Tea shops pour expertise with every cup
To those out there who may be intimidated to join the legion of tea-drinkers: Banish thoughts that tea is only for a certain (read: snobby) crowd. And keep that pinkie finger relaxed.
Pinkie-raising, notes tea etiquette expert Sue Springer, who teaches classes and workshops on the dos and don’ts of tea drinking, is overly formal and a bit stuffy.
Tea appeals to a broad demographic, adds Tricia Jay-James, owner of Everything Tea in Snohomish, where customers range from high-school students and bikers to young professionals and grandmothers.
And another thing:
Hold the cream and sugar — except when swilling black teas — as green and white teas, among others, are best appreciated in their pure state. “You lose the quality of the tea when you put stuff in it,” said Jay-James.
Tea is no longer an indulgence reserved for special occasions. According to the Specialty Tea Institute, 2.2 billion gallons of tea are imbibed each year in the United States, making it one of the most consumed beverages in the nation.
At Everything Tea, nestled among the antique shops of downtown Snohomish, Jay-James sells roughly 270 different loose teas. On display in clear glass jars that line an entire wall of the shop, the teas include black, green and white; oolong to English Breakfast; savory to sweet. The store also stocks several types of tea kettles, mugs and traditional and whimsical tea-serving sets.
