Have you ever received a gift you weren’t really sure what to do with? My Grandma Dorothy had a knack for giving gifts like that. When I was about 12 years old, she gave me a unicorn latch hook rug for Christmas. I was “crafty,” so it’s not all that strange, except that I didn’t open the present with the rug first…I opened the latch hook. I had no idea what that strange contraption was, but I felt an immense pressure to be excited about it. At one point in the foray, it went missing. As the oldest of four children, you can imagine that the living room on Christmas Eve was slightly chaotic. I have a vivid memory of 12-year-old Virginia desperately wondering, “Where did that…thing…go?” along with the wave of relief when I discovered it had merely fallen underneath the coffee table. This feeling was seconded only by the understanding when I opened the latch hook rug, giving purpose and explanation to the strange looking instrument.
I shouldn’t have been surprised, then, when I moved into my first apartment at 19 years old and Grandma Dorothy brought me a housewarming gift. A shelf and some tea cups. My roommate and I had settled on a rooster kitchen, a rustic “up north” bathroom…and apparently tea cups?
And as before, what started as a weird and out of place gift, the tea cups have found their place in my home, and I cherish them both for their beauty and as a reminder of the woman who gave them to me. They are perched on the wall in my kitchen in the only space that would fit the shelf, and were one of the first things we hung up when we moved in. My kids have learned the joy of a fancy tea cup, and over the years we have added a few to the collection for special occasions.
Of course, good tea is an important part of the experience, and there is much more to a good cup of tea than just a fancy tea cup. I don’t pretend to be any kind of professional regarding tea—I drink the bagged stuff too—but there is a little science to brewing good tea and avoiding the bitter, over brewed taste that can come with improper preparation. This bitter flavor is often the result of water that is too hot. Tea leaves contain polyphenols, or tannins, and when the leaves are over extracted, this creates the astringent taste. On the other hand, if you use water that is too cool, the leaves will be under extracted and you will miss out on the complexity and depth of flavor that tea has to offer. There is a sweet spot depending on the kind of tea. On average, black and herbal teas do well with water temperatures of 180-200°F (82-93°C) while green tea appreciates a lower temperature at 160-185°F (71-85°C). If you don’t want to measure your water temperature every time, I have found it helpful to do some experiments. For example, if you use a heavy ceramic mug for your tea, you may find that pouring boiling water into the mug and waiting for the water to warm up the mug will alter your water temperature enough for the perfect cup of tea. Or, if it cools too much, you may need to warm up your mug ahead of time by pouring hot water in, dumping it out, and then refilling with the tea leaves.
Now that we have some Tea Preparation 101 out of the way, we must address sourcing. While tea bags at the local supermarket are just fine, there is a complexity of flavor and variety of options that are available at a tea shop where intricate flavors and superior ingredients are carefully selected to bring you a whole different tea-drinking experience. At 190° Coffee and Tea, you’ll experience a perfect cup of tea brewed for you, and at the International House of Tea you can buy some tea to make that perfect cup in the comfort of your home.
190° Coffee and Tea, DULUTH
190° Coffee and Tea is located in the Lincoln Park Craft District. There you will find a traditional espresso bar, and all your favorite beverages served hot or iced. Teas served from Zenith Tea Works include “By the Rivers of Babylon I Sat Down and Wept,” which is a gunpowder green tea with lemongrass, hibiscus, hyssop, peppermint, calendula, and stevia. They also serve Cascara, an intriguing tea made from the dried husk of the coffee cherry. 190° Coffee and Tea serves pastries from Positively Third Street Bakery, Duluth’s Best Bread, and Johnson Bakery, and rents out their space for gatherings, or will deliver coffee for your off-site event.
Zenith Tea Works is a Duluth-based small business with no storefront, but their teas are sold and served out of various shops in the Midwest. They offer black, green, and herbal teas, and their full line can be viewed and ordered on their website.
International House of Tea, THUNDER BAY
The International House of Tea is located in the Bay Algoma Shopping District. They began as a “fundraising project for local humanitarian organizations,” and have grown into a permanent supplier of loose-leaf tea in Thunder Bay. Teas offered at IHOT are original recipes, formulated with responsibly sourced ingredients.
Inside you will find a vast array of metal tins bearing the names of various blends like Vanilla Cream Rooibos (South African rooibos, vanilla bean, natural flavor), Cherry Blossom Sencha (organic Sencha green tea, rose petals, dried cherries, natural flavor), and Strawberry Ceylon (Ceylon OP, dried strawberries, cacao nibs, strawberry leaves, blossoms, natural flavor). IHOT has a variety of plain black, green, and herbal teas, as well as sampler packs so patrons can try several kinds without committing to a bag of just one kind of tea. In addition to their regular offerings, International House of Tea has worked with several organizations to co-create blends that local businesses can sell in their own storefront.
If you’re “not a tea drinker,” I’m confident that with quality tea and some beginning brewing skills, anyone can find delightful tea they will enjoy this winter, and beyond! I hope you’ll check out 190° Coffee and Tea and Zenith Tea Works, International House of Tea, or one of your local tea shops and find the perfect cup!