Field Notes · 003

How we blend our teas

13 September 2026 · Keika Sugiyama

I’ve had a ton of people ask me how we blend our teas. Where do I start, and whether there are any rules or principles that apply to each blend.

The short answer is: I go off of vibes. It’s not like I went to a tea blending school…though maybe I should. Surely it would help me become more structured. I experiment as I go.

The long answer is: I try not to make my blends too complicated. I try to keep to 2 ingredients – no more than 3. Anything more than that just reminds me of complicated blends from traditional tea brands where I have no idea whether an ingredient even adds anything. I also don’t add any additives or flavorings to artificially boost a certain smell, like countless other tea brands do. I keep it au naturel. I believe in honest materials, whether it be furniture or tea. That’s pretty much my only principle.

Other than that, I start with a base tea – say persimmon leaf. Since the whole point of Teasan is to educate and let people experience all these different Japanese caffeine-free teas, I don’t want to mask the natural notes of the base tea. Persimmon leaf tea on its own, at least the one I sourced, is incredibly unique and feels like a combination of thick honey, peppercorns, and aluminium. But it’s missing the fruitiness that you would expect from the name. So I thought that perhaps adding yuzu, a bright and slightly bitter Japanese citrus, would be a good idea to lift up the whole palate a bit more. So then I experimented with different types of yuzu, adjusted the ratios, and I landed with my current signature blend of Yuzu Persimmon Leaf tea.

This past week I felt ready to add some more variety to the mix, so I experimented with some new blends with my other bases. I must’ve tried like 80 different combinations with various ingredients before I landed on something that I was quite happy with.

Meet: Osmanthus Barley, and Strawberry Red Bean.

Osmanthus Barley is a sexy, sultry take on the otherwise very simple barley tea. I call it “cigarettes after sex.” And Strawberry Red Bean reminds me of a Pinot Noir. Something I’d drink on a chill evening. Perhaps a boardgame night with friends.

I hope you will love these teas as much as I do, but I’d love to hear your unfiltered honest thoughts.