Matcha Alternatives: Affordable Japanese Green Teas for the 2026 Matcha Shortage
The best matcha alternatives in the 2026 shortage: autumn bancha, hojicha and Kagoshima sencha, at 50 cents to $1.60 a cup. Taste, brewing and where to buy.
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Small Objects, Grand Rituals: A Curated Selection of Russian Tea Antiques
Discover Russian tea antiques such as samovars and silver tea ware that were part of Russian culture and tea tradition.
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Le Comptoir Florian, Belgium’s Quiet Tea House That Feels Like a Secret
Discover Le Comptoir Florian (La Maison du Thé) in Brussels; a charming, old-world Belgian tea house full of thoughtful teas.
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Fresh Mountain Air in a Cup
Discover the hidden story of Taiwan high mountain oolong (gaoshancha), from its 1980s rise to today’s greener tea trends.
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The Mystical Ginkgo Leaf: A Look at Its Ancient Medicinal and Spiritual Uses
Discover ginkgo leaf benefits, from ancient Chinese medicine to modern research on mood, memory, and overall wellness.
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Sagan Dayla (Sagan Dalya): The Siberian Rhododendron Tea, Its Taste, Uses and Risks
Sagan Dalya is a Siberian rhododendron tea drunk in Buryatia as a tonic. What it tastes like, how to brew it, where to buy it, and the safety limits.
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5 Health Benefits of Tea: How Drinking Tea Improves Wellness
Tea is a powerful tool for promoting health and wellness. Incorporating tea into your daily routine can provide numerous benefits, from reducing stress to aiding in weight management. In this post, we explore five ways that tea can boost your health based on personal experience and scientific research. Read on to learn more.
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Knowledge | News | Tea history
Tea vs Cha: Why the World Says Tea, Cha or Chai (Map)
First published September 2018. Updated October 2026 with a new map, the story behind each word, the exceptions, and books for going further. Tea and cha are the same word. Both come from the Chinese character 茶, which is pronounced te in the Min Nan dialect of coastal Fujian and cha in Mandarin and Cantonese….
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Why Nepali Tea Is Becoming More Popular Among Specialty Tea Drinkers
Nepali tea is gaining attention in the tea world thanks to its high-altitude gardens, unique flavors, and growing direct trade visibility.
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Tea Spaces in NYC Continue to Evolve
Tea Spaces, Minimalism and Modern Tea Culture I came across several tea-related stories that felt connected in an unexpected way. Each one explores a different side of modern tea culture. For example, one focuses on Pu’er sourcing in Yunnan, while another highlights minimalist tea spaces in Japan. At the same time, I also noticed how…
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Kombucha SCOBY (Art) Experiment
The “Mushroom” Everyone Had Growing up in Russia, you eventually encounter a strange creature in someone’s home. People simply call it “mushroom” or “гриб.” It sits quietly in a jar. It looks unusual. Yet everyone seems to have one. For years, we would keep it, forget about it, let it die, and then get another…
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Bailin Gongfu Black Tea from Teavivre
Recently, I brewed non-oolong tea in this Gaiwan I bought from Paul at “Cult of the Bitter Leaf“. I wanted to try this Bailin Gongfu Black Tea from Teavivre for a long time. I had this sample at home for some time, but since it’s Black Tea, I didn’t rush into drinking it and was waiting for…
