Tea in the Garden: THE EXOTICS

Tea drinking to many involves a cup, a tea bag and a kettle of boiling water.  This was the tea I was raised on: good, old-fashioned, reliable, consistent tea bag tea.  Drop the tea bag in the cup, pour boiling water, lots of milk, and drink.  I never gave tea a second thought.  That is until about 10 years ago when a loose leaf tea retailer opened in a local shopping mall.  The teas they sold were so strange and exotic and I remember having no idea what was in each canister.  I was so intrigued!  The very first loose leaf tea I tried was Butter Rum and today it is still one of my favourites.  More research led me to discover the Vancouver Community College Tea Sommelier Program, I quickly enrolled and the rest is history!  My message to you is try all teas, experiment and venture into the land of the Exotics!