Robin Scala, The Fragrant Leaf
March 8, 2015 (Sun) 3:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Albuquerque Museum of Art & History

Since its discovery over 2,500 years ago in China, tea has influenced cultures and societies around the world. Throughout history, the pursuit of the “liquid jade” has influenced religious rituals, triggered wars, led to the enslavement of indigenous peoples, fostered women’s independence and ignited the American Revolution.  Robin Scala, founder of The Fragrant Leaf, will take you on the adventurous journey of this Chinese herb – from its origins in China to its spread to Japan, Tibet and onward to the West. Learn how the tea leaf changed cultures, empires, economies and the daily lives of people.

Robin Scala is the founder of The Fragrant Leaf, an importer and retailer of premium loose-leaf teas from Asia. Robin’s interest in the tea industry was piqued when she spent a year in Shanghai, China working as a Marketing Director for a global consumer products company. She visited local tea shops and tea farms, sampling a variety of Chinese teas and learning about their cultivation. She has also traveled extensively in Taiwan to source its traditional high mountain oolong teas. Prior to founding The Fragrant Leaf and to further her knowledge of tea culture, Robin worked for Takashimaya, a Japanese tea retailer and tearoom in New York City and studied the traditional Japanese tea ceremony at the Urasenke Center.  She has a B.A. in Political Science from Northwestern University and a M.B.A from Columbia University.

Supported by New Mexico Humanities Council and Sandia National Labs