Many people love a nice cup of tea, and there are a couple of places in Ann Arbor that not only have all kinds of wonderful teas to drink, but you can eat your tea as well. Meredith Bruckner, the local community news producer for allaboutannarbor.com, and Lisa McDonald, from the Tea Haus and Eat More Tea in Ann Arbor, joined our Tati Amare in studio.
Bruckner first met McDonald when she participated in McDonald's tea class at the Tea Haus in Kerrytown. McDonald is one of seven EU-certified tea sommeliers in the U.S., so she knows quite a bit about this brewed drink. Tea Haus is home to over 180 teas and she brought a few for Amare and Bruckner to try. She paired a fruity tea with hibiscus and rose hips with soda water or champagne for a fun fruity mixed drink. She also brought in some Japanese tea which she picked up on a trip there.
When brewing tea, McDonald says there are a couple of things you should keep in mind and it all depends on the type of tea you have. Each tea has a specific time and temperature it should be brewed at. All tea, -white, green, black, oolong - is from the same plant, they are just oxidized differently and this is why they have different brewing times and temps. The Tea Haus sells all their tea by the gram.
Now, while many people know to drink tea, you can also eat it! They have a variety of baked goods that all have some of their tea in them including maccarons, marshmallows, moon cakes, and even gelato. They also make spice blends using their tea as well.
If you would like to visit Tea Haus and Eat More Tea, they are located at 204 and 206 N. 4th Avenue in Ann Arbor's Kerrytown district.