I’m writing this post well after midnight on Thursday which is a bit unusual. Deciding which posts to include in the roundup is always difficult but this week it was exceedingly tough to do. Great job all around to my fellow tea bloggers!
Tea History 101: The Value of 18th Century Teaware
Sara from Tea Happiness wrote about something I definitely should have realized long ago. In the 18th century, portraits included teaware as a way to show off a family’s wealth. I love that the example painting she chose shows handleless tea bowls.
I think I might have started drooling when I saw the photos from this post that Anna at The Tea Squirrel shared on Instagram. I love madeleines. I love matcha. I love white chocolate. This recipe is the perfect storm for my sweet tooth.
A Pre-Harvest Visit to Huangshan
Dylan at “Like the Sweetest Dew from Heaven” gave us a vivid description of his visit to a friend’s tea garden on Huangshan. I can certainly understand why the ethereal misty scenery left him speechless. The tea plants were not ready for harvest just yet but I’m looking forward to reading about his return visit.
Regional banchas as ethnographic documents
Did you know that there is more to bancha than just being relegated to being a low-grade green tea? Neither did I until I read this fascinating post from Florent at Japanese Tea Sommelier. I will definitely have to see if I can find an English translation of the book where he sourced this really valuable information.
Darjeeling Day 2: The Tea Fields
Chase at Tea the World is lucky enough to be traveling in Darjeeling. I really enjoyed hearing about his extensive tour, helmetless motorbike rides and all. His description of the smell of the withering room is exactly as I always pictured it. Intoxicating! I’ll definitely be staying tuned for future posts about this adventure.