BRIDGE TO REFINEMENT
David Lange, vice president at Consumers
Choice Coffee in Louisville, Ky., says it’s
remarkable how refined and knowledgeable
diners are getting when it comes to tea.
“A lot of people will start their day with
coffee, and switch to tea in the afternoon,
as the bridge between lunch and dinner,” he
explains. “When they traverse that bridge,
they’re looking for good-quality tea.”
“We use biodegradable, compostable
pyramid bags that give you the enjoyment
of whole-leaf tea.”
•;Avoid;hot;wAter, especially
when you’re serving hot tea. “Use
boiling water, not hot water,” says
Joseph Simrany, president of The
Tea Association of the USA, New
York. “You should never dunk a
teabag into a cup of lukewarm
water and let it sit. Sure, you’ll get
color, but no flavor whatsoever.”
Teatulia recently launched its corn-silk
pyramid tea bags individually wrapped,
hoping to target top boutique hotels and
their room-service menus.
•;wAter-wise Watch your water
when you serve tea, Simrany adds—
its quality, in particular. “Tea is totally
dependent on the quality of the water.
If there’s chlorine or sediment in your
water, for example, you won’t get the
right flavor.”
Consumers Choice Coffee supplies
restaurants with a variety of tea options,
among them flowering teas from Numi
Organic Tea, Oakland, Calif. “A lot of our
customers are producing tea menus with
descriptions of their teas,” Lange says.
“They bring their tea out in a nice wooden
chest, and make a whole presentation of it
so it’s something special.”
CHECK THE BAG
There’s been a trend toward loose-leaf tea
served in silk sachets, says Lange. “
Loose-leaf tea can be a bit messy. When it comes
in silk sachets, though, like our Novus line of
teas, you get the performance of loose-leaf
tea without the mess. That presentation is
really popular in white-tablecloth restaurants.”
•;A;cleAn;cup Nothing kills the
flavor of tea faster than an unclean
cup, for example, one with traces of
the last cup of coffee it contained.
“If there are flavors from coffee in
the cup, you’re guaranteed to ruin
the flavor of the tea,” Simrany says.
Good tea is all about the details, not the
least of which is the bag holding the tea.
“Tea in conventional tea bags is CTC tea—
cut-tear-chop, also known as cut-tear-curl
or crush-tear-curl,” says Linda Appel, CEO
of Teatulia. “It tends to be a lower-quality
product. The tea can be good and from a
good source, it just doesn’t tend to hold up
as well when it is processed this way.
Seattle-based Starbucks’ Tazo Tea offers
whole-leaf teas in pyramid bags, too.
“They’re leading the parade with a line of
specialty teas, and they’re making money
doing it,” Simrany says.
The future is looking bright all around for
tea, he adds. “Even on the high-end side,
the most exclusive teas are still affordable
to virtually anyone, because a little bit of tea
goes a long way. A lot of people compare
tea to fine wine, but unlike fine wine,
specialty tea remains inexpensive.”
•;serve;it;swell “Presentation
is critical,” says David Lange, vice
president at Consumers Choice
Coffee, Louisville, Ky. “Don’t just
throw a tea bag on the table. Think
about your presentation, because
it means a lot.” Parker Ramey,
manager at Colt & Gray, Denver,
agrees: “Take your tea seriously,”
he advises. “Think about how you’re
providing all your service to your
guests, and make sure your tea
service is included. If you take your
tea seriously, your guests will, too.”
Lauren Kramer, an award-winning writer
based in Vancouver, Canada, is passionate
about gourmet food and delights in tasting
it and writing about it.
•;steep;it;right: “Make sure
you steep your tea correctly,” says
Emily Morrison, general manager
at The Steeping Room, Austin,
Texas. “People mess up their tea
too often by steeping it too long
and with the incorrect quantity of
water. I suspect most people who
don’t like tea have had an inferior
product steeped incorrectly.”
For additional tea tips, visit www.
teausa.org/general/pdf/bunn_tea_
basics_brochure.pdf.
