[OUR STORY] Finding the Soul of Tea: Our Tea Brand (PART 1)

Have you ever looked at a cafe menu, noticed the tea selection, and felt like something was missing?

We wondered that too. Where's the gap between artisanal tea suppliers and customers searching for more affordable, yet higher quality teas than what was commonly available.

It seemed that you either had to wear hanbok and go to a special tea house to experience artisanal tea, or you were given a flimsy sachet of indistinguishable tea bags in a mug that's too big for the tiny tea bag to extract any flavor.

The world of tea seemed to exist in two extremes: hyper-artisanal or mass-market convenience, with a wide, underserved gap in between.

This growing realization became a call to action. It was the catalyst for taking our brand, Tinge of Soul, in a new direction in late 2023.

Tinge of Soul has always been our brand name, born from a desire to curate good, soulful experiences. We believe in creating moments of genuine connection and enjoyment, and we decided that tea would be the first iteration of this mission.

Our goal was never to position tea as a simple "alternative to coffee." We believe tea has its own unique, powerful role to play in our daily rituals.

It's a drink for winding down, for gentle reflection, and for pure enjoyment. My Taiwanese background helped me realize my deep appreciation for the nuance of oolong, I wanted to create a space where anyone could explore new tastes and find what resonates with them personally, without pressure or pretension.

Classic yet Fresh

Committing to creating our own tea line was daunting. We were a new player entering a large F&B retail space.

The tea industry often felt caught between two poles: either deeply traditional or fleetingly trendy. We saw an opportunity for a brand that could be both classical in its respect for quality and fresh in its approach. We embraced the challenge.

We launched at the beginning of 2024 with two teas that embodied our philosophy.

First, our Black Oolong, an exclusive tea from Taitung, Taiwan. We chose it to make a clear statement: tea, without any additives, can possess a dramatically interesting flavor all on its own, derived purely from craftsmanship. It was like black tea, but also oolong, and you could taste nutty flavors.

Second, our Hojicha. This was our unique interpretation of the beloved low-caffeine roasted Japanese green tea. Instead of the traditional green tea base, we used Taiwanese Wenshan Baozhong oolong, roasted to create a beautiful harmony of toasty and floral notes.

Looking back, we just launched because we were eager to get in, desperate to see the market reaction. Hey, as the saying goes, "if you're not embarrassed by your first product, you've launched too late." We obviously launched right in time!

The Validation to Continue

From the beginning, we wanted to be a curator you could trust—one who is genuinely excited to share something good, without making you feel like you need to be an expert. We'd get the teas directly from the farm, doing the import/export, distribution, paperwork, marketing, and sales.

The best indicator that this was working? The people who supported our very first crowdfunding launch came back and repurchased when our official Korean website went live.

That was the validation we needed. It gave us the confidence and the mandate to continue the journey throughout 2024, a year that would be filled with the challenges of not getting noticed, the joy of small sparks of hope, and the pivotal lessons that ultimately led us to build our own factory.

We'll share that part of the story next.