Editorials

Insights, commentary, and conversations on tea culture, café trends, and the evolving world of tea in Singapore and beyond.

A delicate porcelain teacup filled with dark tea sits centered on a matching floral saucer. The set is nestled within the soft, rippling folds of a crisp white fabric, creating a clean and serene aesthetic.

We Are Drinking Tea Too Quickly

By Maria Tan | March 11, 2026

There is something ironic about rushing tea. We order it to relax. We call it calming. We describe it as grounding. And yet, more often than not, we drink it the same way we drink everything else — between emails, between meetings, between scrolling. Tea has become background noise. A mug beside the laptop. A…

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A person wearing blue gloves prepares a large order of iced drinks, including matcha and milk tea, on a paper-covered table. Several clear plastic cups are already filled with ice and colorful beverages, while metal pitchers sit ready for use on the side.

Milk Tea Is Not Tea

By N.P. Lim | March 7, 2026

This is not an argument about preference. It is a question about naming. Milk tea is everywhere now. It travels in oversized cups, sealed with plastic film. It arrives layered with foam, syrup, pearls, jelly, whipped cream. It is photographed before it is tasted. It is queued for. It is branded. It is loved. But…

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A person in a red robe is carefully pouring tea from a black pitcher into one of five small ceramic cups arranged on a wooden table. The scene features traditional tea-making equipment, including a cast-iron kettle and a side-handle teapot, set in a serene and intentional atmosphere.

Tea Is Losing Its Ceremony — And We Let It Happen

By N.P. Lim | February 25, 2026

No one announced it. There was no collective decision, no moment of cultural shift. And yet, the ceremony has quietly receded from everyday tea. What was once deliberate has become automatic. Tea used to require attention. Water temperature mattered. Leaves were measured with care. The cup was chosen, not grabbed. Even in the absence of…

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Cafe Singapore Says It Values Craft. So Why Is Tea an Afterthought?

By Maria Tan | February 20, 2026

Singapore loves its café culture. We celebrate espresso machines. We admire single-origin beans. We debate tasting notes and extraction times like it is a sport. When someone says “Cafe Singapore,” most of us immediately picture coffee. But look at the tea menu. In many cafés, tea is reduced to a small corner of the page.…

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