Where To Find The Best Tea In Syracuse
The first snowfall of the year in Syracuse signaled the coming of winter. Some people may still miss the sunshine in summer and do not get used to the low temperatures and relentless winds. Well, having a cup of hot tea can definitely help and warm you from inside out.
Roji Tea Lounge, having the most as well as the best tea in Syracuse, is one of my favorite places in downtown. It sources its teas directly from the growers and offers a wide variety of high quality, simple teas from many different tea-growing regions.
1. China
China is considered to be the birthplace of tea. China produces many different styles of tea that are grown and processed through different regions of the country. There are seven categories of Chinese Tea – green tea, red tea (what is usually called black tea in the US), white tea, yellow tea, oolong tea, puerh tea, and black (or dark tea). Each of these categories contains teas that are grown and specifically processed in different regions of China.
Roji Tea Lounge offers 22 different kinds of Chinese tea, for example, Da Hong Pao, Dian Hong, Iron Buddha and etc. As far as I am concerned, I like Pearl Jasmine the most. It smells very fresh and tastes a little bit sweet. If you are a big fan of red tea/black tea, I will recommend Jin Jun Mei.
2. Japan
Roji Tea Lounge also sources directly from the tea farmers in Japan. There are multiple types of Japanese green tea. They vary in style, processing, taste profile, and brewing preparation. Japanese teas are either loose-leaf or stone ground powders. The loose-leaf teas are often brewed in a teapot called a kyusu, while the finely ground powdered tea, called matcha, is whisked in a serving bowl called a chawan. Japanese teas tend to be very fresh, bright, and energizing.
There are 6 different kinds of Japanese tea Roji Tea Lounge, including Mountain Grape, Gyokuro, Ban-cha, Houji-cha, Genmai-cha and Matcha. Gyokuro is a Japanese green tea that had been partially shade grown. This method of growing increases certain chemical compounds within the leaves that result in the final tea being quite sweet.
Matcha which is a stone-ground powdered tea, is made from a type of tea called tencha. Tencha, like Gyokuro, is grown partially in the shade, but then steamed, dried, and processed to remove the stems and nerves from the leaves. These leaves are then stoned into a fine powdered that is then whisked with hot water to become matcha. The resulting tea is fresh, bright, vegetal, and sweet. Matcha has become increasingly popular recently, as it is very high in antioxidants.
3. India
Many of the teas most people are familiar with have their origins in India. The tea plant was introduced to India in the 1800’s by the British to break the Chinese monopoly within the tea trade. Most Indian teas are made from the Assam tea plant, which is the larger leaf Camellia sinensis var. assamica; others, such as Darjeeling teas, are made from the smaller leafed variety of Camellia sinensis. Indian teas are processed in similar ways as Chinese teas. They can be processed as black teas, green teas, white teas, and even oolong teas. The flavors of Indian Teas vary by growing region, but many of the teas have characteristically floral, sweet, and muscatel flavors.
All the Indian tea in Roji Tea Lounge is organic. It not only tastes good, but also benefits our health. I believe you will feel very relaxed and comfortable there while having a cup of tea.
