Category: Tea Musings
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Defining a Doke Tea State of Mind
NaNoTeaMo, Day 6: “Defining a Doke Tea State of Mind” Doke /’dōk/ noun A river located in the state of Bihar, India The surname of a tea estate in Bihar, India owned and operated by the Lochan family. verb To induce a state of mind in a Doke tea drinker, wherein they experience equal parts…
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A Mellow Yellow Tea Tasting
Most people cultivate a close group of friends – those that share common interests, or that they feel most comfortable being around. One of the unfortunate drawbacks to being a tea blogger is . . . most people within my close-knit group reside in several different locations across the country. Or outside the country. As…
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What Makes a Moonlight Tea?
What makes a tea a “Moonlight” tea? It’s a question I’ve asked myself several times over the last six years, and the one answer I’ve always returned to is, “I don’t care as long as it tastes good. “ But perhaps that was foolhardy. I originally assumed that when the name “Moonlight” was applied to…
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Tea Presence from Across the Pond
I think I mentioned a certain British girl I used to work with on this blog before. Okay, make that twice. Alright . . . technically, it was three times, if you count a guest blog for Lochan Tea. Point being, she was one of my favorite highlights of 2014. A person to pal around…
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Bitter Gourd Oolong for a Bitter Day
Everything that could go wrong this morning – did. The original plan for today was to be up by 6AM, showered and clothed by 6:30AM, and gassed up and ready to go by 7AM. The destination? Northwest Tea Festival in Seattle. It was the first tea festival I ever attended (back in 2012), and I…
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An Open Letter to Europe.
Dear Europe . . . Yes, this concerns all of you. Hey! Sit down, Luxembourg! I don’t care how small you are. You founded this damn coalition, so you have to stay here, too. Okay, y’all settled? Grand. Let’s get started. As a very outside observer (i.e. a ‘Merican, if you will), it seems to…
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The Battle of Five Tea Rants
There’s an unwritten rule in the tea community – that if you can’t say something nice, think it over after a few cups of tea. If then – and only then – you still feel that way, you can voice said grievance . . . politely. For the most part (at least in writing), I’ve…
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My Tea Snobbery and the Source of Steampunk Whimsy
Almost three years ago, I wrote a rant about steampunk – a sci-fi sub-genre focusing on a fanciful Victorian aesthetic. It wasn’t very kind to the various gear-laden facets of the retro offshoot. I argued that the sub-genre lacked a key component that was the beating heart of any alt-history endeavor – a sense of…
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Pocket Oolongs and After-Parties
Pocket Oolongs and After-Parties – World Tea Expo, Day 3 I tried to sleep in. Really, I did. But the anticipation of the last day of World Tea Expo activities loomed at the forefront of my brain. By 8AM, I gave up and rousted from my cousin’s couch (where I’d been sleeping for two days…
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Bitter Gourds and No-Pants Awards
Bitter Gourds and No-Pants Awards – World Tea Expo, Day 2 The day wasn’t off to the best of starts. I had to be up at 5:30 for a site tour . . . or so I thought. The day prior, I had agreed to a tour of the QTrade Teas and Herbs facility. Alas,…