Tea Hong
This Hong Kong shop has won all of my tea business lately. In writing and in curation, the Tea Master's Choices are as sophisticated and inspired as it gets. Leo's Taiwanese winter oolongs are sublime and patently superior in leaf appearance and perfume. His Phoenix Dancong oolongs are equally impressive and exceptional in quality and price. Judging by the many enthusiastic reviews left by other buyers on his site, Leo's shop has quite a following. Inexpensive prompt delivery and careful, eco-friendly packaging. Don't miss the annual Lunar New Year sale when the already kind prices become festively generous.
Red Blossom Tea
A wonderful, thoughtfully curated selection of Taiwanese and Chinese teas with samples available. Beautiful snow-white gaiwans from the thinnest translucent porcelain custom-crafted for the shop in Jingdezhen. Well-designed modern website with excellent photography, great instructional videos, and lots of helpful info about tea. Active Instagram feed. Women-owned business in San Francisco. Not to be missed!
Upton Tea
Wide selection of quality loose-leaf teas. Affordable samples of most offerings. Excellent for exploring. Half of the teas featured on this site are from Upton, although due to limited seasonal supply, many are no longer available.
Yunomi
Farm-direct teas from Japan. Informative website warmly introduces each artisanal grower. Teas from boutique Japanese brands are also on offer. Terrific selection of high-quality teas in tea bags and, of course, fresh Shincha in the spring.
Ebisuya Market
Neighborhood Japanese grocery in Medford, Massachusetts. Good variety of teas from Japan in tea bags. Great for an easy cup at work.
Yumiko Kuga
New York-based ceramist producing exceptional functional art, including tea wares. Unique shapes and elaborate organic glazes. Lyrical stuff!
Lacoste Gallery
Art gallery in Concord, Massachusetts, that showcases work of outstanding contemporary ceramic artists from around the globe. Pulse-quickening selection of the famous Warren MacKenzie teapots.
Curation and writing by @gaiwanstyle.