My relationship with tea is deeply personal, rooted not in trend or commerce, but in memory, ritual, and healing.
I grew up surrounded by the gentle, grounding presence of tea. In our household, tea was more than a beverage. It was how we welcomed guests, how we paused between the rush of daily life, and how we cared for each other. Whether it was the comfort of cardamom black tea after dinner, the floral calm of rose and orange blossom in the afternoons, the golden hue of saffron steeping in a small glass, or the sweet warmth of cinnamon sticks simmering on the stove, tea became a language. A language of nourishment, of tradition, of presence.
Later, through my professional journey in nutrition and food science, I began to understand on a scientific level what I had always known intuitively: these infusions weren’t just comforting — they were therapeutic by design. The ingredients I grew up with held time-tested functional value. Saffron to lift the mood, cinnamon to warm the body, rose to ease tension, cardamom to support digestion, orange blossom to restore calm. These weren’t just flavors, they were purposeful, deeply cultural, and biologically powerful.
I began to notice the potential of what was possible, how flavors and formats could evolve, how modern consumers were hungry for both function and story. But something was missing: a space where ancient wisdom met modern design. A place where tea wasn’t secondary, but the star. Where herbs and spices were respected, elevated, and made accessible to new generations.
LeafMeUp is my answer to that call. It’s a tea destination born from lived experience, blending heritage, science, and style into something entirely new. This isn’t just a business to me, it’s a return to something timeless.
Maryam Matinzadeh Founder & CEO LeafMeUp
