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The lesson of tea: A remembrance of Antonia Hardy
The memory of just how Toni – as I have always called her – and I reconnected eludes me. It was several years ago now when we started to exchange the infrequent email and hope that we would reunite...
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Tea times
As crucial as the herbs and spices that create a flavorful tea are the circumstances that surround its consumption. Tea steeps the stories that are created while we drink it, and allows us to...
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Some tea speculations
In this world, as I see it, both visible and invisible history exists for every physical object. I’ve been thinking about what holds tea, and how that shapes its taste as well as how we drink it....
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And the winner is … me!
On Sunday, January 3, I signed onto Facebook and read the following post from Thunderbolt Tea: “It’s time we announced our winner of the monthly lucky draw. Congratulations Erika Cilengir. Your teas...
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Tulsi-inspired haiku
Recently, while at a Whole Foods looking for rose hips, I discovered a sweet rose Tulsi tea. It is absolutely delicious, with a flavor that is subtle, naturally sweet, and very soothing. Through...
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Mother Nature and her cup
It wasn’t until I started growing my own food that I truly started to understand the relationship between weather and the success of our efforts. While working on a farm, I woke up every morning with...
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A modern gypsy’s guide to tea, love, and adventure – Part 1 – India
At the conclusion of 32 hours of air and land travel, and upon a delirious 3:00 AM touchdown in New Delhi, I heard my name called over the plane’s loud speaker. Before I could grasp what was...
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A modern gypsy’s guide to tea, love, and adventure – Part 3 – Temple of chai
The train from New Delhi to Amritsar clacked along the Indian countryside. From my second-class seat, I watched the bright saris of women in the gold-hued fields. The sunrise illuminated their...
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Yes we can! Sip tea for a healthier life
Yes! Tea is the most versatile and delicious beverage in the world. Yes! Tea has historical significance throughout many cultures. And Yes! Tea can be a simple remedy for many ailments. I was...
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Po Cha
There exist those tastes that are etched so firmly in our memory that we always remember the first time our taste buds were touched by them. Indeed, some tastes cause us to recollect that original...
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Biodynamic tea production
I have been obsessed with biodynamic farming practices for as long as I can remember. Rudolph Steiner’s alchemistic methods for transforming soil, sun, moon, and plant into an amazing end-product are...
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The Darjeeling experience
Tucked into the foothills of the Himalayas and up the bumpy and winding roads, the tea fields of Darjeeling sprawl up and down as far as the eye can see. Kissed daily by the mountain mist, tea leaves...
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Journey to the East
As the China Tea Tour group prepares to set sail in a few weeks, I’m reminded of other explorers who traveled to foreign lands. There is a famous Chinese epic about an unlikely group of characters who...
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Shincha vs. Sencha
Shincha translates literally as “new tea.” It is the first harvest of the year in Japan and is a highly prized representation of spring. Sencha translates as “brewing tea” and, for most of the year,...
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Spread the love: Lochan teas
In January of 2012, I will celebrate my sixth anniversary as a Tea Drinker. Those readers who notice the inappropriate capitalization of that object, read on. Save the red pencil for later, please....
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Focus on Assam
Sixteen “cuppers” all over the world lifted their tasting spoons together during the International Tea Cuppers Club’s Darjeeling First Flush Cupping Event, during which premium tea samples from ten...
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Blending tea with a potent herb – Cassia Auriculata
On my recent visit to India searching for ayurvedic and herbal teas to delight Latin American and Mexican tea drinkers, I encountered quite a few. I hope this research will be appreciated by Mexicans...
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Darjeeling teas in dire peril
The gold mine for the Indian tea industry – Darjeeling – has been stolen by the so-called “keepers of the hills.” They have robbed it with their own hands. It is unfortunate and saddening to see the...
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K2K and Darjeeling
Kunming of Yunnan, and Kolkata of Bengal, are now declared sister cities. This adds another jewel in the crown of Darjeeling! Kolkata to Kunming – K2K – is a regional co-operation group under BCIM –...
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Happy New Year!
I am reminded of New Years’ 2013: I had resolved to lose fifteen pounds (just 18 to go)! And, I made a list of foods I would give up to achieve that goal: haggis, kimchi, and tripe topped my list....
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