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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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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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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Darjeeling reminded me of Hayao Miyazaki’s Laputa: Castle in the Sky. It is hidden within the thick cloak of fog and has an elevation of up to 8000 feet. As you approach Darjeeling from the small, but heavily populated Bagdogra aiport, the steep hills slowly reveal themselves.

Looking down to the Junpana Tea Estate from the Goomtee Tea Estate, we are above the clouds.

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It’s that time of the year, when my well-windowed apartment gets really cold and I have to bring out multiple space heaters to supplement the un-strategically placed central heater that seems to whisper lukewarm puffs of air. Luckily, my Zojirushi water boiler and warmer just arrived in the mail and I will have a steady supply of hot water.

Tea is my year-round choice for a hot beverage.

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Although we don’t see many kudzu vines taking over large patches of land in the west, it is often referred to as the “mile-a-minute-vine” in the South. It all started in 1876 when someone thought it would be a good idea to introduce the kudzu plant from Japan to the U.S. Instead of providing some nice exotic-looking shade, it became America’s first horticultural Asian Invasion.

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