All tea regardless of green or black tea (whatever the type) originates from the same tea plant: camellia sinensis. What makes a tea vs. an herbal leaf drink is whether or not the leaves came from the camellia sinensis plant.

The radicals that comprise the character 茶(cha) tell the elegantly simple story of how tea is a natural plant that we can enjoy as tea thanks to the people who help us harvest it.

The degree to which a tea leaf is oxidized, is the principal factor determining what category of tea the finished leaf will belong to.

Tea processing is the artful manipulation of heat and moisture to optimally control oxidation.

A scientific inquiry into why research has claimed health benefits. We go there with antioxidants, polyphenols, flavonoids and more.

everything I’ve wanted to say and have been thinking for the last 10 years about regarding tea, its colonial history, and the legacy of that still today for Whetstone Magazine’s Online Journal.

Read an article i wrote about my experience traveling around China in search of tea for this academic journal published out of Australian National University.

Probing Tang Dynasty Chinese poems that discuss tea, loneliness, melancholy, and comfort plus a Mahler symphony inspired by ancient Chinese poetry.

A Mini (as in broadstroke highlights) tea history in ancient China before the year 1368 AD.

Visit Chaozhou to feel the chill vibes of a city where it feels like sipping tea with a bunch of other people could sprout up any moment outside on one of the quiet streets.

A quick glimpse at the tea trading history of Xiamen aka Amoy.

Exploring the Ancient Tea Horse Road, an 1000 year old trading route, we will illuminate the exciting adventure and travel elements of Pu'er tea’s long history.

Why Qimen is also known as Keemun, how it ended up being a black tea made in a region mostly known for green teas, and how it became a global superstar of black teas.

Learn the relationship between the spring tea harvest and one of China’s ancient holidays to honor ancestors and the dead.

Tea and Caffeine is a big topic, but we start with debunking the top two myths surrounding the topic.

Traditional Chinese philosophy defines health as balance and harmony. This is a discussion of how tea fits into that and can contribute to helping us achieve balance and harmony in our bodies.

Read to learn what terroir means in relationship to tea and why it matters.

The three factors that to me, make Chinese tea special and distinctive from other tea cultures.

Read about the little known story of how a tea industry and style of making tea represents a history of displacement in Mae Salong, Thailand since 1948.

Discover the taste of a tea’s natural flavors. I explain why this will give you a more exciting and more fun tea drinking experience.

You don’t need a fancy or complicated ceremony to brew tea optimally.  You don’t even need a teapot.  You just need to respect these basic principles for brewing the perfect cup of tea