The Voice of Tea Lands | Tea Journey Magazine, founded in 2015, and the Tea Biz Blog | Podcast are favorites of tea enthusiasts and professionals worldwide. Content is authentic, timely, and exclusive, a collaborative effort that enlists 40 voices skilled in 12 languages to tell the story of tea.Coverage spans tea discovery and preparation to tea tourism, lifestyles, health and wellness, meditation, culinary tea with recipes, and terroir. Our business coverage offers insights for commercial producers supported by rich market data and scientifically backed research. Transparency is rooted in authentic storytelling, featuring nuanced articles about the places and people who passionately live a life in tea.As a niche publication, Tea Journey relies on reader contributions for most of its income. Please consider donating to support the writers and staff who bring you our unique tea content from around the globe. We appreciate your support.In 2025, we teamed up with our good friends at OverSubscribe, a platform that lets our fans make real financial investments in our future. By contributing as little as $25 to Tea Journey, you’re not just supporting our publication—you’re joining a lively global community and earning a return on your investment. | https://teajourney.oversub.me/

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Rebuilding Darjeeling Export Value | Rising Costs Squeeze Kenya Tea Bonuses | India Removes Paraquat from Tea Protection Code NEWSMAKER – Vale Farms CEO and Founder Luke LarsonPLUS | American Matcha | Can the Pacific Northwest grow exceptional matcha at commercial scale?Seattle-based Vale is putting that question to the test. Founder and CEO Luke Larson says Vale Farms has planted twelve thousand tea plants on three acres on Whidbey Island, Washington. Plans include a greenhouse and a thirty-thousand-square-foot processing facility in nearby Oak Harbor.The first harvest is still about five years away. In the meantime, Vale will continue sourcing tea from Japan while developing its growing and processing operations.But Larson’s ambition extends beyond one farm. Inspired by Napa Valley and Oregon’s Willamette wine region, he hopes other growers will help build a regional tea industry.Tea Biz correspondent Jessica Natale Woollard explores the plans—and the patience required—in this week’s SPOTLIGHT | Podlink signup: <a href="https://pod.link/1549975153" rel="nofollow">https://pod.link/1549975153</a> Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Ep 247 | Darjeeling Exports | Kenya Tea Bonuses | India Bans Paraquat

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Tea markets closed ISO Week 39 with good demand in Kenya and Sri Lanka, and fair demand in North and South India and Indonesia.Colombo offered about 4.8 million kilograms, its smallest catalog since April 2024. Reduced availability supported competition for better teas. North India’s latest official CTC average was almost unchanged in rupee terms, showing a stable headline market even as buyers remained selective by quality. Mombasa maintained good general demand, while Indonesia remained fair but thinly documented.Here are this week’s price benchmarks.In Colombo, prices averaged approximately $3.80 per kilogram this week, up ↑ $0.04 per kilogram versus the prior indicative benchmark.In North India, prices averaged approximately $2.20 per kilogram, → broadly unchanged. Tea Board India reported ₹203.84/kg for North India CTC for the week ending 19 September versus ₹203.43/kg previously.In Mombasa, prices averaged approximately $2.24 per kilogram, up ↑ $0.05 per kilogram versus Week37.In Indonesia, prices averaged approximately $1.14 per kilogram, up ↑ $0.02 per kilogram versus the Week35 benchmark. The interplay of quality and availability continues. Smaller offerings can strengthen seller resistance, but buyers still won&#39;t lift secondary teas indiscriminately. Costs reinforce that discipline. Freight, energy, packaging, and finance remain embedded in delivered values, especially for inexpensive bulk teas.The Week 39 takeaway is that catalog size, clearance, and quality spreads matter as much as the headline average. Better teas continue to capture competition; secondary descriptions still depend on accurate pricing and buyer need. | Podlink signup: <a href="https://pod.link/1549975153" rel="nofollow">https://pod.link/1549975153</a> Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Tea Price Report | Week 39 | Ending 25 September

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Rebuilding Darjeeling Export Value | Rising Costs Squeeze Kenya Tea Bonuses | India Removes Paraquat from Tea Protection Code | Podlink signup: <a href="https://pod.link/1549975153" rel="nofollow">https://pod.link/1549975153</a> Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Tea News Recap | Rebuilding Darjeeling Exports | Kenya Tea Bonuses Squeezed | India Removes Paraquat

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Can the Pacific Northwest grow exceptional matcha at commercial scale?Seattle-based Vale is putting that question to the test. Founder and CEO Luke Larson says Vale Farms has planted twelve thousand tea plants on what will eventually grow to two hundred acres on Whidbey Island, Washington. Plans include a greenhouse and a thirty-thousand-square-foot processing facility in nearby Oak Harbor.The first harvest is still about five years away. In the meantime, Vale will continue sourcing tea from Japan while developing its growing and processing operations.But Larson’s ambition extends beyond one farm. Inspired by Napa Valley and Oregon’s Willamette wine region, he hopes other growers will help build a regional tea industry.Tea Biz correspondent Jessica Natale Woollard explores the plans—and the patience required—in this week’s SPOTLIGHT. BIO: Our guest is Luke Larson, founder and CEO of Vale, the Seattle-based matcha business developing Vale Farms on Whidbey Island, Washington. Larson grew up on a farm on the Olympic Peninsula. His interest in matcha became a business venture with Chef Jeffrey Hayden, Vale’s head of Craft. Working with agricultural specialists and tea-growing partners, Larson is pursuing commercial tea cultivation, matcha production, and a hospitality experience centered on tea education. | Podlink signup: <a href="https://pod.link/1549975153" rel="nofollow">https://pod.link/1549975153</a> Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Spotlight | American Matcha

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Quality Widens the Price Gap | Tea markets ended ISO Week 37 with prices increasingly determined by quality rather than broad market direction.Across the major auction centers, buyers remained active but selective. Colombo recorded fair general demand, but stronger teas separated from weaker Western and Orthodox descriptions. North India remained under pressure relative to earlier-season highs, even as production constraints provided some underlying support. Mombasa showed one of the clearest quality signals, with better Kenyan manufacture attracting substantially stronger competition. Indonesia remained broadly stable, although limited public weekly data make it the least transparent of the four benchmarks. | Podlink signup: <a href="https://pod.link/1549975153" rel="nofollow">https://pod.link/1549975153</a> Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Tea Price Report | Week 37 | Ending 11 September, 2026

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Tea producers seeking higher returns are often advised to add value through improved processing, certification, packaging, or branding. Independent recognition of the finished tea’s quality is another part of that conversation.AVPA, the Paris-based organization behind the international Teas of the World competition, evaluates entries through blind sensory assessment. For producers moving beyond bulk sales, that recognition can help convey what makes a particular tea distinctive.In this SPOTLIGHT, we explore how producers can connect quality to the market, what French consumers value, and where recognition fits alongside the commercial work of building a brand.Our guest today is Ksenia Hleap, Chief Operating Officer of AVPA — Agence pour la Valorization des Produits Agricoles, the Paris-based organization that conducts international competitions recognizing the gastronomic quality of agricultural products.Ksenia joined AVPA in October 2017 as Director of Communications and Business Development and was named Chief Operating Officer in July 2026. She is closely involved in AVPA’s international Teas of the World competition, which welcomes producers from established and emerging tea origins and evaluates entries through blind sensory assessment. She earned a master&#39;s degree in business development from UPEC Université Paris.Her work at AVPA focuses on producer recognition, product quality, and market development—particularly helping agricultural producers communicate their products&#39; identity, quality, and added value. | Podlink sign-up: <a href="https://pod.link/1549975153" rel="nofollow">https://pod.link/1549975153</a> Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Spotlight | How Recognition Adds Value to Tea

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Africa Pushes Value Over Volume | Europe Pays More for Better Tea | ISO Advances Tea Standards | Podlink signup: <a href="https://pod.link/1549975153" rel="nofollow">https://pod.link/1549975153</a> Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Tea News Recap | Africa Pushes Value Over Volume | Europe Pays More for Better Tea | ISO Advances Tea Standards

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Africa Pushes Value Over Volume | Europe Pays More for Better Tea | ISO Advances Tea Standards NEWSMAKER – Ksenia Hleap, Chief Operating Officer of AVPA in ParisPLUS | Certification can tell a buyer how a tea was produced. But does it taste good?Ksenia Hleap explains how independent sensory recognition can help producers distinguish their teas in the market. Later in the program, we discuss what the French palate rewards, why recognition matters for emerging origins, and how a tea can move from an anonymous commodity to a product with an identity. | Podlink signup: <a href="https://pod.link/1549975153" rel="nofollow">https://pod.link/1549975153</a> Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Ep 246 | Africa Adds Value | Europe Buys Better Tea | ISO Sets Standards

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Quality-Led Firmness Masks Uneven Auction Liquidity | Tea markets closed ISO Week 35 with headline support intact, but quality mattered more than volume. Buyers remained disciplined, closely tying bids to immediate blending needs.Colombo was buoyant overall, led by low-grown leafy teas and selected better high- and mid-grown descriptions. Mombasa improved at the headline level, though incomplete clearance revealed uneven demand. North India drew good participation, but plainer Assam teas, orthodox descriptions, and dusts met resistance; South India was fair during a holiday-affected week. Indonesia saw slow demand, with selective firmness for scarce West Java lines.In Colombo, prices averaged $3.70/kg this week, up $0.07/kg vs the previous sale’s reconstructed $3.63/kg benchmark.In North India, prices averaged $2.33/kg this week, down $0.06/kg vs the last available official benchmark of $2.39/kg for the week ending 15 August.In Mombasa, prices averaged $2.21/kg this week, up $0.03/kg vs Sale 33’s $2.18/kg benchmark.In Indonesia, prices averaged $1.12/kg this week, up $0.01/kg vs the prior indicative Week 34 benchmark of $1.11/kg. | Podlink sign-up: <a href="https://pod.link/1549975153" rel="nofollow">https://pod.link/1549975153</a> Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Tea Price Report | Week 35 | Ending 28 August 2026

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Behind the Cup: Why Quality Tea Needs a Better Business Model | Social and environmental conditions behind tea production remain far less scrutinized than those of coffee or cocoa.In this Tea Biz Spotlight, I speak with Ecological Economist Pierre William Johnson, author of the French-language Thé: l’envers de la tasse — Tea: Behind the Cup. Pierre’s central argument is not that the tea trade should be made to feel guilty. Rather, it is that quality, economic viability, social justice, and environmental resilience are interconnected — and that a higher-priced tea is not necessarily more equitable.His research examines the structures that determine how tea is grown, processed, traded, and valued.We discuss why quality premiums do not necessarily reach workers or smallholders; what happens inside the processing “black box” between green leaf and finished tea; how plantation systems might evolve without abandoning workers; why monoculture creates both business and environmental risks; and what tea companies should change first to build stronger relationships with producers.BIO: Pierre William Johnson specializes in ecological economics and the sustainable development of agricultural and artisanal value chains. His research focuses on tea-producing regions in Asia and East Africa. His latest book examines labor relations, trade structures, producer organization, environmental pressures, and value distribution across the tea sector. | Podlink sign-up: <a href="https://pod.link/1549975153" rel="nofollow">https://pod.link/1549975153</a> Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Spotlight | Behind the Cup

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Nepal Tea Enters Recovery Mode | India Puts Tea Under Satellite Surveillance | Vale Bets on US-Grown Matcha | Podlink signup: <a href="https://pod.link/1549975153" rel="nofollow">https://pod.link/1549975153</a> Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Tea News Recap | Nepal Recovers | India Maps Tea | US Grown Matcha

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Nepal Tea Enters Recovery Mode | India Puts Tea Under Satellite Surveillance | Vale Bets on US-Grown MatchaNEWSMAKER – Author and Ecological Economist Pierre William JohnsonPLUS |Behind the Cup: Why Quality Tea Needs a Better Business ModelSocial and environmental conditions behind tea production remain far less scrutinized than those for coffee or cocoa.In this Tea Biz Spotlight, Ecological Economist Pierre William Johnson, author of the French-language Thé: l’envers de la tasse — Tea: Behind the Cup — examines the structures that shape how tea is grown, processed, traded, and valued. We discuss why paying more for quality does not necessarily translate into higher income for workers or smallholders; how colonial-era plantation systems continue to shape wages and working conditions; why monoculture poses both economic and environmental risks; and whether producer organization, agroforestry, stronger quality incentives, and shorter value chains can lead to a fairer distribution of value. | Podlink signup: <a href="https://pod.link/1549975153" rel="nofollow">https://pod.link/1549975153</a> Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Ep 245 | Nepal Tea Recovers | India Maps Tea by Satellite | US-Grown Matcha

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Quality Holds as Regional Tea Prices Diverge | Tea markets closed ISO Week 32 with mixed headline prices but a consistent trading pattern: buyers remained active for immediate coverage and continued to reserve their strongest bids for clean, well-made teas.| In Colombo, prices averaged $3.58 per kilo, up 3 cents versus the reconstructed Week 31 benchmark. | In North India, prices averaged $2.37 per kilo, down 4 cents versus the last available official average for Week 31. In Mombasa, prices averaged $2.14 per kilo, up 2 cents versus Sale 29. In Indonesia, prices averaged $2.39 per kilo, down 2 cents versus the prior indicative Week 31 benchmark. | Podlink signup: <a href="https://pod.link/1549975153" rel="nofollow">https://pod.link/1549975153</a> Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Tea Price Report | Week 32 | Ending 7 August 2026

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Taste the World of Tea in Seattle | The 16th edition of the Northwest Tea Fest returns to Seattle Center September 26–27 with a sold-out exhibitor hall and a deliberately broad view of the tea world. Visitors can taste teas from major origins, speak directly with the people who source and sell them, attend presentations and workshops, and explore teaware and tea culture under one roof.Virginia Wright, Executive Director of the Northwest Tea Festival, and Festival Coordinator and Puget Sound Tea Education Association Board President Andrew Goodman are in the SPOTLIGHT to explain what makes this year’s gathering distinctive, how first-time visitors can approach dozens of choices without feeling overwhelmed, and why longtime attendees treat the festival as both an educational experience and an annual reunion.The Northwest Tea Festival is presented by the nonprofit Puget Sound Tea Education Association. The association’s mission focuses on tea education, community, and broader public engagement with tea culture. Last year’s festival attracted approximately 4,000 tea enthusiasts to the Seattle Center.| Podlink signup: <a href="https://pod.link/1549975153" rel="nofollow">https://pod.link/1549975153</a> Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Spotlight | A World of Tea Comes to Seattle

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Typhoon Deluges South China’s Tea Lands | Floods Halt Production at 30 Assam Tea Gardens | Argentina Moves Its GI-Protected Tea Origin to Market| Podlink signup: <a href="https://pod.link/1549975153" rel="nofollow">https://pod.link/1549975153</a> Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Tea News Recap | Floods Hit China and Assam | Argentina Tea Moves to Market

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Typhoon Deluges South China’s Tea Lands | Floods Halt Production at 30 Assam Tea Gardens | Argentina Moves Its GI-Protected Tea Origin to Market NEWSMAKERS | Festival Coordinator Andrew Goodman and Puget Sound Tea Education Association President Virginia WrightPLUS | A World of Tea Comes to Seattle | Festival organizers Andrew Goodman and Virginia Wright preview the 2026 Northwest Tea Festival, September 26–27 at Seattle Center, in Seattle, Wash. They explain how a sold-out exhibitor hall brings together teas from China, Taiwan, Japan, India, Africa, Korea and Vietnam; how curious newcomers can sample without feeling overwhelmed; and how presentations, workshops and Tea Bar sessions turn tasting into learning. Andrew also describes what admission includes and why the festival has become an annual reunion supported by a dedicated volunteer community. Buy tickets and explore the program at <a href="https://nwteafestival.org/" rel="nofollow">https://nwteafestival.org/</a> | Podlink signup: <a href="https://pod.link/1549975153" rel="nofollow">https://pod.link/1549975153</a> Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Ep 244 | Typhoon Deluges China’s Tea Lands | Assam Floods Halt 30 Gardens | Argentina Takes GI to Market

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In Colombo, prices averaged $3.55 per kilogram this week, up 10 cents versus the previous week, Sale 24. In North India, prices averaged $2.62 per kilogram, up 8 cents from the last available official average (Week 25). In Mombasa, prices averaged $2.33 per kilogram, up 1 cent versus the prior indicative benchmark, Sale 25. | In Indonesia, prices averaged $2.41 per kilogram, flat versus the prior indicative benchmark, Week 26. |Across the four markets, quality segmentation remains the dominant pricing mechanism. Exporters are resisting lower bids where currency stability and embedded costs support price floors, but buyers are not building speculative positions. Freight, insurance, packaging, and finance remain important, particularly for lower-value teas where logistics consume a larger share of the delivered price.The takeaway is that headline averages are firming without a broad demand breakout. Traders should watch quality, clearance, and export execution separately: the best teas are moving with competition, while weaker descriptions still need accurate pricing to clear. | Podlink signup: <a href="https://pod.link/1549975153" rel="nofollow">https://pod.link/1549975153</a> Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Tea Price Report | Week 27 | Ending 3 July 2026

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When Tea Becomes More Than a Product: Building Ritual, Community, and Trust Without Losing AuthenticityTea is often described in terms of origin, cultivar, elevation, and craft—but another dimension is harder to quantify and increasingly central to how people engage with tea today: presence.Across the specialty market, we are seeing a shift. Not just toward better tea, but toward more intentional ways of experiencing it - spaces designed for slowing down, for attention, for connection. The language of ritual and mindfulness is everywhere. But that raises a critical question for the industry: what is real, and what is simply being repackaged?Today&#39;s guest operates directly inside that tension. | Bio: Flowing River is a poet, ceremonialist, and co-founder of Drishti House in Santa Barbara, Calif. It is a space built not around consumption, but around shared presence, where tea becomes a medium for conversation, reflection, and community.He is also the author of The Flowing River, a collection of 221 poems written over a decade-long personal journey that traces spiritual awakening, grief, love, service, identity, and ultimately, surrender. He has led more than 1,000 gatherings, from silent tea ceremonies to immersive retreats.In this conversation, we explore what it means to build a tea practice - not just a tea brand. Where the line between authenticity and performance sits. And what, if anything, from ceremonial tea culture can translate into a viable, modern business model? | Podlink signup: <a href="https://pod.link/1549975153" rel="nofollow">https://pod.link/1549975153</a> Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Spotlight | Authentic Presence

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Assam Enters Commercial Matcha Production | Caffeine Labels Could Work in Tea’s Favor | Floods Threaten the World’s Largest Jasmine Harvest | Podlink signup: <a href="https://pod.link/1549975153" rel="nofollow">https://pod.link/1549975153</a> Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Tea News Recap | Assam Matcha | Caffeine Labels | Jasmine Harvest at Risk

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Assam Enters Commercial Matcha Production | Caffeine Labels Could Work in Tea’s Favor | Floods Threaten the World’s Largest Jasmine Harvest | Newsmaker - Luong “Flowing River” Shen, Co-founder of Drishti HousePLUS | When Tea Becomes More Than a Product: Building Ritual, Community, and Trust Without Losing AuthenticityTea is often described in terms of origin, cultivar, elevation, and craft—but another dimension is harder to quantify and increasingly central to how people engage with tea today: presence.Across the specialty market, we are seeing a shift. Not just toward better tea, but toward more intentional ways of experiencing it - spaces designed for slowing down, for attention, for connection. The language of ritual and mindfulness is everywhere. But that raises a critical question for the industry: what is real, and what is simply being repackaged?Today&#39;s guest operates directly inside that tension.Flowing River - also known as Luong Shen - is a poet, ceremonialist, and co-founder of Drishti House in Santa Barbara, Calif. It is a space built not around consumption, but around shared presence, where tea becomes a medium for conversation, reflection, and community.He is also the author of The Flowing River, a collection written over a decade-long personal journey that traces grief, identity, and ultimately, surrender.In this conversation, we explore what it means to build a tea practice - not just a tea brand. Where the line between authenticity and performance sits. And what, if anything, from ceremonial tea culture can translate into a viable, modern business model?| Podlink signup: <a href="https://pod.link/1549975153" rel="nofollow">https://pod.link/1549975153</a> Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Ep 243 | Assam Matcha Debuts | Caffeine Labels Favor Tea | Jasmine Harvest at Risk

The Voice of Origin 

The Tea Biz Portal is a global resource for sharing commercial data and science-based insights. The portal combines weekly news that most impacts the tea industry from the Tea Biz Podcast and  Blog with Tea Journey, a magazine for tea enthusiasts filled with nuanced articles about the places and people who passionately live a life of tea.  

Tea is a fascinating and intricate topic… far more complex than one person can master. Our expertise resides in professionals who know the tea lands from birth and speak the native tongue. We believe that transparency is grounded in authentic storytelling, which is why the Tea Biz Portal enlists 40 voices skilled in 12 languages to tell the story of tea.

www.tea-biz.com