Every year for the past five years, I’ve run an online tea event called “Story of a Teacup.” I invite other tea lovers to join me online. We steep and sip our tea together. We read a few poems. And, some participants share the story behind a beloved piece of teaware. I usually also run it as a fundraiser for a nonprofit charity organization.

This year, in honor of the fifth anniversary of Story of a Teacup, I opened it up to include stories about a beloved tea. My share was about Jade Rouge tea.

Jade Rouge Tea

This year at Story of a Teacup, I didn’t talk about a piece of teaware like I usually do. Instead, I shared the story of a Black tea from the Sun, Moon, Lake region of Taiwan. It is grown from a cultivar developed by the Taiwan Tea Research and Extension Station, TTES No. 18. It’s a cross between a wild Taiwanese tea plant and a Burmese Assamica plant. You may see it labeled as Ruby 18, Hongyu, Red Jade, or Jade Rouge tea. The latter is what Té Company, where I purchase this tea, calls it. (They sell it both as loose leaf and in sachets.)

It has some very distinctive flavor and aroma notes. Té lists them as camphor (IKR?!), quince, and star anise. I absolutely smell and taste the camphor. It also tastes of stewed fruits and a touch of cinnamon to me. There are two things that fascinate me about this tea.

First, the flavor and aroma notes of camphor–on paper–does NOT appeal to me. At all! Even after I had Jade Rouge tea for the first time and loved it, the next few times I had it, I had to make myself steep it because reading about the “camphor” flavor note turned me off. Again, LOVE it when I steep and sip it. Now, I’m completely over that disconnect between how the flavor sounds to me and how I experience and love it. Thankfully! ( There might be a deep lesson about appearance vs. reality here.)

Heart-Opening Tea

Jade Rouge tea, however, means more to me than its delightful aroma and flavors. The most important and unusual element of this tea, to me, is how it feels in my heart, body, and mind. It feels tender, supportive, and heart-opening. (Interestingly, a few other folks that I know said they feel the same.)

If I’m feeling tender, this tea supports and embraces me. If I’m not feeling tender, Jade Rouge opens my heart and allows more tenderness to come in. It may sound odd if you’ve never had this kind of experience. But, that’s truly what this Jade Rouge tea does for me.

I’ve reached for it when I was grieving a dear friend’s passing.

I’ve reached for Jade Rouge on days when I’ve felt tenderness and compassion welling in my heart.

I’ve reached for it when I’ve felt tired and a little numb.

Jade Rouge tea always feels like it gives me a hug. I finish the tea session more in touch with the compassionate and tender seeds inside me. Surely, the world needs more of that.

Deep gratitude for this beautiful tea.

The post Jade Rouge Tea and Me appeared first on Tea Infusiast.

The nonprofit I am fundraising for this year, Montgomery Hospice, doesn’t have a way to set up a page to take donations directly. So, the only workable solution I could figure out was to create a campaign that benefited the organization through GoFundMe. (You can see my hospice fundraiser here. You can learn why this issue is so dear to me here.) GoFundMe, I realized, doesn’t allow campaigns where you get anything in return for contributing. So, I can’t offer tickets for contributing to the fundraiser.

I decided that I didn’t want to fundraise for two different charities simultaneously. So, I’m making Story of a Teacup 2026 free and available to my newsletter subscribers or Instagram followers. And, I am running the fundraiser separately. There’s no relationship between the two!

About Story of a Teacup 2026

Story of a Teacup is a cozy online tea party where tea lovers come together to sip tea, share stories, and admire teaware. Let’s celebrate in communiTEA.

At the event, you’re invited to steep tea together virtually. (Virtual tea party!) This year is different in another way besides being free to followers and subscribers. In honor of the five-year-anniversary of Story of a Teacup, participants are invited to show up to the online event wearing a favorite outfit. It could be a gown, a suit, your favorite loungewear–whatever calls to you! Let’s make it fun and celebratory.

When you join Story of a Teacup 2026, bring a favorite tea to steep and have handy a favorite piece of teaware. After we steep our tea and settle in–and maybe hear a short reading or two–I’ll invite attendees to share what tea or teaware they brought and why. Folks can share the story behind their tea or teaware. (This is totally optional. You aren’t required to share. You don’t even need to have your camera on if you’d prefer not to.)

We’ll have a few members of the Instagram tea communiTEA there to share to get us started. But, compared to recent years, Story of a Teacup will be more focused on inviting attendees to share instead of hearing pre-arranged stories. This is always a fun and meaningful event! Afterwards, I feel so grateful and elated. And, I’m not the only one!

We’d love *you* to join us this year!

Event Details and Tickets

• What: Story of a Teacup 2026 online event
• When: Saturday, November 7, 2026
• Time: 1:00-2:15pm ET (That’s 10:00-11:15am PT.)
• How to Get Your Ticket: If you are a newsletter subscriber, simply respond to one of the emails/newsletters that I send about the event. If you are an Instagram follower, DM me @teainfusiast that you’d like to RSVP and receive the link for Story of a Teacup.

The post Story of a Teacup 2026 appeared first on Tea Infusiast.

How Did I Get Here?

Mid-August, I was lucky enough to go on a last-minute vacation with my mom, sister, and daughter to Niagara Falls, Canada. I was experimenting with how minimalist I could travel with tea. (Answer: not THIS minimalist! I usually travel with tea gear, as I have written about.)

I didn’t pack any teacups this time. Instantly, I regretted it for multiple reasons. I made the “mistake” of telling my family that. With a teacup, I sighed, I could avoiding drinking out of a paper cup at the hotel and maybe get a tea photo by the waterfall. Then, still thinking out loud, I said: “Maybe we could find one in a thrift shop.”

The Thrift Shop in Niagara Falls

I wasn’t beholden to this idea. And, when the time came to stop at a thrift shop, I said: “It’s not necessary. Let’s just skip it.”

They weren’t having it.

We went to the thrift shop. Actually, it was an antique shop (Coach Stop Antiques in Niagara-on-the-Lake) with lots of gorgeous and expensive teacups. (I had to use A LOT of willpower not to buy more teacups!) The salesperson was very nice and helpful—even though I said I wanted an inexpensive cup. He cheerfully helped me find one. That’s how I bought this Niagara Falls white teacup and saucer with the pink roses and green leaves in the photos.

Heading Down to Horseshoe Falls

When we got back to the hotel on our last afternoon of the trip with the teacup, I didn’t want to walk down to the falls again.

They weren’t having it.

When we got down to the falls, it was windy, misty, and raining—sometimes lightly, sometimes more heavily. I wanted to back out of standing in the wind and rain to get the photo. (I’m not exaggerating! I had to wipe the water off my glasses before the photo…lol.)

You already know their response! They. Weren’t. Having. It.

Tea Friends: I was reminded of something powerful. Namely, if my mom, sister, and daughter think I have a dream—or even know something I want to do—they are going to support me (and nudge me) ALL THE WAY. They weren’t going to let me talk myself out of doing what I needed to do to make it happen.

Tea and Family

A loving and supportive family that supports your tea nerdery: that’s a wonderful gift. I’m so lucky! And, this little Niagara Falls teacup holds that experience, in addition to my tea. I’ll always treasure that photo of me, taken by my sister. It and the photo of the teacup, taken by me, will always remind me of this story.

To be completely honest, I also realized that I have to be careful what I tell those ladies about what I want to do!

Story of this Teacup

I shared this story of the Niagara Falls teacup recently at my annual charity fundraiser, Story of a Teacup 2025. It was my fourth annual chariTEA fundraiser. This time, ALL proceeds went directly to World Central Kitchen. This wonderful non-profit feeds people in disasters and war zones around the world.

Together, the storytellers who donated their time and skills to participate and all the folks who generously donated to Story of a Teacup 2025 raised $875 for World Central Kitchen. I am proud of what we did to spread empathy through this online storytelling event. It’s wonderful how the communiTEA came together to support the important work World Central Kitchen does.

The post Story of the Niagara Falls Teacup appeared first on Tea Infusiast.

World Central Kitchen (WCK) is the beneficiary of Story of a Teacup 2025. All proceeds go directly to this amazing nonprofit. WCK uses the power of food to nourish communities and strengthen economies around the world. They are first to the frontlines, providing meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises. 

About Story of a Teacup 2025

Story of a Teacup is a cozy online gathering for tea lovers to come together to sip tea, hear stories, and admire teaware.

At the event, you’re invited to steep tea together virtually. (Virtual tea party!) Cup in hand, we’ll listen as designated members of our CommuniTEA share a personal story behind a favorite piece of their teaware. You’ll hear the memories and special meaning behind each piece and see photos, too!

There’s also time for Q&A and opportunities to share.

Every year after this event, folks tell me how much fun they had and how meaningful and touching they found the event. We’d love you to join us this year!

Event Details

• When: Sunday, November 16th [NOW PASSED]
• Time: 2-3:15pm ET  (Online event)

• This event features stories from members of the CommuniTEA:
  • Eve Rommel, tea hospitality for Green Island Sangha
  • Kim Santo, founder of Stress ReLeaf workshops at Boston University. @lil_teapot_78
  • Marco Namowicz, tea educator, consultant and photographer; created of STEAP’D.
  • Shawn J. Moore, Meditation teacher, sound healing, restorative yoga and more via The Mindful Rebel
  • Traci Levy (me!), tea educator, meditation teacher, and tea writer also known as Tea Infusiast
• Learn more about the Story of a Teacup 2025 storytellers soon!
• All proceeds from this event go to World Central Kitchen

Donate & Get Your Ticket(s)

Contribute $20 or more at my World Central Kitchen fundraiser page to get your ticket(s).

If you contribute in multiples of $20 and would like to gift some of the tickets, let me know. Details on the Story of a Teacup 2025 fundraiser page!

The post Story of a Teacup 2025 appeared first on Tea Infusiast.

This year’s beneficiary is the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

As they say on their website: 

At the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention our mission is to save lives and support those affected by suicide. Our team of staff and volunteers across the country is working on accomplishing this mission through direct education, state and federal advocacy, loss and healing support for anyone affected by suicide, and being the #1 private funder of suicide prevention research in the world.

About the Event

Story of a Teacup is a cozy online gathering for tea lovers to come together to sip tea, hear stories, and admire teaware.

At the event, you’re invited to steep tea together virtually. Cup in hand, we’ll listen as designated members of our CommuniTEA share a personal story behind a favorite piece of their teaware. You’ll hear the memories and special meaning behind each piece and see photos, too!

There’s also time for Q&A and, if you like, the option to share a bit of your own teaware story, too. You are welcome to join with your camera on or off.

Event Details

• When: Sunday, November 17, 2024
• Time: 2-3:30pm ET  (Online event)
• Featuring stories from members of the CommuniTEA, also on Instagram:
  • Annie, @at.the.teatable 
  • Katelyn, @brewteafullybrewed 
  • Kelly, @ros_strange
  • Michell, @herbthetravelingteaturtle
  • Traci (me!), @teainfusiast
• All proceeds from this event benefit the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention 

Ticket Prices:

Contribute $15, $25, or $35 at my donation page at the website of this year’s designated nonprofit organization, AFSP.

• $25 = recommended donation
• $15 = for folks experiencing tight finances
• $35 = for folks who can offset the reduced-rate price

Go to my donation Page for Tickets / inFO

Email Me After You Donate

The “donate” button is at the top of my AFSP page.

After you donate, kindly email me. (Sooner is better so you don’t forget!) I will see your donation on my page. By receiving your email, I will reserve your spot and be able to email you the information to join the Story of a Teacup event.

Email: teainfusiast@okso.org

FAQs

What if I would like to donate but cannot attend? I warmly welcome all donations, even if you cannot attend the event. The event will be recorded and available to participants for at least two weeks after it is shared.

Will the topic of suicide come up at the event? Besides noting the organization this event is supporting and the amount of money we raised for it, suicide will not be discussed at this event.

The post Story of a Teacup 2024 Charitable Fundraiser appeared first on Tea Infusiast.

In this April 2024 Edition

Offerings

Spring Rest Kit for Tea Lovers is Live!

It’s always exciting to work on something for months and then see it out in the world! My online Spring Rest Kit for Tea Lovers is now live.

Instead of waiting for your pre-order, now you can simply purchase the kit and receive it right away. So, if you are looking for practices and inspiration for convenient and mindful tea time, the Spring kit is here to help! It’s also possible to give the kit as a gift.

Teaware Talk: Rosenthal Duchess

April’s highlighted teaware from my collection was passed down through the family.

Backstory of This Teacup

My mother-in-law, Anneli, had boxes with many, many pieces of a Rosenthal Duchess china set. She brought the set in Germany before she married my husband’s father.

She admired them in a specialty store one day. Some time later, she was still thinking about the beautiful china set but not planning to purchase them. She told her fiancé, my future father-in-law, and even took him to see them.

Seeing how she admired it, he encouraged her to get the set. Anneli reminisced about bringing the Rosenthal set to her apartment, writing:

I remember that Friday evening after work, with the whole weekend free before me; I remember the feeling of wellbeing and happiness and satisfaction that I felt.

Her response really touched me. How wonderful that our conversation about this teacup led her to recall the encouragement from her future-husband and the warm feelings of bringing this china set home.

The Set Moves to Our Home

Fast forward decades later in the United States. This set was no longer in use. My husband was helping his mom go through things some years ago. They opened the boxes that contained this china. Generously, Anneli gave us the set.

We use the dinnerware piece from this Rosenthal set often, usually on Shabbat or when we have guests over. Still, we all know we’re here to talk about the TEA cups! Teacups and saucers from this set are in regular rotation for tea time.

The teacups are ivory with a gold and platinum band and a gold loop handle. They have a coordinating saucer. The cups are short and wide, holding 6 ounces (about 200ml) when filled to the very top.

Reasons I Love These Teacups

There are many reasons I often reach for one of these teacups.

I love this pattern! It goes with everything.

The wide opening allows my tea to cool to a comfortable drinking temperature without much delay.

The size is great! I can pour about 4 ounces or about 150ml of tea into this cup, making it perfect for western-style tea or for drinking tea I prepare more toward gongfu style.

Although this Rosenthal Duchess teacup isn’t the traditional teaware for East Frisian tea, I particularly love to drink that tea from it. It’s perfect to drink in three sips.

I’ll stop here to underscore the most important thing.

When I drink tea from a piece from this set, it makes me feel closer to my mother-in-law despite the distance that separates us.

Amazing how tea and teaware can connect us across time and space, isn’t it? That’s the story of this Rosenthal Duchess teacup.

Recent Teahouse Visits in NYC

“Tea Journey” at T Shop

I trekked into Manhattan to visit T Shop again.

Although I’ve enjoying having gongfu tea there several times before, this was the first time I sat at their counter and enjoyed a “tea journey.”

Hyun Lee, one of the owners, took me through several infusions of two teas and a tisane. (It could have been more infusions and three teas if I weren’t caffeine-sensitive.)

She helped me choose by discussing what kind of teas I like, what I was interested in trying, the weather that day, and so on. I also got to choose which of their teacups to use, which I found fun!

With guidance and her company, Hyun steeped Li Shan Reserve, Hadong Hwang Cha, and (when I couldn’t have more caffeine) Persimmon Leaves from Boseong. The Li Shan is from Taiwan and the Hwang Cha and Persimmon Leaves are from Korea. I really enjoyed all three!

It was a wonderful experience. I learned a lot from tasting and the discussion with Hyun.

Also, did you see the way some of the steeped Hwang Cha leaves, in the photo above, looked like a beautiful, old-fashioned calligraphy “T?” I was very charmed.

For details about T Shop, photos of the interior, etc., see my earlier post Review of T Shop in NYC.

Tea Pet Sibling Reunion at Té Company

I also carried one of my tea pets, Bonsai #TheMightyMicroTurtle, into NYC to meet up with a European tea friend who was visiting New York AND happens to be the human companion of one of Bonsai’s siblings–Rosemarin.

Both turtles are related to Herb the Traveling Tea Turtle and made by Michell Hovey, a generous member of the communiTEA.

We met up at the always delightful Té Company. You can read my review of Té Company here.

I had a lovely time with everyone, including the very kind and delightful human being who is Rosemarin’s human companion. I just how tea brings people together!

ICYMI: Recent on the Blog

This is a story of how I grew up paying attention to the mouthfeel of tea, lost it, and am getting it back.

This post also explains mouthfeel.

Mouthfeel of Tea

Also on the blog recently, I shared how I led my first in-person tea event: Tea as a Gateway to Mindfulness.

I’ve offered dozens of online events over the past few years–many solo, some collaborations.

These online offerings have included my Virtual Tea Table series, Build Your Own Rest Practice workshop, Story of a Teacup, and so on. A few weeks ago, I was excited to finally lead an in-person tea event!

Read more about My In-Person event here

New to Loose-Leaf Tea or Looking for Infuser Ideas?

This is an older post, but still relevant for anyone interested in moving from tea bags to loose-leaf tea or looking for advice about steeping loose-leaf teas.

What are the practical considerations to start using loose leaf tea? It’s relatively easy to use once you know a few basics! This post provide advice on how get started with loose leaf tea.

It explores: what to use to steep loose leaf tea, how much tea to use per serving, and how long to steep.

I’ve also taken a reel that I originally shared on Instagram and added it to YouTube for convenient accessibility.

If you are interested in an under-30-second video that shows my favorite loose-leaf tea infuser baskets, including their pros and cons, this video is for you!

Go to: Let’s Talk Tea Infuser Baskets (Video)

Not Subscribed to My Newsletter Yet?

The post Tea Infusiast News, No. 16 appeared first on Tea Infusiast.

Read on for details and how to reserve your ticket!

All ticket sales from the November 2023 Story of a Teacup will be donated to Caring Across Generations–a nonprofit that promotes policies and stories “to provide better care for our loved ones, better support for our families, and better jobs for caregivers.”

A heartfelt thanks to all the storytellers for generously donating their time and storytelling skills to support this charitable fundraiser.

Story of a Teacup Event Details

• Host: Traci from Tea Infusiast
• Live, Online Event: Sunday, November 5, 2023
• Time: 2-3:15pm EST
• An event recording will also be made available to ticketholders for a month.
• Storytellers: Connie (Tea in Spoons), Julia (@MKJulia), Sooz (Being Tea), Traci (Tea Infusiast)
• Tickets Prices are Sliding Scale:
  • $10 (for tea friends experiencing tight finances)
  • $20 (suggested donation)
  • $30 (for tea friends in a position to help support the reduced-rate tickets)
• We are donating all ticket sales to: Caring Across Generations
• CLICK HERE TO RESERVE YOUR TICKET FOR STORY OF A TEACUP. [This event has passed.]

The post Story of a Teacup: November 2023 appeared first on Tea Infusiast.