Both sencha and hojicha are common teas that you will come across everywhere in Japan. Unlike matcha or gyokuro (shaded green tea), sencha and hojicha are every day teas, poured into cups all day in homes and offices. Sencha vs. Hojicha Sencha, is often simply...
Growing up in Cupertino, mugi-cha (barley tea) is something my mom would always have on the ready, in the fridge. After a long bike ride around the neighborhood with friends, mugi-cha on ice was a thirst quencher that signaled the summer. Mugi-cha has a roasted, nutty,...
Thank you to Imbibe Magazine for featuring our Far Leaves collaborative teas in the September/October issue. Our Ohayo Hojicha Blend is meant for your morning jolt - with hojicha (roasted green...
Far Leaves is a treasure in Berkeley, CA. A place to enjoy a pot of luxurious teas from Asia or simply buy a canister to take home -- Far Leaves is an oasis of calm, nestled on a busy, industrial section of...
Far Leaves Tea in Berkeley sources exceptionally high-quality teas from around the world. We now carry three of their premium teas.
The first time I learned how to make matcha was from my grandmother, Baba-chan, in Tokyo. I was in second grade when she first showed me how to make matcha. I quickly forgot about it when I moved back to California in...
You can rest easy now – our popular limited-edition porcelain Umami Mart travel mug designed by Studio Arhoj is back in stock! Holds 8.5 oz.
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
"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...
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...
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...
A recipe for a Japanese dessert: It takes a mizu-yokan recipe and a matcha-kuzu kanten (agar) and plates them next to one another.
Summer this year is a total washout in wet, gray and windy London, so we decided to cheer ourselves up by going and scoffing some afternoon tea. All lady-like and dainty, of course. Not really. We prepared ourselves by skipping...
My family and I went on a flying visit to Paris again to rendez-vous with my dad (since he managed not to get his UK visa in time--visa people suck). Last year I gave him a copy of Ernest Hemingway's memoir...
Being out of the country for nearly a month has a tendency to adjust a person's perspective of "home." Home has had various meanings and geographical locations in various moments in my life. Conceptually, it means numerous--and sometimes conflicting--things at...
