Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Happy New Year! Cheers to 2015!


Wishing you all a very Happy New Year! Thank you for supporting Tea Happiness this year, I truly appreciate every single reader. Much gratitude to all of the companies that provided samples, and to all the folks that took part in the spotlight interviews!

I look forward to learning, tasting, and experiencing all things tea in 2015. Of course I will share it with all of you! Cheers!


Monday, December 22, 2014

Spotlight:Tea of the People


Do you know Tea of the People? They are a socially conscious tea company offering healthy tea blends created with as many antioxidant rich ingredients as possible. They focus on real ingredients, not just added flavorings. They are hoping to make a difference by donating a portion of profits to entrepreneurs and non-profits that are helping make the world a better place. I was intrigued and wanted to find out more. Founder and Chief Activist Officer Joshua Caplan kindly agreed to answer some questions so we can all learn more about Tea of the People. Here is our interview!


Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Tasting: A Tale of Two Ippodo Senchas


Photo provided by Ippodo. Such pretty packaging!
It was the best of teas, it was the worst of days. It was the age of rain, it was the age of chillyness...a murky day ended in tea happiness in A Tale of Two Senchas. Two teas. One aristocratic, one perhaps more bourgeois, but both equally satisfying.

Photo provided by Ippodo. Hosen on the left, Unro on the right
On a wet, bone-chilling day I  had the pleasure of tasting these two fresh, vibrant senchas from Ippodo. They kindly sent me the sencha set, which contains the Unro and Hosen teas. My tasting session created a sunny paradise within the gloomy afternoon. I started with the Hosen tea, which is billed as a great tea for sencha beginners. The brew is light and fragrant, with a mellow flavor of cooked green vegetables. It's a good basic sencha to drink every day. Shall we say...a more bourgeois tea? It is bright with a vibrant balance of sweet and bitter vegetal flavors. The tea has a lovely soothing richness that melted away the chilly December day.


Ippodo labels the Unro sencha as 'a favorite among seasoned Sencha drinkers seeking that unique astringency'. I felt full of suspense after reading that description. Would it live up to the hype? Is it truly an aristocratic tea? The brew blew me away with the strength of an umami tidal wave (strength enough to act as a guillotine?). This tea is strong, with savory, mushroomy umami flavor waltzing along with astringency. I usually prepare my senchas without boiling water, and that's how I first tasted the unro. Later I noticed the directions called for the water to be 212 degrees. After brewing up a batch this way, I was amazed that even more umami flavor was extracted from the leaves. It was a dyamic, zingy brew. Delicious! A tea I am grateful to have in my cabinet.


This was a tale of two senchas from different classes, creating joy in a murky world. A bit more peaceful than reading Dickens, don't you think? Also. much more instantly gratifying.

For more about Ippodo you can visit their website, or read my post about a fabulous tasting I had at the NY store. This tea gift would make a good addendum to my holiday gift guide! It is a thoughtful gift for the sencha lover in your life. Thank you to Ippodo for the samples of Dickensian proportions.

Friday, December 5, 2014

The Tea Happiness Holiday Gift Guide!



In case you haven't noticed, it's the time of year for holiday gift lists! There are so many lists out there, so I'm going to try and pick out a few unique gift ideas for the tea lovers in your life. Or perhaps just a gift for yourself! Here are a few gifts I wouldn't mind opening this holiday season (subtle, right?):

1. Monthly Tea Subscription: Tea subscriptions are common these days, but Global Tea Hut stands out as a well curated, deeply meaningful monthly tea adventure.

2Adopt a tea plant: Who wouldn't love their own person tea plant? You can adopt your own from The Great Mississippi Tea Company. With an adoption you get to visit the plantation any time you like to, and of course, tea to drink. Note: If you choose to purchase, once you've "adopted" and finished the PayPal process, be sure to click on the "Go back to the GMSTeaCo page" and enter in your email address.

3. Go green: purchase sustainable, responsibly produced tea from Eco-Cha where you will also be supporting small tea farmers. I have some of their wonderful tea, keep your eyes peeled for a review soon.

4. Get Boozy!: I love the Owl's Brew products, and this set of their three fun tea infused mixers would be perfect for any holiday cocktail party. All three flavors are divine.

5. Support an innovative kickstarter campaign: The Qterra NOVO Travel Tea Brewer has a unique design inspired by South American and Chinese tea traditions.

6. Get Fancy: If you're looking for a super lux tea gift for the tea aficionado that has everything, look no further than the gorgeous Sorapot. An artistic, functional design that will be the highlight of any modern teapot collection.

What gifts are you hoping to give and receive this year? Let me know in the comments!