also “inspired” by my inability to locate any dried orange peel. This led to a shift in concept when I was able to procure a [...]
Since it is at long last looking and feeling summery for more than 10 minutes at a stretch here in Seattle, it is appropriate to think about iced teas. I do not drink any less hot teas than I do in cooler seasons, but I do like having a pitcher of iced tea ready and [...]
When we received the samples of Okayti Autumn Flush Darjeeling and Okayti Autumn Flush Darjeeling Oolong from Mighty Leaf Teas I decided that the most interesting way to sample them would be in a side-by-side tasting. The two are from the same picking at the same plantation, but one has been fully oxidized as a [...]
The more humble of Tao of Tea’s two Portland teahouses, Original Tao was built in 1997 and is tucked into a small neighborhood in the southeast part of the city. It is small, but well worth a visit. In addition to the extensive tea selection, which includes choices of traditional serving styles, the teahouse has [...]
No one comes into the world drinking tea. (I would hope not, at least.) We all have to be introduced to it. I would hazard a guess that my first experiences with it are rather different from those of other U.S. tea aficionados. When I was 10 years old, my mother–a newly minted consular officer [...]
This is a bit silly, and that’s the only disclaimer I’m going to provide: Possibly Related Posts: Part III of the interview with Nigel Melican Part II of the interview with Nigel Melican Tea Review: Rishi Tea: Hong Yue Canton Tea Co. Christmas specials Tea Review: Chicago Tea Garden, Golden Bi Luo
I spent the end of last week and the beginning of this week in Minneapolis, Minnesota, a far cry from Seattle on a lot of levels. The people in that part of the United States, at least the ones I was in contact with, are fueled by steak, overcooked previously frozen vegetables and soft-drinks/sodas/cokes (or [...]
I am usually disparaging of teas that are blends of different varietals or tea leaves with non-tea ingredients added to them. They usually seem somehow deceptive and incoherent to me. Naturally there are exceptions, Russian Caravan and Earl Grey being two that I enjoy drinking. However, in complete contrast to that purist tendency, I also [...]
Sixteen or so years ago, I got a job at a place in Tempe, Arizona, known as the Coffee Plantation. This was a bit odd given that I didn’t (and don’t) drink coffee, but they decided that I would be an ideal person to be their retail tea specialist, a position which later advanced to [...]
