Delft & Tea https://delfttea.fun/ Notes on tea from a software developer in Delft. Japanese ceremony, Dutch afternoons, gaiwan brewing, and everything in between. en-us Sun, 04 May 2026 12:00:00 +0000 https://delfttea.fun/assets/og-preview.png Delft & Tea https://delfttea.fun/ Learning the Gaiwan: Three Months of Fumbling https://delfttea.fun/blog/gaiwan-guide.html https://delfttea.fun/blog/gaiwan-guide.html Tue, 14 Apr 2026 09:00:00 +0000 I burned my fingers a dozen times before it clicked. A practical guide to gaiwan brewing for the impatient beginner who doesn't want to read the entire history of Chinese ceramics first. Why Water Temperature Is the One Thing You Can't Ignore https://delfttea.fun/blog/water-temperature.html https://delfttea.fun/blog/water-temperature.html Sun, 22 Mar 2026 09:00:00 +0000 Boiling water ruined more of my teas than anything else in the first year. The numbers, the reasoning, and a simple habit that fixed most of my problems. Six Months Inside the Oolong Rabbit Hole https://delfttea.fun/blog/oolong-exploration.html https://delfttea.fun/blog/oolong-exploration.html Sat, 28 Feb 2026 09:00:00 +0000 From Taiwanese High Mountain to Wuyi Rock — what I ordered, what surprised me, what I'd skip if starting over, and a few importers worth knowing about. The Dutch Afternoon Tea Habit (And How It Changed Mine) https://delfttea.fun/blog/dutch-afternoon.html https://delfttea.fun/blog/dutch-afternoon.html Sat, 31 Jan 2026 09:00:00 +0000 The Netherlands doesn't have a formal tea ceremony. What it has instead is stubbornness about breaks, and I've come to appreciate it. A Year in Tea: 2025 https://delfttea.fun/blog/year-in-tea-2025.html https://delfttea.fun/blog/year-in-tea-2025.html Mon, 29 Dec 2025 09:00:00 +0000 What I drank, what I learned, and what I'd do differently. Ending 2025 with more questions than I started with — which feels right. My First Chado Session in Rotterdam: What I Got Wrong https://delfttea.fun/blog/japanese-ceremony-intro.html https://delfttea.fun/blog/japanese-ceremony-intro.html Fri, 05 Dec 2025 09:00:00 +0000 I showed up expecting meditative calm. What I found was a discipline about paying attention that I wasn't remotely prepared for. Matcha in a Delft-Blue Bowl: An Unlikely Pairing https://delfttea.fun/blog/delft-matcha.html https://delfttea.fun/blog/delft-matcha.html Wed, 12 Nov 2025 09:00:00 +0000 Delft earthenware pottery meets Japanese powder tea. It works better than it sounds, and it started a longer conversation about material, ritual, and place.