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Spring Cleaning Sale!!!

Check the <Sale> tag for all the teas on sale   It's almost the solstice and I'm just getting my Tea Spring Cleaning done. Not surprising what with a pandemic and massive civil uprising against systemic oppression in the United States of America. There are a lot of distractions. But...

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Tea meditations/experiments: cold brewing vs. hot brewing

Traditional hot brewing vs. modern cold brewing Iced tea is a tradition in the United States. Urban legend has it that it was "invented" here but I can't really buy into that kind of appropriation. But I can acknowledge that it was popularized here and that it is definitely one...

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Happy Holidays and an auspicious new year to all beings!!!

I wish you all the best of times surrounded by whatever brings you comfort during these holiday times (Also...tea!) I've been busy on the Holiday boutique scene and filling tea orders as you all stock up on your teas and gifts. But I want you to know how much I...

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New Teas in the Leaves of Cha tea chest!!!

Sencha Asanoka Heirloom cultivar Sencha from Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan  This delicious sencha is made with the Asanoka cultivar. Asanoka means “Morning Aroma” and is a cross between Japanese Yabukita and a Chinese cultivar. It was developed at the old Kagoshima Tea Research Center. One of the things I’m passionate...

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New teas up on the website and on the way!!!

Wild Purple Ya Bao Purple varietal white tea  This rare tea’s leaves come from wild purple tea trees that grow in the high mountain areas of Jinggu. The trees are a varietal often referred to as purple “ye sheng”. Since the trees are completely wild and relatively remote, this...

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About Us

I am a tea drinker and food lover. As I’ve learned more about tea and tea production and history, my tea love has evolved into the same kind of careful, thoughtful, sustainable love that I have for all of the other foods and food systems in my life. What does that mean? It means I care about where my tea comes from and what is in it. I care about the short history of the leaves in my cup and the long history of their heritage. I care about the conditions in which the tea was grown and about the health and well-being of the people involved in the making of the tea. I care about whether the person who plucked the tea can send their kids to school and has food on their table. I want to know if the artisan that crafted the tea comes from a long line of tea-makers or has come into a new-found love for making tea. But I want to know that love is there. I care about the history and terroir1 of the land on which the tea grew. I care about the amount of time that has elapsed between when the leaves were plucked and when they are steeped in my cup and how many hands they passed through on their journey. I’m a locavore2 but realize that excellent tea terroir is limited to a few precious places on this earth, and I want to preserve those places so that great tea will always be made. I want to visit those places and the people that make that tea.

And at the end of the day, I want to bring that tea to you so that you can enjoy them with me. These teas were carefully selected and curated to bring teas to market that you can trust, savor, and appreciate. Know Your Tea. Provenance3 Matters.

1Terroir: Terroir (tair-wahr) is a French concept incorporating everything that contributes to the distinctive character of a particular vineyard site:  its soil and subsoil; its drainage, slope and elevation; and its microclimate, which in turn includes temperature and precipitation, exposure to the sun, wind and fog, and the like. (from Stephen Tanzer’s Winophilia.com)

2Locavore: a person interested in eating food grown within a limited distance from its point of purchase or consumption in the interest of sustainability, eco-consciousness, and concern for small producers.

3Provenance: Adapted for a food like tea, I take provenance to mean the origin or source and the production details and history.