“Hey, wanna meet up for a coffee or something?” asked a friend the other day.
Since I don’t drink coffee – and my friend is very much aware of this – I rightly interpreted her statement to mean, “Hey, wanna chat over some tea?”
She wasn’t being insensitive or forgetful. That phrase has become the standard “let’s hang out” invitation, regardless of the actual beverage involved. Coffee culture in Vancouver is, after all, as much a part of the city’s make-up as yoga, sushi and loving/hating the Canucks.
Times are a-changin’, however, and what was old is once again new, as tea – that humble concoction of leaves steeped in hot water – makes a play for its portion of the city’s psyche.
“Tea, after water, is the number-one beverage drank globally,” says Reza Nasooti, tea sommelier and director of business development for Urban Tea Merchant. An exclusive retailer of the TWG brand of teas, which focus on ethically and organically grown teas with no pesticides, chemicals or artificial flavours, Urban Tea Merchant also has seen a rising interest in their afternoon tea service, which uses the teas to infuse the savoury and sweet food items.
“It’s a tea gastronomy experience,” explains Nasooti.
It’s an experience that is growing in demand, judging by the number of new spots that have opened in the last five years. The rapid expansion in the number of tea houses is just a small indicator of where the city’s palate is heading. Retailers like David’s Tea and Teavana first popularized tea on a mass scale, and their flavoured, fruit-forward teas have now become almost as ubiquitous as Starbucks coffees.
In the same way that Starbucks presaged the advent of more farmer-focused, single-origin coffees, like those championed by Stumptown, 49th Parallel and Third Wave, so have these tea chains been the means of bringing into focus places like Urban Tea Merchant, O5 Tea and Shaktea. The latter, which has been a Main Street institution since 2005, was one of the first places in Vancouver to source its teas directly from small-lot growers all over the world, focusing on estate-grown, fair trade and sustainable teas.
“David’s Tea and Teavana have gotten people interested in tea, and we love them for that,” says Pedro Villalón, co-founder and managing partner of O5 Tea in Kitsilano. “But, I think Vancouver is now more educated in terms of culture; people are more excited about things like matcha and Pu-ehr.”
Villalón has noticed that excitement grow as the palates of his customers have developed over time.
“We wanted to create something that didn’t exist at the time. Nobody becomes a geek overnight,” he says. “When we started, we asked people, ‘What’s your favourite tea?’ and the answer was strawberry-shortcake Sencha or passionfruit-mango rooibos. We didn’t have any of that, so then we asked, ‘What do you drink in general? Not just tea, but beer, wine coffee, etc.’ We wanted to provide something that would make people happy, even if they didn’t know what they were drinking.”
The questioning paid off. Matcha turned out to be a major hit.
“I believe it’s the easiest to appreciate for people who are not familiar with tea. It’s energizing, like espresso, frothy and rich,” he explains. Pu-ehr, the dark, fermented and aged tea originating in China’s Yunnan province, is also popular, especially with those who have a fondness for whiskey and single-malts.
“People want to get more engaged with the land and the farmer,” says Villalón. “Most people believe that quality means consistency, but craft beer taught us, and what Third Wave, and wine has been teaching us forever, is that quality means being phenomenal each and every time. Each and every harvest will be outstanding, but each and every harvest will be different, will have its own unique qualities, just like with wine.”
The interest in tea has manifested in academia as well. Vancouver Community College launched a single course as an introduction to tea five years ago, and has since expanded that into a full tea sommelier certification.
“There’s a tremendous amount of interest in the program and in tea consumption,” says Donna Hawrelko, program coordinator at VCC. “It’s a whole new metamorphosis in the culture. It’s becoming more popular to meet for tea, in the way people meet at Starbucks for coffee. They want to experiment with tea and it’s becoming the equivalent of pairing foods with wine; they’re looking at how to pair, testing their palate.”
Enrollment in the tea sommelier program has increased tenfold since it first opened, with both young people straight out of school and those looking for a career change signing up before heading off for jobs as consultants, importers and hospitality workers.
Villalón echoes the growing interest in food and tea pairing. “I am seeing a really warm welcome from the fine dining and bartending community,” he enthuses. “They are really embracing tea as a source of flavouring and pairing with food. People like Jefferson Alvarez have been especially gracious, as well as Lauren Mote, Grant Sceney, and every one from Keefer Bar, who have been instrumental in introducing tea among the local bartending crowd. It’s about expressing flavours, and they understand about stories, complexity and tasting notes. I think tea is becoming a much more important part of the bartending and culinary arts world.”
A few more places to drink tea:
Steam Tea House
This tiny tea house is located in Donald’s Market on East Hastings, and it’s standing room only, but the tea is fantastic, and worth multiple visits. SteamTea.ca
Capilano Tea House and Botanical Soda Co.
This indigenous-owned and plant-inspired teahouse in Gastown is run by mother-daughter duo Michelle and Paisley Nahanee. Classic rooibos and green teas are paired with local juniper berries, stinging nettle and other local plants for fresh, earthy and unique flavours. The small-batch sodas are also worth checking out. TheCapilano.com
Speaking of culinary arts, one of the best ways to experience tea, apart from simply drinking it (and that is definitely not to be sneered at) is with a classic afternoon tea repast. Here are a few places to indulge in whimsy, fine food, and, yes, fine tea.
Shaktea
Lovely, light fare and one of the most reasonably priced afternoon teas (under $20) in the city. Lots of gluten-free and vegetarian options as well. Shaktea.ca
Urban Tea Merchant
High-end cuisine infused with their own line of TWG teas makes for a fancy afternoon experience. Choose from over 250 teas to go along with your fancy treats. UrbanTea.com
Soffee Café
This small, family-run tea house in South Granville offers a unique afternoon tea service that includes white wine seared scallops, roasted stuffed mushrooms, caprese salad, finger sandwiches and, of course, premium teas, sourced from Kuzmi in Paris, as well as organic espresso. SoffeeCafe.com
La Petite Cuillere
Located in Mount Pleasant’s old Brewery Creek neighbourhood, this charming space serves up dainty morsels in an elegant and cozy space stacked to the beams with a massive collection of antique china. The small tea selection ranges from traditional blends to more experimental varieties that are blended in-house. LaPetiteCuillere.ca
Neverland Tea Salon
Whimsy is in full force at this Kitsilano tea house that smacks of Victorian-era sensibilities with its mismatched tea sets and princess parties. Oh, and the tea isn’t bad, either. NeverlandTea.com
