Miles Cramer shares his background in the tea industry and his time at Dobra Tea in Asheville. He recounts his recent trip to Japan, where he explored the history of Japanese tea and visited historic tea gardens. His new venture, Smiles Tea, puts tea education in the foreground, sharing experiences and connecting drinkers with the producers who made their tea.

Smiles Tea:

• Website: https://smiles-tea.square.site/

• Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/smiles_tea

Austin's Tea Sourcing

• Website: ⁠www.austinstea.com⁠

• Instagram: ⁠www.instagram.com/austinsteasourcing⁠

• Tik Tok: ⁠www.tiktok.com/@austinsteasourcing⁠

• Email: [email protected]

Use code LISTENER for 15% off tea and teaware at Austin's Tea.

00:00:00 The Asheville Tea Scene and Dobra Tea

00:36:43 Visiting Historic Tea Gardens in Japan

00:42:26 Creating Lasting Memories Through Travel

00:48:25 Tea Education and the Launch of Smiles Tea

01:03:18 The Practice of Tea Meditation

01:11:48 Next Destination? South Korea

Stéphane Erler has been blogging since 2004. His blog, Teamasters, has been a consistent source of inspiration, knowledge, and musings about tea. In this wide-ranging conversation, recorded at Lin Gardens in New Taipei City, Taiwan, we discuss his beginnings, tea storage, the origin of gong fu cha and how it differs from most contemporary practice, and how the market has changed over the decades. We also drink a lot of tea.

Find Stéphane Erler at:

• Website: http://teamasters.blogspot.com/

• Instagram: www.instagram.com/stephane_erler

Austin's Tea Sourcing

• Website: www.austinstea.com

• Instagram: www.instagram.com/austinsteasourcing

• Tik Tok: www.tiktok.com/@austinsteasourcing

• Email: [email protected]

Use code LISTENER for 15% off tea and teaware at Austin's Tea.

00:00 Introduction and Background

02:20 Experimentation and Testing in Tea Making

04:16 The Impact of Storage on Tea Flavor

14:18 Changing Trends in the Tea Market

23:14 Gong Fu Cha or Cha Yi?

29:05 Sourcing Tea Directly from Farmers

33:53 Health Benefits of Tea

Matthew Mauger is the co-author of Empire of Tea: The Asian Leaf that Conquered the World, which offers a cultural history of tea centered in British culture and society. In this conversation, he discusses the significant transformations of tea consumption in Britain in the 18th and 19th centuries. He also talks about the dramatic journey of tea from China to becoming a staple in British society, including the evolution of tea grading and its disappearance from the market today.

Find Matthew Mauger at:

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/matthew_mauger

• Book: Amazon

Austin's Tea Sourcing

• Website: ⁠www.austinstea.com⁠

• Instagram: ⁠www.instagram.com/austinsteasourcing⁠

• Tik Tok: ⁠www.tiktok.com/@austinsteasourcing⁠

• Email: [email protected]

Use code LISTENER for 15% off tea and teaware at Austin's Tea.

Chapters

00:00 Tea as a Symbol of Britishness

07:07 Tea as a Popular Commodity

10:52 Negotiating with Merchants in Chinese Ports

13:55 The Auctioning of Tea in Britain

20:30 Introduction to Tea Ships in the UK

23:31 The East India Company's Tea Auctions

27:12 Sensory Evaluation

30:22 Restrictions in Modern-Day Tea Competitions

34:39 Exploring the Types of Tea

38:56 Exploring Tea Grading Systems

42:15 Exploring the Cultural History of Tea

43:03 The Importance of Responsible Sourcing

43:18 Diverse Ways of Drinking and Interacting with Tea

44:31 Advice for Learning About Tea

44:55 The History and Branding of Tea

45:08 Dominant Forces in the Tea Industry

45:48 Tea History Books to Read