Stéphane Erler has been blogging since 2004. His blog, Teamasters, has been a consistent source of inspiration, knowledge, and musings about tea. In this wide-ranging conversation, recorded at Lin Gardens in New Taipei City, Taiwan, we discuss his beginnings, tea storage, the origin of gong fu cha and how it differs from most contemporary practice, and how the market has changed over the decades. We also drink a lot of tea.

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Find Stéphane Erler at:

• Website: ⁠http://teamasters.blogspot.com/⁠

• Instagram: ⁠www.instagram.com/stephane_erler⁠

Austin's Tea Sourcing

• Website: ⁠www.austinstea.com⁠

• Instagram: ⁠www.instagram.com/austinsteasourcing⁠

• Tik Tok: ⁠www.tiktok.com/@austinsteasourcing⁠

• Email: contact@austinstea.com

Use code LISTENER for 15% off tea and teaware at Austin's Tea.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background

02:20 Experimentation and Testing in Tea Making

04:16 The Impact of Storage on Tea Flavor

14:18 Changing Trends in the Tea Market

23:14 Gong Fu Cha or Cha Yi?

29:05 Sourcing Tea Directly from Farmers

33:53 Health Benefits of Tea