|
A Local
|
My Story as a Tea Shop OwnerMy name is Titima, but most people call me Ying. I was born in Thailand to a Chinese immigrant family. I learned from an early age to associate most meals with tea and its traditions, such as the Chinese tea ceremony. As everyone may already know, tea has been around for 5000 years, and that is evidence of its reputation and benefits.
After moving to the United States, I purchased my first teapot set, but I found out that it was difficult to find a good tea to fill it. My Desire To Slow Down Life and Share My Love for TeaA lot of people are wondering if we could wake up slowly, take time to prepare for the day, eat breakfast leisurely, and perform our daily tasks with purpose and less urgency. Then, we could go to bed fulfilled, less worried, content, and certainly more aware of what the day was like.
I desire to slow my life down, be still, live in the moment, and, of course, share my love for a good cup of tea with all my friends. 
High-Quality Tea Leaves and Biodegradable PackagingMost of us know that tea has all kinds of health benefits, and people have been drinking tea dating back to the 3rd century AD.
Why do I go through all these troubles to find quality loose-leaf teas? The reason is that whole leaf teas give more flavor, aroma, antioxidants, and pleasure. The leaves used in most bags are the "dust and fannings" from broken tea leaves. Finely broken tea leaves have lost most of their essential oils and aroma. When steeped, they release more tannins than whole leaf tea, resulting in bitter, astringent brews. I believe strongly that the packaging is just as important as the product itself. I try to be conscious of the packaging for it to be environment-friendly. I choose biodegradable packaging when it is possible. Tea Throughout the HistoryTea has been through history from its discovery by Shennong, a Chinese Emperor, to the Boston Tea Party in 1773, Opium War, and a Japanese Buddhist priest that began a tea ceremony. Tea has come a long way, and it gave a beautiful gift from nature and tea art for life.
The Name of My Tea StoreThe Great Tea Road is a Siberian Route also known as the Moscow Highway, and the Great Highway was a historic route that connected European Russia to Siberia and China. The Siberian Route was also known as the Tea Road, owing to the great quantities of tea that were transported from China to Europe through Siberia.
In choosing my business’s name, I hope to create a company that provides quality teas and enriches the tea art and culture. It is also my desire to discover new teas along the way and share them with different communities. |
My Aha Moment To Start My Tea JourneyMy daily ritual usually starts with a cup of tea in the morning. One day, as I reached out for my tea, it literally fell on my head, which gave me an “aha” moment. Right then, I thought, "there must be some people out there who love good tea and want to have peace of mind as I do.”
Taking Steps To Pursue My Passion for TeaMy desire led me to begin my Japanese tea ceremony training with a tea master of Urasenke Tankokai Association. I seriously took a course to be a certified tea professional at International Tea Masters Association.
My ability to speak several languages gives me an edge, which is why I traveled to many tea-producing countries, such as Japan, Taiwan, China, and Thailand, to source teas directly from farms. It was a fantastic opportunity to see the world and experience firsthand how to pick tea leaves in different regions. Sometimes, it was difficult to travel to remote areas as tea farms usually nest in a mountain or far out in a rural area. I would not survive if it was not built on my passion to discover high-quality teas for my communities. I worked with several tea farms that do not export their tea due to various reasons, such as being small farms or lack of interest to create more work on exporting. 
My Credentials and My Tea ProductsIt has also been a long journey for me to get to where I am today. Now, I am a Japanese tea ceremony (Chado) practitioner, a certified tea professional, and a former VP of Yukimakai Urasenke of Minnesota.
All my teas are directly sourced from tea farms and hand-blended by me in Prior Lake, Minnesota. Most of my teas are organic products. |
Learn More About My Tea Products
If you are looking for high-quality tea products at budget-friendly prices, search no further than my signature items here at Great Tea Road Co. You may also contact me for more details about my store.