Tea @ Ten: spring and summer 2022
Photo by: @tommiecarter
Why hello there, curious tea connoisseur.
I’m Mindy, the in-house tea specialist at Ten Cafe LA!
Welcome to this digital tea leaflet, pun-intended, for an easy-breezy read on some fun facts and recommendations for this season’s warm weather teas at Ten Cafe LA.
I picked these teas quite intentionally in collaboration with Zayde, owner of Ten. Keeping the menu simple allows us to dig deeper into each tea’s potential experience and allows us the freedom from decision fatigue—we already went through the painstaking process of selecting the right tea for the season for you!
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We’ve got 6 teas total this season: 3 teas (with caffeine) and 3 herbals (without caffeine). Here they are…
TEA (camellia sinensis plant)
exclusively from Song Tea & Ceramics
Wild Gongmei - wild white tea
Shan Lin Xi Winter Sprout - green oolong
Ruby - red oolong
BOTANICALS (caffeine-free)
exclusively from Leaves & Flowers
Zaracha - roasted Japanese pea plant
Sweet Rush - lemongrass, ginger, and rose
Mintha - peppermint, anise hyssop, tarragon
…If you would like to learn more about these teas, please keep reading!
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WILD GONGMEI
Fujian 2021 / Organic, wild white tea
Notes: Elderflower blossoms, winter melon, and water chestnut.
image by songtea.com
SongTea&Ceramics say:
Small-batch wild foraged tea from northern Fujian Province. Gongmei is more traditional than typical whites, falling closely in line with white teas of yore, whose wildcrafted leaves and small batch production help to express the innate aromatic character of the leaves.
My Recommendation:
Excellent for thirst quenching on hot days and alongside salty foods. White tea’s high antioxidant and caffeine content make it great for a wake-up cup and excellent as a palate cleansing pick-me-up after a meal. This wild white tea evokes one’s summer day prancing along a flower field in the country.
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SHAN LIN XI WINTER SPROUT
Taiwan 2022 / Unsprayed light-roasted green oolong
Notes: Sweet and creamy. Caramelized ginger, kettle corn and cotton candy.
image by songtea.com
SongTea&Ceramics say:
Picked from a garden 1500m above sea level on Shan Lin Xi, from leaves that sprouted as a result of a warm snap in the middle of winter.
My Recommendation:
The delicate complexity of this green oolong is perfect to relax with after lunch or at the end of a long day. It is a first pluck after a long winter’s sleep and as a result contains a higher mineral content. This tea invigorates the mind and spirit—awakening you out of a rut or a winter’s slumber.
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RUBY
Taiwan 2021 / Unsprayed red oolong
Notes: Aged cognac, passionfruit, and coconut jam.
image by songtea.com
SongTea&Ceramics say:
This is a high-oxidized oolong grown at 1000m on Alishan. It is crafted from a variant of the qing xin cultivar to produce a tea that is highly aromatic, sweet, and complex.
My Recommendation:
This tea is hard not to enjoy anytime with its playful fruity and nutty palate. Oolong teas are fantastic for uplifting the mood due to its concentration in GABAs (Gamma-Aminobutyric acid). Share with friends for full effect. I recommend this paired with sweets and is great in the morning or for a chill, yet wakeful, experience in the afternoon.
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Herbal, Botanical, or Tisane
Did you know—all those three words pretty much can be used interchangeably to refer to a herbal steep that is caffeine-free.
SWEET RUSH
Lemongrass, Ginger, Rose Petal
Tasting Notes - Floral, Candied Ginger, Fruit Loops
image by leavesandflowers.com
Leaves&Flowers say:
Sweet Rush is a fragrant and uplifting blend, both bright and grounding. The main ingredient in this blend is a young lemongrass sourced from an organic tea and herb farm in Sri Lanka. Its mellow, lemony flavor pairs beautifully with warming ginger and aromatic rose. This infusion is one of Leaves and Flowers’ original blends and has remained on their menu ever since.
My Recommendation:
Our staff can’t help but taste fruity pebbles when we drink this one! The name suggests sweetness, but it is in fact, sugar-free. Sweet Rush pairs well with our vegan rosewater shortbread cookie or the lemon poppy cake. This tea helps with digestion, immunity and mood. Enjoy with a smile.
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MINTHA
Blend of: Peppermint, Anise Hyssop, Tarragon
Tasting Notes - Fresh, Sweet, Uplifting
image by leavesandflowers.com
Leaves&Flowers say:
In Greek mythology, Mintha was a Naiad nymph beloved by Hades. When Hades’ wife Persephone learned of his love for Mintha, Persephone cast a spell and transformed Mintha into what we know as the Mint plant. Hades, in his grief, gave Mintha's leaves a fresh and enlivening scent so all would appreciate her undying sweetness. Mintha was forever a sacred plant to Hades and has come to be associated with metamorphosed beauty. We love this blend in the morning to awaken more gently or in the evening as an after dinner digestif. Recommended hot or iced.
My Recommendation:
Not your average mint tea—in fact, it’s one of the most pleasantly sweet and balanced mint blends I’ve had. Don’t believe me? Try it for yourself. Mintha is our staff cure for an upset stomach. Did you know the loose leaf contains beautiful little purple flowers from the anise hyssop?
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ZARACHA
Shimane Prefecture, Japan
Tasting Notes - Nutty, Slightly Smoky, Sweet
image by leavesandflowers.com
Leaves&Flowers say:
Zaracha is a traditional tea made from Kawaraketsumei, a legume plant widespread in western Japan. The plant is cut at the foot, then dried and roasted. All parts are used: stem, leaves, flowers, and pods. "Zara" in Zaracha comes from the phrase "zara zara," a term used to designate rugged textures. Because of the tea's roughly cut leaves, stalks and pods, it was given this name. Zaracha has been consumed since the Edo period, particularly in the region of Iwami. According to legend, the great Buddhist master, Kobo Daishi, disseminated the tea during the 8th century before green tea came from China (12th century). It was known as "the elixir of longevity" because of its pleasing flavor and medicinal benefits (high mineral and iron content), Zaracha is consumed at all times of day from morning til night, and often with meals.
My Recommendation:
This is a balancing rare botanical to find. You’ve got to try it! Ask to see the tea leaves! Hot or Iced is excellent. Great for a warm-hydrating cup in the morning, sipped after a meal in the afternoon, or chugged, iced, after a work out!
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Thanks for reading! Please let the staff at Ten know if you have any questions or comments about the tea. Enjoy!
Photo @tencafela
Special shout out to crucial contributors Kevin Snevely, Tommie Carter for this feature. Also thank you to Zayde Naquib, Kristian Punturere. Thank you to all staff at Ten cafe LA, tea partners Song Tea & Ceramics and Leaves & Flowers.
xO MinTea
*not all views here necessarily reflect the companies involved.