Tea time in Lebanon: Learn how to taste fine teas

Ellen Leaf-Moore enjoys bringing up the connection between her name and her avocation.

"I was destined to be in this business with the last name of Leaf," she told 26 tea enthusiasts sitting on the covered courtyard behind Fezziwig's Marketplace in downtown Lebanon.

It was a summer evening of Tea 101.

 "What do we look for when we taste tea?" she asked the group. "We look at the leaf, we consider the aroma, the mouth feel, the profile and the astringency."

Ellen, who has owned Fezziwig's with her husband, Tim, for three years, shared history and advice and tea.

"About 10 percent of the population drinks specialty tea," she said of the loose-leaf variety from countries such as India, China and Japan. "The other 90 percent don't know what they're missing."

Ellen explained the difference between that and brewing a scant palmful of carefully picked tea leaves.

"The tea in tea bags can be three years old before you get it," she said. Most tea bags hold the bits and pieces, the "fannings" or dust" left from sorting and grading leaves. "It's not going to hurt you to drink it, but it's not the same taste" as quality loose-leaf.

The tea Ellen sells comes with directions on how to brew it. For a great cup of Dragon Well green tea, for example, the leaves should be brewed for just two minutes with the water temperature no higher than 175 degrees.

"It really is a matter of personal taste," she said. "Some people like their tea bitter. But if they don't, then look at the steeping time and the water temperature."In June, Ellen, 41, completed coursework to become a Level 3 Certified Tea Specialist and Educator. According to the Specialty Tea Institute, headquartered in New York, she is one of about 70 U.S. specialists.

She learned was how to identify tea varieties through hands-on experiences and tastings as well as the ways in which tea is processed.

"Your palate develops, so you can appreciate any type of tea," she said of the training. "It may not be what you would choose to drink, but you learn to know the quality, understand how it's been prepared."

Ellen feels it's OK to add lemon, sugar or milk.

"The whole point is to get you to drink it," she said. "But certain teas, such as white or green, don't do well will milk and sugar. Some black teas are delightful that way" because of their more intense flavors.

She also likes iced tea and recommends the same brewing process for hot or cold tea.

Fezziwig's specializes in Fair Trade loose-leaf tea, most of which is organic. The top sellers are flavored teas, such as cranberry-orange and ginger peach. The shop carries 12 teas designated as world champions, including a Breakfast China, Assam and Japanese Sencha. Prices range from $3 to $7.99 an ounce.

The shop also sells wine, tea and wine accessories, and gourmet foods. A tea room serves pots of tea and scones and will soon add pastries.

Ellen's tea journey began when she was in her late teens. Raised in Ohio, she and her mother took a trip to New York to see her brother. While there, they visited "this great tea room at 20th and Broadway, and above it was this emporium" that sold tea.

She was hooked.

"Even now, I'm on a journey," she said. "There are so many more experiences ahead. I am a student of tea."

The certification benefits her and the business. "Now, we can offer not only great tea, but educate people about it," she said.

She began offering classes last year.

Tea 101 will be offered again from 6-7:30 p.m. July 27. Cost is $18.

Ellen recommends taking Tea 101 before other classes, such as the Aug. 3 Discover the World of Oolong and the Aug. 17 Tea & Cheese Pairings Workshop.

Go to www.fezziwigsmarket.com for more information about classes.

Fezziwig's Marketplace is at 218-222 W. St. Louis St., Lebanon. Hours are Tuesday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. For information, call 537-8422.