Tea, Sugar, and Slavery

Posted on September 21, 2020September 21, 2020 by Casey Cha

Our beloved tea, Camelia Sinensis, has a rich and complex history that spans elevations, continents, languages, and cultures. It is truly mind blowing to think about my own ease of accessibility to tea. I drink at least one cup every morning, in rural Vermont, a place where a tea plant would only grow if very […]

For the love of flushes! Part I: Spring First Flush

Posted on August 5, 2020August 5, 2020 by Casey Cha

In the days of health and no pandemic, people would sit down to order pots of tea at our Teahouse in the Marbleworks of Middlebury, look at the menu, read “Nepal 1st flush black tea” and ask “What does flush mean?” Well, in a few weeks time will be dedicating an entire workshop to addressing […]

Brewing at Home: Iced Tea

Posted on June 29, 2020 by Casey Cha

Summer has officially arrived folks! In celebration of this hot season I would like to share some tea trade secrets. Ever wonder why our iced tea is so delicious? First, it’s cause we have only good tea here. Second, it’s our methods! In this blog I’m going to share some recipes and basic methods on […]

Brewing Tea at Home: Japanese Matcha

Posted on June 19, 2020June 29, 2020 by Casey Cha

Japanese Matcha is one of those teas that may be intimidating to make at home for most daily drinkers, even for those of us who adore drinking loose leaf tea. But consider this, powdered tea was one of the original ways that humans drank tea! All you need to make this deliciously rich tea are […]

Brewing Tea at Home: Tea Strainers

Posted on June 3, 2020June 15, 2020 by Casey Cha

At home I use the simple metal tea strainer depicted above because it allows me to drink loose leaf and control the length of my brew. It also allows the loose leaf tea to expand and gives me the option of multiple infusions. Look how beautiful the leaves are when they are hydrated. This little […]

Brewing Tea at Home: Tea Trays

Posted on May 29, 2020June 22, 2020 by Casey Cha

There is more to brewing tea than mugs, thermoses, and tea bags. Please do not misunderstand me, I appreciate these conveniences, especially first thing in the morning on my way to work, or with my hands busy while I am working in the garden. But one of the most admirable things about the global diversity […]