When we think about "taking tea," Downton Abbey-esque images of posh British ladies in wide-brimmed hats, frilly dresses and silk gloves often come to mind.
To a certain degree, that's an accurate portrayal – many Western tea drinking customs emerged from the practices of the wealthy British elite. In the 1660s, tea was first popularized by King Charles II and Queen Catherine of Braganza. Over the next few centuries, British royalty embedded the beverage into its cultural fabric through the invention of more tea rituals.
Meanwhile in India, chai tea dates back more than 5,000 years, though the introduction of green tea is shrouded in mystery. Whatever the origin, it is still customary to prepare and serve tea with each meal and offer it to visitors in your home. And in Japan, elaborate rituals surround the preparation of matcha tea.
So what is it about tea that has proved so enduringly appealing across so many cultures? It's probably a combination of the pleasures afforded by the multitude varieties and flavors, as well as the associated rituals and traditions, and at the most basic level, tea's effects on the body.
Research on tea is ongoing, but recent studies are shedding more light on healthy benefits of drinking tea. A 2007 study in England found that the consumption and preparation of black tea lowered participants' levels of the stress hormone cortisol. A 2020 study of 100,000 Chinese adults found those who drank more than three cups of tea a week had a 20 percent reduced risk of heart attacks and 22 percent reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease. And of course, tea contains varying amounts of caffeine, which offer well-known benefits in alertness, but also may impact weight loss and athletic performance.
More work remains to be done, but so far, it's safe to say that the benefits of consuming tea seem to far outweigh any risks.
MIND YOUR TEAS
True tea is a product of the tea camellia, an evergreen shrub – or sometimes a tree depending on the plant variety and growing conditions – native to Southeast Asia.
In crafting tea, the tea leaves are graded, says Drew Henry, owner of Spokane's Revival Tea Company. "When you're looking at tea leaves, you have these big leaves at the bottom," he says. "As you work your way up, the leaves get smaller. We only import what's called a flowery orange pekoe; it's the little tiny bud on the top of the tea leaf."
This part of the plant, Henry says, is the least acidic and most nutrient-rich. That attention to quality – both of the leaves and the resulting blends – have helped propel Revival Tea Company, based in Spokane, to becoming one of the leading tea retailers in the nation.
Henry says obtaining the best leaves has required casting a wide net. He's secured partnerships with 10 suppliers from more than 30 countries, including China, Japan, South Africa, Brazil and India, and prioritizes organic farming and fair trade methods.
After acquiring tea leaves, it's up to Henry to come up with creative blends. Some are crafted simply for flavor, while others include a nod to health benefits. There's the "pregnancy tea," including raspberry leaf, ginger root and peppermint, that's aimed at soothing morning sickness.
Other teas are simply aesthetically pleasing on several levels. The blue tea includes an exotic combination of Vietnamese butterfly pea flower, mango and lemon mint. "If you look at a tea and it just looks like plain black tea versus you see real mango, you see the yellow marigold petals ... you have this idea of what it is going to taste like," Henry says. "The way we view tea is you see it, you smell it and then you taste it, and there's some science behind that."
CUP OF CULTURE
Whether sipping on some tea while catching up with a friend, or performing slow and deliberate rituals to participate in a centuries old ceremony, tea is an experience before anything else.
Nowhere is this more emphasized than the Brambleberry Cottage, a long-running, Spokane tearoom. Dawn Kiki and her mother opened the tearoom on Nov. 24, 1995, on, as Kiki says, "a whim."
Parties can reserve the tearoom and sample Brambleberry Cottage's food and blends. The Cottage offers three tiered tea services, which are modeled off tea drinking customs in England.
The Tea and Light Refreshments package includes finger sandwiches, a freshly baked scone, fruit cake and bottomless tea, and is modeled after what the British call "afternoon tea" or "low tea" – that's not a derogatory comment but rather an acknowledgement that "low tea" is traditionally served at a low table.
Meanwhile, the Cottage's most exclusive package is High Tea – and you guessed it, it's served at a high table – which is a hearty meal served on the finest china.
Reservations, tiers, high and low! The truth is, these services are surprisingly affordable, with the High Tea package being offered at $32. And the atmosphere is far from pompous. "We just want you to feel welcome, and don't want you to stress about which fork to use," Kiki says.
When reserving the tearoom online, customers fill out a field explaining what the occasion is, which provides the Cottage staff further guidance on how to personally tailor the experience to the guest. The Cottage has hosted everything from anniversary dates to baby showers to retirement parties and more. "They don't just leave with tea, they leave with a memory," Kiki says.
For Whitworth University student Hassan Shah, who's from Pakistan, Kiki's sentiment rings true because tea is so deeply entrenched in his memories.
While growing up in Pakistan, tea was a daily part of his life. Tearooms are prevalent there, and he learned as a child how to make tea, a process he perfected throughout his teenage years. He notes that in his culture, tea is prepared while cooking other dishes, so while brewing tea, "You don't have to be focused."
Having derived influence from India, the most popular teas in Pakistan are chai and green tea. With a smile, Shah explained that chai is the Hindi word for tea, so when Americans order a "chai tea," they're ordering a "tea tea." Chai is typically a blend of black tea with various aromatic spices – think cinnamon, ginger, cardamom and cloves.
Without giving away Shah's tea making secrets, he is willing to share that a key component of brewing chai is aerating the mixture, which can be achieved through thoroughly mixing ingredients and straining them from a higher altitude. This, he claims, accentuates the flavor of the rich, earthy spices.
Along with its delicious taste, Shah says chai is used to treat headaches. In fact, whenever his mom had a headache, Shah would brew her a chai. He reflects that she probably misses his tea making skills since he moved to America, and he's thankful for the opportunity to connect to his family and that experience every time he brews chai for himself or shares his skills at Whitworth's International Student Center.
What it boils down to is pretty basic: In spite of the multitude of flavors, the ceremonies and service, and the health benefits, Kiki says, "Tea is really a labor of love."
