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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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  • Travel

    Behind the Scenes of a Cinderella Story in Leicester

    May 11, 2016February 1, 2019

    (and also ramen and Oxford) After traveling to Windsor the week before for the Queen’s 90th birthday, I prepared for Week 5 to take a backseat and be a little less exciting. What’s better than a cheery old lady promenading from her castle to thousands of adoring fans? Oh Mel, you silly Canadian. Tuesday brought

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  • Travel

    Covering the Queen’s 90th Birthday in Windsor

    April 25, 2016February 1, 2019

    This was by far the most fun and most tiring week I’ve had at the bureau. Before I get to the Queen, I want to mention another great story we got to do on Tuesday. I had made a pitch to cover the unveiling of Palmyra’s Arch of Triumph in Trafalgar Square. The original arch in the

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  • Travel

    Vox Pops and Buckingham Palace

    April 17, 2016February 1, 2019

    It was quieter in the newsroom this week, which worked out great for me since it afforded me a chance to practice a bit more with iNews, Avid, MOG, Aspire, and all the technical stuff that might seem second to practicing journalism, but actually is what journalists rely on to make their stories happen. I

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  • Travel

    Shooting a protest with really expensive cognac in my backpack

    April 11, 2016February 1, 2019

    Monday I knew my intern luck couldn’t last. I seemed to have caught the flu. Posters on the tube stating, “British flu season is longer than usual this year” mocked me. Our bureau producer told me to stay home so I don’t infect the others. In a small office, maintaining everyone’s health is even more

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  • Travel

    Real world travellers don’t pack incense

    April 4, 2016February 1, 2019

    During the fourth week of September, a meeting was held for students in my journalism program in the alumni hall auditorium to talk about internships – these vague things that happened months down the road in April. A bunch of faculty got up and spoke, including a Mr. Doug Kirkaldy, who I didn’t know very well

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  • Travel

    Getting a UK Youth Mobility Visa for Canadians

    March 4, 2016February 1, 2019

    The Tier 5 Youth Mobility Visa is essentially a working holiday visa for people aged 18-30 who want to travel or live in the UK for up to two years and work at the same time. It’s a perfect way for Canadians to get abroad and get international working experience for a few years, with relatively

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    Instagram With Me

    • 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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