One tea at a time.

Hello! I’m Marco, an avid tea drinker with a passion for education. As you continue through this space, I hope to share my tea journey as a daily ritual in life. You’ll find the following on this site: Feel free to ask me questions as I shape this blog/site around…

I’m sitting at home in Chicago seeking solace from the -20 to -40 wind chills today, so a bold ripe Pu-erh is calling. Gong Ting (宫廷) often shows up on ripe Pu-erh labels as a promise of “top grade”. Though it sounds like a guarantee in quality, it is not.…

As the year wraps up I cannot help but extend gratitude to everyone that I’ve had the pleasure of meeting, sharing tea with, and engaging…

During this year’s first Chicago International Tea Festival, I had the pleasure of meeting Ned and Catherine of Silk Road Teas. Sharing conversation and their…

When I dove into my Foundations: A Look into Longjing, I had no idea it would come across the eyes of Zhao Lu, Co-founder of…

Ask anyone familiar with Mei Leaf’s portfolio of curated teas and you’ll find Jade Star holds a signature place in the minds of many. The…