Shopping for Tea

With winter looming and the flu season already upon us, my thoughts naturally turn to tea. My personal favorite is Lapsang Souchong. I remember reading James Michener's "Centennial" in 8th grade and growing curious about this tea as one of the main characters depended on his carefully hoarded and protected stash of Lapsang Souchong to see him through his many trials throughout the book. At that point, I was pretty much familiar with your basic Liptons, the Celestial Seasonings herbal teas my mother favored and the Earl Grey my grandmother served, but I remembered the name and, many years later, when I managed to find it, it became my go-to tea, I was absolutely addicted to its distinctive, smoky aroma and flavor. Love at first sniff AND taste.

I used to be able to purchase it at Treasure Island, but they cut out a large amount of their loose leaf tea 10 years ago or so? Finding it - and in good condition - can be a task. I have always had great luck with Lapsang Souchong at Ten Ren in Chinatown. You have to purchase a minimum amount (2 or 3 oz IIRC) but they have always been great about guiding me to new varieties and offering samples, and the teas I have purchased there have been very fresh and high quality, if a bit pricey. I like them for green teas, Oolongs and white teas in particular.

I also shop at The Coffee and Tea Exchange, their prices are very reasonable and the staff and selection are really terrific, although I have gotten a few mildly "stale" batches here. I tend to come here for good quality, easier to find teas, like Jasmine or Darjeeling. I often leave with something I had no intention of purchasing and am generally very happy with the staff recommendations.

I'm sure I must be missing many great tea stores in Chicago and the surrounding area so, I'm curious, where do you shop for tea, what are you looking for and what are you drinking?

Ten Ren Tea & Ginseng
2247 S Wentworth Ave
Chicago, IL 60616
(312) 842-1171

The Coffee and Tea Exchange
3311 N Broadway St
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 528-2241



*I did a search and did not see an existing thread, if I'm duplicating, mods, please feel free to move.

My favorite local source for tea is Todd & Holland.

Lapsang Souchong is a wonderfully distinctive tea that I have enjoyed now and again. My favorite tea is probably Assam, for the full-bodied maltiness and depth.

Last night, I had an Assam with fruit juice and vodka that was surprisingly good (surprising because I don't think of tea as being a mixer, but this combo worked).

Todd & Holland
7311 West Madison Street
Forest Park, Illinois 60130
800.747.8327
http://www.todd-holland.com/

I used to go to Porte Rouge on Division for Mariage Frères teas. The storefront doesn't exist anymore, but you can still get the tea from Porte Rouge by mail. This is the time of year when people always chase down the MF Christmas tea. I'm always too late, but I should try harder.

This past Sunday I swore I'd actually learn the name of the tea vendor at the Logan Square Farmers Market. I took a card and everything, and, poof, still forgot. Their's are the only fruit-based teas that I've really enjoyed, robust and not too perfumey, unlike, say, the fruit teas from Julius Meinl or Tea Gschwendner. I tried to remember the Logan Square vendor's name so I could order and try some of their non-fruit teas. I'll just have to go back this coming weekend.

I don't know if you can buy tea by weight to take home at Intelligentsia--you can definitely buy them online--but I always enjoy their selection of green teas in particular, very high quality leaves.

Logan Square Indoor Winter Farmers Market
Congress Theatrer
2135 N. Milwaukee Ave.
Chicago, IL 60647
Sundays, 10am-2pm until March 28, 2011

Julius Meinl - multiple locations
http://www.meinl.com/

Tea Gschwendner
1160 N. State Street
Chicago, IL 60610
312-932-0639
http://www.teagschwendner.com/

Intelligentisa - multiple locations
http://www.intelligentsiacoffee.com

David Hammond wrote:My favorite local source for tea is Todd & Holland.

Lapsang Souchong is a wonderfully distinctive tea that I have enjoyed now and again. My favorite tea is probably Assam, for the full-bodied maltiness and depth.

Last night, I had an Assam with fruit juice and vodka that was surprisingly good (surprising because I don't think of tea as being a mixer, but this combo worked).

Todd & Holland
7311 West Madison Street
Forest Park, Illinois 60130
800.747.8327
http://www.todd-holland.com/

I'm an Earl Grey kind of girl (I even like it in food). That said the best Early Grey I've ever had has been TeaGschwendner's Earl Grey #69. It isn't terribly smokey and has lovely floral & bergamot notes.

I also have to give a bit of love to hometown favorite Argo. During the summer months there is nothing more refreshing than the iced green tea ginger twist. In the winter months they have a lovely Masala Chai ( for those who don't want to add their own spices) and a winter tea with almonds & cocoa that I adore as well as the Earl Grey teapuccino (steamed milk and tea).

Argo tea (various locations)
1 N Dearborn St.
Chicago, IL 60602
(312) 212-8032
6a-8p(Mon-Fri); 9a-7p(Sat,Sun)

TeaGschwendner
Retail & Tea2Go
1160 N. State Street
Chicago, IL 60610
(312) 932-0639

pairs4life wrote:I'm an Earl Grey kind of girl (I even like it in food).

Todd & Holland carries a Triple Earl Grey that has bergamot X3. I like it...but you really have to be a fan of the stuff.

I've always loved Constant Comment tea from the very first I tasted it back in the l970's. I recall visiting a college friend who had her first new apartment on Wellington in the shadow of St. Alphonsus church. She made Constant Comment tea for us that was loose back then. I had been drinking it ever since but could never find the loose tea version. I found it on Bigelow's website where they now carry the loose version.

I love to put just a slice of lemon in it.

I also like to make a pot of tea in my Friendly Village tea pot. So warm and cozy..............

As a final note many of my friends get their tea from Upton tea but they are not local.

http://www.uptontea.com

My go-to tea shop is Serene Teaz. Serene has two stores, one in downtown Wheaton and one in downtown Elmhurst. Both are near their respective train stations--so they're fairly public transit friendly.

All her Chai varieties are on sale this month.

Serene Teaz
221 W. Front Street
Wheaton, IL 60187
(630) 784-8327

or

Serene Teaz
108 W. Park Ave.
Elmhurst, IL 60126
(630) 833-8329

Yes I have forgot about Serene Teaz. A good place to go and buy tea and they have a selection of tea brewing stuff too.

http://www.uptontea.com

I've ordered from them over the past year. Excellent products, many available in sample sizes. Pages of lapsangs(a personal favorite). Also, rooibos for days. One can lose themselves merely clicking through their voluminous estate teas.

This is great, tons of new teas and places to try! I don't know why I'm willing to pull over to try an interesting restaurant I've spotted and so particular about where I buy my food, but am so pedestrian when it comes to tea shopping. This is definitely the encouragement I need to try some new things, thanks!

If money is no object you can go to one of the many Teavana locations in Chicagoland. I'm just about through a canister of jasmine green pearls that we bought just before moving here a few years back. We also picked up a nice heavy japanese cast iron pot for when we want to get fancy.

For a treat try one of the Kusmi teas - http://www.us.kusmitea.com/en/

Looks like Fox and Obel have some - I usually buy in Montreal when there and adore their Kashmir Tchai.

Some small food shops stock random varieties but I'd love to see them open a full store here like in New York.

Argo : tea :: Starbucks : coffee

I drink tea 4-5 times a day and tend to be a purist (read: I don't mix any bullshit into it). My favorite tea shop by far is Dream About Tea in Evanston. It's owned by a couple who are pretty fanatical about tea and more than happy to share suggestions, brewing instructions, etc. They have a great selection, including varieties not available anywhere else. For me, no other place even comes close.

P.S.: If you like lapsang souchong, try pu-erh (but be sure to get some guidance on brewing).

Dream About Tea
1011 Davis Street
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 864-7464

cilantro wrote:Argo : tea :: Starbucks : coffee

I drink tea 4-5 times a day and tend to be a purist (read: I don't mix any bullshit into it).

No milk, cream, sugar, lemon, honey or chai spices for you huh?

So many interesting options!

I was wondering about I Dream About Tea, I came across it on the interwebs and it looked interesting. Next time we make a WASC or Edzo's trip, I'll check it out. Also very curious about the pu-erh.

pairs4life wrote:No milk, cream, sugar, lemon, honey or chai spices for you huh?

I use honey/lemon when I'm sick, but I'm pretty much a straight up tea drinker as well. That being said, if I'm at a really nice high tea in London or Hong Kong where it's treated almost as an art form, I will occasionally tart my tea up just for the change of pace.

pairs4life wrote:No milk, cream, sugar, lemon, honey or chai spices for you huh?

Gross, grosser, no way, barf, what is wrong with you, on occasion.

Siun wrote:For a treat try one of the Kusmi teas - http://www.us.kusmitea.com/en/

Looks like Fox and Obel have some - I usually buy in Montreal when there and adore their Kashmir Tchai.

Some small food shops stock random varieties but I'd love to see them open a full store here like in New York.

Me, too! (about buying tea in Montreal) I appreciate the specific Kusmi recommendation because I haven't found a variety I've thought was worth the money. Most recently, I bought a box of the Troika when it was on sale at Fox & Obel and couldn't detect any bergamot.

cilantro wrote:Argo : tea :: Starbucks : coffee

This comparison is kind of generous, no?

The sugar fiend in me enjoys Argo's specialty drinks, but aren't all of their beverages pre-brewed? They make like liquid tea concentrates to which they just add hot water? I have a hard time calling it tea at all.

cilantro wrote:Gross, grosser, no way, barf, what is wrong with you, on occasion.

Once every 5 years or so, c'mon, it's not like I'm putting ketchup on a hot dog!

happy_stomach wrote:This comparison is kind of generous, no?

I was trying to be nice. (It doesn't come naturally.) Over the years, I've passed by Argo many times when they were handing out samples of their product. That stuff is delicious! And best of all, none of that icky tea flavor to distract you from the sugary goodness! But the place is always full of yuppies busily typing away on their laptops while slurping their pomegranate teapuccinos.

I guess the main similarity I see with Starbucks is that both places ostensibly specialize in a particular type of hot beverage, while their true product is dessert.

Ursiform wrote:Once every 5 years or so, c'mon, it's not like I'm putting ketchup on a hot dog!

Hey, it honestly doesn't bother me if people put ketchup on hot dogs or whipped cream and sprinkles in their tea! Whatever works for them-- it's really none of my business. But I drink mostly green and oolong, and milk or sugar in that would just taste strange to me. Now ketchup on the other hand.... Hmm....

Ursiform wrote:

cilantro wrote:Gross, grosser, no way, barf, what is wrong with you, on occasion.

Once every 5 years or so, c'mon, it's not like I'm putting ketchup on a hot dog!

I don't eat hot dogs anymore, and the veggie one's available don't do it for me, but when I did I put ketchup on it. Yep, I'm not from the Midwest.

happy_stomach wrote:

cilantro wrote:Argo : tea :: Starbucks : coffee

This comparison is kind of generous, no?

The sugar fiend in me enjoys Argo's specialty drinks, but aren't all of their beverages pre-brewed? They make like liquid tea concentrates to which they just add hot water? I have a hard time calling it tea at all.

Good people, Argo sells actual dried loose tea without any added sweetners. I think I mentioned a winter spice one that I have at home as well as a dried and also loose leaf tea called Earl Grey Greme (there's no dairy in it, but it is a smooth tea).

I've never liked the samples they give out. I stopped trying with their samples after the first two or three.

Agreed that milk or cream would be unappealing to me in either oolong or green. Green tea is a lot like broccoli as far as I'm concerned, it's supposed to be good-for-you but I can't get past the taste.

happy_stomach wrote:

Siun wrote:For a treat try one of the Kusmi teas - http://www.us.kusmitea.com/en/

Looks like Fox and Obel have some - I usually buy in Montreal when there and adore their Kashmir Tchai.

Some small food shops stock random varieties but I'd love to see them open a full store here like in New York.

Me, too! (about buying tea in Montreal) I appreciate the specific Kusmi recommendation because I haven't found a variety I've thought was worth the money. Most recently, I bought a box of the Troika when it was on sale at Fox & Obel and couldn't detect any bergamot.

Never tried the Troika ... but have a little collection of the mini-tins of Kusmi they sell at Pain d'ore that we're working our way through. I first found Kusmi when I was in London and sampled it at the Conran's in Chelsea ... they have a wonderful Green Tea btw.

Since my serious tea buying seems to coincide with business trips, my other favorite source is Imperial Tea Court in the Ferry building in San Francisco ... http://www.imperialtea.com/ and they do mail order. I keep their Organic English Breakfast tea around for daily use and then sample whatever strikes my fancy.

Ursiform wrote:I have always had great luck with Lapsang Souchong at Ten Ren in Chinatown.

Next visit to Chinatown take the road less traveled, walking past Ten Ren (an excellent store), around the corner to Asian Tea, hidden away on a quiet side street.



The interior isn't as fancy as Ten Ren but they take their tea just as seriously. Many of the teas are simply displayed in their shipping cartons but others are kept refrigerated, a good sign. Shelves hold a selection of premium teas, some in beautifully wrapped discs displayed on racks like heirloom plates, others in glass jars.



If you'd like to sample, pull up a stump and the owner will brew a pot at his radical tea table.



He's a really nice guy but his English isn't strong so it helps to know something about Chinese tea beforehand. But I'd also encourage rank amateurs (like myself) to pay a visit.

Asian Tea Inc
209 W 24th St
Chicago
312-209-1388

happy_stomach wrote:This past Sunday I swore I'd actually learn the name of the tea vendor at the Logan Square Farmers Market. I took a card and everything, and, poof, still forgot. Their's are the only fruit-based teas that I've really enjoyed, robust and not too perfumey, unlike, say, the fruit teas from Julius Meinl or Tea Gschwendner. I tried to remember the Logan Square vendor's name so I could order and try some of their non-fruit teas. I'll just have to go back this coming weekend.

I found the flyer for this vendor. It's SenTeaMental Moods. They sell online and, again, are at the Logan Square indoor market on Sundays.

Also, this year Santa brought me some Adagio teas, which Santa's helper told me has a shop at Old Orchard. I received three varieties, but have only tried chestnut so far. It's not super nutty and doesn't taste as perfumey as it smelled (a good thing). Not bad.

Adagio
4999 Old Orchard Center
Skokie, IL 60077
847-675-7210

Adagio
27 West Jefferson
Naperville, IL 60540
630-428-2556

What about the Ahmad brand of tea? Is anyone familiar with that. I don't know if you can buy at the stores but I do know its on Amazon.

toria wrote:What about the Ahmad brand of tea? Is anyone familiar with that. I don't know if you can buy at the stores but I do know its on Amazon.

Amazon probably has slightly better prices, but Pars on Clark carries shelves of Ahmad tea. If you know the packaging well, you can see the Ahmad teas in this photo I took at Pars tonight:



Actually, why isn't Pars discussed more on LTH as a source for teas? It's been mentioned in passing a few times (e.g. as a source for tea glasses), but the selection of tea leaves in addition to tea paraphernalia is quite extensive, and it's been smack-dab in the middle of Andersonville for 17 years.

There's something like four sets of these blue bins of tea:



And three sets of round tea containers like this line the shop's north wall:



The teas are of all varieties, from all over the world, including these flowering/performance teas and Japanese packaged teas:





While some of Pars' prices are higher than I can find elsewhere (e.g. for T-Sac filters), at least the price for the matcha I often buy at Mitsuwa seems about the same.

Pars also carries an array of ingredients to make your own tea and tools for brewing and serving:





Pars Persian Store
5252 N. Clark St.
Chicago, IL 60640
773-769-6635

Rene G wrote:Next visit to Chinatown take the road less traveled, walking past Ten Ren (an excellent store), around the corner to Asian Tea, hidden away on a quiet side street.



The interior isn't as fancy as Ten Ren but they take their tea just as seriously.
. . .

Asian Tea Inc
209 W 24th St
Chicago
312-209-1388

I'm sorry to report that Asian Tea has changed into a small, undistinguished grocery store. While the outside signs appear the same, the focus has shifted dramatically. The beautiful tea table has been pushed into a corner, the once-tea-filled refrigerator is stuffed with other goods and hardly any tea remains on the shelves.

I'm thinking of getting the boss some nice teas for Christmas, and possibly some Dr. Who-y accessories. I'd like to go to a place that knows their stuff and can make up a nice gift. Anything new since 2011?

Pie Lady wrote:I'm thinking of getting the boss some nice teas for Christmas, and possibly some Dr. Who-y accessories. I'd like to go to a place that knows their stuff and can make up a nice gift. Anything new since 2011?

No one better than these guys: http://www.rareteacellar.com/

I thought they were running a sale now . . . search around (Facebook, etc.)

We have a four liter water heater with the ability to set temperature. The default is 208F because we also drink coffee. It can be set as low as 150F for white tea.

Locally, I like Tea Gschwendner. The staff at Division and State are helpful.

If you have time for shipping I second Upton teas. One of my favorite "discoveries" was courtesy of suef at her tea-themed dessert exchange. Their smoky lapsang souchong blend Baker Street is lovely.

TeaGschwendner
1160 N State St · (312) 932-0639
Open until 6:00 PM

TeaGschwendner
557 W Diversey Pkwy · (773) 360-8009
Open until 6:00 PM

http://us.teagschwendner.com/US/en/homepage.TG