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U n d e r s t a n d i n g t h e b a s i c s S t a r t i n g a p r o g r a m Before we can understand how to build a successful tea program, we fi rst must have a solid grasp of the basics. Tea comes from the Camel- lia sinensis plant, discovered almost 5,000 years ago in Asia, and the Camellia sinensis assamica plant native to India. Both plants thrive in elevation, require heavy rainfall to fl ourish, and absorb the terroir of their environment. Processing, geography, and growing conditions contribute to creating fi ve basic categories of tea: black, green, oolong, pu-erh, and white. Black tea withers after harvesting and then undergoes an oxidation process in which the leaf absorbs oxygen from the air and loses water. This leads to a darker leaf, bolder fl avors, and the highest caffeine content of any tea. Green tea is withered briefl y after harvest, but its oxidation process is quickly stopped when the leaves are rapidly heated. Green teas often posses the most subtle fl avors in tea and are among the most loved by connoisseurs. Oolong tea undergoes partial oxidation and has a caffeine con- tent between black tea and green tea. Oolong teas are known to be fresh-tasting and fragrant, but their fl avor can vary dramatically based on their level of oxidation. Pu-erh is an aged black tea from China made with a proprietary process that is kept a closely guarded secret by its maker. It's known for a strong, rich fl avor and little to no bitterness. White tea uses the tea plant's youngest shoots and is hand-pro- cessed, resulting in a delicate, subtle tea that when brewed correctly has less caffeine than other teas. You might be wondering: Where is chamomile on this list? What about other herbal "teas"? As it turns out, many popular tea offer- ings aren't tea at all, as they don't hail from the Camellia sinensis or Camellia sinensis assamica plants. While hearing tisanes represent- ed as tea can drive some tea professionals and afi cionados mad, it's a commonly made mistake that refl ects the lack of familiarity most consumers have with the still-emerging beverage category. "With the state of tea in this country, education is essential," says Charles McLaughlin, co-owner of New Orleans-based tea company Leaf & Bean NOLA. "People are still learning what tea is and what the distinctions are, but as they learn this, understanding tea becomes pretty straightforward." Americans have grown more familiar with tea in recent decades. The Tea Association of the USA reports the estimated wholesale value of the U.S. tea industry has grown from $1.84 billion in 1990, to an estimated $11.5 billion in 2015. In that same time period, according to that report, the specialty segment—the one likely most relevant to specialty-coffee businesses—has grown from $270 million to $2.09 billion. "I feel like the growth of the tea industry almost refl ects tea itself," says Heather Agosta, owner of Portland, Ore.–based tea pur- veyor The Jasmine Pearl. "Specialty coffee really exploded like a jolt of caffeine from coffee, whereas tea has [had] slow and steady—but strong—growth." When approaching a tea program for your shop, a foundational question you must answer is: loose leaf or bag? Echoing the guidance of Eton at Temple to offer all products of a quality standard similar to your coffee, most specialty tea and coffee professionals advise loose- leaf tea. "Loose-leaf tea is fresher, cleaner, and generally higher-qual- ity," says Manish Shah of Arizona-based tea company Maya Tea. "There's a certain purity to it—there's no packaging, and it's really easy to blend and play around with." If you decide to go with loose leaf, the next step will be fi nding one or more companies to source that tea. Shop around online, but also talk to baristas at other cafés to learn about reputable, trusted sources for high-quality tea. Manish of Maya Tea suggests paying at least twice as much per pound for wholesale tea than what you'd pay for wholesale coffee. "But remember, a pound of coffee makes maybe 60 cups, and a pound of tea will make 150," he says. "So even if you're paying more than twice as much for tea, you'll be making more per cup." Because tea is a relatively inexpensive product, cafés can craft their tea menus with a bit of creativity and variety. Experts rec- ommend carrying at a bare minimum one black tea and one green tea—as they tend to be the most popular—but preferably one or more tea from all fi ve categories. This is the practice followed at the fi ve retail stores of San Rafael, Calif.–based Equator Coffees & Teas, where director of retail Devorah Freudiger describes the tea menu thusly: "We always have a nice grassy green tea as well as a jasmine green. We have a very approachable sweet oolong and a loose pu-erh. One white, a Yunnan black, and of course, Earl Grey. We also carry matcha and chai, as well as chamomile, mint, and cascara for our non true-teas." Of those, she says, the most popular is the black-tea- based chai, which Equator baristas serve as a latte sweetened with homemade vanilla syrup. Once you've determined a menu, the next essential step is decid- ing on equipment. Because fragile teapots are prone to breaking in the fast-paced café environment, tea experts recommend durable, cost-efficient brewing devices. (See "Practical Gadgets for Brewing Tea" sidebar for a full list of durable tea-brewing gadgets.) Anoth- er preferred tool for brewing is an adjustable-temperature water boiler, as different teas brew best at different temperatures. More delicate white and green teas are brewed at a lower temperature of 170 to 185°F, while oolong teas brew best at 180 to 190, and bolder "I think coffee shops are a really good place for loose-leaf tea because they're already used to taking those extra steps to make a really outstanding cup of coffee." —Heather Agosta, The Jasmine Pearl Tea Co. 88 barista magazine