It's All About Tea

No matter where in the world you go to, tea has spread far and wide. In the past few centuries, tea traditions have become so intertwined with local culture that sometimes refusing a cup of tea from a friend or stranger is considered the biggest insult you can inflict on both the person and the culture...  (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 around the world once came from China through the Silk Road, and then slowly developed their own traditions and drinking practices. (Read more)

Overall, there are two main types of tea ceremonies in Japan: an informal tea gathering, Chakai, and a formal tea gathering, Chaji. Chakai is a simpler tea gathering that will include some sweets and thin tea (usucha). Chaji is much more formal, usually including a full-course Kaiseki meal followed by sweets, thick tea (koicha), and thin tea. A chaji is often times around four hours long, with guests taking small breaks to walk around in the garden by the tea hut.

Aside from the two main types of tea ceremonies, there are also many other kinds of tea ceremonies which are held in Japan depending on the occasion, season, and time of day. (Read more)

Which tea is the best substitute for coffee? Whether you're cutting back on caffeine or looking for a smoother energy boost, here are the teas we recommend – from bold black teas to matcha and pu-erh.  (Read more)

The Japanese tea ceremony follows two main concepts — wabi sabi and ichigo ichie. Wabi-sabi, although hard to define literally, is a concept centered around the appreciation of imperfection. While ichigo ichie is an idiom meaning “one time, one meeting” and emphasizes the fact that each and every meeting is special in that it can only happen once. (Read more)