When I travel, I like to look for places that remind me of home while still experiencing the new; sort of like Jason Gay explained in his book "Little Victories - Perfect Rules For Imperfect Living". No place reminds me of home more than a tea shop! On a weekend get-a-way with my mom, sister and aunt, I found myself in Zhi Tea shop and took home some tea, but of course not before I also took pictures so that I could share this rustic tea shop with you!
In this article, I will walk you through Zhi Tea shop, my experience and why, if you ever find yourself in Austin, TX, you should stop by and have a sip.
Zhi Tea shop sits on the most quintessential of Texas land right in front of a train track. Along with other obsessions, classic locomotives take their place amongst things that I love. There is something very old-world about trains and tea, don't you think?
When you step into the front door of the tea shop you are greeted with a brightly painted wall adorned with metal letters that spell out "TEA"...ahhh...just what I was looked for.
Look to your right and you will find a small area to sit, sip tea and perhaps enjoy your snacks. I loved the floor designs and the eclectic style of Zhi Tea shop.
Tea and tea things could be found just by moving your gaze to the left, and oh were there plenty!
Before I got lost in tea heaven, I raised my head (to give thanks of course) and I was greeted by dainty fixtures that really lent a quaint and enchanted vibe to the space.
If you know me then you already know which tea I searched for first. White tea of course! Zhi Tea shop had several to choose from. I picked up a 2.3 oz can of Loose Leaf Silver Needle since I had run out at home.
I continued to look at all the tea on the shelves, wanting to take each and every one of them home with me!
Now this is interesting. Coffee tea? This is either a match made in heaven or a perfect sin. If the name of this tea isn't an oxymoron in itself, then you will definitely think so after learning that it is caffeinated while still remaining an herbal tea. Odd right?
This caffeinated herbal is made from the husk of the coffee bean. However unlike its often roasted counterpart (the coffee bean) this tea is steeped in its raw form. The result is an earthy, peppery mouth-feel. So different from the way coffee tastes to us now!
I didn't pick up this blend, but I made a note to perhaps visit www.zhitea.com and pick it up there when I'm ready to try it. I will make sure to perform a Tea Review Tuesday on it to share with you.
Along with the Loose Leaf Silver Needle, I also took home a very intriguing and wonderfully smelling blend. Raspberry Pecan Rooibos is an absolutely amazing tea and I can't wait to review it to share it with you! Since it is a rooibos it is caffeine free but it is so rich and full of body!
Zhi Tea shop even sold pu'erh tea cakes, some dating back to 2013 and priced at 75 USD. Mmmm...don't you just love a good aged pu'erh?
A tea shop wouldn't be a very nice tea shop if it didn't also carry utensils for which to make your tea! None were lacking at Zhi Tea shop and I kept having to remind myself that I have way too many tea pots to use...maybe I'll accidentally break my least favorite one and have to purchase another...what?
I really liked this glass tea pot and infuser with its green lid, so cute! I tested it out to see how it would look as "THE SIP" image for my Tea Review Tuesday posts.
Currently, I use my Hario Chacha Kyusu Maru Tea Pot and Infuser and I love it, so I didn't get the cute green lid tea pot at Zhi Tea. Perhaps if you like it and need a new tea pot and infuser then you can get it...and let me borrow it...and I will accidentally not give it back...what?
At checkout I noticed a menu of tea choices and some healthy but tasty-looking snacks. The menu looked delightful but we didn't have the time to sit and sip so I contented myself with handing over my plastic for Loose Leaf Silver Needles and Raspberry Pecan Rooibos.
If you are in Austin, Texas or intend to be, you can visit Zhi Tea shop at 4607 Bolm Rd. Austin, TX 78702. You can also go to their website www.zhitea.com to see their product and learn a little more about the shop and its founders.
When you visit tea shops
what type of tea do you search for first?