It's All About Tea — interview

We first met Petr online, in a tea forum discussion about oxidation and fermentation. His posts stood out: clear and grounded in real experience, combined with deep knowledge of theory. Petr has spent years studying tea, making it, teaching it, and guiding others into the reality of tea production.

One of the regions where he has invested time and energy is Georgia. Today, when people think of tea-producing countries, Georgia isn't usually at the top of the list. But Petr saw both history and opportunity there. His involvement has grown from trading tea to restoring overgrown gardens, setting up a tea project, and introducing both locals and visitors to the full range of what Georgian tea can be.

We've asked Petr to share his own story of how he became involved in Georgia's tea industry – its people, challenges, and unexpected turns. It's a mix of history, travelogue, and firsthand insight into a tea culture in transition. (Read more)

When we were in Shenzhen, we were introduced to Zhan Laoshi, the Inheritor of Gong Fu Tea Art Intangible Cultural Heritage. This title signifies that for generations, Zhan's family has been deeply immersed in the Gong Fu Cha culture and that Zhan Laoshi himself has made a significant contribution to the art of Gong Fu Cha.  

Chaozhou is the cradle of Gong Fu Cha. This is where it all started during the Ming Dynasty. Over the centuries, this fascinating culture became deeply ingrained in the lives of the people of Guangdong. It then made its way to Taiwan, underwent further development in the 1970s, returned to mainland China, and spread worldwide.

We simply couldn't miss this chance to learn about Chaozhou Gongfu Cha from a person such as Zhan Laoshi. (Read More)

When visiting Dingshu town in Yixing, we were lucky to meet with an amazing ZiSha artist, Shen Si Yu, whose deep knowledge and understanding of ZiSha clay made a big impression on us and changed some of our previous ideas about Yixing clay. We spent two days drinking tea and talking about tea and ZiSha clay. In the end, Si Yu agreed to an interview. (Read More)

Today, we invite He Jin – a local producer of Tibetan black tea, and our proud supplier – for a chat. She will teach us on the various types of this Chinese fermented tea, and will share tips and tricks on storage and brewing methods in order to get the most out of this artisan tea.

He Jin lives in Ya'an city, where she's been engaged in Tibetan tea production for quite a few years now. She creates fine-quality Yaxi Tibetan tea in loose-leaf form and the region's signature Tibetan Jasmine tea. (Read more)