Jim states on his Website that he “didn't learn how to drink tea like a normal person.” By that, he seems to mean that he didn’t learn how to drink tea like most people in the U.S. did, i.e., teabags full of dust dunked in barely hot water or powdered tea in a jar to make “instant” iced tea. (What constitutes a “normal person” is still a matter of debate among psychiatrists around the world and certainly in my household.) In any event, he certainly learned a thing or two about tea that most of us in the U.S. don’t know.
Jim’s big tea adventure began after college when he moved to Taichung City, Taiwan. From walk-ups serving bubble tea or green and oolong teas with lemon, to cruising the tea plantations surrounding the city, he learned quickly and brings this knowledge to his tea company (based in Chicago). Yet, he keeps things simple and fun for his customers.
Along with all this simplicity and fun, Shui Tea emphasizes the same approach to tea that I do. Use loose, full leaf teas whenever possible and let them expand in the water. Save the teabags for making some Southern-style sweet tea or to serve to unwanted guests. (There are a couple of teas for which I make an exception.) Let the tea taste come through without a lot of sugar (I use an artificial sweetener that keeps both my doctor and the dentist happy). Focus on a few exceptional teas as opposed to carrying a big chunk of the hundreds out there. It all sounds good to me.
Bottom line, Shui Tea knows that “a well-informed customer is a happy customer.” To that end, their site includes a bunch of tea info written in a very straightforward manner. From what types of tea there are, to the facts about caffeine, to tea terms, to brewing tips, you’ll be comfortable with tea in no time just by reading the site (which recently underwent a major redesign).
Shui Tea is on Twitter (Twitter name is “jimmydoestea”). Tweet Jim a friendly “Hello” and he’ll be sure to tweet back.
Check out Lainie Peterson’s review of Shui Tea’s Yin-Yang “Coffee Tea.” This could be a good tea for those of you transitioning away from coffee. (My “tea princess” tummy can’t stand even a hint of coffee, so you’ll have to let me know how you like it.)
My own reviews of the three samples Jim sent me are posted on Little Yellow Teapot Tea Reviews, my companion blog.
- Pu-erh
- Act Normal Black Tea
- Imperial Mountain Green Tea
Hope you’ll have a moment to check them out. Meanwhile, happy tea drinking!
Taken from http://teatimewithaccargill.blogspot.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment