Editorials

There are days when tea feels unnecessary. Not because I stop liking it, but because I don’t feel like the version of myself who usually drinks it slowly, thoughtfully, and with attention. On those days, I still make tea anyway. Not out of ritual, but out of habit. It is never the elaborate kind of…

I sometimes wonder if we are drinking tea or remembering something that never really happened. A quiet morning that feels softer in memory than it ever was in real life. A perfect cup by the window that somehow always looks better in hindsight. A tea moment that feels cinematic, even though it probably lasted only…

There is something quietly strange happening in tea culture. The more popular the tea becomes, the more it starts to resemble everything it once stood apart from. Speed. Branding. Productivity. Performance. Tea, which once belonged to unhurried moments, is increasingly being asked to do more. To energize. To optimize focus. To replace coffee. To support…

I recently tried the Earl Grey from Gryphon Tea Company Singapore, and I have to admit, it surprised me. Not because it was flawless-it wasn’t, but because it felt like a tea that knew exactly what it wanted to be. The aroma is the first thing that hits you. Bergamot is present but subtle, not…

I recently spent a quiet afternoon at Yixing Xuan Teahouse, a place that feels like a pause in the city. The moment you step inside, the world seems slower. The air carries the gentle aroma of steeped leaves, and the staff move with quiet precision. I chose an oolong, simple yet familiar. Watching the leaves…

I have a tea I return to more than any other. It is not rare. It is not expensive. In fact, most people would probably pass it by without a second thought. And yet, somehow, it has become a quiet companion over the years. I first drank it on a rainy afternoon. I had been…

There is a growing habit in Singapore that I find both comforting and slightly unsettling. People are working everywhere now. Cafés, co-working spaces, neighborhood bakeries, even small corner shops. A laptop seems to turn any table into an office. And in many ways, this flexibility is impressive. It reflects how life has adapted to work,…

Tea culture encourages curiosity. There are endless varieties, origins, and rituals to explore. Some teas are rare, some are aged, some are celebrated in distant mountains. The temptation is to try them all, to chase novelty in the hope that every cup will surprise you. But not every tea deserves your attention. I have learned…

I’ve always found that tea, more than most drinks, seems to gain something when shared. A cup alone can be comforting, quiet, even meditative. But a cup shared with someone else, whether a friend, a family member, or a stranger in a small tea house, somehow becomes richer, fuller, more alive. It’s not just the…

I still remember the first cup of tea I drank after returning from a long trip. It was nothing remarkable, a simple black tea brewed in my kitchen but it tasted different from any cup I had drunk abroad. It wasn’t the leaves themselves. It wasn’t the water or the pot. It was the familiarity…