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.

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2019 World Tea Awards

It was an exciting year for us at the World Tea Expo in Las Vegas! We were honored to take home two World Tea Awards. Two of our teas also... Read More

Direct Sourcing: Ms. Zhao

In 2013, TeaSource was part of a U.S. trade mission to Puer, Yunnan, China. During this trip, Bill met Ms. Zhao Yu Jie and she has been one of our... Read More

2019 New Arrivals

Have you been wanting to dip your toe in the water and try green tea? 2019 has produced some fantastic green teas which are typically harvested in March and April. Come... Read More

Dan Cong Teas

Dan Cong teas are made in Guangdong Province, China. It’s a term for a group of cultivars that are believed to be descendants of Shui Xian (at least according to... Read More

Matcha in 5 Easy Steps

Shop the Matcha Collection Matcha is a powdered green tea from Japan. The tea leaves are similar to those grown to make Gyokuro, a high grade tea that is shaded... Read More

A Monument to Ti Kwan Yin

Ti Kwan Yin Mother Bush in Anxi, Fujian, China In the United States we tend to group teas into the categories like black tea, green tea, oolong etc. In China... Read More

Sencha & Snacks

To say tea is ingrained in Japanese culture would be an understatement. Tea came to Japan from China in the eighth century. It continues to be the first point of contact... Read More

Matcha Brownies

Polar vortex. Arctic invasion. Record-breaking snowfall.  February was a challenging month to say the least. Tea has been a lifesaver for our mental health, physical well-being, and general mood as we live... Read More

Interview with Mr. Lin Rui Fu

Mr. Lin's tea fields We were atop the highest point for miles around.  From here you can see how tea has sculpted the terrain.  The vastness is visceral.  The drive... Read More

Wuyi Rocks

Perfect tea rows “Are we lost?” “Um, a little bit.” I was perfectly okay with his response. It gave me a chance to catch my breath after the steady upward... Read More

TeaSource Goes to Tea Country

Travelogues and stories about sourcing tea all over the world.  A cool part of owning a tea company, given the fact that tea wasn’t grown in the U.S. until recently -... Read More

The Growth of TeaSource

St Anthony Village store, 2004 We opened the second TeaSource store in St. Anthony Village near Northeast Minneapolis. This is a much larger space than the St. Paul store because we... Read More

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