Tea A Magazine

Tea A Magazine, edited by Pearl Dexter, is the oldest of the "tea-only" magazines, and I love it. I first discovered it on the newsstand several years ago when a painting by Mary Cassatt was on the cover, of a woman having tea, and I was just flabbergasted that there would be a whole magazine dedicated to the topic of tea. What on earth would they find to talk about? Little did I know ...

Dexter is a world traveler and longtime drinker of tea, and I love the imprint she has made upon her magazine. You know how some magazine editors do a good job with their book, but you just don't personally like THEM? Well, I predict you will like Dexter if you're not already a fan. She shares just enough of herself and makes sure tea is the star attraction, as it should be. That said, I do enjoy it when she shares some of the items in her personal collection of tea accoutrements and accessories. On more than one occasion, I've read one of her "Editor's Collection" pieces and headed to eBay looking for similar vintage tea tins or unusual tea towels like hers.

Tea A Magazine is the most intelligent of the tea magazines on the market today. You can count on Dexter and her writers to take you around the world (in the Spring 2007 issue we visit a Tea Spa in Malaysia), and the magazine also includes information on teawares (this one features Ida Lindsey China, on which I posted earlier) and book reviews that keep us up to date on the latest offerings for tea reading. If you're looking to educate yourself on all things tea and want just one magazine subscription, this one would be my recommendation. And at $17 for four quarterly issues, it's a good value, too. For more info, visit teamag.com.