Random Tea

Despite what the vernal equinox might say about spring, I’m still freezing at my desk this afternoon. So when I read this post from The Poverty Jet Set about the new Random Tea Room in Philly, which offers a wide selection of teas from around the world (and, according to PJS, also has the best chai around), I started to get a hankering for some of the liquid magic.

Poking around their website (still in progress it seems) I turned up an extensive list of teas, with elaborate descriptions that would normally befit a bottle of wine, i.e.: “The Autumnal Flushes are mellower and markedly less common — their darker, woodsier qualities remind one of walking through a path of fallen leaves.” But I was also instantly drawn to their sensibilities — and the opportunity to experience many of the teas as they were traditionally poured. From their website:

Taking the time to sit and sip a pot of tea can do wonders for clearing the mind from some of the excess baggage we carry with us in our daily routines. But tea isn’t only about relaxation – it’s about fresh experiences, entertaining the taste buds with previously unknown sensations, delighting the senses and savoring the richness of life. Some new experiences you’ll encounter upon spending time in our tea room include Gong Fu tea service, drinking from the Chinese Zhong and sipping the finest Yerba Mate from the traditional cuia (Mate gourd)

and bombilla (filtered straw).

I for one know that my instincts to visit a place have certainly been kicked into high gear by getting a taste of foreign food (or drink!) beforehand. So perhaps it makes sense that the word Travel starts with “tea.”

Read More: The New York Times had a great piece recently about exploring the tea shops in the city. The founders of the company In Pursuit of Tea have traveled the world to find exotic blends. And I highly recommend high tea at The Savoy hotel in London…the finger sandwiches alone make me wistful…

Photo: Mark Schoneveld at the Poverty Jet Set

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