Li-tea-ra-ture

Image courtesy of gubgib / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

During a recent trip to Trader Joe’s, I found myself in the tea aisle, perusing the varieties of organic teas this particular chain carries. Mind you, I have over 75 different kinds of tea in a cabinet, with the overflow crowding my kitchen counter. I need another box of tea in the same way that Imelda Marcos needed another pair of shoes.

I stood next to a woman in her twenties who was studying one of the teas. When she saw me doing the same, she asked if I had ever tried the one she was considering. I hadn’t, but told her about others on the shelves I had tried, mentioning the kind of tea they were and how to brew them to get the best taste.

She asked me question after question. There are few things I enjoy more than introducing someone to the delights and benefits of tea. After settling on the one for this shopping trip, she thanked me and told me which tea she would be trying next.

Tea plays a major role in my life–and has since I was young. Because of my love of tea and all the studying of it I’ve done, I forget that not everyone who drinks tea knows as much about it as I do. This young lady reminded me that there are plenty of people out there who are just beginning their tea journey. They welcome a little help and guidance when faced with all the tea choices available today, both in stores and online.

In the coming weeks and months, I’ll be introducing you to tea and how it rocks my world. I find that even when talking with fellow tea fanatics, revisiting the basics is like sitting down with an old friend and remembering how we met. Feel free to leave a comment, letting me know what your favorite kind of tea is and what you would like to know about tea. So, put on the kettle and we’ll all have tea.

By the way, I left the store with two new kinds of tea–mango black and ginger pear white.