It's All About Tea

Dian Hong Tea means "Yunnan Red Tea." While "dian" is an aboriginal word for Yunnan, "hong" is the hong in hong cha, which means red in Chinese. In the west, we call it "Black Tea". Today, most Dian Hong Black Tea varieties grow at high-mountain elevations of 1500m and up above sea level. Growing in ecologically pure areas, the finished tea has an exceptional aroma and taste. Rich, mellow, and sweet, with mouth-watering notes of fruits, honey, and sweet potatoes. (Read more)

In the Western market, tea connoisseurs know the price of an adequately-aged pu-erh cake or white tea. However, when hearing about aged oolong, many might become perplexed. Taiwan has had the tradition of aging oolong for practically as long as oolong production itself has existed. But it never quite took off in the West the way that aged pu-erh did, perhaps because the production of aged oolongs remains pretty scarce and reserved for true enthusiasts of this tea type. So what is so special about aged oolong? (Read more)

When you want to make your matcha in the traditional Japanese style, it's essential to invest in a proper Japanese tea set. A basic tea set will include a chawan (matcha bowl), chasen (matcha whisk), and chashaku (matcha scoop). If you want a complete Japanese tea set, however, you should also get a furui (tea sift), and a kusenaoshi (chasen holder). By the way, this is only if you want to enjoy matcha at home, casually. If you're going to make matcha as per the ways of Chado, you need much more equipment. So, if you want to make a proper bowl of frothy green matcha, if nothing else, you should always have quality matcha tea powder and a chasen. So how do we take care of the matcha whisk to ensure its longevity for years of umami-rich tea bowls to come? (Read more)

Balancing our internal energies is crucial for a relaxed and healthy body. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been around for thousands of years. According to this ancient knowledge, all teas are either cooling or heating. Understanding the properties of tea may help us make more conscious choices when choosing a tea for the soul for our gongfu session. (Read more)

A piece of crucial knowledge for those entering the world of cha — age is everything. We've seen it too many times, picking up a few hundred extra grams of your favorite tea during your travel to China or Japan. Just to find it tasting subpar a year later straight from your cupboard. It's not always the best idea to stock up! Or perhaps the other way around? Completely forgetting about that pu-erh cake your friend gifted you, to find that after years of laying around in the tea drawer, it tastes better than ever! The thing is, age is crucial. Furthermore, when we understand the tea's life cycle, we can use it to our advantage. So how long does tea last? Let's find out! (Read more)