With its ancient history and contemporary health benefits, tea has grown much larger than the British Empire and is now a delicious and nutritious part of many daily regimens.
Sadly, what many think of as tea is merely the dust that is left behind when the real plant is properly processed. Often, any remnants are mixed with additives, corn syrup, and who knows what else in order to make a brown tea-like beverage of questionable value and taste.
Fortunately, we in MA have more ties to tea than a 300-year-old Tea Party (though that is fun to explore too!). Among our strongest links in the ancient chain of authentic tea is MEM Tea Imports in Watertown (https://memteaimports.com).
In addition to supplying some of your favorite restaurants and retailers (including Commonwealth, Darwin’s Ltd, and Matt’s meals faves Flour Bakery, La Morra, and New City Microcreamery), MEM also participates in such important community events as the Taste of Ginger fundraiser for Joslin Diabetes Center at the Museum of Fine Arts. They also produce library’s worth of hand-picked, hand-crafted varieties that are perfect for any occasion or even none at all!
Those who know tea know that MEM uses only the top grades of teas direct from India and adds only all-natural spices and flavorings sourced from the best places on the planet, including Jamaican allspice, Vietnamese cinnamon, and herbs from their own farm in Maine. Those who don’t can now learn by visiting the factory and taking a hands-on course in tea.
From the origins and history of each ingredient to discussions of their medicinal properties and best means of production, the tea courses offer everything one would care to know about a course of tea. After learning tea-related lingo and coming to understand why Orange Pekoe does not taste like oranges, participants are invited to concoct their own variations on tea recipes and to share their creations with everyone else in a freshly-created tea community.
So whether you are a dedicated coffee fiend or a burgeoning ayurvedic healer, a night at MEM Tea can make for a stirring solo excursion, date, or group outing. All you need to bring are your tongue and a sense of adventure!