Tea Consultants Notes

Sustainability is a term we encounter with increasing frequency, but what does it truly mean? At its most basic level, sustainability describes a process that meets present needs while ensuring that future generations will also be able to meet theirs by adopting similar methods.

As springtime arrives and signs of life and vitality gently unfurl, a tea lover’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of first flush Darjeeling. When considering the Darjeeling tea category, what a difference a season can make.

Since the 14th century, Valentine’s Day has been a celebration of love. In our current culture, this day inspires the gifting of heart-shaped boxes of chocolates, fragrant bouquets of roses, and sweet poems, as well as an abundance of wedding proposals.

Welcome, tea drinkers, to 2025: the Year of the Snake! With hard work, a little luck, and many cups of tea, the Year of the Snake is poised to bring us happiness and prosperity.

For many of us, a fresh, new year equals a lot of reprioritizing and redoubling our efforts to put our very best self forward. Wellness and immune support can provide a perfect basecamp as you prepare to summit whatever your plans and goals may require. Revving up your immune system predictably proves to be most challenging during this time of year, which is quite notorious for sniffles and sore throats. When seeking to fortify your defenses, where better to turn than the culmination of thousands of years of tried-and-true traditional healing.

When was the last time you went caroling? Every winter, countless communities throughout the world participate in the tradition of caroling to spread holiday cheer through song. So gather your family, friends or neighbors put the kettle on, and prepare your favorite travel mug. We have the perfect Christmas carol-themed holiday tea recommendations for your night on the town!

We have all been there. Some nights, despite our best efforts of bargaining and cajoling, sleep remains elusive. What to do? Try a cup of herbal tea.

Whether enjoyed plain or with a touch of milk, these breakfast blend teas promise a morning tea experience that is both comforting and rich in flavor, making them an essential part of any tea lover's collection. Our vast tea collection boasts 2 dozen unique breakfast blends to wake you up in the morning. In this cupping, we tasted 12 of our favorites.

Enhancing a cup of tea with a burst of fruit flavor traces its roots to well before the Tang Dynasty in China and has enjoyed a gradual gain in popularity since then.

Evoking the heady aroma of nutmeg, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, and black pepper, the word chai has visceral sensory connotations.

Did you know that Upton Tea Imports carries 13 varieties of Earl Grey? That’s a lot of bergamot! Customers will often ask us: “what sets your Earl Grey teas apart from one another? Can you really taste the difference between them?” Read on to discover what makes each of these zesty black teas unique and find your new favorite!

Sating a sweet tooth with a sweetened cuppa is a time-honored tradition, as old as teatime itself.

Adrift in a dream. Surrounded by a wide-open field of elegant green leaves and stems with neat, fragrant bunches of tiny purple blossoms at the tip. You take a deep breath, and the heady scent imbues your entire being with a feeling of peace and calm.

Memorial Day is a day that most Americans look forward to as the official start of summer, but this day is so much more than a season kick-off.

It’s the month of May and here in the Northeastern US, the botanical kingdom is in full, luxurious growth and vibrant bloom. On May 21st, we celebrate International Tea Day, a lovely time to pause and appreciate the scents and flavors of our favorite beverage!

Terroir: a small word for the very complex system responsible for the incredible diversity of our favorite leaf. You may be more familiar with this word through its association with wine, but it extends to all agricultural crops.

Environmentally conscious tea lovers, rejoice! Loose leaf tea is sustainable and renewable. In the spirit of Earth Day, let’s take a look at some of the ways that buying loose leaf tea can have a positive impact on our environment.

Since water is such a vital portion of that equation, it seems pretty essential to consider the source. Do you fill your kettle right from the tap? Or, do you prefer filtered or bottled water?

You may already know that tea is one of the best beverage bargains there is — a power-packed flavor sensation for only pennies per cup. But did you also know that you can increase that bargain by three or four-fold?

What’s in a name? Within the wide ranging and increasingly popular world of botanical infusions, plenty. In this post, we are going to explore the difference between tea, herbal infusions, and tisanes.

Take a moment of respite from a long day with a cup of tea.

Dragons. Explosives. Eyebrows. What do these seemingly unconnected and wildly off-topic concepts have to do with your cup of tea? The answer may surprise you. Every time you order your favorite Chinese green teas, you might be mentioning them by name.

Our customers often ask us, “When does my tea expire?” Because tea leaves are a dried product, they do not technically have an expiration date, however, once you open the packet, we recommend that you drink your tea sooner rather than later.

WhatCha talking about? Tea, of course! Have you ever noticed that some cultures don’t refer to tea as tea but call it cha or chai? Why is that and how did we start calling it tea?

Honey — we all know it, love it, and use it. This mere sweetener, existing in your cupboard, is capable of making many a fine cup of tea delightful and many baked goods delectable.

The next time you reach for your morning cuppa, consider giving Yerba Maté a turn in your weekly rotation of breakfast beverages. Known to be coffee’s herbal substitute, Yerba Maté has it all, including an ancient history, traditions, and wonderful benefits.

What is it about Moroccan Mint tea that makes it the perfect beverage for a hot day? Beloved for its cooling properties with refreshing Gunpowder green tea and crisp peppermint, some say that if you drink it hot on a summer day, it will still cool you down.

Over the centuries the teapot, which is the dearest companion of any serious tea drinker, has been forged from a variety of different materials including stone, metal, ceramics (both porous and glazed) and, perhaps most famously, porcelain.

How would you like to meet a real-life tea master?

Earl Grey is one of the most iconic tea blends in the world, but who was Earl Grey?

We have been sourcing premium teas and herbs for our Valued Customers for 32 years since our founding in 1989.

The Japanese tea ceremony, otherwise known as Chanoyu, is the artistic ritual preparation of Matcha green tea.

The best leaf plucking for optimal flavor and mouthfeel is widely regarded as a set of two leaves and a bud, often referred to as a fine plucking.

The most anticipated time of the year in the tea industry is first flush Darjeeling season.

Pu-Erh is an iconic tea with a fascinating history, from the old tea horse road where the beverage originated in the 6th century.

We see it on the news, while shopping, and even at the doctor's office. It pops up everywhere. Collectively, we are learning the importance of having a wellness routine and its impact on living a healthy life.