Global Tea Institute for the Study of Tea Culture and Science, UC Davis

Global Tea Institute for the Study of Tea Culture and Science, UC Davis Global, Intellectual & Cultural Exploration of Tea; fosters teaching and research.

The Global Tea Initiative for the Study of Tea Culture and Science at UC Davis is driven by the long history and cultural importance of tea beginning in Asia and spreading to almost every continent in the world; the dearth of tea-related scholarship in most disciplines; our campus’s wide-ranging expertise in the humanities and social sciences which we bring to bear on tea in Asia, Africa, Europe,

and the Americas; and our complementary campus strengths and research traditions in nutrition and agricultural sciences. The Global Tea Initiative fosters a teaching, research, and outreach effort meant to involve the whole campus, in addition to regional, national, and international partnerships. UC Davis will become a global resource for tea and tea-related studies in agriculture and health and be the world’s leader in tea-related studies in the humanities, arts, and social sciences.

GTI was well-represented at the Global Tea Conference at UVA today.
04/11/2026

GTI was well-represented at the Global Tea Conference at UVA today.

Victor Mair (by Zoom) speaking on the most amazing bowl on the history of tea bowls. (Belitung Shipwreck cargo excavatio...
04/10/2026

Victor Mair (by Zoom) speaking on the most amazing bowl on the history of tea bowls. (Belitung Shipwreck cargo excavation; before 830 CE) at the Global Tea Culture and Science conference, in collaboration with UCD’s GTI.

Excellent curator talk by Huajie Catherine Fan at the Fralin Museum of Art.
04/09/2026

Excellent curator talk by Huajie Catherine Fan at the Fralin Museum of Art.

Three GTI members are off to Charlottesville to present at the Global Tea Conference at the University of Virginia. Broa...
04/07/2026

Three GTI members are off to Charlottesville to present at the Global Tea Conference at the University of Virginia. Broad range of topics covered--see schedule in the link!

Global Tea Conference

GTI was proud to be part of this inaugural California tea day. So much excitement from potential growers. Who knows, in ...
03/19/2026

GTI was proud to be part of this inaugural California tea day. So much excitement from potential growers. Who knows, in 20 years you might find yourself at a cafe in Paris where they’ll offer you their exclusive list of CA teas!

In Parlier, CA—exciting to be among a lot of California farmers interested in getting in on the ground floor for tea gro...
03/19/2026

In Parlier, CA—exciting to be among a lot of California farmers interested in getting in on the ground floor for tea growing in the state!

The Shinzen Friendship Gardens in Woodward Park is definitely worth a visit if you are near or passing through Fresno, C...
03/18/2026

The Shinzen Friendship Gardens in Woodward Park is definitely worth a visit if you are near or passing through Fresno, CA. They sponsor many events, including Japanese Tea demonstrations on some weekends—worth checking out!

03/07/2026

Thanks for coming to Chair Share today at the site we hope will be the physical site of the Global Tea Institute. Met so many wonderful people and enjoyed sharing tea with them!

Join us for tea  Davis Arboretum 11AM-1PM 3/6/26 - chairs will be there all day.  Location in arboretum is West of Gorma...
03/04/2026

Join us for tea Davis Arboretum 11AM-1PM 3/6/26 - chairs will be there all day. Location in arboretum is West of Gorman Museum. Tea, of course, will be served and maybe some tea meditations?

If the winter weather is starting to get you down, we’ve got just the thing to lift your spirits. The Arboretum Ambassadors are hosting a Chair Share event in collaboration with the Global Tea Institute.

The UC Davis student global tea club enjoyed a lecture and guided tasting from world renowned tea expert Kurush Bharucha...
02/20/2026

The UC Davis student global tea club enjoyed a lecture and guided tasting from world renowned tea expert Kurush Bharucha, former Chief Quality Custodian for Lipton International, who zoomed in from Mumbai!

How do we taste tea?Join Professor Jean-Xavier Guinard at the Global Tea Institute’s Colloquium, Jan 29th @ 10AM, as he ...
01/26/2026

How do we taste tea?
Join Professor Jean-Xavier Guinard at the Global Tea Institute’s Colloquium, Jan 29th @ 10AM, as he explores the sensory science behind tea—from aroma to flavor perception. Explore the uniquely UC Davis contribution to sensory and taste by exploring the new tea flavor wheel! Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/uc-davis-gtis-11th-annual-colloquium-the-art-of-tea-tickets-1977967819995

tasting wheel cut-away from Aromaster / aromaster.com, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons. watch this video on UC Davis and the innovation of tasting wheels here: https://youtu.be/COBNIEQzxd0?si=PNyAeN6GldBNHNG0

Address

1 Shields Avenue
Davis, CA

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 5pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 5pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 5pm
Thursday 8:30am - 5pm
Friday 8:30am - 5pm

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