No Products in the Cart
The Quiet Pour No. 07 // Tea Pantry Series, part 1: A guide to building your tea pantry from scratch, or looking at it with a new perspective.
“How would you build your tea pantry from scratch?”
Samia Abbasi, our editor at Herbs & Kettles, and I were discussing this question. She has old and unopened tea everywhere: on her tea cart, in her closet, and in a kitchen cupboard. Moving into spring, Samia wanted to look at all her tea with fresh eyes. That’s what led us to this Substack idea.
A tea pantry is not just for storing tea. It’s a reflection of who you are, what you’re looking for, and what you enjoy.
Before we dive in, I recommend taking a moment to ask yourself:
Your pantry should feel like an extension of you. It should be intentional, layered, and alive. I know that’s easy to say, when mine looks like a giant mess most of the time!
Why do you drink tea? Is it for the caffeine, ritual, curiosity, or health reasons?
If tea is your morning fuel, think about sustained energy. A robust chai. A malty Assam. A high grade matcha. Something that wakes you and keeps you going throughout the day.
If tea is your grounding ritual, your pantry should hold familiarity. The aromas that calm your nervous system. The flavors that really satisfy you. Maybe that’s a masala chai you prepare on the stovetop every day.
Or it’s the slow unfurling of a whole leaf Darjeeling that’s steeping in a gaiwan. Hearing the water come to a boil in your kettle. Pouring it over the leaves. Waiting. Steeping. Straining. Inhaling before you take that first sip.
If tea is your afternoon pick me up, you may gravitate toward lighter notes. A yellow tea. A fragrant oolong. A white tea with gentle sweetness.
A word of caution: don’t make the same mistake that I did when I first started drinking high quality loose leaf teas! Some teas, including white and green teas, are famously deceiving. Because they taste delicate, people assume they’re low in caffeine. In reality, white and green teas from young leaves and buds, can carry enough caffeine to keep you up at night. The type of tea does not always correlate with caffeine strength.
If tea is your nightly ritual, I would recommend expanding your caffeine free options. My cabinet has our golden latte that keeps my family healthy, chamomile and beautiful chrysanthemum flowers. During our trip to South Korea, I really started enjoying chrysanthemum tea and have a number of different varietals.
Herbal blends can become a signal to your body that the day is winding down, creating a rhythm that supports sleep. I find that chamomile helps me sleep a couple hours longer. My girls and I often wind down with our whole flower Himalayan chamomile, steeped gently at 180° to 185° F, which brings out a yummy savory-sweetness.
Having a staple matters. Not only does it remove decision fatigue, it ensures that even on busy mornings, you reach for something you trust.
Every good tea pantry has anchors, the teas you know you’ll drink. That could be:
This is my favorite part, and I am sure for a lot of you, too! Once your foundation is set, it’s time to make space for curiosity.
Try different tea regions and different tea types, compare and contrast. I feel that through tea, you can have an adventure across the world while you’re still sitting in your own kitchen.
Play with seasonality. First flush Darjeeling, Japanese senchas, or Ujeon Korean green teas in spring. Summer and autumnal teas later in the year. How is a first flush Darjeeling different from a second flush muscatel? What does an autumnal Darjeeling bring that spring never could? I love getting new batches each year and tasting them against the previous harvest. Climate shifts. Processing evolves. Farmers refine their craft. No two years are identical.
I think it’s totally okay, in this case, to get influenced. Maybe a friend’s recommendation, a tea you tasted at a cafe, or the teas you want to pick up during your next trip. These teas are portals to beautiful and distinct memories.
If you love chai, perhaps add a Vanilla Lavender Chai for iced afternoons, or a Rose Cardamom Chai for when friends come over with cookies. Tea can meet the moment.
I also try to stock a variety of caffeine levels (including herbal tea options) in my pantry, for friends and family who are caffeine sensitive. Or for the opposite, friends who are craving an invigorating pick-me-up.
I hope this guide helps you see your collection differently. I hope it invites you to appreciate the tea you have, or to find that unique tea to add to your collection. To find small ways to prune or recommit to your tea cupboards.
Who knows? A tea you don’t love anymore might be exactly what a friend is craving right now.
In Part 2 of the Tea Pantry Series, we’ll talk through other considerations for building or refreshing your tea pantry, from freshness to teaware. Also, don’t miss our community’s pantry favorites. 🫖
I recommend finding brands whose sourcing philosophy resonates with you. Quality, transparency, respect for farmers, proper processing are few that I look out for.
For Indian loose leaf teas and chai, I genuinely cannot think of anyone who approaches it the way we do at Herbs & Kettles! Outside of our work, I also admire others:
