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From
the Editor: Our Social CommuniTEA
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Sue Worthman
The East invented tea as a drink, but the West
invented ‘tea’ as an occasion. Noblemen used tea in an
elegant, formal ceremony—and as a tradeable, profitable
commodity. Noblewomen turned tea into a casually formal
social event, where conversation was traded with
profiteroles. The middle classes embraced tea
everywhere. Older generations took their tea plain or
with some combination of lemon, milk and sugar. Younger
generations have added tapioca ‘bubbles’ to that
list.
For over 300 years, around the globe, across
generations and incomes, people have been brought
together over cups of tea. Making business and social
contacts. Celebrating and commiserating. Conversing.
Laughing.
That’s what we at L’Amyx are all about. Using tea as
a vehicle to expand our connections, our conversations,
our community. We love that people gather at L’Amyx in
both solitude and groups, savoring the company of
others.
It’s an ongoing tea social, a tea exchange where the
currency is a ‘cuppa’ and the wish to ‘sip’. So read on
and drop by. You’re a part of our community. The
communi-tea of L’Amyx. The lifestyle of
tea. What's
New: Tea of the Month Club
-
Sue Worthman
Here’s a ‘communi-tea’ with the perfect ‘be-leaf’
system for tea-lovers everywhere: L’Amyx’s “Tea of the Month
Club”, our new mail-order subscription tea service.
Each month, we’ll send subscribers a sample collection
of three, high-quality whole leaf teas, carefully
selected and gathered by L’Amyx. To ‘sweeten’ the deal,
we’ll send along a small bag of our delicious tea
cookies. Plus, a brewing basket will be included with
the first month shipment. That’s three teas every month,
plus cookies—practically a tea party in a box!
Perfect for anyone, from the new tea drinker to a
longtime connoisseur, the “Tea of the Month Club” is
like having a tea café and tastings in your own home.
Subscriptions come in 3, 6, 9 or 12 month increments.
Which means one could sample up to 36 different teas,
all without leaving home.
Join the club! Give the gift of tea to yourself, a
friend, a relative or even a business associate. For
subscription rates and registration, visit www.lamyx.com/teaclub
or come by the store. A world—and months—of tea are
waiting to be discovered.
Tea
Education: Socializing Tea
-Sue
Worthman
Although tea drinking originated in Asia, the fashion
of ‘teas’ as an occasion for social gathering is a
decidedly European convention. During the 18th century,
dinner—i.e, the main meal of the day—gradually moved
from being served between 11am and 2pm (and lasting 2-3
hours), to a later and later time, such that by the
early 1800s, the normal time was somewhere between 7:00
and 8:30 pm. As a result, an extra meal—called
luncheon—had been created to fill the midday gap. This
new meal was very light and relatively short, which made
for a long afternoon with no refreshment and people
feeling rather hungry. The story says that it was Anna
Maria, the 7th Duchess of Bedford of Woburn Abbey in
Bedfordshire, who had the idea of asking her maid to
bring all the tea making equipment to her private
boudoir at 5 o’clock so that the she could enjoy a cup
of tea with a slice or two of bread and butter. Anna
Maria found this afternoon tea such perfect refreshment
that she soon started inviting her friends to join her
in her room, thus establishing a new social event.
Wealthy English ladies came to afternoon tea gatherings
not so much to eat as to meet their friends, catch up on
gossip, chat about the latest fashions and scandals, be
seen in the right places among the right people and, in
passing, to drink tea and nibble daintily on small
sandwiches and sweets.
Once the trend had been set, fashionable society
started to hold tea parties to suit almost any occasion.
There were drawing room teas for groups of 10 or 20
visitors, small intimate teas for 3 or 4 friends, tea in
the garden, ‘at home’ teas, tea receptions for up to 200
people, tennis teas, croquet teas, and picnic teas. Even
churches began holding ‘teas’ and other socials. The
growing middle classes imitated the rich and found that
tea was a very economical way of entertaining several
friends without having to spend too much money. Pots of
tea and a few small teatime treats such as crustless
sandwiches, hot buttered toast and scones, little
pastries, and a cake or two were all that were required
and expected.
Afternoon Tea migrated to the ‘colonies’, including
the US, and was in full Western culture swing by the
Victorian era. “Teas” are still a wonderful way to
entertain neighbors, friends, and even business
acquaintances. A 300-year tradition that’s changed
little in form or function.
—source: “The Tea Companion” by Jane Pettigrew
Tea
Recipe: Fresh Peach Iced Tea
- 1 teaspoon Peach Black tea
- 1/2 teaspoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon orange zest
- 2 cups boiling water
- 1/4 fresh peach, peeled and diced
Combine tea, honey, zest and water in a glass or
ceramic teapot. Add boiling water, cover and steep for 5
minutes. Place diced peaches in a tall glass filled with
ice. Strain and pour tea over ice to serve.
Customer
Corner
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Name:
Carmen Ortiz
City:
Oakland
Occupation: Non-profit
executive director
Favorite
Tea: Jasmine |
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“I’m a convert from strong Peet’s coffee to
tea. A few years ago I was drinking 4-5 cups of
coffee every day. But when I was diagnosed with
cancer, I gave up sodas and coffee, and switched
to drinking green and black tea. Now I’m a full
believer in the curative value of tea and its
ability to strengthen the immune. I’m not as shaky
as when I was drinking coffee. There’s just
something about the soothing, calming effect of
tea. It’s something to sip, not gulp. Besides, I
love the taste. I’m addicted to
Jasmine!”
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Karmina
Tea
Tender |
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| Favorite
Tea: Kukicha
Creative types—artists, writers, poets,
designers, dancers, musicians—seem to have a
special affinity for cafes. Ones that have a
certain indefinable atmosphere, some alchemical
mix of look, feel and sound. That’s what first
drew student-by-day/ tea-tender-by-night/
artist-all-the-time Karmina to L’Amyx: “It was—and
is—the vibe!”
A fairly new tea drinker, Karmina discovered
L’Amyx a year or so ago when she started at
California College of the Arts (CCA) as a fine
arts major. Needing a job, and wanting to learn
more about tea, she thought about working at
L’Amyx. Good instincts—she walked in, felt the
‘vibe’, talked with soon-to-be co-workers, and
thought to herself, “I want to work here!”
Since then, Karmina’s shifted into a full-blown
tea aficionado and from a painter to a budding
graphic designer. Does she like the design work?
“Absolutely! When I was a little kid, I always had
a clipboard and colored pencils in hand. When
other kids were doing sports, I was drawing.”
She’s recently put those talents to professional
use, helping design the ‘to-go’ menus,
‘Tea-of-the-Month Club’ flyer and what will soon
be new menu boards behind the counter. Asked to
put her finger on what makes L’Amyx such a draw
for artists like herself, Karmina smiles broadly,
starts to say something, and then laughs with
delight. Words have failed her. But she could
probably paint us a
picture… | |
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