It's All About Tea — western tea

In an earlier blog post, we witnessed the beauty of tea rituals outside of China. Today, we continue to explore the path of cha in near and distant lands. In today’s post, we’ll set on a journey to the vast Russian planes.

Russia’s connection to Chinese tea is ingrained into the local culture in a way so profound few other countries can compare to it. As its territory changed through the ages, so did the cultural landscape, influenced by the lands and people the empire included during its different periods. Chinese tea was ubiquitous to the point of being considered a national drink in pre-Soviet Russia. Its history started with the establishment of the Silk Road and has been ongoing ever since. (Read more)

Last time we traveled to the cradles of tea culture – China and Japan. We learned about the local tea experience and how it changed with time.

Today, our path takes us to more near and distant places to explore their relationship with tea. We’ll witness the vital role tea plays in the social culture and customs of the local people in Portugal, the Netherlands and Morocco. (Read more)

Are you thinking of getting into the world of tea but don't know where to start!?

Don’t worry, that’s why we’re here!

Let’s say you have a tea you want to try. The next step: brewing!

Brewing is much easier than you think. If you’re new to tea, the important thing is not to overthink it.

We've made some short, straight-to-the-point videos on how to brew teas both Western style and Chinese style. (Read more)

We have already discussed Chinese tea tradition and Japanese tea tradition, but how about the rest of the world?

Granted, most tea we find in other countries all over the world once did come from China through the Silk Road, and then slowly developed to have their own tradition and drinking practices in other countries. (Read more)

By brewing tea in a large vessel, we allow for the tea to open up all at once, giving us all it has in one go. You may not recognize all the subtleties from opening up the tea’s taste gradually, but you will get a cup of delicious tea with a nice aroma nonetheless. 

On the other hand, if you choose to make Gong Fu tea for yourself or for friends it becomes more of an experience. Gong Fu differs from the Western way of brewing tea in that it allows tea to open to its full potential gradually. (Read more)