I was in the International District yesterday, visiting my friends and wholesalers, Grace and Dafe who own New Century Tea Gallery. I went in to stock up on several oolong and pu’erh teas, and of course, with any visit there, sat for an hour or two to taste and chat.
As we were tasting teas we talked about how business is going, and what our customers seem to like the most. The conversation turned to the goodness of what we do for a living—sharing tea—and how tea isn’t a business for someone wanting to get rich quickly, but that it is a business we love, that doesn’t feel like work and that it allows us to bring delight and dimension to peoples’ lives.
My first serious tasting adventures in tea began at New Century Tea Gallery in 2009. Grace and Dafe were so generous in having me try many different teas and sharing their tea expertise and knowledge. I grew to understand and appreciate pu’erh under their tutelage and now share pu’erh in all of my Tea Discovery classes. I confidently recommend class participants visit New Century Tea Gallery for further exploration in pu’erh, oolongs and Chinese green teas.
Tea is a business that brings us authentic and lasting friendships around the world. I’m grateful every day.
