Tales of Tea Snobbery

On Falafel Friday, my friend Lisa and I went to Tealuxe on Newberry Street in Boston, MA. Lisa is a tea fanatic with a massive collection of loose teas of all sorts. Basically, I like to cheat on coffee once in a while with some really good tea. I decided to be unfaithful on this day and have some tea at what proved to be the mecca for tea snobs.


Tealuxe is serious about their tea. The place is a tea bar, tea restaurant and tea shop all rolled in one. I was quite intimidated by the place but managed to order a small personal pot of Decaf Himalayan Chai tea with milk, after looking at Tealuxe's massive menu.

The waiter (oh yes people, this place has waiters), brought me a whole service for my tea. I was a bit perplexed until my tea snob friend Lisa explained to me what the heck was going on in front of me. I fugured out on my own that the timer was to tell me when the tea would have sufficiently brewed. Once the sand fell to the bottom, it was time to take the little basket of tea leaves out of the pot and set it aside on the teapot-shaped plate provided. The tea leaves brewed in hot water and milk, which I found kind of strange but it worked beautifully so I didn't complain.

The chai was absolutely delicious and worth all of the confusion. It was the best drink for a cold and rainy Friday.

Now I'm not as perplexed with coffee as I am with the world of tea. Back in my retail days, I used to work the counter of a Barnes & Noble cafe whenever I was needed. I learned how to build numerous coffee drinks and I knew the delicate balance between coffee and milk. I even had tricks to prevent the chocolate of a caffe mocha from sinking to the bottom and could make a heart in the foam of your cappuccino. Caramel macchiato cross hatch of sauce over the foam? I was on it!

Tea however is a mystery to me.

Far out!