TK TK TK TK TK TK TK TK tk tK TK TK steeped in It’s tea time on a Sunday afternoon at Bon Vivant, a Parisian brasserie tucked into a side street in downtown Palo Alto. French tunes fill the air as we toast a friend’s birthday by raising a cup of herbal tea infused with mango and peach bits. Centuries ago, similar scenes—albeit with a different type of tea—were playing out in every corner of the world, in shops and in dwellings from humble huts to royal residences. Tea as a ritual and a beverage has been a staple of society throughout the ages. An ancient Chinese philosopher once proclaimed that the first cup of tea moistens the lips and throat; the second breaks loneliness and the sixth cup “calls me to the realm of the immortals.” Today’s tea connoisseurs must agree because they’re drinking $90 billion worth of the brew worldwide, and that figure keeps growing. This year, Starbucks acquired Teavana Holdings, Inc. and plans to open 1,000 new Teavana bars in North America alone. Locally, the number of Asian bubble tea shops has mushroomed, as customers sip popular milk teas with tapioca pearls—entirely different from the traditional experience. Other new tea shops are popping up throughout the Bay Area and their owners are redefining the market with unique combinations of herbs and flowers, dried fruits and flavorings like chocolate and marshmallow. Numi Organic Tea in Oakland recently unveiled a line of savory vegetable teas, including curry carrot and broccoli cilantro. As the tea talk grows, so does an awareness of the beverage’s health benefits. Tea has one-half to one-quarter the amount of caffeine as coffee. And, certain teas contain antioxidants to promote longevity and vitality. Without a doubt, tea is a hot topic in the South Bay, whether you’re slurping lavender bubble in a plastic cup or savoring black pu-erh from a porcelain bowl. To help navigate the local sea of tea, here are eight great reasons to stop and take a sip. » 78 South Bay Accent Fans of the brewed beverage are flocking to a growing number of south bay shops. by kathy chin leong
South Bay Accent - Oct/Nov 2014
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