This past weekend my boyfriend and I stopped into Harney & Son’s SoHo shop for a spot of tea. He isn’t really a tea person but I’m slowly converting him to the dark side. The cafe was very crowded but we were able to grab two seats at the tea bar. Jason was a bit overwhelmed by the large tea menu but he insisted on making his selection without any assistance. It’s been interesting to watch his development as a tea drinker since he’s more of a coffee kind of guy.
He opted for the Choco Nut, a flavored black tea, along with a wedding almond and peanut butter macaroon. I selected Scent of the Mountains, an unflavored sencha green tea, as well as a lavender and matcha macaroon. Jason did quite well with his selection. It was very chocolaty and paired perfectly with his macaroons. I’ve had Scent of the Mountains several times before and it’s a sweet, vegetal and comforting cup of tea. The staff here is friendly and attentive, but a little harried.
In trying each other’s teas we discovered that Jason absolutely hates sencha. I’m still trying to put my finger on what is that causes his disdain but I believe it is the grassy element. So far he has not been a fan of any floral or grassy teas that he has tried. He does enjoy most black teas and he has discovered a love for Darjeeling and Chai. Tea will never be a passion for him as it is for me but it is nice to be able to share a pot of tea from time to time. Does your significant other indulge in tea with you? How do their tastes differ from yours? I’d love to hear about it!
My girlfriend loves genmaicha. I introduced this tea to her and now she drinks it almost daily.
It's also my favorite tea, by the way : )
My husband was a coffee drinker, with an occasional green tea bag, before he met me. I had him to the point where he was drinking more green tea than coffee but circumstances have led him back to the black side. I'm a black tea drinker, almost exclusively Darjeeling, so there was no fighting over who got the last of what tea. 🙂
My husband loves any unflavored green tea, and will also drink black and oolongs. He was an occasional tea drinker before he met me, and now is almost as obsessed as I am! I agree, your boyfriend probably doesn't like the grassy, mellow notes of sencha. Although i do find that the Scent of Mountains tea has a nice punch to it that helps balance that grassy flavor. I like the Harney cafe, but I wish they had more savory food options like they do at their upstate NY cafe!
I make my boyfriend a cup of tea every time I make myself a cup, almost. It's nice to be able to spread the wealth of tea and I can see it making a difference everyday.
It took me a while before I chose to drink green tea by myself. Same with oolong. I just didn't like the earthy and grassy flavors the two had to offer. I told people NOT to buy me those types of teas, but they bought them for me anyway. I suppose it's a good thing because I do appreciate them now.
My boyfriend rarely indulges in tea with me. But, if he does he goes for fruity flavored teas and puts lots of sugar and lemon in them. I don't know why he puts another fruit in a fruit tea… Or, he'll drink a black tea with sugar and milk.