My recent foray into becoming an adoptive parent has opened up for me a world of delightful teas and beautiful tea ceremonies.  Six months ago, my husband and I were approved and put on a waiting list to adopt a child from Taiwan.  To prepare for our new adventure, we have been exploring the culture [...]

After three consecutive months of having fun with tea and sweet indulgences, for this month I’d promised a post on tea as an aid in weight loss.  Quite timely…I’m sure I’m not the only one out there looking to wipe off a few holiday-acquired pounds.
The Tea Spot’s expert on tea and metabolism, is, coincidentally enough, [...]

Recently I was asked by one of my clients to host a tea tasting at her spa for Valentine’s Day.
I started to think about what I wanted to share with my guests that day.  Preferably something totally new by way of both my talk and the experience – something related to love.
I contemplated all the [...]

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 or molded in large quantities.  [...]

My first job, after college, was teaching English in Tokyo, Japan.  That year, I had several “first-time” experiences: first time living alone, first time having a full-time job, first time living in a foreign country, and first time drinking first flush Darjeeling tea.
My first month, I met a new friend at a nice hotel tea [...]

Xiamen is a seaside city located in northeastern China.  Winter or autumn, young or old, the people of Xiamen drink the same tea the whole year round.  Although it is an international city, Xiamen has preserved its traditional culture well, Gongfu tea being part of that traditional culture.
When you visit a friend or a business [...]

I am new to the realm of tea drinking.  Recently, I have been pondering the possibility that my love for coffee is interfering with my ability to explore the vast world of tea.  Working in a business that serves both coffee and tea, I find myself asking people whether they are coffee drinkers, tea drinkers, [...]

Recently, I got the chance to visit Xiamen, China, on a business trip.  I was very excited because I looked forward to trying some more tea.  When my colleagues asked me what I wanted to do after work, my answer was simply “Go to a tea shop”.  At lunch, I told everyone that I was [...]

Although Rooibos is not a tea, it is brewed like tea and is chock full of antioxidants, like tea.  However, Rooibos contains no caffeine, which makes it a perfect bedtime beverage.  I love Rooibos because it is so incredibly versatile.
Rooibos can be brewed unblended, in its natural, earthy form.  The scent is reminiscent of tobacco [...]

Our early courtship was spent in the Hungarian capital, Budapest, a city rich in history and in beautiful places to have drinks.  As well as being the place where our romance first kindled, Budapest was where we started developing from casual tea drinkers to budding students of the leaf.  Traditionally a nation of coffee drinkers, [...]