From Garden to Cup

Millions gather each April in China to celebrate “Qingming” (pronounced Ching Ming), also known as “Tomb Sweeping Day,” or the “Pure Brightness Festival.” To celebrate the coming of spring, families visit their ancestors’ tombs to make offerings of favorite foods, rich, fragrant incense, and even tea.

Located 45 miles off the coast of southeast India in the Bay of Bengal, this magnificent country is full of lush botanical offerings, tea-crested hillsides, and a beautiful culture where the hearts of the people are smiling to the world.

If tea is an acknowledged antioxidant powerhouse, then purple tea is the powerhouse of powerhouses. The purple tea varietal is a special cultivar of Camellia sinensis var. assamica, the tea bush variety with larger leaves, native to Assam, India.

In the Darjeeling region of India, our beloved tea fields are frequented by a special, larger-than-life visitor: the Asian elephant.

Let’s explore the beautiful south coast of Japan and the prefecture of Shizuoka. Renowned for its outstanding green tea, this prefecture is referred to as the “green tea capital.” What makes the green teas of Shizuoka so unique? The answer lies in its distinctive location, climate, and heritage.

Miyazaki prefecture, known for its mountains and picturesque coastal climate, is located on the island of Kyushu. Mountainous areas are perfect for camellia sinensis “terraced,” sloping upward on steep hillsides.

Recently, our tea buyer Tanya and I had the privilege to visit Kagoshima to see where the tea is grown. Japan’s Kagoshima prefecture is located on the Osumi peninsula, in the south of the island Kyushu.

We couldn’t believe how fortunate we were. As a Tea Consultant, I was excited because Japan is home to the finest green tea in the world. As a tea drinker, it also felt personal.

Did you know that tea-producing countries in Africa, such as Kenya and Rwanda, grow almost a third of the world's tea supply? Because most of the world’s tea is grown in Asia, Africa is often overlooked in conversations about tea production.

Of all the tea and herbals grown in the lush fields of South Africa, Rooibos is the rising star. More than triple the amount that was produced in the 1990s is produced today, with thousands of tons being exported each year.

When considering the southeastern Fujian province of China, it’s a well-known fact that most people first think of its luxurious white teas. The counties of Fuding, Shuijie/Jianyang, and Zhenghe are renowned for their magnificent mountainous terroir, ideal for producing the highest quality white teas.

Oolong tea, a beloved favorite ranging in flavorful versatility thanks to many methods of processing and oxidation levels, has a rich history spanning from legends to thriving traditions to your own personal cup.

While many types of tea are grown in China’s Yunnan province, perhaps the most iconic and unique is Pu-Erh tea, an ancient and culturally significant beverage with an incredible history, grown nowhere else in the world.

The lush tea fields of China’s An Hui province flourish, surrounded by craggy mountains that seem to stretch skyward into the clouds. When the wind blows, the damp mountain air carries the aroma of sweet spring rain and vegetation...

The Japanese tea ceremony, otherwise known as Chanoyu, is the artistic ritual preparation of Matcha green tea, a time-honored tradition originally created by Zen Buddhist monks centuries ago.

One of our favorite estates we have visited is the Somerset Estate, located in the Nuwara Eliya district of Sri Lanka.

The way the leaf is processed is the main factor in determining what type of tea the freshly plucked leaves will become.

Matcha tea comes from the Camellia sinensis plant, which is the same plant green, white, Oolong and black tea.

Our Bulang Mountain Pu-Erh tea cakes are a unique offering reminiscent of the beginnings of Pu-Erh tea itself.