Curious about the difference between high tea and afternoon tea? It’s time to clear up the confusion and discover the true traditions behind these two iconic British tea times!

Everything you could possibly want to know about this new Earl Grey tea, as well as the history of how Earl Grey came to be!

What are oxalates and are they of concern?

What to do when the Doctor says no to caffeine: Herbals are the answer!

What is L-Theanine and what are its benefits?

Learn the best temperatures to brew every type of tea in your cabinet to get the best flavor here!

Learn a little about Vietnamese tea culture, teas that they offer, and a recipe to make a delicious tea drink at home - Trà Dào!

Tea shows up in art in a variety of ways. Here are some affordable ways to incorporate tea into your aesthetics.

A brief history and development of tea culture in France, and also tips on how to create your own Le Goûter menu!

Join us in learning about this South American tisane- mate. Find out the history of this plant and how to best enjoy it!

A brief history of tea and how it helped ignite the American Revolution!

Taking a look at the history of tea in Kenya, a peek at their tea culture, and two great recipes!

What is CBD? Why is it popping up in tea? And where are Adagio's blends? Find out here!

Uzbekistan holds one of the highest levels of tea consumption per capita in the world - learn more about how they take their tea!

The history of the teabag dates to the 19th century and has seen a lot of change since its invention. Which one reigns supreme?

All the tea supplies you need to conquer this unconventional year at school! For teachers, parents, and kids alike!

Today we're going to take a look at Chinese Teahouses as places where communities gather for news, entertainment, and tea!

Our next profile is is our Tai Lake Pi Luo Chun (Green Spring Spiral).

Today’s roll call includes the Masters Tea: Shincha Sencha!

The sweet, intensely essence of the first teas of the season makes every tea lover’s heart quicken, eager to discover how they compare to last year, and to the memory of favorites.

You’re washing your hands, avoiding crowds, and following all the other suggestions to protect you and your loved ones. Is there anything else to be done?

“A tea lost in time,” BRIGADOON, is as mysterious as the ephemeral Scottish village and just as rare, for it is offered only ONCE every four years to cleverly coincide with Leap Year, the perennial Day of Love.

If you love a formal afternoon tea, but you or your loved ones embrace a vegan diet, what can you do? Everything!

Next up on Masters Teas is a very fine indeed-Lu An Gua Pian!

Something about the falling leaves, cooler temperatures, and warm cups of tea just make us wax poetic about autumn! And what better type of poem to write, than everyone's favorite, haiku? Read on, and then Write on!

Tea Spotlight on another fantastic four from MastersTeas.com!

Learn more about the next 4 featured teas from our collection at MastersTeas.com

Four more fantastic offerings for MastersTeas.com, and we're importing more every day!

Diana continues her travels, this time to Georgia. Lean about teas from this former Soviet Republic. Their hearty teas make perfect accompaniments to savories & sweets!

Next up for MastersTeas is this fantastic Darjeeling first flush! It doesn't get better than this!

Next up on Adagio's new sister site, MastersTeas.com is Jin Kong Que, which translates to Golden Peacock. Read more about this special tea from Yunnan, China.

Learn about of the most famous green teas in China, hailing from the equally famous and historic West Lake area in Hangshou, Zhejiang province. Offered exclusively on MastersTeas.com.

Let's travel to South Korea with Diana, as she teaches us about their teas, and traditions!

Diana Takes us to Turkey in this article dedicated to Turkish Tea and traditions! Read on for some delicious recipes to incorporate into your own tea traditions! Şerefe!

For some, Christmas begins right when Halloween ends, but we like to take time for November's special day of thanks! Celebrate your gratitude with (you guessed it) a little TEA!

Milk for your tea? When did it get so complicated?

Whether in a trailer by the seashore or on the ground in a national park, camping is a blast of fun any time of the year and you don’t need to leave your tea pleasures behind.

The first in a series of articles addressing fun + creative ways to reuse, recycle, and repurpose all things tea, Diana helps us save those used teabags, and demonstrates many cool uses for them!

Is the tea set gathering dust in your cupboard valuable? Learn some tips and hints to discover if your set is worth something, or what to look for when you're scouring the antique and thrift stores for the once-in-a-lifetime find!

Clearly, Today’s Teapots are Treasures! From Iron to Glass, Tea Vessels Evolve.

Looking for something delicate yet flavorful? White teas are the answer. With a lower level of caffeine, they offer a softer pep-in-your step, and they look beautiful brewing in glass pots or cups! Learn about their history, and check out some of our favorites!

Everyone’s idea of a classic, black teas are legion, luxurious, and live up to their legendary reputation. Try some from every country that produces them!

Grown in Mainland China since the early Qing era, namely in Fujian (in the north in Minbei, and the south in Minnan) and in Guangdong, oolong teas go by several names: oolong, wulong, Formosa, and by particular varietals or processing styles, like Ti Kwan Yin and Pouchong.

In this world with a constant influx of news and information, deadlines for work and family, and crossing off those endless items on your to-do list, it’s more important than ever to take care of yourself. Naturally, we think tea can be used as antidote to all of the stressors in life. You might want to consider some of these suggestions for utilizing tea to de-stress, calm yourself, and practice self-care…

Baking with tea as an ingredient offers the adventurer in us a detour from the ordinary or expected. The combinations are endless. Think of teas as a spice, or a form of umami, to amp up the other flavors or and spices used in your desserts.

Baking with tea adds new dimensions to flavor. Try these two recipes for poached fruit and matcha chocolate bites!

Making the perfect cup of tea isn't hard. Knowing the water capacity of your cup and accurately measuring your tea leaves takes out a lot of the guesswork.

No matter where you go in the world, it's always great to settle in, heat up some water and brew a cup of tea.

Two or three teas can make a delightful palate pleaser and scenting teas with your favorite fruits, spices, or herbs makes a creative way to enjoy tea, and a spectacular gift idea.

Every year, for the last 10 years, consumption of soda has decreased and been supplanted by tea, especially among men. One influential reason is health. Tea of all types help reduce blood pressure and fight heart disease, the number one killer of men.

This year, 2015, is the 150th anniversary of the publication of "Alice in Wonderland" and tea lovers around are sharing their love of this enduring (and endearing) tale. Like many classic children's books, Alice is more- much more- than it seems. It charms on two levels. For children, it's a phantasmagorically rich story sprinkled with nonsense. And, for adults, it's a droll satire of Victorian manners with a nod to the lack of food safety during that era.

The greatest challenge for tea enthusiasts who celebrate Passover is to figure out how to make desserts without leavening. For those who celebrate Easter, a new dilemma has occurred: increasing numbers of people do not consume gluten. What's a gracious host to do?

One of the most vital discoveries in this research has been that flavonoids in green tea, particularly EGCG or epigallocatechin-3-gallate, can bind to beta-amyloid proteins and prevent plaque formations, and ultimately, it may prevent Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia.

MATCHA: A Critical Part of the Shogun Tradition of Bun (Art) and Bu (Arms)

Nothing beats the experience of seeing and smelling the biting freshness of just-plucked tea leaves. Visitors to farms in Japan, China, India, Sri Lanka and other countries all attest to the experience of seeing how teas are grown, plucked and processed as revelatory and life changing.

Gifts for family, friends, colleagues and those who make our lives easier all year long are part of the delight of this holiday season. Naturally, we think Adagio teas are the ideal gift, so we invite you to explore all our wonderful gift items, tea ware and teas. Here are some packaging ideas that are as unique as you are, with a definitive nod to the world of tea.

Recent studies show the direct connection between sleep and the formation of memories. Help establish good sleep habits with herbal teas.

Depression affects millions of people in the United States alone. The Center for Disease Control estimates that one in ten adults suffer from depression. Many studies show that herbal teas like rooibos and chamomile, and traditional black and green teas can help relieve not only depression but its related symptoms as well.

Your immune system is the gatekeeper to good health, and keeping it strong and vital means you'll experience fewer illnesses and you'll benefit from quicker recovery when, or if, you become ill.

It may be difficult to believe this in the 21st century but barely 400 years ago, tea was thought by some British to be "pernicious," or harmful to society. Noted authors and religious leaders drew venomous conclusions and railed openly against the growing tea trade...

One of the hallmarks of recent times is the increase in stress. So, what's a 21st century person to do? Establish a tea ritual! The ritual for preparing tea to de-stress is purposeful, personal and, most importantly, quiet alone time to connect with body and mind.

The calendar indicates that summer is drawing to a close, however, the temperatures remain high, the lure of water sports stays strong and the desire for something cool and refreshing to eat or drink is easily satisfied with our favorite ingredients: Tea!

We've created a whole series of recipes using either tea or herbal infusions to help you get through any spring or other season where temperature, flora, dander, dust or other allergens are prevalent.

We'd like to bust a few myths about aging. Good genes are important, but they're not as important as exercise, a good diet and a well-rounded life that includes work you like and people you enjoy.

Want to have cleaner, fresher breath? Healthier gums and teeth? Keep your teeth a lifetime? Recent studies from China, Japan and the U.S. all confirm that drinking unsweetened green tea will give you all that, and more.

No foolin' readers, Earth Day is serious fun and, we think, should be celebrated every day. We're delighted there's a national push for Earth Day to honor our planet, protect our resources and learn how to use (and reuse) natural products.

The creative minds at Adagio have developed what may very well be the ultimate gift of love, the exclusive, exotic, exciting collection called Love Petals. It's a set of three beautifully-blended teas that will surely please your sweetheart (and everyone else you love!) Love Petals loose leaf teas and pyramid teabags each are packaged in gorgeous, reusable tins, so no rushing around for gift boxes, wrapping and ribbons.

Fans of J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" are legion, so it's no wonder that one of our most popular collections is Tales & Tea Leaves, spectacular teas in six reusable tins in a terrific 9"x9"x1.5" shadow box you can hang on your office wall or place on the kitchen counter.

Many of you may already know that a chilled spent tea bag may be used as a balm over an insect bite or to refresh eyes for a big party. But did you know there are many other reasons to use tea in your skin health and first aid?

One of the most cherished memories for many of us is remembering how we were read to, be it bedtime stories, ghost stories around a campfire or in a library or schoolroom. Stories can enchant and delight, inform and instruct, make us laugh or cry. That's why books are perfect gifts, timeless and enduring.

Who hasn't thought to save more money, lose those pesky pounds, eat better and exercise? We don't need to repeat these oft posted - and usually broken- resolutions. Instead, we've come up with 12 resolutions, one for each month, which are easy or fun or inexpensive and, best of all, really make a difference for you and everyone around you.

Whatever it's called during this significant year, the Jewish Festival of Lights, Chanukah, has the unique position to begin Wednesday, November 27, and end December 5, making the first day of this holiday the same as American Thanksgiving Day, November 28. So, the dilemmas begin: latkes (potato pancakes) instead of stuffing? Donuts instead of pumpkin pie? Or, have them all?

It's autumn, and that means it will soon be time to create a costume, host a Halloween party and create yummy treats for trick-or-treat guests. However you spend this year's All Hallows' Eve, here are two recipes to try at home. They're easy, delicious and pair fantastically with tea.

You don't have to be a warlock or witch to scare up some great beverages for Halloween or other fall celebrations. Either of these could calm the nerves of any ghost-fearing guest...or you!

Tea is all over the news. It seems like nearly every week another study is released that proves the efficacy of tea as a beverage that can help fend off disease, increase brain activity, help bones and teeth, foster alertness, and add fire to physical performance.

Whether you're sending your child off to college for the first time, or preparing for the classroom or office yourself, a little preparation and some tea can make study or work easier and much more enjoyable.

The iced tea popsicle is so simple to make and, with all the choices of ice cube shapes and sizes, you can really have fun with this. You may even make Arnold Palmer popsicles, which combine lemonade with iced tea. Arnold Palmers are refreshing, great for kids or adults, and if you want to spike yours with liquor, it accommodates that, too. In other words, the perfect summer party drink is the Arnold Palmer!

A summertime tea stand is a great learning experience and a lot of fun, as both children and teens can learn business skills like how to create a product, sell it, and figure out what to do with the profits! This business model can be replicated many times in the future, and is great for those eight-years-old and older.

Anywhere in the world that you could travel, you'll find tea: tea rooms, cafes in museums, tea shops, farms that grow tea in the countries that grow tea (even in the U.S. - Hawaii, Oregon and on Wadmalaw Island off the coast of South Carolina), and museums dedicated to tea.

Too much sun? Tea can help! Should time get by you, the result can often be painful sunburn. If you're blistering or if the burn looks particularly severe, get someone to take you to the clinic or an emergency care center immediately. If, however, it seems like a more typical case of minor overexposure to the sun, a first-degree burn, our dear leafy brew, tea is the perfect remedy.

Whether it’s Independence Day, birthdays, or “just because it’s summer”, nothing is easier or more delicious than iced tea to accompany barbecues, elegant picnics or family celebrations.

We hope your dad loves tea as much as you do. Some men erroneously think that tea is not a "manly drink." To prove those naysayers wrong, there are wonderful books on historic clipper ships, tea fables and lore or on Asian and European tea collectibles and tea art. And if your dad is already a tea lover, who wouldn't want a selection of his favorite teas or an elegant Yixing pot all to himself?

Graduation looms for students of all kinds. Diana Rosen suggests some gifts for the recent grads in your life.

Ever since President Woodrow Wilson signed the proclamation in 1914 making the second Sunday in May a time to honor all mothers, we've been using telegram offices, telephone companies, email servers, and the good old U.S. Post Office to send messages of love and affection to dear Mom. Read about Adagio's Mother's Day gift set and a recipe to share with her.

The clocks have sprung forward, Spring Equinox has passed, and the two seminal holidays of the season will soon be upon us: Passover, April 6-13 and Easter, April 8. Enjoy some recipes that incorporate tea in your celebrations!

This month, we list tea-related books for both education and armchair dreaming with teacup at hand, to inspire experimentation and delight in all your tea drinking entertainment and solo pleasures.

The heart has long been an icon for love, and no wonder - its gentle beating keeps us alive and breathing! For your Valentine, why not give him or her a fine black or green tea and a box of dark chocolates? This double-whammy of a gift offers twice the heart benefits because chocolate has high antioxidant qualities, too.

Nothing charms more than a gift basket of delectable teas and accessories for the holidays. It's a delightful way to thank a hostess for a festive meal, a more welcome gift than another tie or set of body lotions, and it can even be very kind to the budget.

Tired of the traditional punch or eggnog for holiday celebrations? Try these new ideas for adding favorite alcoholic beverages to the teas you adore. They're easy to make, delicious to taste and your family and friends will love your innovative take on entertaining.

Ever wondered why tea tastes so wonderful? Diana Rosen explores the chemistry of your favorite drink. From black to green to oolong, she's got the science behind the steep!

Water is one of the key ingredients to making a great cup of tea, but many people don't realize this! Not everyone has access to wonderful, fresh tasting spring water, but here is a handy guide on how to identify great tasting water. Your tastebuds will thank you!

Growing numbers of people, like you, are wondering if you could awaken slowly, with the sun; take time to prepare for the day; eat breakfast leisurely with family; and perform your daily tasks with purpose and less urgency. Then, at day's end, you could go to bed fulfilled, less worried, content, and certainly more aware of what the day was really like.

The 21st century is proving to be a grand time to be a tea drinker. The choices keep increasing, the quality is improving, and the accessibility is practically at your fingertips as more tea sellers get online.

A reader wrote recently to say she was stumped to figure out a five-letter word for tea. She had come up with B_H_A but wasn't sure how to complete the word. Had she been an 18th century poetry lover, she would have surely known the answer: BOHEA, a black tea from China that at the time enchanted both Europe and its colonies across the pond.

Any occasion is a perfect occasion to celebrate with a tea party, whether it's for your sweetie pie, your family, or your best friends. It can be simple or elaborate, American or English (or totally international) with only one caveat: Serve the best tea you can afford!

For 2003, I am resolved to learn more about, and certainly, taste more tea. What would you like to experience about tea this year that you never have done before? Perhaps one of these ideas will spark a few resolutions for you to consider as you make 2003 a more "tea-full" year.

The year 2002 was another year of phenomenal growth for the tea industry and an exciting one for consumers. The reason? Increased attention to quality, variety, and the finalization of U.S.-approved criteria for organic produce, including tea.

First, there was ice tea. A simple enough drink made creative with a splash of fruit juice ice cubes or slices of fruit. The most recent addition to the ice tea family is boba, also known as bubble tea. It was first developed in Taiwan where it is as ubiquitous as certain coffeehouses are in the U.S.

You have surely seen tea leaves run the gamut of very large (Formosa oolongs) to very small (Chinese blacks). And know that they may be full leaf or broken, ground to a powder or mixed with the essences of fruit, flowers or herbs. But have you tried tea leaves molded or tied into elegant and whimsical shapes?

Summertime means iced green or black teas flavored with the sweet berries and fruits of the season. As ideal as summer and tea are, did you know that tea can add greatly to your comfort and beauty during the hot months?

Like its Pacific Rim neighbors, Japan, China, and Indochina, Korea is also a tea-drinking country with a rich ceremonial tea culture. Also like them, Korea owes its tea heritage to the enthusiasm and devotion of Buddhist monks who traveled the globe spreading the opportunity for enlightenment and the special alertness that tea contributes to the meditation process.

Lots of people, I have learned, use the microwave to heat water for tea! I tried it and this is what I discovered: The water is always too hot. Often, it does not boil. Worse, to my palate, it makes tea taste "flat", becoming more colored water than the flavorful, complexly layered beverage that tea can be. This flatness, I believe, is directly related to the way microwaves heat liquid.

Come for a spot of tea and other pleasures at England's famed Harrods. This special time of day is a welcome respite for our weary traveler at this historic department store.

As in most cultures that achieve a high measure of wealth, the Japanese suddenly found themselves with the luxury of time to devote to art, music, and other cultural experiences. Among these experiences was the beginning of the tea ceremony, Sado or Chado.

Ti Kuan Yin (aka Guanyin,) the famous oolong tea with leaves as black and as rich as iron, is a variation on the name for the Chinese Goddess of Mercy, Kuan Yin (Guanyin.) How the two became synonymous with one another began, like many stories, with a fable...

Even at its simplest, the teapot is a thoroughly appealing vessel, blending seamlessly the function of brewing with the elegance of exceptional design. The "original" teapot is from China and the best were and are made from the red clay of the area around Yixing (also known as I-Hsing).

Our favorite beverage requires the blending of two natural ingredients: fine tea and clear water. In ancient China, water from only its ten most revered springs was considered essential to making its esteemed tribute teas. Should you not find it convenient to draw water from these ancient fabled springs, the following is a guide through the baffling maze of today's alternate choices.

Capturing the quiet pleasures of tea is a theme in many paintings, book illustrations, and even on tea accessories themselves. The complex yet serenely colorful scenes of chanoyu (the Japanese tea ceremony) often animate room screens, teapots and the other exquisite art and accessories of Japan.

The venerable tea master, Lu Yu, wrote the first known book on tea, Cha Ching or The Classic of Tea, A.D. 780, in which he espoused on the proper utensils, the finest spring waters, and the ideal temperatures for brewing. Among the factual data is a fount of poetry...

Would you like a cup of tea? To many of us, that is music to our ears. So it's no surprise that the sounds of tea plucking and preparation have led to many a song for voice and instrument praising our most delightful brew.

One swelteringly hot day, during the St. Louis Exposition in 1904, a tea vendor couldn't entice anyone to try his teas despite the fact that hot tea is served during warm months in his native land. Feeling the humidity, and the rebuff, acutely, he asked for some ice from the neighboring ice cream vendor, put some into a cup of tea, and voila!

Although Americans still prefer their tea iced (85%) and black (90%) and scented or fruit flavored (35%), the continuing reportage of the health benefits of tea has encouraged the public to sample camellia sinensis, particularly green teas.

Traveling along the shore of the Arabian Sea in the trading city of Calicut recently, I imagined myself as a trader in the bustling late 19th century. Calicut has, for centuries, been the key trading city of Kerala, the Indian state on the southernmost tip of this vast and colorful country.

Cooking with tea is as old as the history of tea itself. Fruits and spices continue their historical position of flavor enhancers for tea as a beverage and in cooking: Lychee or osmanthus (an orange relative) in Chinese teas; cherry in Japanese greens; garam masala, the heady combination of aromatics such as cardamom, cinnamon, black pepper, clove, nutmeg, and lemongrass, in east Indian teas.

Exploring the world of connoisseur-level teas is as intoxicating as that other beverage: Wine. For wine lovers, the current fashion is not to insist that whites pair up with poultry nor drink only reds with meat. This has led to many adventuresome pairings and new taste sensations.