Tea Blog

In a world increasingly concerned with environmental contaminants, the simple daily ritual of tea drinking might offer benefits beyond caffeine and great taste. Your morning cup of black tea – that aromatic brew cherished for centuries across cultures – may be doing more than just warming your so...

Long before aromatherapy became trendy, ancient Chinese tea masters discovered the perfect marriage of senses—delicate jasmine flowers and premium tea leaves creating a drink that would captivate emperors and commoners alike for over a thousand years.Few beverages capture both delicate elegance a...

The Life-Changing Results When You Switch from Coffee to Matcha Have you ever wondered what might change if you replaced your daily coffee with something different? For decades, coffee has dominated my morning routine. I have been a coffee addict since I was 13 years old. But there is a new cowgi...

From Traditional to Modern Tools  The vibrant green powder known as matcha has transformed from a traditional Japanese ceremonial tea into a global sensation. Whether in specialty cafés or home kitchens, matcha's distinctive preparation process requires specific tools—central among them, the matc...

In the heart of Toronto's vibrant Chinatown, tucked away on Spadina Ave is a hidden gem that offers the perfect setting for memorable first dates. ICHA TEA, with its serene atmosphere and loose-leaf Asian teas, provides an elegant alternative to the typical coffee shop meetup. A second location i...

Most people are unaware that tea, outside of North America, is the second most popular beverage in the world (after water). Over 2 billion cups of tea are consumed daily, across many cultures. Equally interesting is that tea leaves began as a medicine. Tea has been prized for its health propertie...

The Art of Tea Rinsing -  The Secret to Unlocking Deeper Flavour Understanding Tea Rinsing Lately, new loose-leaf tea enthusiasts have been asking us: what is the deal with pre-washing/rinsing tea leaves? Why do we discard the first infusion? They see it happen during tea ceremonies and they se...

The Many Faces of Tea The tea leaf, originating from China thousands of years ago, has evolved into six distinct categories through various processing methods. Most people don't realize that all the different types - White tea, yellow tea, green tea, oolong tea, black tea, pu-erh tea, gaba tea an...

Golden Matcha!? Yes, you read that correctly! Golden Matcha is a thing, although it is not entirely made of gold. Rather, KIN-SAI Matcha (Kinsai Kinpaku iri Matcha) is a ceremonial grade matcha, blended with actual edible gold flakes!  We started calling it Golden Matcha and it started to stick...