Following The Path of Tea....

....led me to a phenomenal place; the only fully organic tea shop in Houston,  owned by Thia and Chris McKann. They are lovely people and very knowledgeable about tea, as well as all, who work there.

This is a small pot of tea.

It is one of my favorite places to sit and contemplate what's what. I do this with friends or alone. It is a comfortable environment either way. The natural light that pours into the shop provides a warm tone, making it easy on the eyes and some how allowing tension to leave the body.  Gentle instrumental music plays in concert with the small rock waterfall, that is soothing. There is no hurry. I always get the feeling that I am welcomed to sit and drink my tea for as long as I please. I like that.

Unique to most places I've been, The Path of Tea offers a sniffing bar. All 138 teas are numbered with a corresponding sheet with description and pricing.  The sniffing bar offers the opportunity to get a good whiff of the tea before having it made. And as I found out by perusing the sniffing bar there are different types of tea: white, green, oolong, black, pu-erh and rooibos. Of course, as I found out, rooibos isn't really a tea, because it does not come from the camellia sinensis plant. According to Thia McKann, Certified Tea Master, each one of these teas offers health benefits, rooibos included. Thia has provided wonderful information about that on The Path of Tea Web site.

There are two sizes of tea pots. Large and small. I usually get the small. It is plenty for me. You can also get tea to go and of course buy it in bulk so you can enjoy it at home. Each tea has a specific steeping time and some require different water temperature. Not all tea is made with the hottest of boiling water. The staff knows all of this, which makes for a perfect pot of tea every time.

There is a wall toward the back of the shop that is lined with tea cups. It's up to you to choose your cup. I don't know why I like that so much, but I do. There is a nice selection.

This is the small pot of tea.

Oh, and there are wonderful treats to accompany your tea; cupcakes, bon-bons, cookies, lemon bars all infused with green tea. They are all very tasty. Below is just a sampling of what is offered.

 If you are looking for a gift, healthy, tasty, beautiful and fun, this would be a good place for that. There is a wide variety of teapots, tea cups, tea accessories and of course tea.

Quote of the day: "Drinking a daily cup of tea will surely starve the apothecary."  ~Chinese Proverb

The Path of Tea
2340 W Alabama St
Houston, TX 77098
713-252-4473
www.thepathoftea.com