Discover the world of tea, from the history of its cultural significance to the science of its benefits and the art of its preparation.
Discover the world of tea, from the history of its cultural significance to the science of its benefits and the art of its preparation.
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Complex and assertive, black tea is the most consumed of all the teas.
Fresh harvested leaves are skillfully steamed, rolled and pan-fired in a wok for the ultimate cup of well-being.
The least processed and rarest of all teas, white tea is delicately picked once a year, in early spring when the buds and leaves are still closed and covered by fine silvery-white downy hairs.
Tea Forté’s caffeine-free herbal tea infusions use hand-harvested herbs, aromatic flowers, healthful fruits, premium spices, roots, seeds and rare botanicals from around the world.
Tea Forté's oolong teas offer the perfect balance between the fresh-grassiness of green tea and the nuanced complexity of black tea.
Tea Forté travels to the soul of South Africa to procure the many health promoting properties of the indigenous wonder herb called rooibos (ROY-boss).
Chai is in many languages the word for tea and is believed to be derived from the Cantonese ‘Cha’ (for example Persian, Hindi, Korean, Russian, Mandarin, and Swahili). In the western world Chai tea is mostly referred to as a full flavor, spiced Indian black tea served with boiling whole milk and sugar for a unique infusion.
Enjoy the serene, centering ritual of preparing this energizing tea.
Experience the delicious refreshment of Tea Forté's curated collection of iced teas. Each of these gourmet blends are artisan-crafted to stimulate and surprise, delivering pure rich taste tea over ice.
Looking for something new? This is the place to shop all of Tea Forté's newest tea blends.
Caffeine-free refers to offerings that are not related to Camellia Sinensis, the species of plant whose leaves and buds are used to produce tea. Examples of naturally caffeine-free plants are hibiscus, chamomile and rooibos, which are used to create herbal infusions known as tisanes.
Tea Forté is proud to bring you organic tea as part of our commitment to sustainable farming and healthy living with our premium portfolio of organic teas.
Over 50 of Tea Forté's blends are certified Kosher by KOF-K, one of the United States’ best-known certifying agencies. Our production facility is also Kosher certified.
Our Fair Trade Certified tea provides a pro-active premium paid directly to the tea estate workers which affords and supports fair wages and added benefits such as better housing, healthcare, education, safe working conditions, a sustainable environment and no child labor.
Our flavored teas start with a base of black, green, herbal or white tea. We then add fruit, herbs, berries, flowers, nuts and other ingredients to add delicious flavor notes.
Picking just one tea can be difficult, which is why we present to you our bestselling blends, all in one place.
These autumn teas capture and bring forth the flavors of the season.
An expansive collection of 40 infusers, two infusers each of twenty Tea Forté blends. The open lid reveals a detailed tea menu for easy blend selection.
The most popular way to buy Tea Forté, the Presentation Box is the perfect amount of tea for entertaining and personal enjoyment.
The Petite Presentation Box is a perfect way to introduce yourself, or someone else, to the extraordinary experience of Tea Forté.
Customize the perfect tea collection with Tea Forté SELECT. Choose up to four tea blends for 20 teas in all.
Customize the perfect tea collection with Tea Forté SELECT Tea Chest. Choose up to four tea blends for 40 teas in all.
Our Tea Over Ice® infusers are specially blended and balanced to be fresh and flavorful through our flash chilling process. Each 5PK contains 5 pyramid infusers. Available in single blend boxes or try our Sampler containing one of each blend.
Single-blend boxes of our Tea Over Ice® blends, 40 infusers in each. Our Tea Over Ice teas are specially blended and balanced to be fresh and flavorful through our flash chilling process.
Our Event Boxes are the most cost effective way to purchase Tea Forté gourmet tea and are perfect for large gatherings. Each box contains 48 pyramid infusers of a single blend.
"Best Gourmet Gift of the Year". Award-winning Gift Tin attractively displays 15 signature pyramid tea infusers.
The perfect measure for the perfect cup™. Single Steeps® easy to use, pre-portioned pouches are a convenient and simple way to prepare the perfect cup of premium loose leaf tea.
Our Single Steeps® Tea Chest contains 28 easy to use, pre-portioned pouches are a convenient and simple way to prepare the perfect cup of premium loose leaf tea. The open lid reveals a detailed tasting menu to help you pick your favorite blend.
Tea Forté offers the same high quality blends from our signature pyramid infusers in loose tea form.
Get energized with your favorite matcha flavor with our single-blend loose leaf matcha tea tins.
Three individual, stackable, interlocking tins per collection. A charming and convenient way to get to know loose leaf teas a bit better.
Enjoy our customer favorites in a one pound Loose Tea Pouch. Great for refilling our Loose Leaf Tea Canisters, each pouch contains approximately 160-175 cups of tea.
Complex and assertive, black tea is the most consumed of all the teas.
Bring warmth to the winter season with the Tea Forté gourmet teas, gift sets and luxury accessories. Our limited edition Warming Joy holiday teas are made for sipping all winter long.
A collection of festive teas beautifully presented and exciting to receive. Our comforting holiday tea blends are festively donned to celebrate the spirit and joy of the season.
Looking for something new? Shop all of Tea Forté's newest arrivals of tea gifts & accessories.
Carefully selected and beautifully packaged in keepsake boxes, our gift set collections of the complete Tea Forté experience are a most welcomed gift.
It is a true art to find the ideal gift—one that defines individuality, suits the recipient, and expresses your relationship “to a tea.” Tea Forté makes it easy with an array of beautiful tea gifts at a variety of price points that are perfect for any occasion. Select from our best selling tea gifts.
Looking for a kosher gift for friends or family? All of the following tea collections are certified Kosher under the regulations of kashrut, the set of Jewish dietary laws.
Customize the perfect collection with our Tea Forté SELECT products.
Tea Forté offers a wide variety of exquisite and luscious black teas for many occasions for tea lovers and beginner sippers alike, making the gift of black tea a memorable one.
Our green teas capture the fresh clean air of high mountain tea gardens and define how green tea should taste. Fresh harvested leaves with the unique and highly complex character that a ritual cup of healthy green tea can uniquely deliver.
Share the gift of herbal tea, a gift that of health and well-being. Our herbal tea gifts are naturally caffeine-free, healthful blends of dried flowers, roots, leaves, seeds and fruits used for centuries to enhance well-being. =
Spice up your gift giving with an authentic chai tea from Tea Forté.
Sustainably sourced, all natural, caffeine-free with no artificial colors or ingredients, the intense visual experience of BLEU is matched by a symphony of taste, and orchestrated to offer a beautiful, delicious cup.
Dolce Vita, a curated collection of five naturally sweet organic dessert teas, offers a smart, delicious way to satisfy cravings for something sweet.
Our impression of the cherry blossom melds organic tart cherries with fragrant flowers and green tea. Named for the annual Japanese flower viewing festival, each cup invites tea lovers around the world to breathe in, behold, and appreciate the fleeting beauty of spring flowers in bloom.
Shop our limited-edition Jardin Collection, created in collaboration with the New York Botanical Garden.
A curated collection of relaxing teas for mind, body & spirit. Tea Forté is proud to present the next elevation of tea. This unique and unprecedented gourmet collection of highest-grade, small-lot, certified organic teas have been difficult to source as they are rarely exported. All teas are USDA Organic Certified.
Adhering to the centuries-old Japanese art of practice and perfection, this spring harvested, shade grown, stone-ground matcha delivers bountiful health and enlivening energy.
The Tea Forté Gift Card is the perfect answer when you just can’t decide.
A little something goes a long way... stuff those stockings with a tea-gift that's sure to delight!
Treat your one-of-a-kind mom with soothing infusions and coordinating accessories that will deliver the relaxation and renewal she deserves.
Treat your Dad to our carefully curated tea blends that he can enjoy day after day. These tea gifts & accessories, with clean lines and a modern touch, are a one of a kind experience that every father can enjoy.
What to get the happy couple that will warm their hearts and capture their unique sense of style? Tea Forté artisan teas and entrancing accessories are perfect for creating a special moment for quiet conversation and shared secrets.
The exceptional Tea Forté experience is the perfect tea birthday gift. Choose from a selection of tea gifts sure to delight every tea lover in your life. Explore Tea Forte’s special birthday gift selection that will be a treat for anyone to open.
Treat your friends or the bride-to-be with special tea party favors—for a tea party that reminds us how joyful the simplest things in life can be.
Delight with a distinctive and delicious hostess gift of Tea Forté. By giving the gift of the leaf, you will leave an everlasting impression of exquisite sophistication.
We of Tea Forté are pleased to offer the serenity and focus, design and function of our beautifully packaged and always appreciated gifts for $20 or less.
How to surprise the hostess of that special party that you have been invited to other than showing up with a bottle of wine or a box of chocolates? By giving the gift of the leaf, you will leave an everlasting impression of exquisite sophistication.
Tea Forté whole leaf tea silken pyramid infusers come in varied collections that are beautifully packaged and above all steep an exceptional cup. Consumer’s growing passion and appreciation for unique, artisan blended teas as well as exquisite tea ware makes Tea Forté much appreciated tea gifts.
Tea Forté aims to recreate the ancient ritual of presenting tea gifts in a modern and contemporary way. In this section we have grouped a wonderful collection of the best tea gifts and designer accessories that we have to offer.
Complex and assertive, black tea is the most consumed of all the teas.
Designed and crafted to transform a cup of tea into an experience for all the senses. Excellent design is a hallmark of Tea Forté custom teacups.
Combining form with function, the making and enjoyment of the perfect tea is the heart of every creation. Ceramic, glass and cast iron teapots designed to complete the exceptional Tea Forté experience.
Electric tea kettles for your kitchen at home, the office, or as a gift.
For the loose tea aficionado, Tea Forté designed iconic loose tea infusers are perfect for steeping Tea Forté artisan crafted teas.
‘Service with style.’ Whether you enjoy that sacred sipping moment by yourself or in excellent company of a friend, our tea trays and serving trays make the exceptional Tea Forté experience complete.
Only Tea Forté can transform a cool glass of iced tea into an entertaining event. Authentic iced tea is steeped and flash-chilled moments before you drink it. Tea Forté’s unique iced tea maker does exactly that in a fashionable way.
A hot cup of steaming tea is one of life’s most treasured pleasures. Tea Forté realizes some like it without additions, but many like it sweet.
Lose a lid? We know teacup lids & infusers are essential parts of your tea set. That’s why we keep lids & infusers on stock to make your experience whole again.
Presentation is everything. Treat your guests to an unparalleled experience with their own individual tea service—a special way to spend an afternoon or cap off a holiday feast.
Loose tea by the cup.....simple. Our double-wall, 12 ounce ceramic tumbler and integrated stainless steel infuser make steeping loose tea by the cup simple. The innovative double-wall construction keeps tea hot and the tumbler cozy to hold.
Our elegant, porcelain tea cup is one of our signature teacups. The custom cover keeps tea hot, while the hole in the the lid reveals the leaf of our iconic pyramid infusers.
For the loose tea aficionado, Tea Forté's iconic AU Infuser is as functional as it is elegant.
The durable, gloss-glazed ceramic PUGG teapot with stainless steel infusing basket steeps tea for two.
Complex and assertive, black tea is the most consumed of all the teas.
A collection of festive teas beautifully presented and exciting to receive. Our comforting holiday tea blends are festively donned to celebrate the spirit and joy of the season.
Customize the perfect tea collection with Tea Forté SELECT. Choose up to 8 tea blends to fill a box of your favorites, or create a custom gift. For our 20 infuser box, select an occasion band and wrap it in message that best suits the moment.
Spring-harvested, shade-grown, stone-ground matcha is traditionally served using a ceremonial tea bowl, bamboo whisk, and measuring ladle. Enjoy the serene, centering ritual of preparing this energizing tea. All teas in this collection are USDA Certified Organic.
Retreat to a place where restorative calm and peace are found. A rejuvenating naturally caffeine-free herbal infusion to relax the mind and soothe the spirit. All teas are USDA Organic Certified.
Our limited-edition Jardin Collection brings forth an elegant assortment of organic teas curated in collaboration with The New York Botanical Garden.
Garden to cup... From the world’s most beautiful gardens comes these artisan crafted varietals of health enhancing teas with the distinctive taste of the tea’s famed origins. This collection contains all Kosher teas.
With a fruity herbal, a white and a classic black, the Tea Over Ice Sampler Collection has something to please iced tea lovers of all kinds. Flash-chilled them in our Tea Over Ice® Steep & Chill™ Pitcher Set , these teas are the perfect chiller on a hot afternoon.
A unique selection of enduring green teas known for the remarkable and essential health benefits that a daily cup can bring.
Our classic assortments.
Our impression of the cherry blossom melds organic tart cherries with fragrant flowers and green tea. Named for the annual Japanese flower viewing festival, each cup invites tea lovers around the world to breathe in, behold, and appreciate the fleeting beauty of spring flowers in bloom.
This unique and unprecedented gourmet collection of highest-grade, small-lot, certified organic teas have been difficult to source as they are rarely exported. All teas are USDA Organic Certified.
Sustainably sourced, all natural, caffeine-free teas with no artificial colors or ingredients. Butterfly Pea Flowers give each BLEU infusion a unique and vivid blue hue.
Comforting and distinctively delicious, Masala Chai is an Indian tradition that has evolved into a centering favorite for tea lovers the world over. Each blend is created with aromatic spices that encourage well-being and mental clarity.
Enjoy an everyday indulgence without the guilt. Dolce Vita, a curated collection of five naturally sweet organic dessert teas, offers a smart, delicious way to satisfy cravings for something sweet. All teas are USDA Certified Organic.
Delighting even the coffee purist, the first-flush Assam has large leave that offer a deep, robust steep that no other black tea can match. All teas are USDA Organic Certified & Fair Trade Certified.
Finest quality black tea leaves, blended with fruits, flowers and herbs.
Finest quality green tea leaves, blended with fruits, flowers and herbs.
Naturally caffeine-free blends of soothing herbs, flowers and fruits.
Our classic assortment makes the perfect introduction to the Tea Forté experience. Includes our most popular black, green, white and herbal teas.
Want to try a little bit of everything? Browse our Assorted Tea options which containing black, green, white and herbal blends.
Complex and assertive, black tea is the most consumed of all the teas.
A compilation of expert articles on the history of tea, its health benefits, and tips on how to best prepare your favorite cup.
Alongside water and coffee, tea is one of the three most consumed beverages in the world, delighting those who enjoy it across the globe. But while the drink is ubiquitous today, its history boils down to one accidental cup consumed nearly five millennia ago. Read on to discover the birthplace and history of tea.
In the year 2737 B.C., the mythical Chinese emperor Shen Nung (or “Shennong”) is said to have been waiting beneath a tree for his servant to boil a cup of hot water for drinking when a breeze blew some leaves into the water. The emperor, also viewed by many as the father of Chinese agriculture, decided to drink the water anyway, and the concept of tea as we know it was born.
Tea is made from the leaves and buds of the camellia sinensis, a flowering evergreen shrub thought to be indigenous to China. Today, all black, green, white, and oolong tea is made with this key ingredient, while herbal tisanes (casually called “herbal teas”) are made from other botanical sources, from herbs and flowers to berries and seeds. Legend has it that the leaves in the emperor’s water that fateful day blew in from the nearest camellia sinensis plant, and thus, Shen Nung became the world’s first tea drinker.
Around 760 AD, a Chinese writer named Lu Yu composed what is believed to be the first written essay or study focusing on tea. The book, titled Ch’a Ching (roughly translated to mean “The Classic of Tea”), was divided into ten sections, each describing some aspect of tea’s horticultural details, historic relevance, instructions for preparation, drinking methods, and even a quick-reference guide to hang on the wall on a silk scroll.
Tang dynasty style tea ceremony
By the end of the Tang dynasty’s three-century reign in 906 AD, the act of drinking tea had become a common pastime across China, where the leaves were steamed and packed into brick-like cakes for easy transport and trading. Near the turn of the 13th century, a Japanese priest named Myoan Eisai – now considered the founder of Zen Buddhism – took a trip to China and, as the story goes, returned home with tea seeds which he soon planted in Japanese soil. Years later, he wrote his own book about tea and gave it to a samurai general as a gift, sparking local interest in the mysterious beverage.
Over a great many decades to follow, samurai warriors would gather together to drink tea and discuss politics. The beverage was used for a host of medicinal purposes as well, thought to balance the body and the mind while warding off illness. Tea ceremonies were banned by the Japanese government in the 14th century over paranoia about political discussions, but they later resumed, and ritualistic matcha ceremonies are commonplace to this day.
Tea was largely Asia’s secret until the 17th century, when it began making its way to Europe via Dutch and Portuguese trade routes. A trading post was set up on the isle of Java in 1606 and the first transcontinental tea voyage took place between China and Europe, soon after which tea became all the rage in Holland.
Once the beverage made its way to England, it quickly became a luxury enjoyed almost exclusively by the elite class. It began with the court of Queen Catherine and Charles II: the queen, born in Portugal, loved tea and wished to drink it often, and the king cultivated a favorable relationship with the East India Company, a trade giant that operated with his full military support as it forcefully occupied lands of interest. The city of Mumbai (then known as Bombay) was given to Charles as part of Catherine’s dowry, and his decision to use its port as a trade hub played a large role in the influx of tea to Britain in the years that followed.
The first written record of tea in Britain can be found on a shopping list written in 1644 by a man in Leeds, requesting a bottle from his local apothecary. Its first public mention in the UK was a 1658 newspaper advertisement for a new drink from China being served at one of England’s first coffee houses. By 1664, the East India Company was shipping 100 pounds of “China Drink” leaves to London at a time. Throughout the remainder of the 17th century, men from the upper and middle classes would sip tea at coffee houses while women would drink it at home. But then, steep taxation put such a chokehold on the price of tea toward the beginning of the 18th century that its sales almost ceased completely.
John Hancock and Samuel Adams, and in 1765, the Sons of Liberty famously organized the Boston Tea Party, during which they chucked more than 300 chests full of tea overboard into Boston Harbor as a form of protest against taxation without representation.
With tax rates soaring wildly up to 100 percent or more, the cost of tea was doubling, and yet British thirst for the delicious drink was every bit as high. As a result, organized crime began to rise, with gangs smuggling millions of pounds of tea to the masses, stuffing the bricks with filler along the way to inflate their profits. Stateside, notable smugglers included John Hancock and Samuel Adams, and in 1765, the Sons of Liberty famously organized the Boston Tea Party, during which they chucked more than 300 chests full of tea overboard into Boston Harbor as a form of protest against taxation without representation. Finally, the British Prime Minister cut the tax rate down to 12 percent in 1784, virtually eliminating the illegal activity surrounding the coveted drink and making it affordable even for those less financially fortunate.
As tea became the drink of the people, debates began to arise over its health benefits or lack thereof. Members of the wealthy class wondered if excessive tea consumption might bring about a sense of sluggishness among the working class, and without the benefit of today’s clinical knowledge, they were clueless about the health benefits associated with the ancient drink in all its many forms
A curious footnote in the history of tea is its role in the temperance movement of the early 19th century. Concerns about tea’s effects on the body and mind began to take a backseat to the drink’s role as a substitute for alcohol, and British philanthropists started offering it at temperance meetings, encouraging attendees to lay off the liquor and drink tea instead. Largely a movement of the working class in an attempt to gain the respect of those more powerful, the temperance movement gave birth to the term “teetotaling,” which meant abstaining from alcohol consumption. The word’s relationship to tea is tenuous at best, but many teetotalers drank tea instead of spirits for extended periods of time.
Advances in 20th and 21st century medical research have brought about a deeper understanding of tea’s benefits for the body and mind, and new findings are published on a regular basis. From the anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial and antioxidant properties of teas and tisanes to the ways this ancient drink can play a role in treating specific issues, we learn new and exciting things each day about how good tea can be for us. With regard to our immune systems, the emerging field of integrative medicine combines modern treatments with natural remedies, and as we continue to learn with each new study, a daily cup or two of tea can be just what the doctor ordered.
From traditional bowls full of matcha and classic pots of Earl Grey to bold oolong blends and delicate tisanes, the right cup of tea can nudge us into our day, send us off to sleep soundly, or even help to cure what ails us. Once an accidental beverage concocted by a breeze, it’s now a universal tonic that soothes the soul and aids the body in ways we’re just beginning to fully realize. And to think: it all began with just one cup.
For the uninitiated, it may seem as though there’s only one way to make...
Earl Grey tea is a blend of black tea enhanced with oil from the rind of...
Iced tea is a refreshing beverage synonymous with hospitality, summertime...