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Lainie Sips
Rishi’s Keemun Golden Buds (review)
Name: Keemun Golden Buds Brand: Rishi Tea (Check out my podcast interview with Susana Mojica of Rishi Tea. Please note that we had technical difficulties in the first six minutes of the show, so you may want to skip ahead in the recording.) Type: Black tea, Chinese Form: Loose leaf Cost: $9.75 for one ounce,...
David Rio’s Caramel Chamomile (review)
Name: Caramel Chamomile Brand: David Rio Type: Tisane (chamomile-based) Form: Paper tea bag Cost: $6.95 for 20 teabags Review: I spotted this at a local gourmet market, and, despite my suspicion of tea-bag chamomile, thought I would give it a try. The dry leaf has a rich, sweet nose of, as one might expect, caramel and...
Greetings! Last week I announced my involvement in The Open Sky Project. I am now thrilled to announce a “sneak peek” into my new store on OpenSky. OpenSky is a new shopping experience, offering shoppers the opportunity to buy goods that have been hand-selected by passionate, knowledgeable “Shopkeepers”. My store only has...
Teas Etc’s Golden Dragon Aged Oolong (review)
Name: Golden Dragon Aged Oolong Brand: Teas Etc Type: Oolong Form: Loose leaf Cost: $12.95 for a 1 ounce tin, quantity discounts available Review: This is one strange looking tea. The leaves are dark brown and twisted, and there are plenty of large twigs and stems in the blend. The nose is even stranger (in...
Welcome to Lainie Sips, a blog dedicated to all things tea! (This is a sticky post: For new content, please scroll down.) To learn more about the blog, please visit my about page. The bulk of my tea-writing is done on this blog, but you can also check out my column...
Teas Etc Sale and Interview with Beth Johnston
Teas Etc is running a sale in honor of National Hot Tea Month, now through Monday, January 25th. Use coupon code HOTTEA at checkout and get 25% off your order, plus free shipping if you spend at least $60. Also, Teas Etc’s founder and owner, Beth Johnston, will be my guest...
Tea Escapade - Tea Blog
2009 Tea Escapade’s – Tea Custom Contest Winner
During the month of December, Tea Escapade ran the 2009 Tea Custom Contest. After reviewing many contest entries, it was exciting to select a winner. Contestants were required to share their tea custom in 350 words or less. The custom may range from simple (using the same special teacup or mug)...
Most people have a favorite program or two they watch every week. Two of my favorites include Grey’s Anatomy and Private Practice. Dressed in comfy clothes and armed with a cup of Green Tea Soothing Mint tea, it was with eager anticipation that I flicked on the television. Imagine my...
National Hot Tea Month, Celestial Seasonings, & Facebook
You are probably wondering… why it is almost the end of January and Tea Escapade is just now sharing information about National Hot Tea Month. Through inadvertence, I missed the press release in my email box and hope to rectify this mishap for such a great cause. Tea Escapade is...
There is nothing better than enjoying a cup of hot tea on a cold winter day. Okay… so there is nothing better than enjoying a hot cup of tea on any day, especially when it is cold. Tea is even better when you get a chance to share it with...
Peppermint Cacao Nibs – Tea Cookies
Last year, while attending the 2009 World Tea Expo, I had the pleasure of meeting Sondra Wells, Owner and Founder of Botanical Bakery. It was great to put a face with the name – several months earlier I sampled and reviewed several Botanical Bakery products. See Tea Escapade Blog Post: Botanical...
New Year’s Resolutions Over Tea Cocktails
I’ve been missing in action for almost two weeks now – I know it’s a shame and travesty. My excuse? The hubby and I took a wonderful vacation to Cancun. It was quite invigorating to spend one-on-one time with my better half without the distraction of school, work, friends and...
MattCha's Blog
One hasn't consumed that much green tea as of late. This is normal, keeping with the harmony of the seasons. The cool thermal qi and subtle sweet flavour of green tea harmonizes best with the rising energy of spring. However, with temperatures in January the warmest on record, spring...
A Rusty, Oxidized Tea Jar By Kim Kyoung Soo
This small tea caddy by Kim Kyong Soo is typical of his style. It has a brown, oxidized, rustic look and feel that permeates the mind. Picking up the small tea jar, removing the lid, and mindfully scooping tea from the inside with a modest bamboo scoop is like embracing...
In a Few Weeks From Now a Much Anticipated Event Will Take Place on Canada's West Coast...
No its not the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, its Victoria's 4th Annual Tea Festival! In celebration of this event one is going to be featuring a few posts on some of the local tea heavy weights in Victoria throughout the coming weeks. Peace...
2009 'Yo Reum Hyong Ki' Boseong Yellow Tea Sample
This sample was kindly sent by Chris along with a few other surprises. This tea is from Boseong. Of note, is that it doesn't have the seal of Korean Organic Certification. Boseong has recently captured headlines worldwide for certifying many of its gardens, but not all gardens in Boseong are...
Two 'Types' of Korean Yellow (Semi-Oxidized) Tea
Merely from years of experience, there seems to be two types (or maybe classes) of yellow tea produced in Korea. The first kind of yellow is the "Spicy, Fruity, Juicy Type" and the second is the "Roasted, Chocolate Type" mmmm... they both sound yummy! The "Spicy, Fruity, Juicy Type" have...
A Grey & White Lee Kang Hyo Buncheong Style Tea Bowl
The look and feel of this grey and white tea bowl is wonderfully reflected under the dim lights of this traditional Korean home.This tea bowl reflects the zen mind. Its main colour is grey. In Korea grey holds special meaning, it is the colourless colour and at the same time...
Teatrekker's Weblog
We are thrilled to be able to offer tea enthusiasts a distinguished grouping of 2009 Wu Yi Shan oolongs. It is not often that such a fine selection of these teas can be purchased from one well-sourced place in the West. Those in the know will recognize these teas: they are...
Chinese ‘12 Flowers of the Months’ Tea Cups – February/ Peach Blossoms
This is the painting on the front of the 2nd cup in my set of 12 Chinese Flowers of the Months tea cups. The lovely painting depicts a gnarly yet elegant peach tree festooned with flower buds and open blossoms. The calligraphy on the back reads something like: ‘the fragrance of small peach blossoms in spring’ For detailed information...
The Politics of Bottled Green Tea
I recently discovered this hand-out titled The Politics of Bottled Green Tea . It was written by Korene Schmitz from the Sociology Department at St Cloud State University. I was thrilled to find this piece, and would like to make Tea Trekker readers and tea enthusiasts aware of what this author has to say. Much has...
Korea Tea and Tea Ceramics Trip
For those interested in learning about Korean tea and tea ceramics (and experiencing the non-commercial side of both in South Korea) take note that ceramic expert Arthur Park is leading a trip to South Korea in May. I have been in contact with Arthur about this trip for quite some time now,...
Chinese ‘12 Flowers of the Months’ Tea Cups – January/Plum Blossoms
The first time I saw a set of 12 Flowers of the Months Qing dynasty ( 1644-1912) tea cups was when I visited the Flagstaff House Museum of Teawares in Hong Kong. I was in porcelain heaven in Hong Kong, but these little cups captured my fancy and I made notes from a sign posted in...
Look for Our New Tea Book in 2010
We are thrilled to announce the forthcoming publication of our new tea book: The Tea Enthusiast’s Handbook: A Guide to the World’s Best Teas. Our new book is a companion book to our tea ‘bible’ The Story of Tea: A Cultural History and Drinking Guide, and it is also being published...
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Mary Kate Inspiration for a Pancake Tea
It’s Tuesday, you seem to have used up all your motivation just for Monday & even though i...
Ever since I read this post on the Thought Experiment I’ve been thinking about how fun it woul...
Shockingly Cute Must-Haves: Part 1
Every day I come across really adorable products from various countries (okay, mostly Japan) and dif...
132: Things That Make Me Happy on a Lazy Saturday Afternoon
The weather is terribly warm and it’s making me all drowsy and restless! But I got to press on...
Hmm…after a long time..even middle of my work thought to write down this piece of info about h...
With a genuine cup of Japanese tea in hand.
I’m a tea drinker. I’m planning to go to the nearest Harps (or possibly to some random n...
Tea Obsession
Need to find lids for these 2 jars. ...
Batavia Gaiwan from late Qing Dynasty, large 180 ml. I use it as drinking cup. (not for sale)Song dynasty celadon cups, rustic, 20 ml. Very very nice, best for tea out of all tea cups I have. (not for sale)Brown glaze cups, they are not Batavian...
Rain season is here in LA, after a week of heavy rain, the sky above is brighter, clearer, and calls for reaching above. Hiked and high above the basin of San Gabriel valley, I reached for the sky, hiked and low below the mountain valley, I reached for...
Got a big box yesterday! In this cold weather accompanied with pouring rain, what'd be better than having a fire going, collect heavenly rain water and brew myself a cup after cup of nice tea!I have been rewarding myself with several good trees this year, in side of this...
I have fallen behind on tea review for a couple of months. Well, I have been busy with time and other interest, plus the holidays made me a bit lazy. So, as my first attempt of this new year, I am slowing posting my thoughts on new teas...
It's a shocking day! I have not had an emotional day like today for a long time, I actually cried. The last time was reading Lu You and Tang Wan, but that doesn't count since it had nothing to do with me.While I was in Guang Zhou, I...
Tea Finely Brewed
Valentine’s Day Giveaway for Australian Tea Lovers
Yesterday I met Verity, the blogger behind Joie de Tea. Between us, I'm pretty sure we're the entire community of Melburnian tea bloggers. We chatted about tea, parenthood (her and her husband had their little son, Pippin, just three months ago), and the travails of Australian Customs over some lovely...
Big Savings on Tea at Amazon.com
Just a quick plug for those of you who need to replenish your tea stock: Amazon.com have up to 45% off their grocery products at the moment, which includes their big range of tea....
Kabusecha Green Tea from O-Cha
Today's tea is a kabusecha — a Japanese green tea that is 45% shade-grown for three weeks prior to harvest. That puts it halfway between sencha, which isn't given any shade at all, and gyokuro, which is 100% shade-grown for the three weeks before harvest....
Travel Buddy Infuser Tea Mug Review
This year for Sinterklaas (the Dutch, superior version of Santa Clause), the great Sint gifted me with a Travel Buddy Tea Travel Mug. Seems like the Sint must have read my post about travel tea mugs. :) Thanks Sint! Finally I can enjoy a nice cup of tea on the...
How photogenic is yixing teaware?...
Formosa Oolong from Serenity Teahouse
Serenity Teahouse is a small tea shop in Box Hill, a suburb of Melbourne. A tiny sign dangles above the sidewalk. Downstairs, there's an Asian bakery that sells the tea; but the real fun begins upstairs, where Candy, the owner, will treat you to free tea tastings. Her family runs...
Tea Nerd
This article is about something I take very seriously, though not often enough. I generally try to live by Oscar Wilde's maxim that "Life is too important to take seriously," but there are a certain few things in this world that I cannot help but revere. Mindfulness is...
Aged Oolong from Imperial Tea Court
Class: Oolong Origin: Fujian, China Year: ? Vendor: Imperial Tea Court (Product page) Price: $6.00 (28g) / $21.25 (113g) This is not a bad tea. (What, expecting something more profound after a month and a half?) The truth is, my taste buds are a wee bit rusty after such a long break from...
My preferred "style" is definitely minimalist-leaning without being completely spartan (Proper capitalization and punctuation? On a blog? Gadzooks!), as you may have noticed through my teaware choices and the various templates Tea Nerd has sported in the past. Even putting aside aesthetics, there is something elegant and...
I brewed up the last of a sample of 90's Golden Pearls Dancong. A bit stale, but still tasty. I have to say, I'm not sure tea would be quite as good if I knew it would never go stale. Hope you weren't expecting a lot of text! ...
Tea and Weight Loss | IT'S ALIVE, kind of
Bwahaha, I'll bet I had you going for a minute there with this title. It's actually exactly the opposite of what you are thinking. This is mostly a "look guys, this blog really isn't dead" post, but here's a fun fact: over the past few months, despite drinking...
Classic Roast Tie Guan Yin from The Tea Gallery
Class: Oolong Origin: Anxi, China Year: ? Vendor: The Tea Gallery (Product page) Price: $9.00 (25g) / $33.00 (100g) nomnomnomnomnomnomnom This was a free sample I got with my order. I almost ordered a small amount but decided against it; apparently they can read minds (is there anything The Tea Gallery people don't do well?). This...
TeaChat
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Board started:Jun 10th, '05, 06:40Days since started:1702Board version:phpbb 3.0.5All times are :UTC - 4 hoursNumber of posts:133567Posts per day:78.48Number of topics:8971Topics per day:5.27Number of users:7618Users per day:4.48Our newest member :sdleskoMost users ever online was 89 on Oct 12th, '09, 21:10...
Green Tea | Re: Water heated for Japanese tea, in a tetsubin
You may have seen these before, but here are some good blog articles about owning/using a Japanese Tetsubin from the Half Dipper...http://half-dipper.blogspot.com/2009/04/nembu-tekki.htmlhttp://half-dipper.blogspot.com/2009/06/temperature-vs-induction.htmlhttp://half-dipper.blogspot.com/2009/07/aging-tetsubin.htmlI have as of yet not taken the plunge!Jack Statistics : Posted by Jack_teachat • on Jan 26th, '10, 03:20 • Replies 10 • Views 280...
Just raining here in Southern Ca, but we are expecting a lot of it. Nah, won't change my tea consumption any more than the weekend normally does. Be careful everyone if you are going out, the conditions go from bad to worse as you look east...
Introduction to TeaChat | Re: Box in Hand!
Welcome, nice to have you with us!Statistics : Posted by Victoria • on Feb 4th, '10, 17:48 • Replies 7 • Views 80...
Teaware & Accessories | Re: Yama Glass YG-T17 Gong Fu Water Kettle
Congrats to those who got one! Very nice design. I have bought from this vendor before some very nice glassware.Statistics : Posted by Victoria • on Feb 4th, '10, 02:47 • Replies 6 • Views 155...
The Half-Dipper
You know that you've been away a long time when you realise that your fingers have forgotten how to type. Merry Christmas! Visiting our Chinese half of the family is always a lovely experience, but I have to admit that it is good to be home. "What should they know of Englandwho only...
It seems that my DPhil examiners were careless in my viva, because they've passed me! Thanks to all those who sent comments and e-mails of support / comfort over the last week. See you all in the New Year! Dr. Hobbes circa 4 p.m. yesterday...
Phew. That was a heavy term. Here in Blighty, we'd say "Gorblimey". I feel exactly like this: "Hobbes at the end of term" I hope that your autumn has been a little easier on the nerves. Term is very short here - just eight weeks. The university is a catalyst; the reaction...
water pools among the rocks - then pools and pools again - John Wills...
Here's something that you might like to try at home. Many years ago, I remember reading (I think at the ever-excellent site of MarshalN) that the "Best Teahouse" in Hong Kong used to keep a tray for their left-over pu'er, into which all the loose leaves would fall from their braeking...
It's a small world. The tea-world is especially small, as I'm sure you know. One of my teachums, ST, lives in Singapore. "One of my friends is sending her daughter to law school at your university, and will be there next week", he wrote. Days later, I find myself walking to...
News from Upton Tea
New Product: Valentine's Day Sampler Set
Chocolate, candied hearts, roses, tea - this Sampler Set has everything you need to put together an unforgettable Valentine's Day.A tin (approx 35g) of each of the following teas and tisanes: Earl Grey Chocolate (TE13), Rooibos Candied Almond (BA25), Organic Rose Green Tea (TP46) and Green Rooibos Poire Creme (BA04).Also...
New Product: Valentine's Day Gift Set
Chocolate, candied hearts, roses, tea and a beautiful bone china teapot - this gift set has everything you need for a Valentine's Day to remember.Created specially for Valentine's Day, this gift set includes a Chatsford 4-cup (24 oz.) Bone China teapot with blue accent stripe and Valentine's Day sampler set....
New Product: Season's Pick Nilgiri OP
An excellent tea for those who like a milder Nilgiri. Best without milk, unless the steeping time is extended to 5 minutes or longer. The cup is smooth and rounded with a clean finish. Also makes great iced tea....
New Product: Oolong Choice Grade
While not as elegant in appearance as our Formosa Oolong Choicest, this classic grade has a rich, smooth flavor, dark cup, and represents a great value for this style of tea. The cup has a moderate level of pungency, fruity notes, and a sweet, lingering finish. Recommended for Oolong...
New Product: Castleton Estate FTGFOP1 Musc. Second Flush (DJ-136)
Whether they are sold as a private offering or at the Calcutta auctions, Castleton teas routinely fetch top dollar. This choice selection has the character that has made Castleton a benchmark. The chestnut colored cup is smooth and flavorful with a complex aroma and muscatel notes....
New Product: Season's Pick Steinthal TGBOP Organic
A blend of select lots of Steinthal Estate broken leaf teas. The smooth cup has a dark golden amber hue with subtle fruity flavor notes. Steep for 1-1½ minutes for a very pleasant cup with a light, lingering, sweet finish....
Gongfu Girl
Happy Lewis Carroll’s Birthday!
Lewis Carroll (Charles Lutwidge Dodgson) – writer, mathematician, photographer, Anglican deacon, and perpetrator of glorious logic-puzzles and nonsense – was born on this day in 1832. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, the best known of his works, and a book no doubt responsible for fostering a great many fixations on tea,...
Tea Review: TeaSource: Puerh Special Grade
I anticipated that Puerh Special Grade, a loose leaf pu’er from TeaSource, would brew into a nice liquor after I smelled the intense sweet aroma of the dry leaf. I was not disappointed. In general, but especially in the initial steep, it was very malty, almost like graham crackers or...
A few weeks ago I ventured into a grocery that I had passed by hundreds of times in the past without my curiosity the least bit piqued, having previously assumed that it would not have anything of interest on its shelves. But for whatever reason, on this day I decided...
Tea Review: Mighty Leaf: Holiday Blend
There’s a certain set of scents that I (and probably a whole lot of other people) associate with Christmas. Mighty Leaf’s Holiday Blend tastes like Christmas smells: like the decoration aisle of a craft store in winter, like candles, fireplaces, and red and green and gold glittery stuff. The dominant...
Benefits of Drinking Green Tea, a Victorian Perspective
Surrounded by all of the current hype touting green tea as the cure-all tonic for just about every ailment – physical or spiritual – it’s a little difficult to imagine a very different perspective, in a very different era, where green tea could be distrusted and even thought to cause...
Having trouble filling your cabinets?
You have a little more than a day left to enter Steepster’s Ultimate Holiday Tea Gift Contest, which will end at 8:00pm EST Friday, December 18th, 2009. The combined prize package is quite a large quantity of desirable stuff, ranging from modern, shiny tea accessories to a traditional matcha kit,...
T Ching
Although originally considered the “peasant tea” of Japan, kukicha, or stem-and-twig tea, is growing in popularity in the Western world. In Uji, Japan, tea farmers made this tea from parts of the tea plant that were left over after the expensive buds and leaves were sold. The farmers drank these...
The perennial question: Which tea is healthiest?
Hardly a day goes by that we aren’t asked, “Which is the healthiest tea - green, white, or black?” So, what is your answer? Ours is that all teas are loaded with antioxidants and have much less caffeine than coffee, but studies are conflicting on which level of oxidation makes...
In this world, as I see it, both visible and invisible history exists for every physical object. I’ve been thinking about what holds tea, and how that shapes its taste as well as how we drink it. There is a history behind each ceramic cup we hold, whether singularly handmade...
In my last post, I talked about culture shocks associated with tea, and in this post, I feel the need to talk to those just starting out on the tea path, and share some advice for the beginner. I often use the analogy of ascending a mountain when it comes...
One of my favorite pastimes is to try different types of tea. Recently, I discovered a set of tea bags in winter flavors. The boxes advertised four types - Ginger Snappish, Pumpkin Spice, Eggnogg’n, and Apple Cider. Unfortunately, the Apple Cider tea was nowhere to be found. Apparently, there wasn’t any...
Life in the tea hole is one delightful surprise after another
You’ve all experienced it - you are at dinner with friends and one of them raves about a new gadget she has just purchased, one you have never heard of. Then, over the subsequent days, that gadget seems to pop up around every corner. When I fell down the tea hole...
MarshalN's Xanga
or not to blend? That is the question.Lots of people have discussed this before, and a long, long time ago, I think I said something about it too, although it's been so long that it might as well not exist. The thing here is mostly concerning puerh -- whether or...
One of the most confusing things about buying tea is that there is virtually no naming scheme and standards. I can go buy some green tea from a wholesaler and resell that as "jade green spring", which sounds awfully like biluochun "green snail spring", and perhaps lead you to think...
I opened a bottle of spoiled wine yesterday. It was not a great loss, as it was only a cheap Cotes du Rhone that I had kept for a few years. It went through various types of poor storage, including a year and half in a U-Haul storage facility. The...
So last entry we stopped at actually looking at listings. Let's now turn to those.Over the years pictures on Taobao has really improved. I remember when I was in China in 06, very often the Taobao listings would have no pictures at all, or a really bad, grainy, and small...
So it seems like those crafty Chinese finally found a way to make some money by acting as middleman between that emporium of all things Chinese, Taobao, and the Western buyer who wants stuff on there. For those of you who don't know, Taobao.com is basically China's eBay, only worse. ...
We all love to hate the teaball, that invention that should have been destroyed when first thought up. It limits the amount of space that is allowed for the leaves to move, and inevitably, it creates a bad cup of tea. It's pretty common to see a tea ball being...