Waiter, My Tea is Blue

Japan's entrance on the world tea stage began as soon as her trade gates were pried open by Commodore Perry before our Civil War. It didn't take long for the United States to become Japan's best tea customer. The rise in Japanese tea imports, beginning in 1859, was due to the direct transpacific shipping routes…

Look Deeply Into Your Cup of Tea

Plucking leaves in Guizhou China. May 21 is International Tea Day, a day when we believers in the communal cup of humanity gather to spread the good news of our favorite beverage. Teaists are all part of this colorful cult of tea that has simmered worldwide for over a thousand years. Although Westerners are new…

The Beautiful Foolishness of Things

"Meanwhile, let us have a sip of tea. The afternoon glow is brightening the bamboos, the fountains are bubbling with delight, the soughing of the pines is heard in our kettle. Let us dream of evanescence, and linger in the beautiful foolishness of things."This is just one of many serene scenes painted for us by…

The Book of Green Tea

This book offers the authentic poetry of great tea: Let us rejoice and drink deeply.   - James Norwood PrattThank goodness! The Western world has once again fallen in love with green tea. For many, drinking green tea has become a new practice spurred by an interest in tea’s healthy attributes, while others consider it a…

Dressing a 700-Year-Old Tea Jar

A centuries-old tea jar has taken center stage this summer at the Smithsonian’s Sackler Gallery in Washington, DC. The revered Chinese jar has a personal name—Chigusa, an evocative phrase from Japanese poetry meaning “thousand grasses” or “myriad things.” The story of Chigusa is the remarkable tale of how an ordinary Chinese storage jar, over the…