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Tea Blog

Official Blog of the English Tea Store

January 2014

  • Should You Stir, Swirl, or Dunk During Tea Steeping?

    Stirring, swirling, and dunking during tea steeping seem to be common activities. Are they done out of habit or necessity, though? A little bit of tea experiments might be needed here. What Are Stirring, Swirling, and Dunking? Basically, these are all ways to move the tea pieces around in the tea steeping vessel. Which you… Continue reading

  • Checking in on New Year’s Tea Resolutions

    New Year’s resolutions are not for everyone- a little like the British delicacy of marmite, they seem to be something that you either love or hate. But, if you are in the habit of making them, it is usually around this time that you might stop and take account of how your New Year’s resolutions… Continue reading

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  • Teapot Styles — Objectified Designs

    The limits of the human imagination seem so large as to be practically universal (that is, virtually endless and hugely immense), and when coupled with people’s love of tea and their knowledge and skill in ceramics, you end up with some rather unique, fun, and often quirky teapots. The basics (spout, body, handle, lid) are… Continue reading

  • Tea People: Roy Fong

    If you’re up to date on some of the more prominent names in the specialty tea industry, then Roy Fong might ring a bell. While most people who know the name may know of him as Roy Fong the tea merchant, there are also those who may know him as Roy Fong the author and… Continue reading

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  • What the Man Boiled in His Billy and Other OddiTEAs

    The famous Australian bush ballad “Waltzing Matilda” has lyrics that seem quite strange to those of us not familiar with that local lingo. Terms like “swagman,” “billabong,” “tucker bag,” and most importantly for this article “billy.” And the words we think we know, well, they have very different meanings in the song: “waltzing” means to… Continue reading

  • Compo Tea 101

    When I was but a young fellow I didn’t really have much of a concept of what tea was. Tea, at our house, was a powdered concoction that came in a big jar and was mixed in a pitcher and stored in the refrigerator. I drank just enough of it to confirm that it was… Continue reading

  • More on Bone China Teawares — Part II

    Just as there are many manufacturers of fine bone china, as shown in Part I, there are also hundreds of patterns, some more popular than others. Each can convey an atmosphere from one reminiscent of those Buckingham Palace tea times in the days of Queen Victoria to more modern styles. Some Pattern Names to Note… Continue reading

  • A Timeline of Tea

    A timeline covering all of the major developments in the world of tea would be a sizable piece of work. So, without further ado, here’s one that hits a few of the high points. Year Zero Despite the legends that surround the discovery of tea, it’s likely that this discovery actually took place at a… Continue reading

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  • More on Bone China Teawares — Part I

    One of the most popular style of teawares is bone china, known for its brilliant white base color, delicate designs, yet hardy and practical structure. While bone china originated in the UK, it is now made in other countries also, including China, Taiwan, and India. Time to explore some of the designs popular in England.… Continue reading

  • On the Science of Perfect Tea

    I currently contribute a monthly column to this site on tea books and one on tea gadgets and offbeat news. I don’t intend to start writing about perfect tea on a regular basis, but given how many people are offering advice on achieving this lofty goal it’s safe to say there’s no shortage of material… Continue reading

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