Takashimaya teapots

A The Takashimaya porcelain and wood teapot by Stefanie Hering, for sale at Takashimaya, was spotted in the Times Shopping With column. View some of the company's other teapots Takashimaya stocks:

• Ceramic teapot (Alice Goldsmith)
  
• Iron teapot (Uko Morita)
  
• Glass teapot

Iyemon Cha, roasted and original

Coming to a store near you, or so we were told, Iyemon Cha. We sampled the roasted and original versions at a weekend street fair. I strongly prefer the nutty, rice flavor of the roasted Iyemon. Iyemon is not made from rice; it is a green tea. The original tea was bitter and astringent.

Tea of the morning: Melange de Chamonix

A cold, damp, foggy Bay Area morning. In addition to wearing woolen slipper socks, I brewed a cup of tea whose taste reminds me of a fresh slice of Jamaican rum cake. Melange de Chamonix, ordered from Upton Tea Imports, is composed of India black tea, cocoa, cardamom pods, and cinnamon.