What would you think if your tea had leaves in it?

Very recently I learned that this is the most common way to drink tea in China (where they drink a lot of tea). I’d been serve tea with leaves floating a few times in the past, but figured it was sloppiness or ignorance. Then I was visiting Ernie, who builds our trucks, and he offered us some tea. His mother pulled out a beautiful green tea from a box in a drawer and dropped a few leaves in each cup then covered with hot water, then handed the cups to us. Of course it was delicious. I’m learning green teas when brewed properly are not bitter at all. They remind me of artichokes a bit. The flavor is subtle at first, but they have a strong persistence in your mouth. Even after eating others foods you can still taste the tea. Maybe it’s a flower thing?

Anyway, I went home and looked up this tea-in-the-cup method of brewing. I’ve never seen any restaurant or coffee shop anywhere do this. You just drink the cup. You don’t take the leaves out. When you’re done you add more water and steep again.

So I’ve been working on a new tea program for about 2 years, I’ve been experimenting with all types of brewing methods, and now I’ve come across something so simple and so obvious but entirely new. We’ll be testing this tea service with customers at CloverHSQ (7 Holyoke St., Cambridge) for the next week or so with a beautiful green tea and a dark-ish oolong. Come by and try it out.