http://blog.yayateahouse.co.nz News from the Teahouse, about tea and more Sat, 04 Feb 2012 11:33:45 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Sometimes, our minds are open enough for powerful experiences. Most of the time, they are not. Tea can help to open our mind - to achieve the Zen mind. It is no coincidence that tea has been used for nearly a millennium to help focus the mind during meditation. It ... http://blog.yayateahouse.co.nz/2012/02/04/tea-mind-zen-mind/ Matcha, the Japanese green tea used in the traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony chanoyu, is a very special tea in many regards. On one hand, it is made from the highest grade tea leaves that are produced in Japan. On the other hand, it is the only tea that is still, ... http://blog.yayateahouse.co.nz/2012/01/29/matcha-information-and-preparation/ Lately, I've been experimenting with product presentation. While nothing can replace tasting a tea before you purchase a reasonable amount or take a teapot into your hands and feel it, this isn't really anything you can do when purchasing tea and teaware online. If you live in Christchurch, you're always ... http://blog.yayateahouse.co.nz/2012/01/25/a-few-of-our-new-yixing-posts-in-3d/ NZ Post promises to deliver parcels in time for Christmas if they are sent with parcel post fast by tomorrow. I thought I'd give you a short overview of a few of our new arrivals in the teaware section (they aren't on the official teaware page yet) and some other recommendations. Note: ... http://blog.yayateahouse.co.nz/2011/12/21/very-last-chance-for-christmas-presents/ Just a very quick update on new stock that's available now (well, tomorrow, after I've picked up the packages from the port in Lyttelton). To make it possible to order the new tea pots and tea trays (yes, we finally have these back in stock!) just in time for Christmas, I've ... http://blog.yayateahouse.co.nz/2011/12/14/last-minute-christmas-presents/ I've been pretty busy in the last couple of weeks since my return from the Zealong plantation, and today's post won't be a long one, but I wanted to share some exciting news with you. To start with, I would like to announce the imminent arrival of a new shipment of ... http://blog.yayateahouse.co.nz/2011/11/29/new-yixing-teapots-arriving-soon-and-ya-ya-now-on-facebook/ I took the opportunity of  a long weekend (Canterbury day last Friday) to go on a research trip into tea cultivation (and culture) in New Zealand. I'm currently working on a magazine article on the subject with a photographer friend of mine and we visited some important people that play ... http://blog.yayateahouse.co.nz/2011/11/15/a-few-first-impressions-from-my-recent-tea-research-trip/ With the heady aroma of nature bursting out in blossoms on every tree and flower, it is impossible to ignore that spring is in full swing. Spring brings with it a lightness, that feels so welcome after the heavier, grounding winter months. Every year, I feel the urge to open all ... http://blog.yayateahouse.co.nz/2011/11/07/spring-time-tea-time/ As announced in my last post, today's article is about a very special tea: Zealong. Zealong teas are special in more than one regard, as they are not only amongst the best oolong teas produced today, but they are also grown and produced in an unlikely place: the Waikato region ... http://blog.yayateahouse.co.nz/2011/10/05/zealong-tea-the-poster-child-for-the-burgeoning-market-of-exotic-teas/ NOTE: The idea of writing this post developed almost a year ago and had I written it then, it would read very differently. Some amazing experiences in the meantime caused me to re-think the subject and look at it in a different light. While some people might think of coconut/pineapple-flavoured tea ... http://blog.yayateahouse.co.nz/2011/09/26/orchids-in-the-desert-the-burgeoning-market-of-exotic-teas/