Tea Biz

Hosted by Dan Bolton

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About the show

The Voice of Tea Lands | Tea Journey Magazine , founded in 2015, and the Tea Biz Blog | Podcast are favorites of tea enthusiasts and professionals worldwide. Content is authentic, timely, and exclusive, a collaborative effort that enlists 40 voices skilled in 12 languages to tell the story of tea. Coverage spans tea discovery and preparation to tea tourism, lifestyles, health and wellness, meditation, culinary tea with recipes, and terroir. Our business coverage offers insights for commercial producers supported by rich market data and scientifically backed research. Transparency is rooted in authentic storytelling, featuring nuanced articles about the places and people who passionately live a life in tea. As a niche publication, Tea Journey relies on reader contributions for most of its income. Please consider donating to support the writers and staff who bring you our unique tea content from around the globe. We appreciate your support. In 2025, we teamed up with our good friends at OverSubscribe, a platform that lets our fans make real financial investments in our future. By contributing as little as $25 to Tea Journey , you’re not just supporting our publication—you’re joining a lively global community and earning a return on your investment. | https://teajourney.oversub.me/

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2 min

Tea Price Report | Week 32 | Ending 7 August 2026

Quality Holds as Regional Tea Prices Diverge | Tea markets closed ISO Week 32 with mixed headline prices but a consistent trading pattern: buyers remained active for immediate coverage and continued to reserve their strongest bids for clean, well-made teas.| In Colombo, prices averaged $3.58 per kilo, up 3 cents versus the reconstructed Week 31 benchmark. | In North India, prices averaged $2.37 per kilo, down 4 cents versus the last available official average for Week 31. In Mombasa, prices averaged $2.14 per kilo, up 2 cents versus Sale 29. In Indonesia, prices averaged $2.39 per kilo, down 2 cents versus the prior indicative Week 31 benchmark. | Podlink signup: https://pod.link/1549975153 Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

13 min

Spotlight | A World of Tea Comes to Seattle

Taste the World of Tea in Seattle | The 16th edition of the Northwest Tea Fest returns to Seattle Center September 26–27 with a sold-out exhibitor hall and a deliberately broad view of the tea world. Visitors can taste teas from major origins, speak directly with the people who source and sell them, attend presentations and workshops, and explore teaware and tea culture under one roof. Festival Coordinator Andrew Goodman and Virginia Wright, president of the Puget Sound Tea Education Association, are in the SPOTLIGHT to explain what makes this year’s gathering distinctive, how first-time visitors can approach dozens of choices without feeling overwhelmed, and why longtime attendees treat the festival as both an educational experience and an annual reunion. The Northwest Tea Festival is presented by the nonprofit Puget Sound Tea Education Association. The association’s mission focuses on tea education, community, and broader public engagement with tea culture. Last year’s festival attracted approximately 4,000 tea enthusiasts to the Seattle Center.| Podlink signup: https://pod.link/1549975153 Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

11 min

Tea News Recap | Floods Hit China and Assam | Argentina Tea Moves to Market

Typhoon Deluges South China’s Tea Lands | Floods Halt Production at 30 Assam Tea Gardens | Argentina Moves Its GI-Protected Tea Origin to Market | Podlink signup: https://pod.link/1549975153 Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

31 min

Ep 244 | Typhoon Deluges China’s Tea Lands | Assam Floods Halt 30 Gardens | Argentina Takes GI to Market

Typhoon Deluges South China’s Tea Lands | Floods Halt Production at 30 Assam Tea Gardens | Argentina Moves Its GI-Protected Tea Origin to Market NEWSMAKERS | Festival Coordinator Andrew Goodman and Puget Sound Tea Education Association President Virginia Wright PLUS | A World of Tea Comes to Seattle | Festival organizers Andrew Goodman and Virginia Wright preview the 2026 Northwest Tea Festival, September 26–27 at Seattle Center, in Seattle, Wash. They explain how a sold-out exhibitor hall brings together teas from China, Taiwan, Japan, India, Africa, Korea and Vietnam; how curious newcomers can sample without feeling overwhelmed; and how presentations, workshops and Tea Bar sessions turn tasting into learning. Andrew also describes what admission includes and why the festival has become an annual reunion supported by a dedicated volunteer community. Buy tickets and explore the program at https://nwteafestival.org/ | Podlink signup: https://pod.link/1549975153 Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

2 min

Tea Price Report | Week 27 | Ending 3 July 2026

In Colombo, prices averaged $3.55 per kilogram this week, up 10 cents versus the previous week, Sale 24. In North India, prices averaged $2.62 per kilogram, up 8 cents from the last available official average (Week 25). In Mombasa, prices averaged $2.33 per kilogram, up 1 cent versus the prior indicative benchmark, Sale 25. | In Indonesia, prices averaged $2.41 per kilogram, flat versus the prior indicative benchmark, Week 26. | Across the four markets, quality segmentation remains the dominant pricing mechanism. Exporters are resisting lower bids where currency stability and embedded costs support price floors, but buyers are not building speculative positions. Freight, insurance, packaging, and finance remain important, particularly for lower-value teas where logistics consume a larger share of the delivered price. The takeaway is that headline averages are firming without a broad demand breakout. Traders should watch quality, clearance, and export execution separately: the best teas are moving with competition, while weaker descriptions still need accurate pricing to clear. | Podlink signup: https://pod.link/1549975153 Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

27 min

Spotlight | Authentic Presence

When Tea Becomes More Than a Product: Building Ritual, Community, and Trust Without Losing Authenticity Tea is often described in terms of origin, cultivar, elevation, and craft—but another dimension is harder to quantify and increasingly central to how people engage with tea today: presence. Across the specialty market, we are seeing a shift. Not just toward better tea, but toward more intentional ways of experiencing it - spaces designed for slowing down, for attention, for connection. The language of ritual and mindfulness is everywhere. But that raises a critical question for the industry: what is real, and what is simply being repackaged? Today's guest operates directly inside that tension. | Bio: Flowing River is a poet, ceremonialist, and co-founder of Drishti House in Santa Barbara, Calif. It is a space built not around consumption, but around shared presence, where tea becomes a medium for conversation, reflection, and community. He is also the author of The Flowing River, a collection of 221 poems written over a decade-long personal journey that traces spiritual awakening, grief, love, service, identity, and ultimately, surrender. He has led more than 1,000 gatherings, from silent tea ceremonies to immersive retreats. In this conversation, we explore what it means to build a tea practice - not just a tea brand. Where the line between authenticity and performance sits. And what, if anything, from ceremonial tea culture can translate into a viable, modern business model? | Podlink signup: https://pod.link/1549975153 Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

10 min

Tea News Recap | Assam Matcha | Caffeine Labels | Jasmine Harvest at Risk

Assam Enters Commercial Matcha Production | Caffeine Labels Could Work in Tea’s Favor | Floods Threaten the World’s Largest Jasmine Harvest | Podlink signup: https://pod.link/1549975153 Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

46 min

Ep 243 | Assam Matcha Debuts | Caffeine Labels Favor Tea | Jasmine Harvest at Risk

Assam Enters Commercial Matcha Production | Caffeine Labels Could Work in Tea’s Favor | Floods Threaten the World’s Largest Jasmine Harvest | Newsmaker - Luong “Flowing River” Shen, Co-founder of Drishti House PLUS | When Tea Becomes More Than a Product: Building Ritual, Community, and Trust Without Losing Authenticity Tea is often described in terms of origin, cultivar, elevation, and craft—but another dimension is harder to quantify and increasingly central to how people engage with tea today: presence. Across the specialty market, we are seeing a shift. Not just toward better tea, but toward more intentional ways of experiencing it - spaces designed for slowing down, for attention, for connection. The language of ritual and mindfulness is everywhere. But that raises a critical question for the industry: what is real, and what is simply being repackaged? Today's guest operates directly inside that tension. Flowing River - also known as Luong Shen - is a poet, ceremonialist, and co-founder of Drishti House in Santa Barbara, Calif. It is a space built not around consumption, but around shared presence, where tea becomes a medium for conversation, reflection, and community. He is also the author of The Flowing River, a collection written over a decade-long personal journey that traces grief, identity, and ultimately, surrender. In this conversation, we explore what it means to build a tea practice - not just a tea brand. Where the line between authenticity and performance sits. And what, if anything, from ceremonial tea culture can translate into a viable, modern business model? | Podlink signup: https://pod.link/1549975153 Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

2 min

Tea Price Report | Week 25 | Ending 19 June 2026

Tea markets closed Week 25 with a firmer but still highly selective tone. Demand was present across the major auctions, but buyers remained disciplined, concentrating on clean, useful teas rather than bidding broadly across the catalog.| In Colombo, prices averaged $3.95/kg this week, ↓ -$0.05/kg vs the previous week, Sale 22. In North India, prices averaged $2.59/kg this week, ↑ +$0.06/kg vs last available official average, Week 23 ending 6 June. In Mombasa, prices averaged $2.22/kg this week, ↑ +$0.08/kg vs the previous week, Week 24. In Indonesia, prices averaged $2.41/kg this week, → 0.00/kg vs prior indicative benchmark. | The structural drivers remain consistent: quality differentiation, exporter resistance, stable-to-uneven currencies, and elevated logistics and cost pressure. The market is not distressed, but it is increasingly unforgiving. | The takeaway: this is a quality-led market. Buyers are active, but only where the tea, the price, and the execution justify the bid.| Podlink signup: https://pod.link/1549975153 Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

17 min

Spotlight | Vietnam: Changing Perceptions

Vietnam has long been a volume player in tea—but that's changing. As demand shifts toward origin, clarity, and craft, a new generation is redefining what Vietnamese tea can be—and how it's valued. | Today's guest is Tri Nguyen, CEO of Tea Cusp. BIO: Tree Tri represents a new generation of Vietnamese tea makers—one rooted in heritage but intent on redefining how the world understands Vietnam as an origin. | A second-generation producer, he has spent decades in tea alongside his family, building vertically integrated operations that include organic farming and certified production systems.His mission is explicit: change global perceptions of Vietnamese tea while improving farmer livelihoods. Through Canadian-based CUSP, he is blending traditional Vietnamese tea culture with modern processing discipline and market awareness—positioning Vietnam not as a low-cost supplier, but as a producer of expressive, origin-driven teas.| Podlink signup: https://pod.link/1549975153 Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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