Teavivre’s Chun Ya (Spring Bud) Review

Gaiwan next to a tea cup filled with Teavivre Chun Ya green tea

Green tea lovers should make room in the pantry for Teavivre’s Chun Ya. Whether brewed traditionally or using the gongfu (multiple steeps) method, this one’s a real treat.

You might think the strong, sweet, floral, nutty aroma would render a bitter taste, but you’d be wrong. The full body of this tea — which holds up after multiple steeps — is smooth and buttery.

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Trader Joe’s Green Tea Review

Trader Joe's Green Tea Package
Trader Joe’s Green Tea, 48 Tea Bags, Enjoy Hot or Iced

You don’t expect a green tea at this price point to significantly arouse your senses. At $2.49 for 48 tea bags, you’re sacrificing the distinctiveness of a single garden estate tea for the smoothness and consistency of a blend.

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5 Health Benefits of Tea

Trader Joe's Organic Sencha Green Tea

Tea lovers rejoice! You may be improving your health and wellbeing with each sip. Tea comes from the Camellia sinensis plant which you’ve probably consumed in the form of white tea, green tea, oolong tea, black tea, or pu-erh (or pu’er) tea. Some herbal teas (also referred to as tisanes) have health benefits too, but that’s a subject for another time.

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Genmai-cha Two Step

Chicken soup substitute?

Two Genmai-cha tea bags

I met an old friend for taco Tuesday at a local Mexican restaurant. The conversation meandered from life in general to corporate America to politics with a few detours along the way. When he handed me two warm, slightly crumpled but sealed bags of Genmai-cha from his pocket, the conversation turned to tea.

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Matcha Misstep

Matcha tea preparation is harder than I thought.

Matcha Tea Set from AmazonThis, my first journey into matcha tea — Japanese green tea leaves that are ground into powder — was a bust. I’m not exactly sure where I went wrong, but I have some ideas. It began a few weeks ago when I ordered a relatively inexpensive matcha tea set from Amazon.com. Was that my first mistake? No, I don’t think so. Continue reading “Matcha Misstep”