Exploring the legacy of tea

This event was part of our Second Tuesday series. Learn more here.

On Tuesday, December 8, 2020, power couple Julius Wu and Yiyan Zhou ’91, two experts in Chinese culture and art, gathered with fifty members of the Miss Hall's community to talk and learn about the legacy of and daily rituals of tea. In dialogue between Julius in Shanghai and Yiyan in Boston, tea drinkers around the globe discussed different brewing methods, shared fun tea facts, and appreciated the simple pleasures of togetherness over a cup of tea.

Participants brought fantastic questions to the gathering:

• What are the healing properties of tea?

• How long can tea be stored, and where?

• How many kinds of tea are there? How do caffeine levels vary?

• What kind of water do you use to make tea?

• How long should different teas be steeped?

Yiyan and Julius answered these queries and more, demystifying the art of preparing and enjoying tea.

Tea shops in North America (that we’ve tried):

• 29B Teahouse – NYC. Korean/Columbian American couple Teahouse/ Teabar with a focus on fine Asian teas and teaware, Online teashop goes by the name “Tea Dealers.”

• Aroma Teashop – San Francisco, CA. A no-frill style teashop with a large selection of fine Chinese tea.

• Bellocq Tea– Brooklyn, NY. Specializes in blend teas.

• Camellia Sinensis – Montreal, Quebec City. Great teahouse/ teashop with a history of more than 20 years; nice teaware too.

• Hidden Peak Tea House * - Santa Cruz CA. We haven’t had a chance to try this one but are very interested in this shop. It has a special emphasis on Pu-Erh tea.

• Ippodo Tea – NYC. Kyoto Teashop from 1717, the only store outside of Japan that specializes in Japanese teas.

• Tea Drunk – NYC. Chinese Teahouse with Tea club and training courses

Expanded Reading

• The Classic of Tea by Lu Yu

• Tea History Terroirs Varieties by The Camellia Sinensis Tea House

• NPR on Black Tea and the Classic of Tea​

• NPR Tea Tuesdays series – topics cover all ranges of tea​