For most Chinese tea drinkers, tea is an all-day affair, served alongside meals, but also between them. In the more ceremonial customs of Japan, or even the ritual of afternoon tea developed in England, strong teas are paired with small snacks, which serve to complement flavor while mitigating bitterness and astringency.

Today, with the plethora of teas that are available to taste, those who love tea may find themselves undertaking marathon tasting sessions, which practically require a snack of some sort, if only to calm the effects of excess caffeine. But pairing snacks can go beyond necessity and truly enhance the tasting experience, given a little bit of consideration. Here are a few things to keep in mind when selecting snacks to accompany any tea tasting.

Unglazed teapots made with clay from Yixing are an iconic part of Chinese tea culture, and have proven their value as tea tools ever since their introduction in the Ming Dynasty. Because they are finished without an outer coat of glassy glaze, the exposed clay remains somewhat porous, and over time it begins to absorb and enhance the aroma and flavor of the tea brewed in it. For devoted tea drinkers, Yixing teapots can become a way of life, but even casual connoisseurs can appreciate their aesthetic and practical appeal. Once you’ve decided to take the plunge, follow these simple steps to ensure your Yixing is always ready and waiting to brew a great pot of tea.

For many black tea devotees in the western world, it can be easy to forget that all tea begins as a leafy green plant. Though processing steps can make those leaves unrecognizable, the original form is recognizable in whole leaf teas, and especially in the vegetable-like, or “vegetal” flavor palate of lightly oxidized teas like greens, whites, and some oolongs. Just like fresh vegetables, the flavor notes found within these teas can be pleasant or unpleasant, depending on the terroir, harvest date, crafting style, and ultimately, how the tea is brewed, or “cooked” in hot water.

Oolong teas compose one of the most varied categories of tea because they cover the entire range of oxidation levels between green and black tea. Newcomers to this category might be surprised to find that two teas called “oolong” could be completely different in aroma, flavor, and even leaf shape. In fact, there are four main types of oolong, hailing from four geographically isolated regions near the eastern coast of China. Each region has its own unique terroir and specialized varieties of Camellia sinensis, but the easiest influence to observe in the final flavors of the tea is each region’s specific crafting style. And one aspect of the finished tea that gives us a clue to crafting style is leaf shape.

Since the early days of exported teas, fruit flavors imparted by blending or scenting have been a popular way to make low quality tea more palatable. Today, when we think of fruity teas, the flavor that comes to mind is intensely aromatic, often cloying, and framed against a backdrop of astringency and bitterness. Though chunks of dried fruit can give the impression of natural flavor, the taste of the brew disappears quickly, and somehow the aroma doesn’t quite seem to translate on the tongue.

On the other hand, teas that have a naturally fruity flavor profile will rarely smell overwhelming, or have the fragrance of a specific fruit, especially in dry form. Instead, the term “fruity” describes a nuanced aspect of the pure tea flavor. Traditional tea crafting can produce a range of flavors in the fruity flavor spectrum, from the rich sweetness of apricots to the crisp bite of citrus and the juicy texture of mango. Today, we’ll break down a few of the most popular flavor notes used to describe natural fruity nuances, and cover the traditional tea types that typically contain them.

Brewing tea should be easy. Even when brewing rare teas or checking quality of new harvests, we avoid extra steps or equipment that don’t directly enhance our understanding of the tea. For everyday brewing, we usually simplify even further, using a travel thermos or infuser mug for a self-contained steep. In fact, we insist on high quality tea for the simple fact that it’s easier to brew without bitterness. But when tasting new teas or simply perfecting our favorite brew, we always weigh our tea leaves, no matter how fussy or extraneous it may seem. Here are three good reasons to try adding this step to your own tea routine.

As direct importers, we believe that transparency in the sourcing process is one of the best ways to ensure that tea production stays sustainable. We make it our mission to understand and share as much information as possible about any tea we carry, from the variety used to grow it, to the environment it was grown in, the harvest date when it was picked, and the way the leaves were crafted into finished tea. But this in depth knowledge depends on our personal trips to the tea farms we work with, and the control we have over each lot we source, from the time it leaves the farm to the time it arrives at our San Francisco warehouse. Not all teas have such a direct path to your cup. Here are a few of the twists and turns your tea might be making.

When we source new teas, we always make an effort to visit the farm and see for ourselves how the tea is grown and crafted. While the majority of teas are bought and sold through middlemen at large tea markets, we prefer to work directly with the farmers to ensure we can personally vouch for the quality of each tea we select, as well as provide accurate information about the variety, provenance, harvest date, and crafting style that give a tea its unique flavor profile.

At each farm, we wander through rows of tea bushes, meet pickers and crafters, and observe whatever stage of the process is currently in progress. These visits are our first line of defense against misinformation, and we’re always looking for signs that the teas we’re considering are farmed sustainably. Here are five indicators of a high quality, natural tea farm.