camellia sinensis

  • Tea Reflection: Nio Teas

    Chinese teas make up the bulk of my tea shelves. As the top tea-producing country in the world, that isn’t much of a surprise. Our shelves mirror the market, and we become familiar with the most accessible teas we can… Continue reading

    Tea Reflection: Nio Teas
  • Brewing Vessels

    Tea has been drunk for hundreds of years. Camellia sinensis is a steady fixture in an ever-evolving world, maintaining its relevance regardless of industrialization, war, or societal drift. What has changed is how we drink it and the culture surrounding… Continue reading

    Brewing Vessels
  • Making Matcha

    Throughout our tea series, we’ve covered a lot of ground- herbal infusions, loose leaf teas, different processing methods- but fellow tea fans may have noticed a conspicuous omission. This unmentioned tea has had steady market growth for years, once only… Continue reading

    Making Matcha
  • Tea Bags Vs. Loose Leaf

    There’s a big rivalry in the tea world. It’s on par with the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers; the Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin; Goku and Vegeta. While the tea community prides itself on its “chill” status,… Continue reading

    Tea Bags Vs. Loose Leaf
  • From Leaf to Cup: Part 2

    Do you have a favorite apple? Personally, I’m a Honeycrisp gal. Golden Delicious and Granny Smith are pretty good too, but, beyond that, I’m ambivalent (unless it’s Red Delicious. Those things can go straight to hell). That said, my experience… Continue reading

    From Leaf to Cup: Part 2
  • From Leaf to Cup: Part 1

    Tea’s journey from budding leaf to the sachet in your cup is a long, deceptively simple one. Every tea is made from one plant, the Camellia sinensis, and thousands of tiny decisions affect the type, quality, tastes, and blends. This… Continue reading

    From Leaf to Cup: Part 1
  • What Is Tea?

    Now that the blog has been up for a week you’re probably looking between Instagram and this blog going, “Okay lady, where’s the goods? I got the ‘Reads’, where’s the ‘Tea’?” Fair enough. I’ve focused a lot on the books… Continue reading

    What Is Tea?