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Learn About Tea
Samovar offers so many kinds of tea in our lounges, and on our online tea shop. Learn about here, now for tea lovers and tea neophytes both. This is the place to begin to bring the tea ritual into daily practice. Learn how to brew tea, how to pair tea with food, about tea culture, how tea is processed, and a view of life inside our tea lounge.
The best tasting water comes directly from a remote hole in the ground. Fresh from the earth.
The Soy Matcha Shake has been a longtime favorite at the Lounges. Now we’re excited to make the Samovar Sweet Matcha Shake Mix available through our online store.
To make a matcha shake:
Combine five ice cubes, one heaping tablespoon of Samovar Sweet Matcha Shake Mix, and eight ounces whole milk, soy milk, or almond milk. Blend or shake in a cocktail shaker. Pour into a chilled glass, straining out ice cubes. For a hot drink, steam or heat milk on stovetop, and stir in matcha mix.
Tea is just like life. A rich full life is sensory-infused, one complete with a rich blend of experiences. It is a journey that transports you through things, places, people and feelings and that leaves you with memories and the knowledge that you’ve grown and touched others.
Good tea will take you on a sensual journey.Read more »
One of the great things about tea is that it taps into something very basic, human, and elemental. Good tea stimulates all of the senses. All of them.
Perhaps tea is so profound because, let’s face it, everything boils down to sex.Read more »
It seems that as life has gotten faster and faster, we humans have managed pretty well to keep up with the speed. But I I believe Gandhi: “That there is more to life than increasing its speed.” In fact, I’d suffice to say that things get better by decreasing their speed. Slow is good.
Rituals slow us down and connect us to this moment here and now.Enter rituals. Rituals slow us down and connect us to this moment here and now. I’m not talking about big, ornate cultural or religious rituals. Instead I’m referring to simple actions that connect us to ourselves, our place, and the present moment.
These kind of rituals allow us to both forget ourselves and our worries, and to escape into the present moment. They allow us to enter flow – the state of being where we’re actually not thinking, not aware of any single thing other than the act of what we are doing.
Rituals slow us down, and get us present, both of which make life better. Why? For one life is about enjoying the experiences it offers us, right? So why rush through it all? Why blow right through the transitory experiences we’ve got?! Savor, inhale, embrace the smallest nuance that we have, because we really don’t have much else! Things happen. There are no guarantees we’ll even have the next moment. So why not make the most of the one we’ve got?
Being present is good stuff. Because if we’re present we can do more of the experiencing I mentioned above, and, also we can be more effective. If we know what we are doing, then we can choose to do what we want. If we don’t know, then we can’t choose! When we’re not present-minded (which is most of the time!) then we’re autopilot, just going with impulses in our usual, habitual, and often uproductive ways. Unconsciously. Going through life unconsciously means we’re not making choices. Compulsions toss us around like the wind. If get present just a smidgeon – then suddenly choices blossom and we have options. Options are like freedom. No options is like no freedom. Who wants no freedom?
Rituals are great training grounds for achieving presence.Green Ecstasy green tea is a new Samovar classic. A creamy, brothy, caffeinated-chlorophyll hit of deliciousness. Matcha-infused first flush Asamushi sencha to impart joy in every sip.
To Brew this tea:
1) Use delicious (filtered or spring) water, a “side-handled” Japanese kyusu teapot, and a decanting pitcher.
2) Add 1– 2 tablespoons of tea leaves to your teapot and barely cover them with room temperature water. Steep
for 2 minutes and decant to the empty pitcher.
3) Add water to fill the kyusu teapot. The temperature should be 170 –175° or “very warm but not hot” to the touch.
4) Steep for only 10 seconds. Empty this infusion to the decanting pot, mixing it with the first infusion.
5) Re-steep the leaves 1–3 more times (depending on desired strength) for 10 seconds each time, adding the infusions to the decanting pot.
Sip from pre-warmed teacups and enjoy! Experiment brewing with different amounts of tea, water temperature, and brew time. For more brewing tips, check out the How To section of our blog.
 1) Start with a Wabi Sabi |
 2) Add 1-2 tbs of Sencha |
 3) Add 2 oz. of cold water |
 4) Steep for 2 minutes |
 5) Decant |
 6) Fill the Wabi Sabi with 170F water |
 7) Steep for ~10 sec. then pour |
 8) Enjoy! |
All the tea and teaware shown here is available in our online shop
 1) Start with fresh, hot water |
 2) Add 1-2 tbs of tea per 8oz. |
 3) Pour the hot water |
 4) Steep 1st infusion 15-30 seconds |
 5) Remove the basket |
 6) Enjoy and repeat. |
All the teaware shown here is available in our online shop
 1) Hot water, gaiwan, & cup |
 2) Add 1-2 tablespoons of tea |
 3) Add hot water |
 4) Cover and steep for 15-30 sec. |
 5) Pour with index finger on top |
 6) Enjoy. Then repeat. |
All the teaware shown here is available in our online shop
Brewing Tea Is Personal.
This art involves the balancing of three variables: amount of tea, water temperature, and steeping time. Since flavor is subjective, only you can determine what the right recipe is for your palate.
To begin your experimentation, start with the following guidelines:
- Always start with the best tasting water you can find: filtered, spring, or even “mountain stream fresh.”
- Use 1-2 tablespoons of tea per 8oz cup.
- Steep the first infusion for 15-30 seconds.
- Resteep for 5-20 additional infusions, increasing the brew time to taste.
Expert Notes
- For Pu-erh & Oolong teas: Awaken the leaves. Rinse leaves with boiling water prior to first infusion.
- Experiment with water temperature. Start with a rolling boiling and then try different temperatures to get the flavor you like best.
- Brew with a gaiwan for maximum effect.