Beyond the Leaf

Welcome to Beyond the Leaf, the TeaSource blog.

Tea is more than a beverage—it's a story of people, places, tradition, and craftsmanship. Here you'll find tea education, thoughtful discussion, steeping guides, recipes, tasting notes, tea travel, sourcing stories, industry insights, and updates from the TeaSource team.

Whether you're just beginning your loose leaf tea journey or have been enjoying specialty tea for years, Beyond the Leaf is a place to deepen your knowledge, discover new teas, and explore the world behind every cup. Drawing on decades of experience sourcing and tasting exceptional teas, we share practical advice, firsthand experiences, and a passion for tea that we hope inspires your next cup.


Seven Steps to Great Tea: Step 5 – Time Your Steep

Another reason a green tea might turn bitter is it may have been steeped too long. Basically steep the tea until it tastes good to you. Here are some very... Read More

Seven Steps to Great Tea: Step 4 – Use the "Correct" Water Temperature

If you’ve ever had green tea that was bitter, chances are the water was too hot. Water temperature is important–you would never bake a cake 50 degrees hotter or colder... Read More

Seven Steps to Great Tea: Step 3 – Measure Your Tea

Use 3 grams per 8 ounces water. For the non-geeky tea drinker, this is about 1 rounded tsp of loose tea. We're talking about a measuring teaspoon, not the teaspoon... Read More

Seven Steps to Great Tea: Step 2 – Use Good Water

If your water tastes good without tea, chances are it will taste good with tea. And the opposite is true also. Steeped tea is over 95% water, so this matters... Read More

Seven Steps to Great Tea: Step 1 – Use Good Tea

"Using good tea" almost always means using loose leaf tea. There are some reasonably decent tea bag brands, but we don't know of any great tea (or even very good... Read More

Get Your Dark On

Dark tea is unique because it is the only deliberately aged tea that undergoes a secondary fermentation process. Because of this additional step, it contains an active micro-organism called Golden... Read More

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff

Iced tea is the stuff of summer. Everybody knows that. Sweet tea, tea cocktails, tea infused beer, and even tea with ice cream all come to mind as tasty ways to beat... Read More

Demystifying Matcha

From its history in Japanese tea culture to its production and preparation, discover what matcha is and how to make it at home with traditional utensils. Read More

A little bit about a lot of Indian tea

India grows a lot of tea. It is the second largest tea producer in the world (China is first) – making over one million metric tons of finished tea per... Read More

Did someone say "Ceylon"?

Tea pluckers in Sri Lanka     Tea from Sri Lanka is immediately identifiable – bright, brisk, quenching, fruity - except for the fact that after gaining independence from the... Read More

"I'm Dealing Darjeeling"

Goomtee Tea Estate in Darjeeling   Darjeeling is one of the best known “brands” in tea. Even those who don’t drink or care about tea have at least heard the... Read More

Oxidation is the New Black

Black tea is black tea (as opposed to purple tea) because of oxidation. If you cut an apple (or banana or zucchini etc.) in half and let it sit, within... Read More

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