Growing up in New York City with Malaysian Chinese roots, Angela was never a big tea drinker. Her family all drank coffee and the only tea she consumed came from the pot of pu'er that accompanied a dim sum meal. Then, a few years after college, she went looking for a hobby that suited her introverted side and didn’t revolve around drinking alcohol. That search led her to a Chinese culture club, then to the New York Tea Society and the world of gongfu tea.
After moving to Taiwan, her passion only deepened. Over the past two years, she has hosted around 100 tastings at Taipei tea houses, while taking tea courses and visiting farmers across the island. But the traditional method of preparing tea can also feel intimidating with its complicated tools and unfamiliar terms. In a world of bubble tea and constant distraction, many Gen Zers are asking why a slow cup of tea is becoming a new ritual.
In this episode, hosts Dena and Howard sit down with Angela for a live gongfu tea session. They talk about what makes tea a way of slowing down, how boba became a gateway to real tea for younger drinkers and what “organic” really means for Taiwan’s tea farmers. She also shares how to start at home with just a mug and a saucer, because there’s no such thing as a bad tea, only a want of imagination.
#GenerationWhy
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