The variety of teas now available — from single-estate loose-leaf to blends that taste like cupcakes — is taking the age-old drink to a new set of tasters
The moment where hot water meets loose-leaf tea is known as the "dance of the leaf" in some cultures. In others, the tea leaves are seen to be writhing in agony.
"This can be quite a dramatic and beautiful stage in the brewing of tea, and with some teas it is one that can be quite wonderful to watch if the tea is brewed in a glass vessel," says Katie Cyr, owner of Hamilton-based Monarch Tea, which is sold in about 20 stores in the area. "I like the 'dance' description better … It has a much more beautiful and peaceful connotation."
Her super-positive attitude aside, it's no surprise that Cyr leans toward the optimistic interpretation. After following her dreams (and palate) and starting her tea company three years ago, she says she's seen a steady increase in the beverage's popularity, especially among young people — a demographic interested in locally-made products and willing to spend $10 for 50 grams of high-quality tea.
"Ten years ago, I would have equated tea with an older demographic," she said in a recent interview, sipping on Cream Earl Grey tea, the company's biggest seller. "Now I'm seeing a lot of younger people, in their twenties or thirties."
Monarch sells about 30 loose leaf teas, ranging from single varietals such as Darjeeling to blends she creates herself, such as Cream Earl Grey and Garden Party, an herbal tea made from chamomile, rose petals and spearmint.
A lifelong enthusiast, Cyr is almost finished courses to become a tea sommelier, a designation bestowed by the Tea and Herbal Association of Canada. She also gives regular tea talks and tastings to public and private groups around Hamilton. She thinks the increased prominence of flavoured teas is drawing in the younger crowd, but says there's also a trend of foodie-types looking to take their tea-drinking a step up from Red Rose.
"I absolutely notice people wanting to be educated," she said, noting customers seem interested in knowing the story behind their tea, such as where it came from and the best ways to prepare it.
Cyr points out that the wine-term "terroir," which refers to the climate and location where the grapes are grown, is also used in tea circles. Just like with wine, those elements dictate the finished tea's flavour.
"Green tea from Taiwan taste much different than green tea from China."
Parkermanns Fine Tea Co. in Stoney Creek has also noticed that more customers want to know the history of what's in their cuppa, and has tapped into that desire by offering several estate teas: those with leaves all grown on one plantation. The shop sells estate teas from Sri Lanka, India and Kenya among its overall selection of more than 100 tea varieties.
Kaz Simaitis, owner of the King Street East tea house with wife Elana, says customers who look for fair-trade or organic food also want to know if their tea is sourced ethically and if it's pesticide-free.
"For us it's a very attractive selling point. For the consumer, it adds another dimension to what they're drinking," said Simaitis. "I think that's connected to how people are trying to eat right now … That connection to our food is a good thing."
Hamilton's Terra Teas, launched in 2012 by Gloria Clark and Oksana Halay, appears to be marketing to a similar type of consumer. Below the brand name on their tea packaging or website, the word "organic" is writ large.
Clark says the company is also serious about fair trade and avoiding products made using child labour, so purchasers of their tea can feel comfortable they are leaving a positive impact on the growers' communities.
Terra Teas is mostly a wholesaler, available in about 15 stores and restaurants including My Dog Joe, Mulberry Coffeehouse and Station 1 Coffeehouse in Grimsby. Terra offers about 100 teas, many of them blends created by Clark and taste-tested by Halay, 62. For Terra, too, the most popular is Cream Earl Grey.
One of the brand's notable attributes is that Clark is willing to make special house blends for clients, depending on their clientele and tastes. She makes an extra-spicy chai for Gameopolis, a Persian-inspired blend for Koosh, and several lavender blends for MiKel's Lavender Oasis in Binbrook.
Clark, who describes herself as the company's "tea ninja," says she's always trying to cut back on the number of blends the company offers — but as soon as one is discontinued, she inevitably hears about it from a customer and bring it back. Fortunately, she loves the creativity of the blending process.
"I guess you can say I'm an alchemist."
Tea trends
Mohawk College grad Lu Ann Pannunzio gets nearly 20,000 unique visitors per month on her tea blog, The Cup of Life. Here's her take on the latest tea trends.
Matcha: The Japanese green tea "started to get trendy in 2015 and just keeps getting more trendy." Pannunzio says people are using matcha in cocktails, food recipes and all manner of specialty tea drinks. "Because it's powder form, it's easy to add into anything."
Baking with tea: There are many flavours in the world of tea that can add a special dimension to baked goods. Pannunzio has noticed chai-infused doughnuts and Earl Grey cakes, among others.
Fun flavours: Pannunzio is one of many people in the industry who attribute a seeming upswing in the popularity of tea products to the availability of flavoured teas, which appeal to people who might otherwise drink juice or soft drinks. Sangria-flavoured tea? Doesn't sound too bad.
Drink to your health
Dr. Janet Pritchard of McMaster University's School of Interdisciplinary Science and Kinesiology sums up some of what we know about tea's effect on human health.
Reducing cancer risk: Pritchard says catechins and theaflavins in green and black teas may reduce the risk of skin, prostate, lung and breast cancer.
Brain health: A new study published in the journal Oncotarget showed that people who drank 500 millilitres of green or black tea per day had a 29 per cent lower risk of cognitive disorders such as dementia. The brain-boosting effects were greatest for green tea, perhaps because one cup contains 30 to 40 per cent catechins, which act as antioxidants and help prevent the development of amyloid plaques in the brain.
Special to The Hamilton Spectator
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