Artful Tea

by Talking Tea, posted in Podcast Episodes

TT Artful Tea chawan

This week on Talking Tea we chat with Morgan Beard of Urasenke Philadelphia, an organization dedicated to practicing and teaching the Japanese way of tea.  We recorded our podcast inside the amazing Japanese galleries at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, which include a complete tea house and garden as well as centuries-old tea utensils and masterpieces of Japanese art. 

Morgan talks with us about some of the objects in the galleries (including the tea bowl shown here), and about how Japanese traditions of tea and aesthetics come together in the spirituality of the Way of Tea.  Read the full show notes

Drunk on Tea, Part 2: All About Pu Erh

by Talking Tea, posted in Podcast Episodes

Tea Drunk

Everything you always wanted to know about pu erh but were afraid to ask…and more.

In Part 2 of “Drunk on Tea”, Shunan Teng of New York City’s Tea Drunk shatters some myths about pu erh tea, contrasts cooked vs. raw pu erh, and talks in-depth about pu erh regions and fermentation. Shunan also chats with us about her ongoing tea classes and events at Tea Drunk.  Read the full show notes

Drunk on Tea, Part 1

by Talking Tea, posted in Podcast Episodes

Tea Drunk

This week on Talking Tea we get “drunk” on tea at Tea Drunk, a teahouse in New York City serving traditional Chinese tea. Shunan Teng, who founded and owns Tea Drunk (and knows just about everything there is to know about Chinese tea), talks with us about wild tea, Chan Cha or “monk’s tea”, tea picking seasons, and why tea requires a dedicated palate and a dedicated mind.  Read the full show notes

Beyond The Tea Leaf: A Conversation With Tea Author Linda Hewitt

by Talking Tea, posted in Podcast Episodes

TT tasting cup

For our first episode of Talking Tea, we chat via Skype with Linda Hewitt, author of The Japanese Tea Ceremony And The Shoguns and other works on tea history and customs. Linda shares her reflections on how tea, and the rituals surrounding it, create much-needed space for relationship-building and contemplation.   Read the full show notes