Tea InfusiastI’ve been thinking about how to enhance your tea tasting.
There’s an underappreciated way to improve your ability to have a fuller tasting experience and clearer communication about tea. Simply put, it is increasing your exposure to a wider range of foods!
I love trying herbal teas, like burdock root tea, that don’t appear in the typical chain grocery store in the U.S. That’s partly because for years I thought I didn’t enjoy herbal tea. It turns out, I’m just not a big fan of mint or chamomile–probably the two most popular herbals in the United States.
So, when one of my favorite tea companies, Soocha Tea, added a new herbal tea to their collection, I knew I had to try. Maybe it would be a new option to add to my Herbal Tea Recommendations!
I’m delighted to share my favorite hot cocoa recipe!
Yes, I am a devoted tea drinker. But we also take homemade hot cocoa very seriously at my house! When my kids were growing up, we always made it on days it snowed. We still do. Of course, we also enjoy it on cold, snowless winter days.
I’m sharing my review of Rose Label Gold from Nepal Tea Collective. I’ve been lucky enough to have had two delightful tea sessions, on different days, with this tea.
This black tea is from a special cultivar (BB157). It was grown in Nepal. Despite not being scented or having any flavors added, this tea has heady notes of rose and other lovely floral, spice, and citrus notes. It’s the alchemy of cultivar, terroir, weather, and processing!
This post shares my yellow tea tasting notes and explains what makes this less common category of tea so unique.
This recipe for a Hojicha Banana Smoothie is sweet and delicious without any added sugar. And, you can make it with only four ingredients! It’s a perfect summer treat–the frozen bananas give a luxurious texture and make it icy cold and refreshing.
The hojicha adds a delicious toastiness and complexity that compliments the natural sweetness from the ripe, frozen banana. Additionally, it provides that calm, steady energy from the caffeine and other compounds in tea.
Here are 10 iced tea hacks to help you enjoy delicious, convenient, and beautiful iced tea.
I’ve spent years experimenting with iced tea and learning different techniques and tricks. I’d love to share them with you!
Make this the summer you treat yourself and your guests to wonderful iced tea. I’m here to encourage you and offer tips!
In this post, I share reflections on my experience with a self-designed project: “10 days, one tea.” Read on to learn my discoveries drinking the same tea every morning for 10 days.
If you are a casual or more focused tea drinker you, might wonder why it would be anything new to drink the same tea every day. Many folks drink tea that way.
I’ll share why it is for me. I have dozens and dozens of teas at home. This is a benefit/challenge of being so enthusiastic about trying new teas. No judgment for anyone who doesn’t share the same tea goals!
Tea tastes can change. Even dramatically. My feelings about Dan Cong oolong are a great example. The first time I tried a Phoenix Dan Cong–many years ago now–I was not impressed. I don’t remember how I brewed it that time, so it’s hard to know whether my brewing technique and/or my palate have changed.
I am now a huge fan of Phoenix Dan Cong. I’ve learned to deeply appreciate this Chinese, twisted-leaf oolong from the Phoenix Mountains ( in Chinese, Fenghuangshan). The more common flavor notes among the different floral and spice notes in the varieties that I’ve tried so far are: minerality, hops, and a slight and beautiful bitterness (if brewed carefully). There’s always a lush fruity and/or floral aroma(s) as well. These leaves are so fragrant–despite not being blended or scented–that they are named for their floral and/or spice aromas.
Varli in Williston Park, New York serves three different kinds of chai, or tea. They also serve Indian street food. [Post updated 9/12/25.]
Although I’ve had a number of delicious meals there (including breakfast on the weekend), this review will focus on the three types of chai that Varli serves.
I visited Varli in Williston Park several times before writing this review of their chai. It was important to me to try their different types of chai on different visits.
