Tealuxe – A Taste of Tea’s Infinite Variety
In Britain, the tea shoppe has always been something of an institution, but the concept is something of a Johnny-come-lately for Americans, who seem comparatively unaware of the joys of tea, as well as the seminal role its tiny leaves played in the nation’s nascent fight for independence.
With tea’s many evolutions through its 5,000-year history, there’s a lot to sample and taste, and Tealuxe with two locations, in Harvard Square and on Newbury Street, is the place to start.
In 1996, the owners, inspired by a cup of Darjeeling in Paris, decided to create their tea emporium, “Tealuxe—a Tea Bar,” in Harvard Square, where the zen and bouquet of tea in its seemingly infinite variety, seldom seen on restaurant and café menus, could be experienced at leisure.
A visit to this original concept, cozy space with about seventy teas of every description and taste, and a theatrical spiral stair at the back of the shop, takes you to Europe in a flash.
Copper-topped tables, high ceilings, dark wood and vintage jazz enhance the mood for upbeat conversation.
With the slogan, “Tea for all,” the owners say they wanted their company to “open the door to the tea culture and to let (them) wander through…We knew we were successful when, seated on the same banquette, we saw an immaculately dressed elderly woman with blue hair and pearls sitting comfortably next to a twenty-something woman with blue hair and studs, both enjoying a great pot of tea.”
Teas with such tasty names as Irish Crème, Golden Monkey, China White Peach, Kiwi Berry Coconut, Carmel Crème Brulee, and Tropical White line the shelves. With so many varieties of tea available in bulk form, Tea-Luxe is the perfect place to begin your exploration of some of the world’s best, and little-known, teas.
Tealuxe on Newbury Street in Boston serves a more extensive list of lunch items, as well as tea selections and snacks, than its more intimate, hip pocket sister shop in Cambridge.
For a virtual tour of Tealuxe, go to: http://www.tealuxe.com/goto/storelocations.html
The site also has tea reviews, tips for choosing tea, teas listed by country, facts about health benefits, and more.
Exotic mate, for instance, grown in the rain forests South America, Tealuxe notes, is “a highly caffeinated/energizing drink. Passed around and drunk out of a gourd in its native lands, it is used in communal ceremonies and celebrations. Many of our customers use it for its jolt.”
To order tea merchandise, see: http://www.tealuxe.com/merchandise/merchandise.html
1-888-TeaLuxe.
- Barbara Sealock
