Where I live (SF East Bay Area) there are bumper-stickers that say, “Friends don’t let friends drink Starbucks.” It is (so far!) a blessing that there are no Teavana stores close to my city, but when I looked at a Google map of McVana locations I felt like they were closing in. Just to see what they had, I looked at their website-their “tea blends” were most alarming to imagine! mediebee, you’re absolutely right! Much more comforting, though, is that in this area there is a strong interest in teas well worth drinking. There are a number of importers of good- to excellent-quality teas here. Some have their own shops where they’re happy to educate & answer questions, as well as prepare teas for customers to sample and enjoy. One of my favorite importers, though they don’t have a retail shop, travels to China every spring to buy rare & artisan teas from small farms & markets. This year they have 48 green teas alone. The founder’s even built his own cave for aging puers-talk about dedicated :-)!
For this among many other reasons, I’m happy to live where I live. May independent tea shops dedicated to quality continue to flourish!
~H.
