*Nahoko Morimoto is a Tokyo-based photographer. Her work has been featured in Brutus and Vogue Japan.

It’s so cold in the woods these days — cozy up with a warm cup of Chai-Nog! Just mix one part chai tea (loose leaf or from a tea bag) with one part egg nog, then sprinkle with nutmeg. Spike it with a bit of whiskey or rum for a nightcap! This will surely warm your head, heart, down to your toes.

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Over the last decade the cocktail renaissance has spread across the country and helped turn bartending from a mere side-job for college students and aspiring actors into an honorable profession. It has also resurrected previously unknown names like Jerry Thomas and Harry Johnson by turning them into prophet-like figures, and their recipes have become gospel for a new generation of barkeeps and cocktail geeks.

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On a combined wedding/tour/family holiday in Sri Lanka in mid-November, I had two days in Colombo with my parents. One of the things I’ve been trying to do for the past few years was to visit Euphorium Tea Salon which supplies Ceylon tea to Lanka, a Japanese pâtisserie in London. But each time I’ve tried, we’ve somehow been unsuccessful and I wondered whether I would ever set foot in this place.

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We are extremely excited to present yunomi (teacups) exclusively made for us by our dear friends Jay + Rie of Atelier Dion. They have been running their ceramic studio in West Oakland since 2010, and for years we’ve been in conversation with them to make something just for Umami Mart. Our wish has finally been granted.

Made of white stoneware and individually hand-thrown, the teacup shapes evoke classic Japanese yunomi styles.

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I used to live in Azabujuban for four years during my 20s. Sadly I don’t get to go there that often anymore as I live farther away. I love Azabujuban so much because there are so many great restaurants and cool shops there – both old and new. I like to check out new places everytime I visit and this cute little coffee bean roaster called Crop Shop, caught my eyes one day. 

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Happy October! The air is a bit crisper, the leaves, brighter. What better way to get ready for the colder months than to cozy up with coffee and tea? We’ll be celebrating the mighty bean and tea leaf all month, with warming posts on the subject, and a sale over at the Umami Mart Shop, where you’ll get 10% off of all of our coffee + teaware items.

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Tea estates in Darjeeling are very aware that organic sells. Some tea estates convert their whole operation into an organic one, while others simply can not afford the high costs that are needed to apply for certification. It takes about three years for inspectors to certify a tea estate as organic. But considering that the “health-conscious” tea drinkers in the U.S.

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Out of all the tea plantations I went to during my trip, Castleton seemed to have the most modern and well-kept facilities. The operation is large and the tea estate itself supports the livelihood of thousands of families. One of the defining characteristics of Castleton for me was the emphasis they put on “clonal teas.”

Entrance to Castleton with manager Pranub Mukhai and expert tea taster PK Ganguly

Castleton trucks

Fermenting beds

Separating knots

Drying

Clonal teas are teas that are produced using cloned plants.

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“What is different about the Junpana tea estate, from all the other tea estates in Darjeeling?” I asked BM Mudgil (manager of Junpana). To that he replied, “You will find out when you go there and experience it.”

I knew the bullet points: established in 1899, elevation 2,500-5,500 ft, moves 75 tons of tea a year, all organic and a sustainable fertilizer system consisting of cow dung and vermiculture.

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