“At first I didn’t really comprehend it, but then it struck me: this tea was literally on the bush just a few days ago [in Hangzhou], and here it is in my cup [half way across the globe]”, said Teance’s…
Last week Eons ago I wrote Part I, which was an overview of the event’s atmosphere, to publish on The Daily Cal. Since the beginning of this semester I have been terribly slacking in literally everything with the excuse of…
It’s been a long time since I last went to Teance, between research and editing, I can no longer afford 2-3 hours with tea. However, today was one of those days when things didn’t go as planned, I was up…
The new spring harvest teas are arriving at Teance, and so am I. I tried three teas earlier today, a yellow tea, a green tea and a white tea, all of which I have had from previous seasons, but a…
Last spring, I got two bags of last-spring (Spring 2012) shincha (新茶) from Yaoya-san in El Cerrito. The soft green color of the bags was so pleasing, I like shincha so much (it immediately became my number-one favorite green tea when I…
Some people do drugs, I do tea. And I get even higher when I do tea with company: when I recommend the teas to my friends and they enjoy it, I feel accomplished. So of course, when Kristen’s mom visits…
I felt terrible that I arrived only near the end of the tea ceremony demonstration. First the bus came late. Then I got off a stop too early because I didn’t know the area and the bus driver wasn’t in…
Contrast to its name, Bai Cha, which means “white tea”, is a green tea. And unlike other green teas, the Anji Bai Cha must be steeped for a long time to release its full potential. Anji Baicha is delicious and…
“Shincha” means “new tea”. It’s popular in Japan, but outside of the Japan, it’s the kind of “insider tea” that only a regular would know because the host whispers to her “hey we just got a small bag arrive in…
When Cheryl steeped it, it made me think of coffee. Not the bitterness but the sturdy sweetness of roasted beans. It’s dark, vigorous, nutty and confident. I couldn’t replicate the taste even as I watch the time (~ 15-20 seconds?)…