Tea party rules

The barista at Insight Coffee Roasters meets my gaze evenly as I loudly declare that tea is neglected in this town, while coffee is worshipped. After the indignation of being asked if I wanted a second bag in my cup at a coffee chain known for the strength of its joe, I’ve vowed to expose the farce that is coffee shop tea—an exposé that’s been a long time coming.

Second bag? No. No! Criminy, this is tea, there are rules!

As the writer Douglas Adams once instructed, the water should be boiling, not boiled.

Also: The leaves should be steeped three minutes (of course, this rule applies only to black tea). The water should be allowed to cool prior to pouring over green and white tea to avoid scalding the leaves, and the product should be hot enough to be a bit scary. Tea has no business in a paper cup. Tea is best made in small quantities and served from a teapot into a mug. It should be sipped while sitting and pondering a great problem or reading a difficult book. Once the cup has been consumed the world will look brighter.

And, as with coffee, small changes in the preparation makes vast improvements to the flavor. As such, it’s hardly surprising that Americans haven’t embraced tea when it’s commonly served in a bag next to a lukewarm mug of water.

My search starts at the Fox & Goose and, as expected, it made a fine strong cup, served in a teapot with a strainer. Of course, it’s not a cafe, per se, and besides, it’s not surprising that a British pub makes nice tea.

The coffee shops, I’m sure, won’t appreciate tea this way. Too poncy!

Next, I head to Temple Coffee to see how it treats the leaves. The black tea choices are sparse, but I sit down with an iron teapot full of rich Yunnan golden needle. The server informs me how long the tea should steep and how many times.

Hmm, my plan to bring down the coffee shops is not working out so well. They only make slight errors. The water is not boiling, nor is the cup preheated, but the tea is respected.

My last hope is Old Soul Co., where I find no tea in sight. I ask if they even sell it and, by way of answer, the server reaches under the counter. As I braced myself for the inevitable basket filled with tea bags, she pulls out, instead a tea menu the size of a novella.

Foiled! The brew is delivered properly prepared, hot and delicious. I don’t want to concede, but I have to admit that this town gives tea the attention it deserves, even though most still prefer bean juice. I can’t wait to see what cuppa Insight will serve when I am brave enough to show my face there again.