Tea Infusiast
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.
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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.
In this post, I share my initial disappointment and eventual appreciation of my experience with an Interactive Guided Meditation course from Jack Kornfield.
In April 2025, I finished an online Masterclass in Interactive Guided Meditation led by Jack Kornfield. Initially, I was disappointed. I misunderstood the nature of the “cohort” system for this course. Despite that, I was fascinated and, at times, moved by the new tools and the deeper dives into some of the techniques I learned.
I’m trying to harness my love for tea to help me learn something unrelated to tea–to identify plants and remember them!
Since you are reading my tea blog, you already know–or can guess–that I am a lover of tea and all things Camellia sinensis. I typically enjoy one or two mindful tea sessions every day. Sometimes, I take my tea on nature walks.
Varli in Williston Park, New York serves three different kinds of chai, or tea. They also serve Indian street food.
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.
A few weeks ago, I was lucky to enjoy my first visit to a Buddhist monastery. I spent a weekend at Blue Cliff Monastery in upstate New York. The monastery is part of the Plum Village Tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh.
