Worth the Wait - Tea and Orchids (Harney & Sons SoHo)

Waiting happens. It's the involuntary part of every process and it's included in every endeavor. For example, there is no tea without waiting for it to steep. The wait itself is involuntary and out of our control. How we respond to a wait, however, is voluntary and completely within our control. Sometimes we respond to waiting well and other times we do not. Yet the insights we gain during each wait is what distinguishes us from each other. I call this process character building.

Orchid Overtures

Orchids take their time to develop and those who cultivate them must develop patience in the process. The elegant orchid that captures a room's attention begins with very tiny seeds. In fact, the microscopic seed size is a distinguishing characteristic of the orchid. Then, these tiny seeds must be caught, mixed with a sticky substance to keep the seeds together, and then watched in hopes of it being germinated. The process is complex and at times tedious, but those who engage in cultivating orchids believe that seeing the resulting blooms will be worth it.

Like tea, orchids are the result of a labor-intensive process that goes beyond the pot which contains it. An orchid's silent and graceful presence in any room testifies to the fact that it not only survived the wait, but it also thrived beautifully. It also signifies that someone recognized its worth and was willing to pay the price. As a result, we all benefit. The purple orchid (pictured above) greeted me during a recent visit to SoHo's Harney & Sons tea tasting room.


Harney & Sons Tea SoHo (433 Broome Street, NYC)

In 1970, John Harney decided to found Harney and Sons Fine Teas. Even though we can view the news clippings and other documents from its beginnings, we are not the ones who endured the process. We are beneficiaries of a process that started more than 30 years ago. Harney & Sons Tea SoHo's general manager, Emeric Harney, continues the family tea tradition offering tea, teaware, books and a place to lounge. Find Harney & Sons SoHo on Twitter (@HarneySoHo), Facebook places and Foursquare for upcoming events and special offers.

Worthy Sips and Edibles
> Kenyan Milima (black tea) - rich, fragrant and full-bodied
> Ham and Gruyere Scones - served with Dijon mustard, these savory scones make taste buds smile

Handled with Care

Few items convey a personal touch like a handwritten thank-you note. We expect more from such items because of the resourceful tool used to create them: the human hand. From china tea cups to Rolls-Royce automobiles, our hands are primarily responsible for working out the dreams our minds conceive. Hands help us creatively express ourselves in writing, in cooking, in building, and in processing and preparing tea.

Digital Construction


Take a look at a hand.

Studying the human anatomy, we understand that of the 206 bones contained within the entire skeleton, each hand and wrist has 27 bones and tendons. Fourteen bones (phalanges) give our fingers, also known as digits, their dexterity and range of movement. Whether pointing a finger or writing a letter, our fingers assist us in reaching our goals. Our fingerprints bear tangible proof that our ideas have come to life. So, handle ideas and people with care.

A Hand-Intensive Beverage


Without hands, there would be no tea. From the first pluck of the tender leaf, tea is the beverage that incorporates a personal touch from start to finish. Whether hand rolled or CTC, tea still requires hands to prepare it, to pour it into a cup, and to share a moment of liquid pleasure. It is the gracious care that extends to every cup of tea and presents itself with each sip. That being said, let's use our hands to create some joy. Cups up!

#DrinkTea

A Tea in Winter: New Appreciation

Winter is, without doubt, the least appreciated season. The snow, ice, sleet, freezing rain and slush that accompany winter are often portrayed as inconvenient foes to be fought and conquered, even though the weather behaves seasonally appropriate. As one who likens the sun and beach to heaven's offsite office space, I've gained new newfound respect this year for short, dark days, snow, frost and cold temperatures.

A Cup of Hibernation
Hibernation is not death. Every thing, including the ground, needs to pause, to slow down and to rest periodically. Winter is a tangible reminder for all of us to slow down and to regroup. The days with shorter sunlight teach me to conserve my energy for tasks that truly matter and to make the most of every moment.

In addition, success is not a function of whether or not there are spectators present. During hibernation, only the ones in the den know the amount of activity taking place there. Everyone else finds out what happened in the cave when winter is complete. When it is time, all will see.

Crisp Air and Clear Thoughts
Isn't it amazing how much visibility improves on a cold day? On a sunny day, the oxygen-rich air makes the sky appear even more blue and the scenery more vivid. As I inhale the cold, crisp air, its freshness removes any and all residual stale thoughts. It's a great incentive to keep breathing and to keep walking.

As I watch the snow fall, every snowflake prompts me to notice its uniqueness. Like snowflakes, there are no two people alike and no person is alive mistakenly. Snowflakes are particles of uniqueness. When individual snowflakes come together, however, they create a force that changes both plans and travel routes.

Winter is beautiful, powerful and restorative in a way that I've previously overlooked. Thankfully, this winter gives us all ample opportunity to think about the season's benefits over many pots of great tea.

Teas to Sip By
Here are some tea companies to help you replenish your winter stock:

> Upton Tea Imports (Every quarterly catalog includes tea history)

> Chicago Tea Garden (Golden Bi Luo, a tea for every cupboard)

>Rishi Tea (For the curious, Vanilla Mint Pu-Erh is very well-balanced)

#DrinkTea

Of Tea Blends and Demographic Trends

This is what an unapologetic tea aficionado's cupboard looks like: a colorful variety of tea tins and other containers keeping precious tea leaves safe. Please notice that no one tea is vying for attention nor screaming to be noticed, steeped and consumed. Each tea will be enjoyed at a designated albeit unannounced moment. (For the observant and inquisitive reader, the clear pouch above is the 3 Essence of Beauty tisane by Fang Gourmet Tea. If you don't notice one or more of your favorite tea purveyors, they may be in another cupboard.)

Diverse Blends, Individual Taste

There is a tea for every moment and every palate. Tea is as marvelously diverse as the people who drink it. For example, some prefer their tea without a trace of additional flavors; others like tea blends featuring flowers, spices or fruits. Still others drink green tea and shun black. There are even some tea drinkers who really don't care what the tea tastes like as much as they care about seeing the word "organic" on a packaging label. In spite of these differences, this is the common denominator: we drink tea.

Tolerance and Teatime

Recently I visited some relatives and as we settled in for a good chat, we went to the kitchen to prepare tea. Did I mention that he prefers coffee? Well, as you can imagine, his cupboard view was not the same as mine. However, spending quality time with loved ones sometimes necessitates reaching across beverage boundaries. No, I consumed no coffee; we found some tea buried among the herbals. I steeped tea. He brewed coffee. We had a conversation. Mission accomplished.

What would happen if within our lives we focused on shared goals rather than our differences? After all, a spicy chai is prized because all the ingredients, e.g. ginger, clove, cardamom, black pepper, etc., work together towards increasing the drinker's body heat and energy level. No one asks a chai to taste like a Darjeeling. Indeed, asking either tea to taste like the other is ridiculous, even if they both originate in India. Each tea is appreciated for its own individual characteristics and appeal. What about people? This is an idea worth a contemplative sip or two.

Teas Worth a Sip
Teas to try include:
> Chandernagor, one of my favorite Mariage Frères blends, is a spicy Indian black tea that's heartwarming literally. Available at The Cultured Cup

> Gingers Oolong by Harney & Sons, a combination that's pleasantly memorable.

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When Steep Turns to Stew (Part 2)

Whether or not we tea drinkers want to confess it, flagrant oversteeping runs rampant. It happens sometimes in spite of our best intentions. During the brief wait, our attention wanders somewhere else and we become distracted. In the meantime, the tea leaves open up graciously. Then, after several more neglectful minutes, these same tea leaves release enough tannins to become bitter and ruined. Voilà! a tea stew guaranteed to make jaws pucker and eyes water. In memoriam of the cuppa which could have been, we sing another sad song about tea gone wrong.


Fatal Distractions

Distractions quickly derail the most carefully crafted plans, from a cup of tea to a life goal. Like oversteeping, distractions present themselves often and include anything or anyone tempting us to lose focus, to decrease momentum or to get off track. However, it is only a distraction if we choose to look. We decide where we focus our attention and how much time we can afford to spend there.

Anywhere But Backwards

Tea stew reminds me that steeping in distractions ultimately results in bitterness. A new year, a birthday, or any other major life event gives us the opportunity to evaluate where we are and, if necessary, to make adjustments. Again, we decide either to steep or to stew. Hint: a properly steeped tea pairs better with most foods, e.g. tiramisu dessert from Corrado Bread & Pastry pictured above. May diligent focus yield even more delicious outcomes within our lives.

Teas Worth a Sip
Teas and/or tisanes to try include:

> Osmanthus Oolong by Ten Ren Tea

> Organic Relaxation (tisane) by Teas Etc.

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To Spill Or Not To Spill The Tea

Words are the containers we use to carry our fragile thoughts and ideas from ourselves to others. Once we put our thoughts into words, they no longer exist within the private domain of our individual craniums. The words we share become as public as the audience who hears and sees them.

What's In Your Cup?

Words also flow in a stream and have the capacity to spill over based on the carrier. Growing up, my elders taught me that "whatever is in you will come out." In particular, my maternal grandfather, a gifted and eloquent speaker, admonished us children to pay especially close attention to a person's words. I recall him saying that "you hear a person's heart through his mouth. When it's time [to speak], you don't have to say everything because it's not their business. But when you need to say something, speak up!" Because of our relationship and how I observed my grandfather live behind the scenes, the words he spoke carried considerable weight. Consequently, I speak up.

Speaking up, however, is as different from spilling as pouring hot tea into a tea cup is from pouring hot tea into someone else's lap. Both share the same tea. The outcome yields two results: the tea cup produces a smile and the lap produces a hot mess literally. Let us use our words as carefully as if we were pouring hot tea and stop pouring them out before the cup overflows.

Tea Vernacular



Tea and words interwine within different cultures with astonishingly varied meanings. For example, isn't it odd how the current expression "spilling the tea" is now American slang for spreading gossip? As a native Philadelphian and unapologetic tea aficionado, I must protest such tea misappropriation.

In Middle Eastern countries, tea is offered to every guest and served by holding a metal teapot filled with steaming hot liquid held aloft. While mid-air, the tea is then poured into a small glass via a graceful arc. Yes, this takes strength and skill as the host takes great care not to waste a drop of tea. Certainly spilling scalding hot tea onto one's guests is not a welcoming gesture. For the record, spilling tea is not an American past time.

Tea is a sign of hospitality and welcome where someone can come, take a break, and relax from the journey. Every host takes responsibility for each guest's comfort and safety; the guest trusts the host to do so or the invitation is declined. So, spilling tea is not only rude but it violates the sacred trust that tea creates. In addition, tea generates conversation where people feel it is safe to share their words and their hearts. So, no spilling the tea here. What's put in the cup stays in the cup. That is, of course, until the first sip.

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When Steep Turns to Stew (Part One)

Tea preparation is both art and science because timing and temperature are critical factors that affect the results. Every tea, i.e. pu-erh, black (red), oolong, yellow, white, and green, has a temperature range and steeping time that combined offers an ideal flavor profile. On the other hand, there are few things more tragic than a delicately fragrant Jasmine Pearl green tea gone wrong. This signals a less than ideal outcome and our taste buds remember the experience.

Some Like It Hot - Others Do Not



In order to make a good cup of tea, the water must be hot enough to open the tea leaves yet not hot enough to destroy the leaves themselves. Achieving this balance takes practice.

It was a great day that I learned that one should not allow water to come to a full boil when making green tea. Green tea leaves are not oxidized during its manufacturing process. The freshly picked leaves are:
• Steamed or pan-fried
• Rolled and shaped
• Dried until 2-3% water content remains

What does that mean? It means that water does not have to boiling hot for the leaves to open. The green leaves are willing to open and to release their flavor at a lower temperature.

Taste the Difference

For tea, one temperature does not fit all so please read the suggested time and temperature guides printed on the tea's packaging. However, for those who choose to ignore the difference water temperature makes, there are bitter consequences.

Not very long ago, a colleague issued me a challenge equivalent to a pistol duel at dawn: attend a coffee tasting. I met his challenge, attended the event, and demonstrated to coffee merchants how to improve their tea. True, I didn't go into the establishment to gather new tea converts but... tea draws followers.

Teas Worth a Sip

At your request, here are some teas and/or tisanes to try and to buy:
• Thé des Sables (Le Palais des Thés, @LePalaisdesThes) - Dragonwell green tea blended with Damas rose, yellow peach, mango and citrus fruits

• 3 Essence of Beauty (Fang's Leaves & Petals, @fangtea) - a fragrant, relaxing tisane of rose, jasmine and marigold/calendula

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Greene Ave,Brooklyn,United States