About the author

Carly Dela Cruz

Carly is a gastronomic traveler and writer from Hawaiʻi who loves to savor the world one story at a time. She writes about unconventional encounters where food, travel, and culture meet insatiable curiosity and deep discovery.

Origins
Voices

The Way of Tea

Across Japan, India, China and beyond, tea becomes more than a drink: a ritual of memory, creativity and connection, carried through friendships, ceremonies and shared cups.

Ethics
Origins

The Mixed Plate

In Hawaii, food is a living archive of culture and migration. Spam musubi, saimin, sweet bread and adobo are more than recipes. They are love letters from the past, mixed on one plate. Local food brings stories together, feeding both memory and community

Flavors
Origins

Japanese Tea

Steaming fields, misty mountains and tea that tastes like time itself. In Wazuka, Japanese tea is not just poured ; it’s lived. Ditch the plastic bottles and dive into a world where centuries of craft turn leaves into liquid poetry.

If your brain is filled with obscure food facts, historical bites, and culinary debates, welcome home.