I have a tea sitting in my cupboard that I would never call my “best” tea.
It is not the rarest. It is not the most expensive. It does not come with an impressive story about ancient tea trees, remote mountains, or a limited harvest.
And yet, I drink it more often than almost anything else.
This has always fascinated me.
We spend a lot of time talking about the best teas. The finest oolong. The most delicate white tea. The matcha with the brightest colour and smoothest texture.
There is nothing wrong with appreciating quality. Tea deserves the attention it receives. Understanding where a tea comes from, how it is made, and why it tastes the way it does can make the experience much richer.
But I sometimes wonder if we confuse “best” with “most impressive.”
Because those are not always the same thing.
A tea can be extraordinary and still not become part of your daily life.
I remember trying a tea that many people considered exceptional. The aroma was beautiful. The flavours were complex. Every sip seemed to reveal something new. I understood why people loved it.
But when I finished the cup, I did not feel the urge to make another.
Meanwhile, there were simpler teas I kept returning to without thinking. The tea I reached for on busy mornings. The tea I brewed when I wanted comfort. The tea that somehow became familiar before I even realised it.
Perhaps that is the difference between a tea we admire and a tea we love.
Admiration comes from recognising something special.
Love comes from returning to it.
I think many tea lovers experience this quietly. We collect interesting teas. We search for discoveries. We get excited about recommendations from others.
But eventually, there are only a few teas that become part of our rhythm.
They become the teas we trust.
The ones we do not need to think about.
The ones that are waiting when the day feels too long.
Maybe this is why I have become less interested in finding the “best” tea and more interested in finding the tea that fits a moment.
The best tea for a quiet morning may not be the best tea for a conversation with friends. The best tea for celebration may not be the tea you want after a difficult day.
Tea is personal in that way. A tea does not have to impress everyone to matter to someone. And perhaps that is the beauty of tea appreciation.
The goal was never to find the one perfect cup.
It was to find the cups that become meaningful along the way.
So I wonder, what is the tea you keep returning to, even if it is not the one you call your best?
— Maria Tan
On tea, culture, and everyday rituals.
Pryce Tea: A Modern Pour with Old Tea-Room Ambitions
I visited on a weekday afternoon, around three, when the city had quieted into that particular lull between lunch and the evening rush. I’d been curious about Pryce Tea for a while, mostly because the brand keeps surfacing among people who talk about teas the way some people talk about wine. With a reputation built…
-
The Seasons in a Tin: How Weather Shapes What I Reach For
I have a small habit that I never really noticed until recently. The weather changes, and somehow, so does the tea I want. On a hot afternoon, I find myself reaching for something light and floral. When rain settles over the windows, I want something darker, warmer, perhaps a little more comforting. On those rare…
-
Ginger Lily Afternoon Tea on Orchard Road: A Floral Chapter in Singapore’s Culinary Story
I noticed the ginger lily flowers before I noticed anything else. Not real ones, exactly. A wall of them, suspended in resin, catching the light as I stepped off the lift on Level 5 at Hilton Singapore Orchard, home to Ginger Lily, a floral-themed afternoon tea lounge on Orchard Road. I stood there a second…
-
Minimalism, But Make It Warm: A Simpler Way to Drink Better Tea
There is a certain irony about tea. The more we learn about it, the easier it becomes to complicate it. A simple cup of leaves and water slowly becomes surrounded by equipment, measurements, techniques, and expectations. We begin collecting teapots, comparing brewing methods, and searching for the perfect setup. None of these things are wrong….
-
A Humble Cup in an Age of Overdesigned Drinks: iTea Review
The bubble tea I queued for last month came with a caramelized brûlée top I had to crack with the back of my spoon. It was fine. Pretty, even. But somewhere between the torched sugar and the cheese foam and the third topping I didn’t ask for, I lost the drink itself. So I went…
-
Matcha Hype Has Gone Too Far (But I Still Drink It)
I have a confession. I am slightly tired of seeing matcha everywhere. Not because I dislike matcha. In fact, I drink it quite often. But there is something amusing about watching a humble tea become the centre of every café menu, wellness conversation, and social media trend. Matcha has gone from a traditional Japanese tea…
-
Hortus Afternoon Tea Review: When the Garden Becomes the Occasion in the Flower Dome
I forgot, for a moment, that I was indoors at Hortus, the Mediterranean restaurant nestled within the Flower Dome at Gardens by the Bay. There were trees above me, real ones, and the air held that cool, green stillness you usually find early in the morning somewhere far from the city. A leaf drifted down…
-
The Real Reason Your Tea at Cafés Tastes Flat
There is a particular disappointment that comes with ordering tea at a café. You see the menu. You notice the carefully written descriptions. Perhaps there is a mention of fragrant jasmine, roasted oolong, or a carefully selected blend. The presentation arrives beautifully arranged, and for a moment, there is anticipation. Then you take the first…
-
Herbal Tea in Chinese: A Cup Shaped by Heat, Balance, and Belief
The first sip was bitter. I was maybe seven, and my grandmother had pressed a small ceramic cup into my hands, dark liquid inside, steam curling up between us. She didn’t explain. She just said, “Drink. You’ve been too heaty.“ I made a face. She didn’t smile. She just waited until I finished. Years later,…
-
Maybe Your Favourite Tea Is Not Your Best Tea
I have a tea sitting in my cupboard that I would never call my “best” tea. It is not the rarest. It is not the most expensive. It does not come with an impressive story about ancient tea trees, remote mountains, or a limited harvest. And yet, I drink it more often than almost anything…
