How to Shop for a Tea-Lover

Tea makes a fantastic gift for birthdays and holidays for just about anybody, but if you're shopping for a self-proclaimed tea-lover (teaist, tea connoisseur, tea hobbyist, tea master, etc.)  then the choice to buy them tea can be a bit risky, especially if you know less about tea than they do.  The last thing you want to do is buy a gift that remains tucked away in a cupboard, unused and growing stale.

As a tea vendor, some of my 'favourite' questions gift-shopping customers have asked me include, "What's a really good tea?" and "What should I get someone who likes tea?"  Even if the person you're shopping for 'loves' tea it doesn't mean that they like the same tea as I do.  Don't let this dissuade you, one of the reasons why we love the ceremony of gift-giving is to see our loved ones smile when they get something that they really, really like.  With just a little bit of effort (and some help from our guide) you can get the perfect tea gift.  Here's how.

Breaking the Rules

Preparing your tea with the right amount of leaf, temperature and time is paramount to making a good pot of tea.  Using appropriate teaware can also help shape the tea's flavour to perfection.  But this post isn't about following established traditions and etiquette, it's about breaking them.  Below are four methods of making your tea that your sensei or shifu won't teach you. 

On Water In Tea

Water, it's more important to making a good cup of tea than the tea leaf itself.  Water makes up well over 90% of a cup of tea and choosing your source of water is just as important as choosing your source of tea.  Good water with mediocre tea leaf makes a better cup than mediocre water with good tea leaf.

Ask Mr. Tea

When talking to people about tea I sometimes find that my expectations of what people should already know sets the bar too high.  A classic example is how I'm always surprised when somebody doesn't know that green tea and black tea come from the same plant.  Now, now, don't worry if this is you, because I've just discovered an interesting fact of history.