Sunday TeaRoom 9/14/08 Local Tea Vendors?

[Chip]

Welcome everyone to TeaDay. Today is a TeaRoom TeaDay. It is Sunday, a perfect day to share many cups of tea. Shall we brew!

60% of responders yesterday indicated they "boycotted" White TeaDay for whatever reason. You can still vote and discuss yesterday's topic.

Today's TeaPoll and TeaRoom discussion topic, Tell us about your local tea sellers! Do you have a local place that sells tea that YOU WOULD ACTUALLY BUY AND DRINK?

I am looking forward to sharing TeaDay with everyone. Bottoms up ...

[Victoria]

Sadly, no. Nothing close!
But LA is not that far I hear.

[Salsero]

Today is the Chinese Mid-Autumn or Moon Festival. I only learned about the festival and the magnificent Moon Cakes that go with because Orguz, BearsBearsBears, Tim and others started talking about the delicious, traditional Moon Cakes that are eaten in this season.

Orguz shared some personal experience about Moon Cakes:

• …traditionally they are shared with family and friends on the 15th day of the 8th lunar
  month [today] under the bright moonlight with TEA out in the yards of households.
  My grandmother actually offered the cakes and tea to the moon as an act of honouring
  the moon.

As always, closeup is only a click away.

The cakes are from the moon. The tea is Just4Tea Traditional Roast Tie Guan Yin.

[Trioxin]

God no. Our local store that sells loose leaf is horrible. Most have generic names like "momma mia" Darjeeling. Just can't go there.

[jogrebe]

Yes but it is by my girlfriends place in DC. There is a little Asian Grocery store by the church we attend which sells half pound boxes of Wuyi for $3.39, which is the best Wuyi that I've tasted to date. Last weekend when I was visiting I bought 1.5 pounds of Wuyi after enjoying the first box so much.

[Terrasi]

There's a couple places that supposedly sell decent tea in Boulder, but nothing close enough for me to actually drive to (Boulder is 30 minutes away).

When I can order the best tea on the internet and receive it in a few days, I'd rather do that. Shipping is still less than gas.

[omegapd]

Well, since I still like Red Rose and I can find that at Wal-Mart, yeah...but I don't think that falls into the poll category.

We have a Starbucks in town. Does that count? I've never even been inside it. Like tea, I usually buy my coffee on-line from "real" roasters and one of my espressos is usually better than the $5 Starbuck's kind I've tried in the past. One day I need to try Tazo tea just for the fun of it

EW

[Pentox]

Hm, I guess the poll question would depend on your definition of local. Within oh 30 miles not really. There's a pair of sisters around here trying to start up a tea company, but they only show up at one of the local farmers markets to sell. It's only chinese tea as well, not something I normally pick up a lot of.

On the other hand though I go up to SF maybe every month or two and there are a few stores *cough*LUPICIA*cough* that I go to up there. So in a sense that's like my local store or as close as I get to one. Aside from that, the internet is my friend. My ups driver is my local store.

[olivierco]

There is a Palais des thés shop 5 km from my home where I buy my Yunnan, Keemun and Darjeeling mostly although I often order from them via their website.

This morning Yunnan golden tips.

[tsverrir]

I live in Iceland (population 300.000 (no joke)). As far as I know we only have two chains that sell loose leaf tea. Both seem to carry tea from the same vendor. They have one type of oolong (close to undrinkable), no puerh but a few types of inexpensive whites, greens and reads (aka blacks). Since I mostly drink oolong and pu I have to pay for international shipping for all my tea.

[Riene]

There's a Java Dave's in the city north of here, and Starbuck's all around. Rumor has it they sell tea, but I've never tried it.

I can get PG Tips at Wal Mart...

However, most of my tea is purchased while traveling or via the internet.

[soapy]

sad to say nothing near by us

[augie]

The cakes are from the moon. The tea is Just4Tea Traditional Roast Tie Guan Yin.

So, what it is made from? Looks interesting.

We have 2 (that I am aware of) in Indianapolis. Tea's Me which serves light lunch, but they are only open 10-3 M-F and all day Saturday. Their tea is acceptable, I believe MaryR said it's the same supplier as TeaVana. However, this past week, I serendipidiously walked past a new tea shop just starting up 3 blocks from my work. I instantly recognized as one that closed this past spring on the East side. I think their tea is adagio, but they carry other tea bag stuff too. I plan to go in every week and provide "encouragement" until they open!

Today is race day. I live a mile or so from the drag track and they are humming in the background. We are watching the F-1 Italian Grand Prix -- a bit of a wet start.

[augie]

Tim and others started talking about the delicious, traditional Moon Cakes that are eaten in this season..

Is your moon cake really made from "the yolks of salted duck eggs"? I have had a very negative experience from cooked duck eggs, so hopefully those are only the "traditional" home-made variety. Have to check out our World Market and see if they have them. They do look interesting.

Indpls had a Chinese Cultural Festival Saturday, but I had so much else going on and it was outside. We've been gettin a little rain lately!

[CynTEAa]

There aren't any tea shops in the area, but a grocery store with a nice 'natural products' section and a Whole Foods that is about 40 min away, are carrying teas of better quality (the grocery store does have a few Adagio items!) So if I had to, that would work. Fortunately, I'm a spoiled 'TeaBrat.' Oh, there is a Teavana about 45 minutes away as well.

Salsero's moon cakes look similar to the ones I found online. These do not have the egg yolk, but are still rather nice. I enjoy the egg yolk ones as well as the ones without. Our Chinese colleague said the mid-autumn festival is about reunion, being together with loved ones.

These moon cakes are 4 varieties to a pack. They are: Lotus Paste, Mixed Nuts, Winter Melon Paste, Black Bean Paste. They come with a little utensil pack with two little plastic forks and a knife for enjoyment outside under the moon.

Today I'm starting with Yunnan Gold and then off to my brother's for his birthday. Moon cakes and tea will have to wait until after.

Happy TeaDay everyone and happy mid-autumn festival!