For a long time, I thought I was looking for the perfect tea.
I imagined there would be a moment when I found the one. The tea that made every other tea feel unnecessary. The tea I would recommend to everyone. The tea that would finally make me understand what true appreciation was supposed to feel like.
So I kept searching.
I tried different origins. Different varieties. Different brewing methods. I read descriptions, listened to recommendations, and followed the advice of people who seemed to know far more about tea than I did.
And yet, something strange happened.
The closer I got to finding the “perfect” tea, the more I realised I was enjoying the search less.
Because perfection creates pressure.
A tea arrives with a beautiful story, a rare origin, and a reputation for being exceptional. Suddenly, you feel like you should love it. You look for the reasons it is special. You try to understand what everyone else seems to notice.
Sometimes, you forget to simply ask yourself a simpler question.
Do I actually enjoy this?
I think many tea lovers experience this at some point.
We become so interested in learning that we forget to listen to our own preferences.
There is nothing wrong with exploring tea. In fact, that is one of the most exciting parts of it. Every tea has a story, and every cup offers something new to discover.
But over time, I have started to appreciate something different.
The teas I return to are not always the most impressive ones.
They are the ones that fit into my life.
The tea I make when I wake up early.
The tea I drink while thinking through a difficult day.
The tea I share when someone comes over and we end up talking longer than expected.
These teas may not be perfect.
But they are familiar.
And perhaps familiarity is something we underestimate.
A perfect tea sounds like a destination. Something we find once and never need to search again.
But tea has never really worked that way.
Our tastes change. Our routines change. The moments we need tea for change.
The tea that feels perfect today may not be the tea we reach for next year.
And maybe that is not a problem.
Maybe the beauty of tea is that it grows with us.
So I no longer search for the perfect tea.
I look for the tea that feels right in that particular moment.
And honestly, that has been a much more enjoyable journey.
— Maria Tan
On tea, culture, and everyday rituals.
We Talk Too Much About Tea and Not Enough About Drinking It
Tea culture has become remarkably good at talking about tea. We discuss origins. Elevation. Harvest seasons. Processing methods. Water temperatures. Brewing vessels. There are endless conversations about tea. And yet I sometimes wonder whether we spend enough time simply drinking it. This may sound like an odd criticism coming from someone who enjoys learning about…
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High Tea St Regis: A Grand Afternoon Ritual at Regis Singapore
The light in the late afternoon does something quiet to a room. It softens. It lingers on the rim of a porcelain cup in the elegant Tea Room, slides along the curve of a silver pot, and settles into the folds of a linen napkin without asking for attention. There is a stillness here, the…
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Why We Keep Looking for the Perfect Tea
I used to think there would be a moment when my tea journey felt complete. A tea so good that I would stop searching. A tea that would make every other tea feel unnecessary. Years later, I can confidently say that moment has never arrived. And I’m starting to think that’s the point. Tea drinkers…
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Darjeeling First Flush: Capturing the Himalayan Spring in a Teacup
I still remember the first time someone handed me a cup of Darjeeling First Flush, a prized form of black tea, and asked me, quite seriously, not to add milk. I almost laughed. Tea without milk felt like toast without butter. But I humored my friend, took a sip, and paused. The liquid was pale…
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What Kopi and Tea Say About Singapore
One of the things I love most about Singapore is that we never really chose between kopi and tea. We kept both. Walk into almost any hawker centre or coffee shop and you’ll see it immediately. One person orders kopi-o. Another asks for teh-c. Someone else is drinking Chinese tea from a flask they brought…
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The Tea We Keep Saving for Later
Many tea drinkers have a tea they are saving. A special oolong purchased during a memorable trip. A rare tea gifted by a friend. A tea that feels too valuable, too limited, or too meaningful to drink casually. So it waits. Days become weeks. Weeks become months. The tea remains carefully stored while more ordinary…
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Earl Grey Tea Benefits: What Is Earl Grey Tea and Why Has It Endured for Centuries?
Introduction Few teas are as instantly recognisable as Earl Grey tea. Even among people who do not regularly drink tea, the distinctive citrus aroma of Earl Grey often feels familiar. It appears in tea shops, cafés, afternoon tea menus, and kitchen cupboards around the world, yet many people still ask the same question: what is…
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Can You Call Yourself a Tea Lover If You Don’t Like Matcha?
I have a confession. I don’t think every tea lover needs to love every tea. That sounds obvious when written down, but spend enough time around tea enthusiasts and you may start to think otherwise. Someone discovers that you enjoy tea. The questions begin. Do you drink green tea? What about pu-erh? Have you tried…
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Is Tea Acidic? Understanding Tea Acidity and What It Means for Tea Drinkers
One of the most common questions among both new and experienced tea drinkers is surprisingly simple: is tea acidic? The answer is yes, but the reality is far more nuanced than a simple yes or no. Most teas fall on the mildly acidic side of the pH scale, yet they are generally far less acidic…
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The Best Tea Sessions Are Usually Unplanned
Some of the most memorable tea sessions begin without intention. No special occasion. No carefully selected tea ware. No plan to spend an afternoon appreciating tea. Someone simply puts water on to boil. A tea is chosen almost absentmindedly. Cups are found. The tea is poured. And somehow, those sessions often become the ones we…
