The Tea Ceremony

Pu-erh is the Saturnine tea of this set, the dark fermented tea of Yunnan that is aged for years, sometimes decades, in pressed cakes before it is…

Earl Grey is the Jovian tea of this set, black tea crowned with the bright oil of bergamot, the small fragrant citrus that gives it its lift.

Lapsang Souchong is the Martial tea of this set, the black tea of Fujian dried over smoking pinewood fires until it takes on its unmistakable smoke.

Golden Yunnan is the solar tea of this set, the black tea of Yunnan picked with an abundance of golden tips, brewing to a bright amber-gold cup.

Rose Oolong is the Venusian tea of this set, partly oxidised oolong scented with rose petals so that the floral sweetness rises through the smooth…

Sencha is the Mercurial tea of this set, the everyday green tea of Japan, steamed rather than pan-fired, brewing to a clear grassy-green cup.

Gyokuro is the lunar tea of this set, the finest of the Japanese green teas, its bushes shaded from the sun for weeks before picking so that the…