Taste, Texture and Aroma Part One: Green Tea & the Vegetal Flavor Spectrum
The finest teas in the world inspire through their sheer sensory presence a sense of awe; they demand that the taster stops and contemplates. Sometimes they are startling; they upend our very...
View ArticleTaste, Texture and Aroma Part Two: Black Tea & the Savory Flavor Spectrum
The building blocks of flavor in tea can be broken into vegetal, savory, spicy, floral and fruity. The magic of a moving tea taste experience is how these building blocks blend together at the...
View ArticleWhat’s the Real Deal with Caffeine in Tea?
You are restless, anxious, nervous, distracted; it is late at night and you just can’t sleep. Have a cup of tea. You drank four cups of coffee before a big exam and now you can’t concentrate on...
View ArticleTaste, Texture and Aroma Part Three: Pu’er Tea and the Spicy Flavor Spectrum
On the simplest level, flavor can be considered sweet or savory. Much of what creates more nuanced definitions of taste is the interaction between texture, aroma and taste perception. Floral and fruity...
View ArticleHow to Store Tea
Tea is one of the most affordable luxuries in the world. Learning how to properly store your fine tea will help you get your full value out of each sip even months after buying. It is easy to forget,...
View ArticleChina Sourcing Trip 2012 Day One
After our 40+ hour journey across the globe from the unmarked ‘hidden’ international terminal of LAX to the spacious lounges and futuristic amenities of Incheon airport, it was a wonderful thing to be...
View ArticleChina Sourcing Trip Day Two: Wang Shilin
I had forgotten the elaborate extent of the Chinese hotel breakfast. We woke up very early and stumbled down to the lobby expecting a good old “continental” breakfast of dry pastry and cereal in those...
View ArticleChina Trip Day Three
Today was Lily and my anniversary. Weiwei got dragged back to her government post to give some motivational speeches at a big meeting so we were on our own. After our long and elaborate breakfast we...
View ArticleChina Trip Day Four
We got up bright and early expecting to meet Wang Huimin at the bus station after her long trip from Xiamen, but got a call from her saying that the bus had been delayed until 5PM. Poor Wang Huimin...
View ArticleA Tale from Mrs. Li
Today I was lucky enough to get to talk to Li Xiaoping (Mrs. Li) on the phone over a congee breakfast: “Hello, David? What are you doing still in Shandong? You make me wait two years, and you aren’t...
View ArticleLaoshan Village and Taoism Photo Journal
Laoshan Village has remained a clean and pure environment for tea growing largerly thanks to the reverence for the environment inspired by the Taoist temples on the mountain. Indeed, the Taoist monks...
View ArticleLoose Leaf Tea Gift Guide
When I asked tea farmer Mr. He of Laoshan village his favorite thing about being a tea farmer, he didn’t hesitate for a moment. He said, “when the picking is done, nothing makes me happier than...
View ArticleTea Recipe: Creamy Laoshan Black Pumpkin Soup
This wonderful recipe is brought to you from the test kitchens of guest blogger DaisyChubb of Daisy Chubb’s Tea and Treats as part one of a three part series. Stay tuned for more… Recipe Ingredients...
View ArticleTea Recipe: Laoshan Green Tres Leches Cake
This wonderful recipe is brought to you from the test kitchens of guest blogger DaisyChubb of Daisy Chubb’s Tea and Treats as part two of a three part series. Stay tuned for more… This recipe was...
View ArticleMaster Han on Farmer’s Cooperatives
Master Han sent along some pictures and a short introduction to his unique farmers’ cooperative in a national forest preserve. To mark the occasion of offering up our first tea from Master Han, the...
View ArticleTieguanyin Tea Adventures with Wang Huimin
I met Wang Huimin fortuitously back in 2007, and reconnected just as fortuitously in 2012. Wandering into a labyrinthine tea market in the heart of Qingdao and almost turing around to abandon the...
View ArticleHow to Brew Chai at Home
Spiced chai lattes have become a mainstay at coffeeshops throughout the world, offering many people their first glimpse into the vast world of tea. A rich cup of chai can be just the way to get going,...
View ArticleTerroir and its Influence on the Flavor of Tea Part One
An Introduction to Tea and Terroir Terroir in tea is the idea that flavor is something going far beyond the genetic makeup of the plant varietal, or even the processing techniques we introduce as...
View ArticleTea Recipe: Earl of Anxi Oatmeal Honey Buns
This wonderful recipe is brought to you from the test kitchens of guest blogger DaisyChubb of Daisy Chubb’s Tea and Treats as last installment of her three part series. Sweet, yummy, yeasty buns-...
View ArticleSpring Tea 2013 Sourcing Trip
This spring is an incredibly exciting time here at Verdant Tea and for our tea friends across China. We consider ourselves especially lucky to be traveling to China right in the middle of some of the...
View Article
