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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Traveling Lightly: Tea on the Road

Packet of Coffee Bean & Teal Leaf's English Breakfast (Ceylon) tea

I’m flexible when I travel. I pack the minimal amount of clothing needed and take pride when only one pair of clean underwear is left on the day of return.

I’m cool with forgoing comfort for convenience. The little bottles of shampoo and conditioner provided by the hotel save me packing space and hassle. Avoided is the gooey mess that sometimes greets you when your poorly sealed shampoo bottle explodes during travel.

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Salada vs Salada

Two teas with the same name, produced in different countries that share a border. How did we get to this point?

Salada tea was founded by Peter Larkin in 1892. The Montreal businessman pioneered the manufacture of reliable blended tea — packaged in foil and easy to distribute — as an alternative to the inconsistent loose tea commonly sold at the time (and gaining in popularity again today, but I digress.)

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Irish Breakfast vs English Breakfast Tea

Cup of CTC Irish Breakfast Blend from Upton Tea Imports

The last time I ordered from Upton Tea Imports, they slipped in a bonus sample of CTC Irish Breakfast Blend. I love a good Irish breakfast tea as much as I love a good English breakfast tea, but what exactly is the difference between the two?

The answer, my friends, comes with a brief but digestable history lesson. And if we are to do this properly, we can’t ignore the Scottish contribution to the genre.

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