Writers like caffeine, right? Of course they do. Unlike many of my fellows, who enjoy coffee, I have developed an abiding love of tea. But there’s a problem. Have you ever noticed that some teas go stale if you leave them *ahem* on top of your refrigerator too long? Yeah, me too.

So imagine how pleased I was to learn that some teas don’t go stale at all, ever. In fact, they just keep getting better and better the longer you keep them around. The keys are buying the right kind of tea (for this story, roasted Taiwanese oolong), and storing it in the right (not-on-top-of-your-fridge-you-dummy) way. After sadly composting the rest of the hojicha I’d bought in Japan on my last trip, I decided to give this a try. Not just buying the tea to drink whenever I feel like it – oh no, that would be too simple. I went all the way, following the tradition of putting tea away for the future. Voila! I present to you a picture of the result: a gift to the me of twenty years hence. When the time comes, I’ll be sure to tell you how it turns out!