Frequently Asked Questions

Where does your tea come from?

As a small company, we don’t source tea or botanicals directly from growers. Instead, we partner with trusted importers who specialize in specialty tea and herbal ingredients and have strong relationships with the growers. Our single-origin teas are produced in China, Japan, or Nepal by expert tea makers using traditional methods. Our blends and botanicals come from a range of regions. In every case, our suppliers are reputable importers who ensure the products we sell are responsibly sourced from farms that adhere to fair-trade principles.

Where are your blends made and packaged?

We carry a mix of unique in-house blends we craft ourselves — our Signature Blends — and some blends that come pre-blended from our suppliers. We do all of our blending and packaging by hand in a commercial kitchen in New Jersey, following all applicable health codes and food-safety requirements.

Why do you only carry loose-leaf tea?

Loose-leaf tea is much simpler than many would have you believe and comes with significant benefits in terms of quality, flavor, sustainability, and potentially health. The convenience of tea bags is outweighed by the additional energy and resources required to produce them, the landfill waste they generate, and the often lower quality of tea that they contain. There are also several scientific studies now indicating that certain tea bag materials, when steeped in hot water, release large amounts of micro- or nano-plastics (MNPs) into the tea. While the health risks associated with MNPs is still an active area of research – and MNPs are likely present at some levels in all tea regardless of format (because they are everywhere) –  we feel that the potential risk is greater than the convenience offered by tea bags. 

In terms of quality, loose-leaf tea lets the whole leaves and botanicals unfurl fully as they steep, which brings out more flavor and aroma than the broken-down bits often found in standard tea bags. It also means you can see exactly what’s in your cup — real leaves, flowers, and fruit rather than dust hidden inside a bag. If you’re new to loose leaf, it’s easier than it looks, and we sell simple infusers and fillable tea bags (that are free of plastics and adhesives) to make it effortless. 

What is “small batch” tea?

Small batch means we blend and pack in limited quantities by hand, rather than mass-producing. It lets us keep a close eye on quality and freshness and adjust our blends with care. It’s more work, but it’s how we make sure every pouch meets our standard.

What makes your tea different from grocery-store tea?

Two things: what’s in it, and how it tastes. We use real, whole ingredients with no extracts or artificial flavorings, and we sell loose leaf rather than the finely broken tea typically used in supermarket tea bags. Customers regularly tell us the difference is obvious. You’re also supporting a small, local business and a real person who blends the tea by hand.

Why are some teas more expensive than others?

Price reflects the ingredients and how the tea is produced. Rare or hand-processed teas, single-origin teas made with traditional methods, and blends with premium botanicals cost more to source than everyday teas. Package size also plays a role. To help you find the right value, we list the approximate number of cups each size makes, and we offer low-cost samples so you can try before committing to a full pouch.

Why aren’t all your products certified organic?

All of our non-tea botanicals are certified organic, but only some of our teas (Camellia sinensis) are. It takes time for growers to earn organic certification even when they already follow organic practices, and for small tea estates the certification fees can be cost-prohibitive. Different regions are also moving toward organic farming at different rates. As the industry continues to shift, we expect more of our offerings to become certified organic over time. For now, our focus is on sourcing the highest-quality tea from trusted importers who share our values.

Do your teas contain allergens?

We list the full ingredients for every product on its product page, so you can always check before buying. Some blends contain botanicals such as fruit, flowers, or spices, which may have been intercropped with other plants – including some common allergens – during growing. Because we blend by hand in a shared commercial kitchen, we also can’t guarantee against cross-contact with other ingredients. If you have a serious allergy, please email us at info@hobokentea.com before ordering and we’ll do our best to help.

Why don’t you carry my favorite tea?

We’re just getting started, and we plan to roll out many more teas and new blends soon. If there’s a particular tea you’d like to see, drop us a line at info@hobokentea.com — we love hearing what our customers want.

Are your tea pouches recyclable?

Our pouches can’t be recycled because of the film that keeps your tea fresh and food-safe, but they are certified compostable and safe for home composting. They’re made from vegan, non-GMO materials and are free of PLA, BPA, and other harmful chemicals. The labels are not compostable due to the adhesive, so please remove all labels before composting your pouch. As we scale up, we are investigating the feasibility of using 100% compostable materials, including in our labels.