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Mel Had Tea

Tales of a Travelling Tea Sommelier

  • Home
  • About
    • My Story
    • FAQs
    • Work With Me
    • Press
    • Portfolio
  • Destinations
    • Bosnia and Herzegovina
    • Canada
    • Croatia
    • England
    • Germany
    • Iceland
    • Japan
    • South Korea
    • The Philippines
    • United Kingdom
    • USA
  • Experiences
    • City Guides
    • Travel Budgeting
    • Interning in the CBC’s European Office
    • 30 Days Across Canada Living in a Van
    • Living on a Japanese Tea Farm
  • Tea
    • Tea Education
    • Tea Reviews
    • Recipes
  • Contact
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  • Tea

    300 years of tea distilled into one afternoon at Ippodo

    November 15, 2018January 28, 2019

    A solitary cube of ice swirls in the middle of my blue-green matcha frothed to perfection. I’m sitting on a table facing a thatched window in the Kaboku Tearoom at Ippodo. A light breeze slips in with the afternoon sun. Sitting along the famous Teramachi shopping street, Ippodo has been serving tea in Japan for

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  • Tea

    A Visit to Samovar Tea Lounge in San Francisco

    November 14, 2018January 28, 2019

    Samovar tea lounge in San Francisco is exactly how you’d expect Silicon Valley would do tea. Not with fancy tech and gadgets. Oh no, that would be too on the nose. But, with precisely catalogued organic offerings, and almost scientifically perfected food pairings. My ‘green ecstasy’ matcha-sencha fusion arrived in a glass vessel reminiscent of

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  • Tea

    A visit to Takayama, Japan to see how matcha tea whisks are made

    November 7, 2018February 1, 2019

    When it comes to making matcha tea, using a proper bamboo whisk is key. It’s the only way to get that frothy, smooth, clump-free, delicious matcha. These unique bamboo tools were created in a small Japanese mountain village almost 500 years ago, and today it’s still the best place in the world to get a

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  • Travel

    25 Photos That Will Inspire You to Visit Japan’s Tea Country

    November 5, 2018February 1, 2019

    Japan’s tea farms are one of a kind—relentlessly manicured and groomed, tea bushes kept exactly 40 years at which point their diminishing yields require replanting by newer, younger bushes. The easy waves and rows of bushes, rounded by cutting machines, offers an environment it’s hard to feel stressed in. Surrounded by calming green, in a

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  • Travel

    The Misty Mystery of Wales in 25 Photos

    November 4, 2018January 28, 2019

    Once in the late spring I took a train trip to the misty environs of Wales in the United Kingdom. Shooting away from the London train station and into the outer countryside, I found myself transported back in time to a place the evoked the romance of Welsh fairytales. A place where you wouldn’t be surprised to

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  • Tea

    A visit to Kyoto’s Golden Temple for matcha

    November 3, 2018January 28, 2019

    Kyoto’s famous golden temple is one of Japan’s most popular sites. the old Japanese capital’s most-visited sites. While it’s not hard to miss the sun-catching, gilt Zen Buddhist temple at the centre of things, what you don’t want to miss is the cute little tea serving frothy, green matcha on crimson tables near the exit

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  • Travel

    A City in Perpetual Sunset: Dubrovnik

    November 1, 2018January 28, 2019

    The afternoon shadows were long when we arrived in Dubrovnik. The orange rooftops of the Croatian city add to the continuous glow. Even during the day, the rustic stone walls and adobe colours lend an air of nostalgia to the town. Walking into it feels like walking into a dream, or getting a postcard from

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  • Travel

    Firewalking, water, and whiskey: Three days of purification and celebration in Kyoto

    October 18, 2018January 28, 2019

    Whenever you go to Japan, you should always check and see if there will be a festival where you are. I don’t mean the major holidays—golden week, and so on. I mean the niche festivals—or matsuri, as they’re called. The more obscure, the better. Some little shrine holds a yearly dance-off? I’ll be there. It’s

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  • Tea

    A visit and cold brew sencha at Byodoin temple in Uji, the heart of Japan’s historical tea territory

    October 16, 2018February 1, 2019

    The city of Uji in Japan is famous for its green tea. The phrase “Uji tea” carries a unique history and promise of quality amongst Japanese tea lovers. Located half an hour south of Kyoto by car or train, Uji lies in the heart of the country’s western tea corridor. When I came to this

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    • Here's one of those @ippodotea left-handed kyusu teapots I was talking about the other day! Japanese #kyusu handles are always on the side and used for drinking teas made with hotter water (like sencha, genmaicha, bancha), as opposed to houhins, with are handle-less Japanese teapots used for brewing gyokuro and other fine teas that use cooler (70-85˚ C) water. What's your preferred vessel for steeping tea?
. . . . .#tea #teaoftheday #matcha #ilovetea#teatime #cupoftea #tealover #teadrinker#tealove #teaporn #teaaddiction #teaaddict#instatea #butfirsttea #teastagram#foodgawker #foodandwine #feedfeed#f52grams #buzzfeast #buzzfeedfood#instayum #eattheworld #girleatsworld#teaculture #teatime #teaplease
    • A winter's morning. What are you brewing today?
. . . . .#tea #teaoftheday #ilovetea#teatime #cupoftea #tealover #teadrinker#tealove #teaporn #teaaddiction #teaaddict#instatea #butfirsttea #teastagram#foodgawker #foodandwine #feedfeed#f52grams #buzzfeast #buzzfeedfood#instayum #eattheworld #girleatsworld#teaculture #teatime #teaplease #houjicha #japanese
    • This winter I've been steeping a selection of beautiful teas from @smithteamaker, including this Rose City Genmaicha. Genmaicha is a traditional Japanese green tea made using sencha and toasted brown rice.
Smith has really elevated this traditional tea by blending in Mao Feng green tea from China, rose petals, and bergamot oil (the same as in Earl Grey tea). I love the results. Tomorrow on the blog I’m publishing a post about a few other warming and wintery teas from Smith. Did you know #Portland city where Smith is based is famous for their roses?
. . . . .#tea #teaoftheday #matcha #ilovetea#teatime #cupoftea #tealover #teadrinker#tealove #teaporn #teaaddiction #teaaddict#instatea #butfirsttea #teastagram#foodgawker #foodandwine #feedfeed#f52grams #buzzfeast #buzzfeedfood#instayum #eattheworld #girleatsworld#teaculture #teatime #teaplease #ThisIsTeaTime #SmithTea
    • This swirly tray from @ippodotea is the perfect vessel for delivering houjicha - charcoal roasted green tea from Japan that's low and caffeine and yummly warming. Perfect for chilly winter days. Ippodo is one of the few Japanese tea vendors that also sells left-handed kyusu teapots. Any other #lefties in the crowd? 💁🏻‍♀️
. . . . .#tea #teaoftheday #japanese #ilovetea#teatime #cupoftea #tealover #teadrinker#tealove #teaporn #teaaddiction #teaaddict#instatea #butfirsttea #teastagram#foodgawker #foodandwine #feedfeed#f52grams #buzzfeast #buzzfeedfood#instayum #eattheworld #girleatsworld#teaculture #teatime #teaplease #ThisIsTeaTime
    • Last week I had the pleasure of serving up a selection of hot and cold brews for the @shoppersdurgmartofficial #myroutine event at @bishatoronto. Tea has a lot of health benefits for your skin, not the least of which is hydration! ✨DYK? Shoppers Drug Mart has in-store specialists that can analyze your skin and prescribe solutions tailored just for you. The best part? It’s free. Specialist @sarahobear measured the hydration levels of my skin and gave me a close-up look at my skin health. It was super interesting. I don’t wear any makeup on a daily basis, but I’m really invested in taking good care of my skin. I was stoked that my skin scored as well-hydrated! I mean, I do drink A LOT of tea. ✨Tea is a great substitute for pop or juice in your routine since there’s no sugar or other additives - just leafy goodness. Tea leaves also have many antioxidants, such as ✔catechins (EGCG) ✔amino acids ✔ Vitamins C, B, and E. ✨If you really want a condensed tea detox, try matcha. When you drink matcha, you’re consuming 100% of the tea leaf, and all the vitamins, antioxidants, and caffeine! It’s like a tea espresso, if you will! ✨Even herbal teas can have a lot of beneficial properties. I took the beautiful Flower Garden organic herbal from @worldteahouse with me to Toronto and everyone was commenting on its beautiful appearance. It has #chamomile - soothing and great for red or irritated skin—it also contains quercetin, which helps protect you from sun damage.  Rose Hips contain antioxidants and Vitamin C. Even peppermint tea contains menthol that can help clear up oily skin. . . . . .#tea #teaoftheday #matcha #ilovetea#teatime #cupoftea #tealover #teadrinker#tealove #teaporn #teaaddiction #teaaddict#instatea #butfirsttea #teastagram#foodgawker #foodandwine #feedfeed#f52grams #buzzfeast #buzzfeedfood#instayum #eattheworld #girleatsworld#teaculture #teatime #teaplease #ThisIsTeaTime
    • Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night. Thanks for an amazing year. Wishing you all a magical evening and happy memory making over the holidays.
Currently steeping: Rum Pot by @smithteamaker - Colombian black tea with licorice root, star anise, and dried fruit. Handpicked and preserved in #rum, the old-world German way. #SmithTea #ThisIsTeaTime
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#tea #teaoftheday #matcha #ilovetea #teatime #cupoftea #tealover #teadrinker #tealove #teaporn #teaaddiction #teaaddict #instatea #butfirsttea #teastagram #foodgawker #foodandwine #feedfeed #f52grams #buzzfeast #buzzfeedfood #instayum #eattheworld #girleatsworld #teaculture #teatime #teaplease
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