Today we’d like to introduce you to Winnie Tin.
Hi Winnie, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Teaday Tuesday started as a journal/diary type of Instagram account in March 2021, where I share my reconnection to tea and how I practice tea drinking & appreciation in a casual & modern way.
Tea is in my blood, just like any other Cantonese. I grew up drinking tea everywhere I go, from family gatherings to dim sum with friends and boba once in a while. Naturally, tea becomes a stable in my life that I did not think too much about until I moved to the U.S.
During my time in SoCal, I realized how boba hangout is basically a culture, where everyone will always get boba after food, going to the beach, and everywhere to be honest! It was amazing to see how people from different backgrounds consume tea in different forms. Soon enough, I started drinking a lot of boba as I hang out with friends all the time, looking for the best boba shops and get my craving fixed.
However, things started to change after moving to Austin during the pandemic. There are not many boba choices and I did not know where to get my tea. Hence, I started making drinks at home just like what Teaday Tuesday is doing right now. I started using random tea leaves I have at home and try to recreate drinks and creating new ones based on my favorite flavors. It was horrible in the beginning as I never make an actual drink at home before and did not know a single thing about it. All I know is the way to brew a good cup of tea and drink it straight, maybe with a dash of milk like the British, but it was nothing like a boba drink outside. It comes to my mind that perhaps I should look into my tea drinking habits now and figure out what I am doing.
I started to read articles and purchasing books about tea, mostly Chinese, Taiwanese and Japanese tea. I was fascinated by all the different tea that I just never knew. Shou Pu’er, Tie Guan Yin, Assam, Ceylon and Jasmine Green are some that I grew up drinking, to be honest, I did not even care what type of tea they were, I only knew “this is the tea I drink”. As I read more, I started to purchase more tea to try and learn about them. It has become my passion to try tea that I never had and I want to write it down somewhere that I can document this journey. Going back to making boba drinks, it took me a good while to understand what I need to do but eventually figured it out. I was over the moon to be able to make a drink I want any time I want it!
So, what Teaday Tuesday really stands for aside from trying new tea and making tea recipes?
Well, one of the main values I stand for is to enjoy tea however the way you feel most comfortable with and have fun with it! I encourage everyone to be creative on the ways to drink tea. Whether you want a lot of milk or drink it in a shot glass, it is your choice to incorporate tea into your lifestyle. There is not a certain way you should be drinking tea (it is different when it comes to tea ceremonies where cultural practices are performed and should be respected appropriately. I do believe preserving the traditional practices are important to each culture, but that should not stop anyone from enjoying those tea).
I have noticed that when people hear “tea”, they immediately connect to some boring tea that is flavorless because most tea in the supermarket are low-quality tea dust that does not represent the other side of the tea that a lot of people drink around the world. Teaday Tuesday acts as a bridge where it connects people to discover the beauty of tea and how tea can be fun to drink with. Whether you are a tea drinker that only drinks it straight or someone who only drinks it with other ingredients, there is no superiority or hate towards either side. What matters more is you are enjoying the tea!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There is definitely ups and downs on this journey. The account was primarily made to share my reconnection with tea and how I incorporate it to my lifestyle. Creating recipes could be hard sometimes as the flavors I think would go well might not always pair well together! As brewing tea is a time-sensitive process, there are a lot of trials and errors just to get the tea base right to combine with other fresh ingredients. As much as I love sharing my thoughts, there are times where life gets so busy that I could not keep up with it. I might be drinking a lot of tea but do not have the time to take photos/videos and write the review to post. It takes a lot of time, energy, effort and consistency to keep the account alive. Luckily, I have met a lot of amazing tea friends that have been supporting me and that becomes one of my motivations to keep going!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I just started working in the entertainment industry and finding my path from there!
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Don’t forget to have fun while sipping tea!!
I am open to collaborations! Feel free to contact me 🙂
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/teadaytuesday
Image Credits
Winnie Tin
