When you create a tea time capsule, you are making a promise to the future. Tea changes over time, but it doesn’t actually go bad. Since 2012, we’ve been creating tea time capsules at the Teahouse, and 2024 marks the 12th anniversary of this tradition (with a pause during the COVID years).

Why Create a Tea Time Capsule?

People often seal tea with an intention, whether it’s as simple as opening the vessel in 20 years or as momentous as marking a significant event. It could be a wedding or the birth of a child—like in the case of both of my boys. I sealed tea during the first week of their lives, preserving those moments in time. Sealed tea is a meaningful way to mark the passage of time.

This year, we held another tea capsule event at the Teahouse. Many people attended to create their personal tea time capsules. For those who couldn’t attend, we received several requests to seal tea for them, continuing the tradition.

One of our regular customers asked, somewhat perplexed, why we were transferring tea from one vessel to another for sealing. Wouldn’t it be better to leave the tea in its original container? While this is a valid point, much of the tea time capsule experience has to do with the ambiance, the aesthetics, and the creation of a package that enhances both the aging process and the visual appeal over time.

Creating a Tea Time Capsule

You need a few essential components for a tea time capsule:

1. The Vessel: It can be large or small, but it should be as airtight as possible. Clay, porcelain, or tin work well. When possible, we use wood fired caddies due to their beauty. We've even collaborated with local artists to create unique, handmade tea caddies over the years. This year, we worked with Hamish Jackson, who was doing a residency at the wood fire kiln in Pleasant Hill just 10 miles outside of Eugene.
2. The Tea: Different teas age in different ways. For instance, green oolong transforms significantly over time, shifting from bright, crisp floral notes to earthy, fungal, woody flavors. After transforming it sometimes has the smell of old books. This transformation can take decades, with noticeable changes after seven years, then after another seven, and so on. In contrast, roasted oolong, which starts as a highly oxidized tea, undergoes a more subtle transformation, softening and mellowing over time. The roast flavor fades, and the tea develops richness, sometimes evolving into complex flavors reminiscent of Chinese herbal medicine.

I’m getting ready to seal two teas—Li Shan Pine High Mountain Green and Gold Dragon—both harvested in 2024, for two tea time capsules as requested by a tea collector. These teas are ideal candidates for long-term aging.

1. The Seal: Finally, we need to seal the vessel to ensure the tea ages undisturbed. The seal not only protects the tea but also verifies its authenticity. I prefer to use Mod Podge glue for adhering the seal—it’s non-toxic, odorless once dried, and works perfectly as a clear, water-based adhesive. We write the date on the outside of the vessel and the seal, ensuring it remains untouched until it’s ready to be opened, perhaps decades later.

In 2024, we opened some of the tea caddies that we sealed twelve years prior, in 2012. This isn’t the oldest tea I’ve enjoyed, but the memories it evoked and the amazing way that the tea had changed made me feel very special. The universe seemed to be giving me a pat on the back as I was transported through a sensory experience time warp. Some of the light and floral notes have shifted to deep and sour. I’m definitely looking forward to opening some more vessels twelve years from now.