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Tea Blog

Official Blog of the English Tea Store


  • Addicted to Tea, Part II

    Not so long ago I wrote about the notion of tea addiction. I concluded that while you might not be able to develop an addiction to tea, at least not in the strictest sense of the word, it seems possible that you might become addicted to the caffeine in tea. I hardly consider myself to… Continue reading

  • Tea Flavor Affecters

    Curiosity leads to discovery, and so it was that mine led me to the online discovery of various studies into what is in tea that affects flavor. And being the kind-hearted, love-to-share (except chocolate) type of person I am, I want to share some of this info with you. It may aid you in selecting… Continue reading

  • The Ancient Tea Road – from Yunnan to Lhasa

    The Ancient Tea Road, known in Chinese as chamagudao (茶马古道), is one of the most significant routes in Asian trade history. It is sometimes associated with segments of the Ancient Silk Road and is also referred to as the Ancient Tea-Horse Road. Rather than a single road, this was an extensive network of trails connecting… Continue reading

  • Tea and the Dishwasher

    Just as smells and tastes evoke memories, so do certain activities — in this case the act of emptying clean dishes out of the dishwashing machine. Got a pot of tea, a yummy nibble, and a box of tissues handy? Good, then get ready for this tale. Whenever hubby and I visit friends, it usually… Continue reading

  • Tea for St. Patrick’s Day

    St. Patrick’s Day is approaching once again. Whether or not you like to celebrate this religious-turned-secular holiday, it tends to make rather a splash in the media and as such you probably will hear something about the numerous celebrations taking place. But a holiday is a holiday (even if it’s not an official U.S. holiday),… Continue reading

  • Another Spring Equinox Tea Time

    Of course, you don’t need a special occasion for taking tea. Tea is its own reason. But special occasions are made better with tea. The Spring Equinox is no exception. Since our planet tilts on its axis, the hours of daylight and night time tilt back and forth, too, like a pendulum scale where first… Continue reading

  • The Levels of Tea Experience

    All due respect and perhaps apologies are due to William James, who wrote an influential book just over a century ago, called The Varieties of Religious Experience. You can approach tea from many different directions and there’s hardly one true and proper path. But like most things in life, you typically have to start at… Continue reading

  • Holding Tea Hostage

    There are some really dedicated tea folk out there — so dedicated that their most prized teas are almost like members of the family, being given comfortable quarters and moving with that family from house to house. So, what if someone decided to hold these teas hostage? Don’t laugh. Weirder things have happened. Much weirder.… Continue reading

  • Recent and Upcoming Tea Books II – The Forgotten

    It’s a bit of a misnomer this time around—that title. While researching a previous column, I came across several books that aren’t exactly new releases but still deserve attention. Here’s a selection of those titles. Aaron Fisher is perhaps best known for The Way of Tea, which was discussed in this review of Fisher’s exploration… Continue reading

  • Tea Production — Think Big or Think Small?

    To clarify right from the start—no, I’m not entirely serious about this question. When considering whether small-scale tea producers are “better” than large-scale operations, the real answer depends on one key factor: the target market. Different Markets, Different Needs A small-scale producer is unlikely to meet the demands of a large retail chain selling multiple… Continue reading