Journal

Notes on tea, ritual, and the sacred ordinary — stories from our kitchen, brewing guides, and small ceremonies for everyday life.

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How to Brew Loose Leaf Tea: The Complete Beginner's Guide

How to Brew Loose Leaf Tea: The Complete Beginner's Guide

|Monica Rivera
Loose leaf tea tastes better than bagged tea for a simple reason: whole leaves have room to unfurl and release their full flavor, while bags mostly hold dust. Brewing it...
What Is a Bohío? The Taíno Dwelling Behind Our Name

What Is a Bohío? The Taíno Dwelling Behind Our Name

|Monica Rivera
Before we were a tea company, we were a word. Bohío (pronounced boh-EE-oh) is the name the Taíno gave their homes, and we borrowed it because it describes exactly how...
Hojicha: Japan's Toasty Roasted Green Tea for Slow Evenings

Hojicha: Japan's Toasty Roasted Green Tea for Slow Evenings

|Monica Rivera
Most green teas are grassy and bright. Hojicha went the other way: roasted until toasty, nutty, and caramel-sweet, with barely any caffeine left. It is Japan's evening tea, the one...
Matcha vs Coffee: The Case for Stone-Ground Focus

Matcha vs Coffee: The Case for Stone-Ground Focus

|Monica Rivera
Coffee shouts. Matcha hums. Both contain caffeine, but anyone who has traded their morning espresso for a bowl of whisked matcha knows the feeling is completely different: alert, steady, and...
Jasmine Green Tea: Benefits of the World's Most Loved Scented Tea

Jasmine Green Tea: Benefits of the World's Most Loved Scented Tea

|Monica Rivera
Jasmine green tea is proof that scent is flavor. The blossoms never stay in the finished tea, yet every sip carries their perfume. For over a thousand years, this has...
Rooibos Tea Benefits: South Africa's Caffeine-Free Red Tea

Rooibos Tea Benefits: South Africa's Caffeine-Free Red Tea

|Monica Rivera
Rooibos (pronounced ROY-boss) is the evening person's tea. Naturally free of caffeine, rich in antioxidants, and smooth enough to drink plain, it comes from a single plant grown in a...
Masala Chai Benefits: Why Warming Spices Belong in Your Cup

Masala Chai Benefits: Why Warming Spices Belong in Your Cup

|Monica Rivera
Masala chai is autumn in a cup, no matter the season. Bold black tea simmered with cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and ginger: it warms the hands, the chest, and the mood....
Mint Tea Benefits: From Caribbean Yerba Buena to Moroccan Mint

Mint Tea Benefits: From Caribbean Yerba Buena to Moroccan Mint

|Monica Rivera
Mint is the world's reset button. One breath of it and the head feels clearer, the afternoon feels lighter. From the yerba buena of Caribbean home gardens to the poured-from-high...
Hibiscus Tea Benefits: The Caribbean's Ruby-Red Remedy

Hibiscus Tea Benefits: The Caribbean's Ruby-Red Remedy

|Monica Rivera
Few drinks say "the Caribbean" like a tall glass of deep-red hibiscus. Known as flor de Jamaica in Puerto Rico and Mexico, sorrel in Jamaica and Trinidad, and agua de...
Taíno Herbal Traditions: The Indigenous Roots of Caribbean Tea Culture

Taíno Herbal Traditions: The Indigenous Roots of Caribbean Tea Culture

|Monica Rivera
Long before tea bushes ever reached the Caribbean, the islands had an infusion culture of their own. The Taíno, the Indigenous peoples of the Greater Antilles including Borikén (Puerto Rico),...
From the Caribbean to Your Cup: The Botanicals Behind Bohío

From the Caribbean to Your Cup: The Botanicals Behind Bohío

|Monica Rivera
Every bohío blend starts in the same place: the botanical traditions of the Caribbean, where plants have been medicine, comfort, and daily ritual for generations. Long before wellness was an...
The 5-Minute Tea Ritual: A Small Practice for Busy Days

The 5-Minute Tea Ritual: A Small Practice for Busy Days

|Monica Rivera
You do not need an hour of silence, a meditation cushion, or a perfect morning to feel like yourself again. You need five minutes, hot water, and a cup of...