It's All About Tea

While not being limited to animals, tea pets are small clay figures used during gong fu cha for various purposes. Most often, they are used by tea drinkers as decoration, but also for good luck, or to test water for the right temperature.

Tea pets have a long history, dating back to the Yuan Dynasty (13th century China). Tea pets are not only used for aesthetic purposes. Their meanings and positioning are actually closely intertwined with feng shui. (Read more)

In the modern-day tea world, “wild tea trees” are a huge debate. There has been an increasing number of tea vendors that use the mystic appeal of wild tea trees as a marketing ploy. Thus more tea enthusiasts start to believe that these teas are not exactly authentic.  

The majority of ancient tea trees grown in China’s Yunnan province. Yes, the pu-erh region! 

Since they are not cultivated, they can stretch anywhere from 5 up to 10 meters in height, which makes the tea leaves challenging to harvest. (Read more)

Tea (camellia sinensis) indeed originated in China. Green tea also originated in China. However, Chinese green tea and Japanese green tea vary quite a bit. From Chinese green tea coming in various elaborate shapes and colors to Japanese green tea, which tends to have a darker green color and small flat tea leaves after processing. With so many different tea varieties, green tea is still by far the most commonly consumed tea in both China and Japan. So what are the main differences between Japanese and Chinese green tea? (Read more)

Matcha is always at the forefront of our tea shelf, not just because its a significant boost of energy and exquisite ceremonial style, but also because it's undeniably versatile!

From tea to lattes, smoothies, cocktails, cakes, cookies, salad dressings, barbecue rubs, soup broths, you name it! Matcha has been used both in cooking and beverages for decades. (Read more)

Green tea is the most enjoyed tea in China, Japan and Korea. It was such an important part of the culture in China that the New Year was marked by the emperor drinking his first cup of first flush green tea. While it is one of the least processed of all tea types, it still requires precise technique and knowledge to make. Huang Shan Mao Feng is one of those green teas that wonderfully portrays to us the skills of the tea masters. If made correctly, it is a sweet, refreshing tea, with notes of chestnuts and spring florals, possessing plenty of cha qi. (Read more)