It’s so easy to assess others based on little clues. Do you look down on people who make tea using a microwave, or use their tea bag a second time? These are verboten in the tea purist’s world, but most people do these things at some time in their lives.In … Continue reading
For most of the previous week, the local weather pundits had danced around a slight possibility of rain, which never materialized. On the 11:00 o’clock news the night before I was to visit to the Huntington, they raised the odds to an 80% chance of precipitation by the next afternoon. … Continue reading
Seventh in a series on the teas of India.The high-grown black teas from the Nilgiri (“Blue Mountains” in Tamil) of southern India are among the finest produced anywhere. Just as the British officials of Calcutta took to the hills of Darjeeling for summer coolness, Raj officials in Madras retreated to … Continue reading
It is almost impossible to find a Japanese eatery that does not list green tea ice cream on its dessert menu, but I have always wished that ujikintoki was instead the most commonly served Japanese sweet dish.Ujikintoki is Japanese kakigori, a shaved ice dessert flavored with matcha syrup and enriched … Continue reading
So, what’s it like to own a teahouse? Many people have asked me to share some of my experiences “from the inside”. So here it is, a brief overview of the Good, the Not-So-Fun, and the Downright Ugly of what teahouse ownership has been like for me the past three … Continue reading
Thank you, Dr. Weil, for calling our attention to the health benefits of green tea once again. His terrific post identifies three important attributes (quoted verbatim below) of this wonderful, healthy brew: High in antioxidants, which can promote stronger bones, lower cholesterol levels, and lower rates of heart disease and … Continue reading