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What Kind of Tea Drinker Are You?

What kind of tea drinker are you? Why is it important to know, you wonder? Serious tea enthusiasts, I’m sorry to report, intimidate the general public. What’s worse, we also make our friends nervous.

This post is Part One in a two-part series. It shares a handy quiz to help you diagnose the extent to which your relationship to tea is likely to intimidate your friends. Part Two, What Kind of Tea Guest Are You?, shares advice on what to do about it.

These items are a clue to what kind of tea drinker you are
Do you have lots of teas, teaware, tea-shirts, and/or accessories?
Your answers provide some clues to what kind of tea drinker you are.
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How to Make Sparkling Tea from Concentrate or Cold Brewed in Seltzer

I *love* sparkling tea. By that, I mean Camellia sinensis prepared with seltzer. (Depending on where you live, you might call it carbonated water, soda water, or something else.) This post shares some tips for making sparkling tea at home.

Darjeeling Sparkling Tea
Sparkling Darjeeling tea at 29B Teahouse in August of 2019
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Lessons about Authenticity from the Online Tea Community

I have been learning a lot about myself lately–particularly lessons about authenticity. I am a long-time tea lover who has been doing extensive work around personal growth and building a deeper mindfulness practice in 2021. Tea and, now, meditation are daily practices for me. Lately, I have been doing a lot of thinking around issues of authenticity.

Authenticity mantra inside a teacup: "Don't aim to please. Don't try to hide. Honor the truth inside."
My summer 2021 authenticity mantra.
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The Problem with Afternoon Tea

Afternoon teas are full of sensory delights–delicate porcelain, fragrant tea, fine tablecloths, tasty sandwiches, buttery scones, and dainty desserts. Still–I have a confession. Despite being a tea lover, I have a problem with afternoon tea.

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Tisane Recommendations to Match Your Tea Mood

When I say I love tea, I emphatically mean the beverage made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. I don’t mean herbal teas (AKA tisanes). My desire to drink tasty beverages, however, is greater than my ability to tolerate caffeine (sadly), so I am constantly searching for caffeine-free tisanes that I enjoy. I have been experimenting with tisane recommendations to match tea moods or preferred flavor profiles.

tisane recommendations to match your tea mood match tea p
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Learn More about Korean Tea

A delicious Boseong Hwangcha was my first intentional–and very delicious–encounter with Korean tea. It inspired me to make a resolution to learn more about Korean tea. At first, I wasn’t sure how to begin.  

Cup of Korean Balhyocha tea
Bookmark featuring a special knot and Korean hanbok next to a cup of Balhyocha tea
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Rejecting a Culture of Scarcity

Have you ever toggled between reading two books and found a beautiful and fruitful convergence? That happened to me last week and it felt like a gift. It was as if the universe kindly underscored a message so I would be sure to receive it. That message was about rejecting a culture of scarcity.

Rejecting a culture of scarcity
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Virtual Tea Talks and Workshops

Would you like to learn about tea from the comfort of your own home and have the opportunity to learn from experts who, perhaps, live far away? If you answered yes, then this post is for you! It will provide a curated range of virtual tea talks and workshops, broken down by type. I draw upon experience in this post. I only recommend online events by tea educators and tea businesses that I have attended and found worthwhile.

woman attending virtual tea talk
Enjoy an online or virtual tea talk or workshop from anywhere!
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How to Make a Rose Cardamom Latte

When I say I love tea, I emphatically mean the magical elixir you can get from steeping leaves from the Camellia sinensis plant. I don’t mean herbal teas or tisanes. I actually have a harder time finding tisanes that I love than teas that I love. Despite my preference for tea, I have been impelled to go looking for delicious tisanes because my desire to drink warm, tasty beverages is greater than my ability to drink caffeine. Sometimes, I need something caffeine-free.

Rose Cardamom Latte and dry ingredients
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How to Froth Milk on the Stovetop

There are many fancy gadgets that will help you froth milk for lattes. But, you don’t need them to get good results. With a few items you probably already have in your kitchen, you can froth milk on the stovetop if you follow these tips. (These directions apply to cow’s milk.)

How to froth milk on the stovetop