As 2020 drew to a close, I looked back on the exceptional teas that came my way throughout the year - even as gardens experienced temporary lockdowns and shipments from Asia encountered delays. While I was unable to visit gardens in person, I continue to search for teas that represent the classic taste profile from…
The 800 tea gardens of Assam have experienced one of their most challenging growing seasons in history this year. At the outbreak of the COVID-19, the government ordered the shutdown of all tea plucking, fertilizing, and pest management activities for three weeks. Plucking tea in Assam, India. Photo by Bruce Richardson That closure slowed the…
Where does America get most of its tea? Statistics just released from the Tea Association of the United States indicate that the major tea producing countries continue their usual rankings in tonnage exported to the U.S.A through the first four months of this year. Tea grown in the shadow of Mt Fuji, Japan. Photo by…
A question posed to me almost daily is “What’s your favorite tea?” For a tea buyer, there is no quick response to that seemingly-simple query. The answer depends upon where I am in the world, who’s joining me for tea, and the season or time of day. I often turn the table and pose a question…