A Yuppie Moment

I have a confession to make. In the midst of my down-to-earth, blue-jeans-and-pony-tail-wearing, rusty manners, red-neck-loving, country self, I have a (very small) Yuppie Side. That side consists of my utter addiction to tea. I'm not talking grocery-store-tea-bag-tea. I'm talking about snobby, cultured, specialty, exclusive teas.

My friend Kim first introduced me to tea drinking. Aside from the habit-forming caffeinated effects, I soon came to enjoy it for the comfort of a warm drink on a cool night, the idea that tea has many health benefits, and the variety of soothing and exotic flavors to be found. While we both sometimes drink tea from tea bags procured at the local Wal-Mart, Kim and I have both discovered the superiority of drinking loose-leaf tea.

Loose-leaf tea is in a more natural state and is often organically grown. The short story of the differences between white, green, oolong, rooibos, and black teas are that they are harvested at different times of the growing season and dried/fermented for different lengths of time. Hence, black teas, which are harvested after they have withered on the plant and are fermented and fired the most, have a strong flavor and are commonly found. White tea, however, is a delicate leaf and is harvested while it is still green, for only a few days a year. White teas are carefully steamed and dried, and are often quite expensive.

I could tell you more about tea--rambling on about its health benefits, growing and processing methods, infusing practices, etc., for far longer than any normal non-yuppie sort of person should. I love tea; forgive me, but doesn't that give me permission to be well-versed in it?

Today, I found my new favorite store; it is called Teavana. It's nearly two hours from my house (no, I didn't drive to Philly just for a tea store), and I visited it a whopping four times today. They sell over a hundred varieties of loose-leaf tea by the ounce, along with every tea pot, warmer, mug, infuser, accessory, and sweetner (organic Germon rock sugar, anyone?) known to man. Plus, you may order any of their varieties hot by the glass. (Hence the four-time return throughout the day--Mom bought Cinnabon's in the food court, I bought tea at Teavana. Go figure.) I walked away with four 2-oz. bags of loose-leaf tea and a "Teavana Perfect Tea Maker." Oh, and a catalog, and the website address to order more from the comfort of my dorm room.

The guy working at Teavana was your regular yuppie-esque sort (or the type that isn't quite yuppie-ish enough to make his way out of retail)--slicked back ponytail and all. His first question for me was whether or not I had heard of loose-leaf tea. When I told him yes (and he'd gotten past his astonishment), and answered correctly his quiz questions about variety, type, and infusing methods, I think he nearly kissed me. "We rarely get anyone in here who is a true tea connoisseur," said he. (Ha! I had to look up the spelling of "connoisseur". I'm pretty sure that means I'm not one). Soon after came a hopeful, "You know, the employee discount is 40%. Would you like an application? We'd love to have someone like you on board." Sadly enough, I don't think he was flirting--it seems his interest was indeed directed toward my tea-yuppie-ness. And at the end of my fourth visit was a teasing (hopeful?), "Well, see you tomorrow!"

What astounded me, and made me choke just a little, were the prices. Two ounces (two measly ounces!!!) of Silver Needle White Tea [description: "This well guarded secret of Chinese emporors is a rare delicacy for a Western table. The most tender white downy tea buds are harvested only two days out of each year using the centuries old techniques of Imperial Gathering. This exceptional tea was reserved for the Chinese roayl family until just a few decades ago. Famous for its subtle taste, pale infusion, and extraordinary purity] cost a whopping $18.00!! You could rack up quite a bill at that rate.

I opted for the less-expensive, but still delightful, choices that follow:

Emerald Princess (coconut): A luscious blend of pineapple, citrus fruits, coconut, cornflowers, and roses, and green tea. Helps to prevent cancer, lower cholesterol, regulate blood sugar level, good for digestion, prevent cavities and aging.





Peach Oolong: A relaxing tea that is good for the skin and teeth, enhances metabolism, good for digestion. High quality Taiwanese oolong with peach pieces.

Irish Breakfast: [My favorite tea ever, probably because my first tea-drinking experience was in Ireland where that's pretty much all they serve.] A strong-flavored blend of Assam, Nilgiri and China Black. This tea lives up to the old Irish saying, "a cup of tea should be strong enough for a mouse to trot on."

Strawberry Slender Pu-Erh: A delicious duet of strawberry cream and the subtle earthiness of ancient Pu-Erh. A treat for any berry lover who likes the smoothness of a Pu-Erh. Vanilla soy milk will compliment this tea nicely. [See--that's not SDA, that's yuppie!] Lowers cholesterol, gentle stimulant [did we need to know!?], prevents tooth decay, and good for the heart.

Oh, and the cool Perfect Tea Maker? It really is a nifty little device. Before, I'd used a tea ball, which the very friendly, knowlegable man at Teavana informed me actually "stifles" the tea by not allowing the leaves room to expand and open freely. Therefore, by using the Perfect Tea Maker's "direct immersion method," it makes the perfect cup of tea every time! You just "place" (a yuppie word for "dump") your teaspoon of tea leaves into the maker, pour boiling water over the top, allow it to steep 3-5 minutes to taste, and then set the Perfect Tea Maker onto the top of your mug or travel thermos. The tea then drains through the strainer at the bottom and into your cup. Presto! It actually really works, I'm on my second cup of Peach Oolong right now. (After the vast amounts of tea I've had today I could be up all night).

And the tea I'm drinking right now really is better than a normal, stifled, processed, grocer's variety tea bag. I don't know if it's the tea maker, the loose leaf, the particular variety, or a combination, but this stuff is quality.

Interested in Teavana? You can check here for a store location near you. Otherwise, all of their excellent teas (and by now I've tried approximately seven, so I can vouch for them) are located online at www.teavana.com.

If you've gotten this far through the post, you're either named Kim Fortin, or I'm incredibly impressed. Kim, this post really was mostly for you, since I know you'll actually be interested in all this. Oh, and Em, it's for you too, because for some reason you seem to take interest in whatever I say. Thanks. :)

And everyone else: Now you know more than you ever wanted to about tea-drinking. You could now write a book, "Tea Drinking For Dumb-Yuppies." Thanks for reading. Go grab a cup of tea, bagged, if you have no other option. It's 12:30 and I'm resisting the urge to try Strawberry Pu-Erh! Happy tea-drinking!

PS: Emily, there are Teavanas in Boston; Columbia, MD; Chestnut Hill, MA; and Nashua, NH. And lots of other places, but are any of those close to you?