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Tea Blog

Official Blog of the English Tea Store


  • Tapping for Tea

    I have to admit that the practice of finger tapping when tea is being poured is something of a mystery to me. Which probably makes sense since as far as I’m aware it’s a practice that’s primarily confined to certain Asian countries and most notably China. But when I ran across an article recently at… Continue reading

  • Love at First Taste

    We have all heard of love at first sight, but what about love at first taste? Whether or not you believe in love at first sight, love at first taste is an entirely different kettle of fish…or pot of tea, as it were. Have you sipped a tea for the first time and been completely… Continue reading

  • Tea Developments, Monthly Report April 2013

    Here’s a quick look at some tea developments that may not necessarily be new but are still not in the mainstream of tea drinkers’ awareness. Tea Harvests Progress First flush teas are generally harvested in March and April, depending on their location. In China: Pre-Qing teas are harvested from about March 30th through April 5th,… Continue reading

  • Organic Tea – Great Reassurance or Just Another Word in the Marketing Jungle? Part 1

    In our modern world and economy, the “healthyness” of food products has become a great concern for the majority of consumers. This applies especially for the so-called developed countries, where food products are a huge and highly differentiated industry, and where consumers have the choice between a wide range of prices, qualities and sets of… Continue reading

  • Losing My Taste for Flavored Teas

    Originally posted on Tea Blog: A ton of “stuff” that smothers the tea taste. (Photo source: A.C. Cargill, all rights reserved) My taste for flavored teas has for the most part faded like a cheap rug in the sunlight. The reason is pretty simple but takes a bit of explaining and some examples. Once upon… Continue reading

  • Losing My Taste for Flavored Teas

    My taste for flavored teas has for the most part faded like a cheap rug in the sunlight. The reason is pretty simple but takes a bit of explaining and some examples. Once upon a time, Earl Grey was my favorite tea. I was gaga over it. Wouldn’t drink anything else. Then, I started branching… Continue reading

  • The Other High Tea II

    After writing an article on some fine tea-related offerings on British Airways and a few Asian airlines I thought it might be interesting to revisit the issue of tea in high places. For starters, I thought I might see what some of the big name airlines offered. Not that I was expecting much, given that… Continue reading

  • Using Tea to Promote Growth in Other Plants

    That “green thumb” urge strikes when the weather turns even slightly more Spring-like. And tea can be your garden’s best friend. Whether in compost or a liquid fertilizer, using tea to promote growth in other plants is becoming increasingly touted. And it’s no small wonder. A lot of good stuff gets infused out of those… Continue reading

  • Tea on the Upswing

    Tea lovers need not be told that tea is a wonderful thing, but we often find ourselves in the minority on this point when engaged in general conversation on the merits of hot drinks. Here, coffee tends to dominate. Not always, to be sure; I know plenty of tea lovers or coffee drinkers who also… Continue reading

  • Tea Quiz: Which Color of Tea Has More Caffeine

    Time for a tea quiz: which of these teas has more caffeine? Rank them high to low. Darker colors of tea liquid are often taken to indicate that something is stronger in flavor or more such-and-such. So, it’s only natural that this gets applied to tea when it comes to caffeine. That is, darker tea… Continue reading