Time for Tea
Teahouse offers area a variety of choices, coffeehouse setting
Camille Gerstenhaber
Issue date: 9/29/08 Section: Showcase
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Between Infinitea Teahouse, Starbucks or Gloria Jeans, any tea lover can find something they like.
A month ago, a brand new teahouse opened in downtown Eau Claire called Infinitea, 112 East Grand Ave. Owners Jeffrey Mares and Andrew Seveland offer a number of different kinds of loose leaf tea.
Available for order are both hot and iced teas.
There are two main different types of tea, Mares said.
The first type of tea comes from tea plants. There are five types of this kind - white, green, oolong, black and pu-erh tea. All of them are from the same plant, but, their differences come from the way they are processed.
Herbal tea is the other kind, which doesn't come from tea plants. This tea can be made up of dried flowers, leaves, seeds or roots and put into boiled water.
Tea is not a very popular drink in the United States in comparison to other countries around the world, but in Eau Claire people like to drink tea, Mares said.
"I have been amazed by how many people in Eau Claire are tea drinkers," Mares said.
Tea possesses some advantages that other drinks, like coffee, do not offer, Mares said.
Tea has less caffeine than coffee and hydrates your body. Tea also helps to flush out your body with of all the antioxidants it contains.
Another benefit Mares pointed out was that "green tea has fluoride in it so it is good for your teeth."
However, some tea contains more caffeine than coffee, such as Maté, a tea from South America.
Mares and Seveland met at UW-Eau Claire. They were roommates during their sophomore and senior years and both studied abroad during their junior year.
Since he was 16, Mares wanted to open a coffee shop. During his junior year, he studied abroad in Spain and lived in an apartment above a tea store.
"It was the first time I had ever seen loose-leaf tea," he said.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
nyscof
nyscof
posted 9/29/08 @ 7:19 AM CST
Fluoridation and Tea Don't Mix, Studies Continue to Show
Fluoridation puts tea drinkers at risk of damaged bones, discolored teeth and soft tissue harm, studies show. (Continued…)
Eric
posted 9/29/08 @ 9:30 AM CST
Green tea is not supposed to be bitter, if it tastes bitter you brewed it too long. Brewing green tea too long will release bitter tannins, 2 minutes with near boiling water is long enough to get the maximum flavor out of the green tea. (Continued…)
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