From the classroom to the cup
Tea is a moment of focus. A ritual of comfort. A thread between cultures.
The story of a teacher who found her calling in a cup of tea.
A teacher's heart, a lifelong passion
For a decade, Hannah Sandau taught elementary school in Oregon. She built classrooms of discovery, community, and growth. But through the chaos of school years, she relied on one quiet constant: tea.
It was her focus on busy mornings. Her calm in the afternoon. Her warmth on cool Pacific Northwest evenings.
In conversations with parents and friends, Hannah noticed a pattern. People were curious about loose leaf tea, but they felt intimidated by it.
"Where do I start?"
"How do I brew it?"
"Is it complicated?"
The questions were familiar. They sounded like her students on the first day of a new unit. And that is when Hannah saw the connection.
Every tea in her kitchen held a lesson waiting to be discovered. The oolong showed her how Chinese monks spent centuries learning to coax flavor from a single leaf. The chai told the story of Indian families who passed their spice recipes down like heirlooms. The mate carried the tradition of South American communities who never drank alone. Even the chamomile had roots in European herbal knowledge stretching back generations. The leaves held heritage, and nobody was helping people discover it.
Hannah realized her two passions, teaching and tea, were actually one. She could use her teacher's heart to share the cultural stories behind every cup, making the ritual accessible, personal, and honest.
Yerba Buena Tea Co. has been blending teas to connect people since 2015. Today, Hannah's teacher's instinct is at the core of our mission: meet people where they are, share what you know, and let the tea do the rest. The teas we blend today carry the same belief Hannah brought to her first batch:
Tea connects cultures.
Rooted in Oregon. Grounded in heritage.
The spirit of Yerba Buena
"Yerba Buena" is Spanish for "the good herb." It is also the name of a native mint plant found creeping along the forest floors of the West Coast. Indigenous communities used it long before it had a Spanish name.
We chose this name as a nod to our region, to the plants that grow here, and to the many traditions that converge in this corner of the Pacific Northwest. Oregon winemakers took French Pinot Noir and made something distinctly Oregonian. We do the same with tea.
Our roots are planted in Salem, but our blends reach across the world. Every tin holds a meeting of cultures, brought together by hand, with care, in a place built by convergence.
How we do it
We honor the belief that tea connects cultures with three commitments:
How we do it:
We teach
Connection starts with understanding.
You can't connect with a tradition you know nothing about. Hannah's background as a teacher is not biographical trivia. It is the method.
We explain the oxidation process, the cultural legend, the reason this herb has been used for centuries. Not to impress you, but to invite you in. Every product page, brew guide, and collection tells the story behind the leaf so you can discover what you love and brew it with confidence.
How we do it:
We blend
Blending is where traditions meet.
We source 100% certified organic, small-batch loose leaf teas and botanicals. Then we bring them together by hand, in Salem, one batch at a time.
Whole leaves. No dust, no fannings, no microplastics. Hannah studies with the World Tea Academy because the craft matters as much as the story. When Indian chai spices meet Oregon peppermint in the same tin, something new happens. That is what blending means to us.
How we do it:
We gather
Connection is not real until people are in the room together.
We started at a farmers market in Salem. We're still there. The people we meet at that booth are still the ones we think about when we blend.
You'll find us at farmers markets across Oregon, at the Portland and Eugene tea festivals, and at events throughout the Pacific Northwest. This is how we connect: face to face, cup in hand, telling the story behind what you're tasting. Our online catalog expands that table to welcome you in from anywhere.
We pack in reusable tins and recyclable refill bags because what is good for the earth is good for the community that depends on it. Every market, every package, every order is a form of gathering.
A note from Hannah
My vision is simple. I want you to find what I found: that a cup of tea can connect you to something bigger than your morning. To the people who grew it, the traditions that shaped it, and the person sitting across the table from you.
Thank you for being part of ours.
Ready to pour your first cup?
If you're not sure where to start, explore the blends people come back for.