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!

Discover the secret to unlocking the hidden depths of your favorite teas through the thrilling world of A-B tasting—where every sip reveals a new twist!

This guide will teach you everything you want to know about a kyusu and how to use it!

Have some dietary restrictions but still want an extravagant Afternoon Tea? We've got some great ideas for you!

Here, we will be zeroing in on the traditions and history behind the specific teaware and tools used to prepare matcha traditionally.

Treat yourself to these teas that will bring self care to a whole new level with a cup of tea and a matching song.

An integral part of the tea drinking experience is the cup. Let's review the options, where to purchase, how to store and care for your budding collection!

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

With the weather finally warming up, outdoor tea parties are a must for people big and small. Here are some recommendations for children and adults alike!

Teas you have to try inspired by your favorite fandoms! Including Dragonball Z, Doctor Who, Avatar, and more!

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

Are you curious about the etymology of tea? Grab your dictionary and a cup of tea as we look into the name origins of some of Japan’s and China’s most famous teas.

Take dive into Senegal's tea culture and the ceremony of Ataya.

Everything you need to know to start brewing teas with this Chinese method!

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

In all the corners of the world, tea in prepared in numerous ways and with different vessels to serve and enjoy the relaxing beverage.

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!

Imagine having a friend for life that you can enjoy tea with. Well, your dreams have come true because such a thing exists! It is called a tea pet.

Who else likes tea and hates waste? Here are four easy and creative ideas to give a new life to leaves that typically just find themselves in the trash after one use.

What is your tea ritual? Do you have one? What even is it? A tea ritual is your own unique process for making tea. There is no right or wrong way to cultivate a tea ritual!

Ever since the tea trade first tracked how the U.S. drinks tea, iced tea has been an overwhelming favorite beverage all year long.

Right now, the world is in a difficult season. But when times get tough, there’s no better time to band together and help each other out. Here are some tea projects doing good out there, as well as some ways that you can help.<

Spring cleaning is a ritual that refreshes the home as it refreshes our spirit, and that goes for your tea paraphernalia and your tea supply too.

Modern afternoon tea is still similar to when it was first established, although it doesn’t necessarily have to have all the pomp and circumstance.

Sharing tea with friends today can still be a dress-up affair with a carefully crafted menu of either bakery-bought or homemade treats, especially for birthdays and celebrations like graduations or promotions, but we all know that casual and convenient are more likely to be the themes today because it’s so easy and fun to do.

Many of our cupboards are overflowing with fandom sample tins, but can being a fan of your favorite show, movie, books, or whatever it is, give you a deeper appreciation for tea?

Natasha is keeping us informed and entertained with this new piece about her experience and our Roots Program at Adagio!

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!

Have you always had a great idea for an article on here? Find out how you can become an author for TeaMuse, or how you can contribute to our Tea Blog!

Need an Accompaniment to Tea? Add Music! From famous tunes, to lesser-known songs, Heather helps us sing along to songs all about tea! Plus we know you're already humming the most famous one...

If you've been anywhere near your Facebook feed recently, it seems that tea has been getting bigger and bigger in social culture. Blame the Millennials! This current generation of pesky kids has a lot to answer for, Instagramming their leaves all over the place. Question is: does that make tea a "Millennial thing"? And come to think of it--what the cup does "Millennial" mean, anyway?

It is not fresh, but intentionally and carefully aged, sometimes for decades. It does come in loose leaf varieties but generally puerh comes in a compressed form: bricks, rounds, knobs, balls. It always begins as green tea despite its dark color. And, it is a signature tea from the province of Yunnan in mainland China.

It's autumn, and the ever-seasonal crunchy leaves are underfoot! We decided to focus on our favorite leaves of all--tea leaves! Learn about the intriguing process tea leaves go through to be shaped into a variety of enticing styles.

Sam Albala of TeaMuse interviews Adagio Teas' blendmaster/tea-taster Cynthia Fazekas. Learn about her tea-tasting and blending processes: including inspirations, the care & keeping of tastebuds, and so much more!

Tasseography, or tea leaf reading, is an ancient soothsaying practice. Whether you're inclined towards the supernatural or not, read on to learn about the craft's origins, and how you might practice it yourself!

Part Two of Advice For Tea Ambassadors: How to set up a cupping for someone enthusiastic but uninformed about the world of tea.

Have tea-curious friends? Here's some help in being an effective ambassador, rather than just providing bemusement and confusion!

This summer has seen the resurrection of "boho chic": overwrought gypsy skirts and peasant tops that should have been buried for good in 2005. Ten years later, boho brings back the paisley circus tents. But someone must told them to cut it out, so they put in more cutouts. Plus fringe, tassels, and finally meshing it all up before it was released to the hangers, where it has been picked up by fashion's desperate hangers-on.

Devoting the month of August to Fashion Infusion, a foray into tea-inspired style.

You've done it! You've finally arranged that super important awesome business meeting of a lifetime. Now for the venue. Chances are that you'll be meeting between 11am and 4pm, which narrows down your options. A coffee shop won't cut it, especially not if you intend to impress. A stately tea, however, is just the right touch.

Because You Always Wanted A Monocle: Earl Grey Style 101. A black blend of rusty-sweet, followed by floral afternotes, all under the influence of bergamot's heady scent. Not to mention the way those cornflowers bobble like drunken tutus as it steeps, a small respite from the loneliness of paper-writing or deep space.

Ah, Cha Qi (Cha Chi, 茶氣) a term bandied around tea communities as a way of describing a tea that knocks one's socks clean off, a term that has a lot of confusion around it - a term that when asked what it is, you are met with the phrase "you will know."

Find out what's in the stars for you this June whether you're a Gemini facing a new year or any of the zodiac's other signs. Astrology exports The AstroTwins help the tea lover find the perfect brew for their sign.

Enjoyed for decades in the Southeastern United States, sweet tea is making its way steadily north, east, and west, becoming a common beverage option throughout the country. So what's the story behind this summer favorite?

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!

To a philosopher all news, as it is called, is gossip, and they who edit and read it are old women over their tea." Henry David Thoreau

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.

Tea professionals gathered in early June in Las Vegas for the 10th World Tea Expo. Show and industry veterans reminisced and waxed poetic about the show and evolution of the US tea industry.

While it’s important to judge individual teas by their own merits, teas made in certain regions often share certain flavor characteristics. Learn more about the teas produced in different Asian countries.

Tea is a social beverage, even on campus. Learn more about how tea is bringing people together at universities and colleges across the country with tea clubs.

If you’re reading this article, chances are you know that tea is hot, hot, hot in the U.S. But did you know that a parallel tea movement is happening a few miles north of the border? Across Canada, tea shops and tea communities are blooming like Jasmine Pearl leaves in a teacup.

Join The Meaning of Tea® for a tea-inspired gathering on November 3rd in NYC at the Ramscale West Village lofts, to celebrate and benefit the American Botanical Council the nonprofit herbal research and education organization.

'Tis the season for back-to-school! While many people have been waiting for this all summer so they can get a break from their kids, others are eager to get back to learning themselves. But you don't have to wait until September or be enrolled in a traditional school to achieve such self-improvement, especially when it comes to tea.

It's back to campus time for college students. How do you feed your tea addiction if you're living in a dorm? Hopefully your dorm is outfitted with 21st century electricity! At other schools, it's purely a safety rule since they can't check that every appliance has an automatic shutoff and students' lives are more important than convenience. Therefore, check the rules so you don't get in trouble. Don't say we didn't warn you!

This year's World Tea Expo seemed to fly by all too quickly. First, let me state the obvious: Las Vegas is HOT. It was a toasty 103° F when we walked out of the airport to the taxi line. The dry heat did not make you feel like you were melting, but simply disintegrating on the spot. The need for iced tea was great indeed!

While coffee mostly dominates the U.S. cultural lexicon (for now!), more and more celebrities are embracing tea. Sure, we can see tea featured prominently on TV shows like The Mentalist and NCIS: Los Angeles, but do the stars actually enjoy tea like the rest of us?

June is very special to tea people, for later this month the "who's who" of specialty tea will gather in Las Vegas for the World Tea Expo. It is a business-to-business trade show, devoted solely to specialty tea - the good stuff! For three days, industry veterans and "newbies" will attend classes, sample products, and discuss industry news.

Yixing teapots are not just teapots, they're exceptional works of Chinese art. Dating back centuries, these teapots enhance the tea-drinking experience not only with their functionality, but with their aesthetic appeal.

Social networking has made it easier for enthusiasts to unite online in praise of a common passion. For some, it may be friending a favorite band on MySpace. Others track the comings and goings (and random thoughts) of their favorite celebrities on Twitter. A fan of Jimmy Buffett? You and thousands of other Parrot-heads can share your favorite concert memories on Facebook.

There was once a famous Chinese master named Zhao Zhou. He was so famous that he had visitors all the time who would come seeking the meaning of enlightenment. One day two young seekers knocked on his door begging for words of wisdom. Zhao Zhou welcomed them into his small hut and told them to sit down at a table where an old monk was already sitting. "Please tell me the meaning of Buddha," the first student asked. Zhao Zhou replied, "Drink some tea!"

Seattle is home to two authentic locations where one can witness the beauty and noble art of the traditional Japanese tea ceremony. Join tea-blogger, Cinnabar of GongfuGirl.com as she brings us to the Shoseian and Ryokusuian tea houses located each respectively at the Seattle Arboretum and the Seattle Art Museum.

Inspired by all the different signature blends on our website? You too can take a crack at blending something tasty and unique. Check out this article on getting the inspiration and idea for a blend. Then head over to our website to purchase a blend or make one of your very own.

Want to incorporate tea in your Valentine's day festivities? Check out this list of simple ways to infuser a little tea into your romantic evening. Also read up on some useful facts and conversation starters regarding our favorite beverage.

In 2008, the 29th Olympics were hosted in the largest tea-producing country in the world; China. As tea is one of China's gifts to the world, many Olympic-exclusive teas and merchandise were produced. Come check out what special products were offered during this special event.

Lindsey Goodwin of Vee's Tea's takes us on an expert visit to one of New York City's famed tea institutions, Tea & Sympathy.

A good cuppa in the city that lives for coffee? Cynthia Fazekas, our fearless wholesale manager survives in this coffee-centric town by seeking out some great tea places. Come read about her adventures in Seattle as she check's out the city's best food and tea.

College: late nights, lots of work, bad food, parties, and...tea? Check out from resident college student Kate Lynch on how tea really is the perfect college drink. That's even excluding beer!

I love tea, I drink like four cups a day. But the kids at school keep picking on me saying that it is for girls. One guy even poured pepper into my tea when I wasn't looking and I drank it. Yuck!

It was early on the crisp December evening. A group of two hundred some-odd men assembled in disguise on a nearby hill. The crowd marched down to the wharf two-by-two, crying, "Boston harbor, a teapot tonight!"

As the second-most popular beverage in the world, it is not surprising that many practices have developed worldwide to enjoy tea. In this installment of TeaMuse, we'll take a journey through the world of tea (no passport required!) and explore the many customs that have been infused into different cultures.

"When I take my sugar to tea, all the boys are jealous of me, 'cause I never take her where the gang goes, When I take my sugar to tea."

Fashion, and its 'beautiful people', are somewhat of an enigma to me. I appreciate great clothes, the sumptuousness of fine fabrics and the ritual of changing with the seasons. I've lingered over Ralph Lauren ads and wanted to step right into them. Give me the horse, the estate, and the outfit, please.

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...

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.

he morning rush line has formed and under a flurry of orders, start pulling shot after double shot of espresso, foaming milk in large stainless steel pitchers, and mixing it all together in the frenzied joy that is coffee bartending. Cappuccino, large double mocha, small skinny latte... tea, please. The customer repeats his order and it seems as if the world has suddenly paused.

Tea is an incredibly ancient beverage. For thousands of years leaves have fallen into the cups of great rulers, philosophers and spiritual leaders. Man has learned the way of the leaf. We have made this revered beverage a central part of almost every world culture. Can there be anything new to add?

We are on a mission to rescue tea from the cult of exoticism, decadence, and habit. Previous revolutions in tea have had their day, but we find ourselves now in an age of idle chatter and soggy grounds. The following dogma is not intended as a set of universal rules, nor is it the truth of tea, nor a new way to judge others. Rather, the "Vow of Chastity" is a self-imposed exercise in restraint.

The most ordinary objects and foods are often associated with all sorts of everyday superstitions, and tea is no exception. All sorts of events and behavior to do with tea drinking are thought to bring bad or good luck.

A Japanese cup of tea is, in fact, a quiet interlude during which host and guests strive for spiritual refreshment and harmony with the universe. The Japanese Tea Ceremony captures all the elements of Japanese philosophy and artistic beauty, and interweaves four principles - harmony (with people and nature), respect (for others), purity (of heart and mind), and tranquility.