Travel Buddy Infuser Tea Mug Review
This year for Sinterklaas (the Dutch, superior version of Santa Clause), the great Sint gifted me with a Travel Buddy Tea Travel Mug. Seems like the Sint must have read my post about travel tea mugs. 
Thanks Sint! Finally I can enjoy a nice cup of tea on the train in the mornings.
This particular Travel Buddy was bought in Malaysia, but since getting it I have noticed it in a shop here in Melbourne, as well as on Pure Puer. For any of you considering buying one, here are my thoughts.
Pictures of My Yixing Tea Set
How photogenic is yixing teaware?
Formosa Oolong from Serenity Teahouse
Serenity Teahouse is a small tea shop in Box Hill, a suburb of Melbourne. A tiny sign dangles above the sidewalk. Downstairs, there’s an Asian bakery that sells the tea; but the real fun begins upstairs, where Candy, the owner, will treat you to free tea tastings. Her family runs a tea farm (or several?) in Taiwan, so her specialty is in Taiwanese teas.
Among those is this formosa oolong, which I liked so much I decided to dedicate my first yixing tea set to it.
Hanger Tea: The Wonderful World of Novelty Tea Ware
So we’ve had teabags with cardboard cutouts of politicians; we’ve seen a tea strainer made to look like a dainty lady; and recently we marveled at the teapot made with Steampunk style.
Now there’s this: Hanger Tea.
Ceylon OP1 from Teas Etc
What does it take to be a championship-winning tea?
That was the main question I had in mind this morning as I enjoyed Teas Etc’s Ceylon OP1, which took first prize in the Ceylon category in last year’s World Tea Expo. It was one of three Teas Etc teas to win a prize (you can get all three together in a special Championship pack).
Organic Hojicha from Mighty Leaf Tea
A new year, a new tea. Hojicha is a roasted Japanese tea that consists predominantly of the stalks of the tea plant. It is, according to Harney, a relatively recent invention, dating back to 1920. The rise of mechanical harvesters had meant that there was an excess of tea stalks after harvesting. Seeing the waste, a Japanese merchant in Uji took the stalks and started roasting them. Hojicha was born.
Thank you to Tea Finely Brewed sponsors
I’d like to take a quick moment to thank the three companies who are sponsoring Tea Finely Brewed in January, and to highlight some of the special deals they have going.