Nectar of the Gods

While the actual identity of aforementioned "nectar" may vary from person to person, for me, the uber-beverage is tea. Good, strong black tea, with a spoonful of sugar, no milk. It is a rare and bad day when I do not have my morning cup of tea. My favorite type is Lapsang Soushong, which is an intense, strong, smoky tea. Not many people have heard of it, and it can be hard to find, although I have found it at my local Whole Foods (yay!!). Sometimes, when I have ordered it at the rare place that has it, the server will question me to make sure that I have had it before, just because the smokiness is so pungent and surprising. Russian Caravan is another smoky tea that is similar to Lapsang Soushong.

I have started to notice tea places stealthily creep into the domain of the coffee shops. Nestled in amongst the Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, and the rare, occasional independent like 1369 Coffee Shop, you now see places like Teavana, Tealuxe, Dado Tea, and Karma Tea (and Yoga Studio).

The tea shops all have one thing in common: they take an Asian/Zen approach to tea. Many of them still offer the "right" kinds of tea for those of us who have a more British sensibility (even if I forgo the milk!). I can only conclude that this retail preference is because when you think of "tea" and "England," what comes to mind is a musty old B&B or tearoom decorated in Laura Ashley floral toile and populated by women reminiscent of Hyacinth Bucket ("boo-KAY") from Keeping Up Appearances. When you think of "tea" and "Asia," what comes to mind? Perhaps it is Buddhism, the Japanese tea ceremony, the endless pots of toasty green tea at sushi restaurants, beautiful flowers in the bottoms of glass teapots... the bottom line is that British style = old and busted (don't tell this to Topshop, though!) and Asian style = the new hotness.

I think that this is why you go in these places like Teavana, Dado, and Karma and see pale sage green or red decor, weighty metal teapots that look slightly squashed, bamboo flooring, and cups without handles. That aesthetic is very calming, and it recalls a very British attitude towards tea- that of a panacea, a calmer in times of trouble, something to relax with a friend or a book or a crossword puzzle over. Tea, whether British or Asian, is a beverage to be savored, not guzzled on the go for a quick shot of energy. When that's what I want, I'll have my tall nonfat vanilla latte, thanks!