TEA TIME!

May 25th, 2010

If you ask me, and Maleah Moskoff, there is nothing so welcoming as a good cup of tea.

Where to find one? Check in with Moskoff’s Madison-based Cha Cha Tea, an online tea purveyor site. One of her business’s mantras—“Take Time for Tea”—captures the beauty and benefit of tea: It makes us slow down. I think we all need a little of that.

Moskoff is a tea enthusiast. And, when she’s not busy caring for her young son, she’s working bringing the good stuff—locally blended high-quality, organic and fair trade loose teas from around the globe—to the masses, at least in this part of the world. (World-wide, tea is the #2 consumed beverage.)

She recently schooled me in the particulars—the fact that tea is like wine, influenced by terrior, how to brew a perfect cup and in the most economical way, and most importantly what NOT to do when preparing that cup (do NOT heat your water in the microwave!).

I love the Earl Gray Black Organic & Fair Trade, a rich, citrusy mouthful; Citrus Mountain Oolong, which is light and floral with jasmine flowers, lemon myrtle and essential orange oil; and Blueberry Rooibos, safe for the kids, it contains no caffeine and packs a refreshing, fruity, sugar-free punch (I am thinking of long cool drinks of it on ice this summer).

Worried about minutes and torn between the perceived coffee-pot convenience and the tea-brewing process? Moskoff aims to dispel the myth that a great cup of tea takes too much time to brew. Put your water on the stove to boil (or thereabouts, depending on your tea choice), add tea to your filter, then steep for 3 to 5 minutes. I added that time up—really, it was just about how long it takes my coffee maker to brew me a nice hot cup. And, you know, I find that a cup of tea is just a much gentler way to contemplate my day.

Cha Cha sells more than 50 outstanding teas, as well as tea pots, tea cups, and other artisan-made items for serving, preparing and enjoying tea.

Want to learn more? You can have ‘Tea with Maleah,” your own private tea party during which she guides you in tastings and even parings that highlight the beverage.

Now that I’ve discovered Cha Cha Tea, I don’t think I’ll buy a box of pre-packaged tea bags from the grocery store again! SO glad that this mompreneur has enlightened me.

— Mama Kate

 

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