What’s behind a beautiful cup of tea?
The craft behind the cup, and the people behind the craft...
A beautiful cup of tea can seem almost effortless
We put a few leaves into a teapot, add water, wait a little while — and there it is. Fragrant, warm and comforting.
Behind that simplicity lies an extraordinary amount of work
Tea is one of those products where the distance between ordinary and truly fine can be created by hundreds of small decisions. When to pick. Which buds and leaves to pick. How gently to handle them. How long to wither them. How much to bruise or roll the leaves. When to allow oxidation to develop — and, perhaps most importantly, when to stop it. And how to roast/bake the leaves to seal that developed aroma and flavour and make it bloom out in the cup!
A wonderful example is Kirat Oolong, made by Bibek Rai and his family in Fikkal, Nepal
The Kirat people have a long Tibetan-Burmese heritage, and many Kirat families have settled in the Fikkal area. For Bibek and his family, tea is not simply an agricultural product. It is part of the landscape, the community, and the heritage of generations.
Their Kirat Oolong is a beautifully crafted, half-oxidized oolong. It has the lovely balance that makes oolong so fascinating: neither green nor fully oxidized, but a complex expression of the in-between. In the cup, I find gentle caramel and honey notes, with a warmth that invites you to slow down and taste carefully. A great companion for afternoons during the fall and winter months here in Sweden/the Nordics.
So let’s remember what speciality teas really mean
When we pay a some more for a fine tea, we are not simply paying for leaves. We are paying for time, knowledge, patience, and attention.
We are paying for someone who knows that a few hours of difference during processing can change the character of the finished tea. For someone who walks among the plants and understands the season. For hands that have learned how to handle the leaves. For the courage to make decisions based on experience rather than simply following a formula. And we are also paying for the possibility that a small family producer can continue doing this work with care.
This is one of the reasons I have since long been drawn to speciality tea from smaller producers. The more you learn about tea, the harder it becomes to see it simply as a beverage. A fine speciality tea is not simple to make. You begin to taste the place. The season. The craft. And, ultimately, the people behind the leaves. When you purchase these fine teas from me, you directly support Bibek Rai and his family, without any middlemen in between.
Would you like to taste tea differently?
This is the kind of journey I love sharing through my International Tea Sommelier Diploma Course – Professional Level I, created in collaboration with International Tea Academy in Kunming, China, since 2016. Read about the next course here!
The next course is planned to start in autumn 2026, with the exact timing adapted to suit the group. It is conducted entirely online and in English and runs for approximately 6–8 months. The programme combines live seminars, recorded lectures, guided tastings, independent home evaluations and professional tea education.
Throughout the course, we taste and professionally evaluate 28 carefully selected premium teas, including teas from small producers and renowned tea-growing regions. You learn to assess aroma, flavour, balance, processing, terroir and quality — and, perhaps most importantly, you develop your own sensory awareness and confidence.
The course is intentionally kept small to create an interactive and personal learning environment. If you feel that you would like to look beyond the cup and discover the fascinating world behind the leaves, I would love to welcome you to the next group.
For more information or to express your interest, simply send me an email at catrin@brandable.se.
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