Ceremonial v. Culinary-Grade Matcha: Which Matcha is Right for You?
Learn about culinary and ceremonial matcha, and which matcha is the right matcha for your favorite at home matcha ceremony!
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L-theanine and tea
Though the side-by-side stimulating and calming effects of tea have been appreciated anecdotally for centuries (many an old wife has been known to prescribe strong, sweet, hot tea for its restorative properties), modern science allows us to isolate and study the components of tea leaf that cause this anecdotal evidence...
How Much Caffeine is in Tea?
Wondering how much caffeine is really in your favorite pot of tea? Learn about caffeine levels in tea and how your steeping method might affect how much caffeine is really in your cup.
Help Brain Fog With Focus Pocus!
It’s back to school time and whether you’re doing your classes in person or virtually, you’ll probably need a little mental pick-me-up! To help you out with this, we’re featuring Focus Pocus as our Wellness Tea of the Month! Our brain-fog busting blend of powerful organic adaptogenic herbs; Ashwaganda, Tulsi,...
What is Matcha?
Put simply, matcha is green tea powder that is whisked in water to create a frothy, delicious, and healthful drink. This simple explanation misses much of the nuance that makes matcha special, however, so we hope you will keep reading to learn more about how matcha is produced, why matcha is...
What is Pu Erh (Aged Tea)?
Types & Origins of Aged Tea Aged Tea, also known as Dark Tea (heicha) and Pu Erh, is a post-fermented beverage rich in flavor and steeped in history (...literally). In China, dark tea is mostly produced in Yunnan (Pu Erh), Guangxi, Sichuan, Hubei, and Hunan Provinces. Pu Erh, the type of...
What is Scented Tea?
Scented Tea is, quite simply, a Traditional Tea blended with something that is not tea, like flowers, fruits, herbs, or spices. As we've discussed previously in our What is Tea? series, all tea comes from the same plant: camellia sinensis. Scented Teas, unlike Herbal Tisanes, contain both leaves from the camellia sinensis plant AND fruits, flowers,...
What is Herbal Tea?
Whether you like a soothing cup of Chamomile before bed or a bright and fruity infusion like our perennially popular Crimson Berry, there's no denying that naturally caffeine-free Herbal Teas are a staple of tea cabinets - and sometimes medicine cabinets - around the world. But what is Herbal Tea,...
Choosing The Right Tea for You: How Country of Origin Affects the Taste of Tea
Like most foods and beverages, tea may be enjoyed at many levels. You might start, for example, with knowing you like a certain type of tea. Then you might determine that you prefer lightly oxidized or non-oxidized teas. Then you may further discover that you prefer non-oxidized teas with a...
Where Is Tea Grown? Different Regions for All of Your Favorite Teas
When you think about tea, what countries come to mind? The typical countries of China, Japan, and India probably come pretty quickly, but did you know that tea is grown all around the world? Different regions lend themselves better to different types of tea such as black teas, green teas,...
What is White Tea?
More so than any other article in our "What is Tea" series, the answer to "what is white tea" feels elusive and delicate, much like white tea itself. Partly this feeling of ambiguity around white tea may be a volume issue - white tea is only made from the bud and perhaps...
Taiwanese Oolongs: History, Production & Terroir
Taiwan is a small archipelago with the perfect climate for cultivating tea. Though their tea growing history is comparatively short, Taiwan's tea growing regions are some of the most famous and highly regarded in the world. We've previously discussed oolongs and their history in general, but the Taiwanese oolongs are so...
What is Oolong Tea?
Oolongs are among the teas that are simultaneously most beloved by those who drink them and most ignored by those who don't. Part of this stems from their name: oolong. Green teas and black teas are obvious. Green teas are green and taste, well, green. Black teas are dark and...
What is Black Tea?
The Origins of Black Tea Black tea is a delicious, robust tea with warm flavors and an often distinct astringency. It is delicious plain, with a dollop of milk, or sweetened with honey. We drink bracing black teas to warm up on cold winter days, sweet iced black teas to...
What is Green Tea?
Does Green Tea Have More Caffeine Than Black Tea?
A seemingly innocuous question with a surprisingly complicated answer, we both relish and dread the frequently asked: "how much caffeine is in X tea?". We relish this question about caffeine in tea because the answer is fun, but we dread it because the answer is anything but straightforward. In a...
