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I first began hearing about “101 Teas to Steep Before You Die” at the World Tea Expo last year. The authors are all people whom I look up to and admire in the tea industry. Needless to say, I was very excited to check it out. In this post, I’ll share my review of the book, as well as a special Q&A with Maria Uspenski, founder of The Tea Spot. Let’s get into it!
What is 101 Teas to Steep Before You Die About?
The authors of 101 Teas to Steep Before You Die faced the daunting challenge of narrowing the virtually limitless array of teas in the world down to just 101 selections. Nigel Melican, James Norwood Pratt, Maria Uspenski, and Shabnam Weber are all seasoned professionals in the tea industry, bringing decades of experience to the table. I can’t think of a better team to take on this task. This book is so much more than just a bucket list of teas to try, though!
There is a page or two dedicated to each of the 101 teas listed in this book. There is some basic info on origin, buying tips, general steeping recommendations, and food pairings. As I flipped through its pages, my favorite part quickly became the individual tasting notes from the four authors. They don’t always agree, and their distinct personalities really shone through in these short quips. I even found myself laughing out loud at times. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Nigel and Norwood, and they come across on the page exactly as they are in person.
In addition to the 101 teas advertised in the title, there are breakout sections to explain important concepts scattered throughout its 256 pages. They did a great job of tackling complex topics like organic certifications without dumbing down or getting bogged down in the details. The chapter on desert island teas had me thinking deeply about which teas I would choose. That idea might just become a future blog post. The last chapter of 101 Teas to Steep Before You Die includes 12 tasty recipes for tea-infused mocktails, cocktails, lattes, and more. The list of teas by type and term glossary make it easy for readers to navigate everything this book has to ofer.
The number of serendipitous moments that must have taken place since humans first discovered that tea leaves + hot water = magic must number in the hundreds, if not thousands.
101 Teas to Steep Before You Die
Q&A with Maria Uspenski
Q: What initially led you to tea before you started The Tea Spot?
A: Tea, and in particular green tea, found me at a pivotal time in my life. After my own experience with cancer, I became deeply curious about how to best support my body and my mind. I took to taking “baby” wellness steps, which felt do-able. Tea became a pillar of my daily life. It was both a comfort and a discovery of what felt like a new level of well-being. I began reading research about tea’s health benefits, in particular with respect to immunity and cancer, and was fascinated by how something as simple and ancient as the leaves of camellia sinensis could be so multi-faceted and supportive, both scientifically and sensorially. But what truly hooked me was how tea made me feel. It invited mindfulness and presence into my day. As an engineer by training, I was drawn to the process and precision behind making tea—how wilting, oxidation, manipulation, temperature, and terroir could transform the leaf’s chemistry and flavor. One cup at a time, I began to experience wellness as something beautiful and flavorful, not clinical or restrictive. That realization inspired me to start The Tea Spot, to make whole leaf tea and its wellness benefits simple and accessible to more people for their every day.
Q: How has the tea industry evolved since you first started your company in 2004?
A: It’s been remarkable to watch. When The Tea Spot began, loose leaf tea was still something of a mystery to most Americans. People associated tea with dusty bags and soggy strings, not with freshness, quality or origins. The wellness world was also just starting to wake up to tea’s potential. Over the past two decades, that’s completely changed. Today, tea is at the heart of so many conversations around health, mindfulness, and sustainability.
We’ve seen a shift toward transparency and traceability. People now want to know where their tea comes from, how it was grown, and who crafted it. There’s also been a renaissance in creativity: from sparkling teas and matcha lattes to powdered botanical blends and cold brews, tea has become a platform for innovation. And as a B Corp, I’m especially proud to see more tea companies aligning with social and environmental responsibility. For me, the biggest change is that tea is no longer seen as “alternative.” It’s mainstream wellness now, and even mainstream morning caffeination. Think about the matcha craze, and people swapping out their morning latte for this deeply personal and timeless zen beverage.
Right now, we’re facing one of its most challenging chapters yet. When I founded The Tea Spot in 2004, the conversation was still about introducing Americans to high-quality loose-leaf tea and helping people rediscover tea as a wellness ritual. Today, consumers are far more educated and curious. They care about origin, craft, and sustainability, but the global landscape for tea producers and importers has become increasingly difficult. This year, especially, the industry has been hit by a perfect storm. Supply chain constraints, rising freight costs, and unpredictable tariffs have made international trade more complicated and expensive than ever. Climate change is another huge factor. Unseasonal rains, droughts, and shifting growing conditions are affecting yields and flavor profiles, even in historically stable tea regions. We’re also seeing raw material shortages, not just in tea, but in botanicals, herbs, and natural flavor components, which ripple across the entire specialty beverage world.
It’s been sobering to watch long-standing tea companies close their doors. Yet, I remain deeply hopeful. The heart of tea has always been resilience. These leaves thrive in some of the most adverse conditions of mist, wind, and rain. As an industry, we’re learning to adapt: investing in sustainable sourcing, diversifying blends, and supporting growers who are implementing regenerative practices. The Tea Spot has always believed in doing business for good, and that belief feels more urgent than ever. The challenges are real, but so is the community working to keep tea and its culture alive for generations to come.
Q: I love The Tea Spot’s commitment to the 10% for Wellness program. How do you choose which nonprofits to support?
A: Our 10% For Wellness program is at the heart of everything we do. It’s a simple but powerful commitment: 10% of our profits go to wellness initiatives, especially those that expand access to health and healing. We choose nonprofit partners who share our belief that wellness should be equitable—not a privilege, but a right.
Some partnerships come from personal connections, others through our team or our customers. We’ve supported cancer survivorship programs, clean water initiatives, and mental health organizations. These are causes that align with our mission of caring for the whole person, body and mind. We collaborate, we listen, and we measure the impact. It’s a way for The Tea Spot to live its purpose beyond the cup into the broader community.
Q: 101 Teas to Steep Before You Die was written by a tea industry dream team. What sparked the idea for you all to collaborate on this book?
A: 101 Teas to Steep Before You Die began as a shared dream among industry colleagues who’ve spent our lives steeped in tea. We wanted to create something that honored the leaf in all its wonder and diversity. It’s not a hierarchy or a ranking, but a love letter to tea in its most essential forms. I had a relationship with the fabulous publisher, Page Street Books, from having written Cancer Hates Tea in 2016. They were keen on my doing an accessible, giftable guide to tea. And I was keen on getting a broader scope of expertise on the project.
Each of us brought a different strength: from Nigel Melican’s cultivation and manufacturing insight, to Shabnam Weber’s international market and trade context, James Norwood Pratt’s cultural and sensory appreciation, and mine for the everyday benefits of tea. Above all, we wanted to create a global cultural perspective — to tell tea’s story as one interconnected whole. Too often, tea is described in fragments: by region, by brand, by fleeting trend. We wanted to show the bigger picture of how every tea, from every corner of the world, plays a part in its living tradition.
Writing it reminded us why we fell in love with tea in the first place. Across continents and cultures, we found the same truth: tea connects. It bridges language and distance. It invites us to slow down, to listen, to share. In creating it together, we lived the very truth of tea: it brings people together, one steep at a time.
Q: There are thousands of wonderful teas to choose from. How did it get narrowed down to the final 101 featured in the book?
A: That was the toughest and perhaps, in the end, the most rewarding part! We approached the list much like curating a museum. We wanted balance, diversity, and representation across regions, processing styles, and flavor experiences. We included iconic teas that tell the story of tradition alongside small-lot, rare and limited teas, and contemporary expressions that reflect how the tea world thrives today and continues to evolve.
We also considered emotional impact. Some teas made the list because they mark a moment, like that first sip that changed your understanding of a type of tea. Others because they showcase craftsmanship so extraordinary it borders on an art form. The goal wasn’t to say these are “the best” teas, but rather, these are 101 teas that every tea lover deserves to meet. It’s a love letter to the leaf in all its forms, and more so, an invitation to always keep exploring.
Q: What do you hope people take away after reading 101 Teas to Steep Before You Die?
A: My hope is that readers come away feeling inspired to just taste, learn, try again, and above all, slow down in your appreciation of tea. This book is meant to be a companion on a long-term journey, whether you’re just starting out or have been steeping for decades. I hope it reminds people that tea is alive, and that every cup tells a story shaped by the hands that made it, the soil it grew from, and the care you bring to brewing it. Especially now, when climate pressures and trade disruptions are threatening the future of many tea gardens, I hope readers feel inspired to value tea as the living, agricultural art that it is.
And I hope it rekindles curiosity in tea and encourages readers to see tea as a path to self-discovery and awareness, and community. If there’s one thing tea taught us four in the process of writing it, it’s patience to receive and appreciate many different perspectives. I hope 101 Teas gives people this.
Would I recommend it?
I would definitely recommend 101 Teas to Steep Before You Die, especially to those who are just beginning their tea journey. Dedicated tea heads will still find it insightful and interesting. This book is a great tool for discovering new teas or even revisting old favorites that you might have forgotten about. A lot of tea books can be academic or intimidating, but 101 Teas to Steep Before You Die makes the complex world of tea digestible and engaging. It’s a fresh and modern approach that I think could help lead more people down the rabbit hole. I included this book in my 2025 Tea Lover’s Gift Guide even before finishing it because I enjoyed reading it so much.
Have you read 101 Teas to Steep Before You Die yet? Did it help you discover any new teas? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!
An advanced copy of 101 Teas to Steep Before You Die was provided for review.
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