Eighty Degrees – Issue 04

Understanding Terroir – What Are You Really Drinking?

Tea expert Rie Tulali guides us through the concept of terroir — the environmental factors that shape a tea's taste, character, and identity.
Learn why knowing where your tea comes from matters, and how terroir can elevate even the humblest leaf.

A Tax Cut That Sparked a Global Revolution

Discover the story behind one of the world’s most impactful tax policies, and how it led to the Boston Tea Party, reshaping the political landscape and tea’s place in history.

British Tea Culture – A Tradition Reconsidered

The British love their tea, but is the ritual still relevant today?
Jonathan Nunn explores what it means to drink tea “the British way” — and why this tradition may surprise or even unsettle global visitors.

Trading Routes and Ancient Trials – A Tea Cartography

Renowned photographer Michael Freeman retraces the historic tea routes within and beyond China.
Follow ancient paths of commerce, culture, and exploration that brought tea to the wider world.

The Enigma of Fragrance – Decoding Tea’s Aromas

Why is it so hard to describe tea’s scent?
We speak with olfactory expert Carine Baudry to better understand how smell works, what makes tea aromas so elusive, and how fragrance affects taste perception.

Tea in Myanmar & Laos – Laphet Yay and Monastic Roads

Wander through the old streets of Rangoon in search of laphet yay, the traditional Burmese milk tea, and take a road trip in remote Laos with a monk as your tea guide.
These journeys reveal how deeply tea is woven into local life, ritual, and identity.