The Exotic Teapot Blog

Turmeric is part of the ginger family, and is widely used in south Asian cuisine for its earthy flavour and 24 carat colour: it’s been nicknamed the Golden Spice and the Golden Wonder. There are also some promising signs of medicinal properties. Turmeric contains a compound called curcumin which in vitro studies show to be both anti-inflammatory, a

I like saying this word, but what actually is it? If you haven’t discovered oolong teas before I’m convinced they will make you step more fully into the world of loose leaf tea: they have big personalities, and like any family get-together, the more time you spend in their company the more differences appear. Oolong (also called wulong) are somewha

I’m going to try and make a case for replacing your morning coffee with tea, but this is aimed squarely at myself (I’m not here to preach). Like many I’m probably more than a little addicted to a ritualised morning cup of joe; in my case an espresso with a dash of milk. But truth be told, it leaves me jittery unless I have it after a solid breakfas

Jasmine pearls are like no other tea. Hand-rolled, they are magnificent gifts that wait patiently in their tin until you steep them, then release the heady, late-summer night perfume of sweet jasmine, hitting your nose first and then dancing off your tongue. This sweetness rises through the slightly astringent and grassy smack of green tea. A tea f

Both matcha and sencha are green teas, but with a sibling rivalry. Matcha is grown in the shade then ground into a bright green powder you whisk into hot water. Sencha is grown in the sun, and it’s a loose leaf tea that you brew. Matcha is a bit of a celebrity at the moment and it’s tempting to bill the relationship as a heavyweight title for best

The Gong Fu Cha method is the perfect method for brewing oolong teas, but it can be used for great results with any type of tea. It translates to ‘making tea with effort’ and it’s designed to control all the variables that affect the chemical nature of your brew. You might ask why make such a effort! Well here at the Exotic Teapot our reply, in cho

Flowering teas are a little mysterious, a little magical, a little vaudeville. The gentle windmill unfurling of the leaves leading up to the crescendo: colour spills into the water as your bloom ‘wakes up’ in a fast-forward recreation of a flower opening. You watch, and then you sip: it’s a complete sensory experience. We will cover everything

 Glass has that ultra-minimalism aesthetic which allows the concave chamber to become a crystal ball of dancing tea leaves, or the stage for a flowering tea to gently unfurl its leaves in animated splendour. A glass tea set is a glorious set-piece, a modern expression of functionality: let the tea speak for itself; a tea ceremony to end a meal

  So what’s Ayurveda all about? Ayurveda is an ancient philosophy of body & mind developed in the Indian subcontinent more than 5000 years ago. It gave rise to many other early forms of medicine & healing, and is a tap root of what we now call complementary or alternative medicine. Considered by its adherents to be a science for life,

I love introductory sets. Everything is there for you. It’s a gift in the truest sense because the essential ingredients for an experience have been assembled with care and knowledge for you to receive or give. With this in mind, we’ve put together a range of Discovery Tea Sets, pitch-perfect introductions to loose-leaf tea combining an artisa