Ya-Ya’s Tea-Board

News from the Teahouse, about tea and more

June 6, 2013

A pairing of fine food with fine tea at Roots Restaurant

I’m very excited to finally announce what Giulio & Christy from Roots restaurant and I have planned.

For the Lyttelton Festival of Lights, we’re doing a pairing of Roots’ famously fine foods with Ya-Ya’s famously fine teas on Sunday, 23 June.
5 courses, matched with 5 of the finest leaves you’re likely to ever taste.

While Giulio cooks, I will take the guests through some of tea’s rich history. Sounds interesting?

See flyer for details.

Uncategorized - Teahouse Events | No Comments »

April 9, 2013

Wuyi Black Teas - Lapsang Souchong, Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong Cha, Jin Jun Mei - anyone confused?

A recent online discussion amongst tea experts from China and overseas about the use of Lapsang Souchong as a classification of black teas from the Wuyi Mountains in Fujian Province, China, highlighted for me just how confusing (and misleading) these classifications can be for a consumer. In this post, I’ll clarify some of the commonalities and differences of various Wuyi Bohea (black) teas: Lapsang Souchong, Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong Cha and Jin Jun Mei!

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know-how | 1 Comment »

March 25, 2013

Back to basics - bowl tea and nature

Sometimes we need to break with our habits to progress. Nothing is as effective for change as putting us in a situation where we can’t rely on our familiar bearings.
Completely unexpected, a run up to Mt. Oxford yesterday forced me to break with a bunch of my ingrained habits - and gain some new insights.

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Uncategorized - Thoughts 2082 | 2 Comments »

February 16, 2013

(Finding) The Sweet Spot

Sitting down for a cup of a very expensive Japanese green tea yesterday, a number of thoughts that have been going through my head recently finally became a more tangible idea. I had contemplated quality, cost (financial, social and environmental) and personal enjoyment in regards to tea. I have discussed it with a number of friends and customers. But it wasn’t until yesterday that it all came together and the concept of The Sweet Spot was born.

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Thoughts | 2 Comments »

April 8, 2012

Art vs. Craft

As I was browsing a book by my dear friend Kim Sang Soo, a famous artist from Korea, I started to contemplate the meaning of art once again. I’ve had this discussion art vs. craft many times in the past with my then teenage stepdaughter and I don’t think I was ever able to properly articulate why I felt some works fell into the art category while I regarded others rather as craft. Leafing through Kim Sang Soo’s book, a thought occurred to me.

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Thoughts | 2 Comments »