Omaha tea shop sources rare blends from China, India and Japan

An Omaha tea shop believes there's more to the growing trend than just the tea.

Read the full article on KETV 7

YES. YOU KNOW TEA HAS BEEN AROUND FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS. PEOPLE HAVE THEIR FAVORITES. MAYBE CHAI TEA. IT’S PRETTY POPULAR. YES. I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE DRINKING MATCHA. I KNOW, BUT KETV NEWSWATCH 7 MARY REGLI VISITED A LOCAL TEA SHOP WHERE THEY BELIEVE THERE’S MORE TO THE TREND THAN JUST THE TEA. YOU KNOW, I THOUGHT HE WAS JUST NOTHING MORE THAN BROWN WATER AND A BAG. THAT’S HOW TIM SMITH LOOKED AT TEA UNTIL A TRIP TO BUY HIS WIFE A BIRTHDAY GIFT PROVIDED A CHANGE IN PERSPECTIVE. I STUMBLED ACROSS A STORE SELLING LOOSE LEAF TEA AND I THOUGHT, THIS WOULD BE GREAT. I’LL GET HER SOME TEA AND A TEAPOT. AND SO I BROUGHT IT HOME AND SHE REALLY LIKED IT AND SHE MADE ME TASTE IT. AND I SAID, OH, THIS HAS GOT SOME CHARACTER TO IT. IT’S GOT SOME TASTE TO IT. THEN FASCINATION STARTED BREWING. I WENT OUT ON THE INTERNET LOOKING FOR MORE TEA. AND OF COURSE, THIS IS, YOU KNOW, 20 PLUS YEARS AGO, MORE THAN JUST A BEVERAGE. TEA IS A CULTURAL STAPLE WITH HEALTH BENEFITS TO BOOT. BUT SMITH SAYS TEA SHOPS WEREN’T PREVALENT IN THE METRO AT THE TIME. 21 YEARS AGO, WE STARTED THE TEA SMITH, AND WE’VE BEEN DRINKING ON THE JOB EVER SINCE. SINCE THEN, SMITH AND HIS TEAM OF TEA SMITHIES HAVE ACQUIRED WORLDS OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE DRINK. THEY TRAVEL TO PLACES LIKE CHINA, INDIA AND JAPAN, MEETING DIRECTLY WITH GROWERS TO OBTAIN UNIQUE VARIETIES. SOME OF THEM ARE VERY SEASONAL. THEY’RE ONLY MADE IN THE SPRINGTIME, OR MAYBE ONLY IN THE FALL. OTHERS ARE VERY GEOGRAPHIC SPECIFIC. THE DRAGON WELL, FOR EXAMPLE, ONLY COMES FROM A CERTAIN AREA IN CHINA. THEY PERFORM BLIND TASTE TESTS AND BRING THEIR BEST SELECTIONS BACK TO THEIR SHOP OFF 78TH AND DODGE. WHEN YOU GET LOOSE LEAF TEA, IT REALLY IS FRESHER. THE LEAVES HAVE BEEN PROCESSED PROPERLY, YOU GET THE PROPER TYPES OF LEAVES IN THERE. BUT SMITH SAYS IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT THE LEAVES THEMSELVES, IT’S ABOUT THE RITUAL AND THE RELAXING EXPERIENCE. HE IS BEST SHARED, AND IT’S BEST WHEN YOU SLOW DOWN WITH IT A LITTLE BIT. SO SO WE TRY TO SERVE TEAS IN STORE AND EQUIPMENT THAT IS APPROPRIATE FOR THE STYLE. SO IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A WAY TO SLOW DOWN AND ENJOY SOME COMFORT AND CONVERSATION OVER A CUP, SMITH RECOMME

Tea has been around for thousands of years, but with trends like matcha tea and chai lattes hitting the U.S., its popularity is booming.”Most of my life, you know, I thought tea was just nothing more than brown water in a bag,” Tim Smith, owner of The Tea Smith.That is how Smith looked at tea until a trip to buy his wife a birthday gift provided a change in perspective. “I stumbled across a store selling loose-leaf tea, and I thought, ‘Oh, this would be great. I’ll get her some tea, a teapot.’ And so, I brought it home, and she really liked it. And she made me taste it. And so, this has got some character to it. It’s got some taste to it,” Smith said.Then, a fascination started brewing. “I went out on the internet looking for more tea. And of course, this is, you know, 20-plus years ago,” Smith said.More than just a beverage, tea is a cultural staple, with health benefits to boot. But Smith said tea shops were not prevalent in the metro at the time. “Twenty-one years ago, we started The Tea Smith, and we’ve been drinking on the job ever since,” Smith said.Since then, Smith and his team of tea “Smithies” have acquired worlds of knowledge about the drink. They travel to places like China, India and Japan, meeting directly with growers to obtain unique varieties.”Some of them are very seasonal. You know, they’re only made in the springtime, or maybe only in the fall. Others are very geographic specific. Dragonwell, for example, only comes from a certain area in China,” Smith said.They perform blind taste tests and bring the best selections back to their shop on 78th and Dodge. “When you get loose-leaf tea, it really, it’s fresher. The leaves have been processed properly. You get the proper types of leaves in there,” Smith said.But Smith said it’s not just about the leaves themselves — it’s about the ritual, as well as the relaxing experience. “Tea is best shared. And it’s best when you slow down with a little bit. So, we try to serve teas in store and equipment that is appropriate for the style,” Smith said.So, if you’re looking for a way to slow down and enjoy some comfort and conversation over a cup, Smith recommends giving tea a try.Make sure you can always see the latest news, weather, sports and more from KETV NewsWatch 7 on Google search.NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Local News | National | Sports | Newscasts on demand |

OMAHA, Neb. —

Tea has been around for thousands of years, but with trends like matcha tea and chai lattes hitting the U.S., its popularity is booming.

“Most of my life, you know, I thought tea was just nothing more than brown water in a bag,” Tim Smith, owner of The Tea Smith.

That is how Smith looked at tea until a trip to buy his wife a birthday gift provided a change in perspective.

“I stumbled across a store selling loose-leaf tea, and I thought, ‘Oh, this would be great. I’ll get her some tea, a teapot.’ And so, I brought it home, and she really liked it. And she made me taste it. And so, this has got some character to it. It’s got some taste to it,” Smith said.

Then, a fascination started brewing.

“I went out on the internet looking for more tea. And of course, this is, you know, 20-plus years ago,” Smith said.

More than just a beverage, tea is a cultural staple, with health benefits to boot. But Smith said tea shops were not prevalent in the metro at the time.

“Twenty-one years ago, we started The Tea Smith, and we’ve been drinking on the job ever since,” Smith said.

Since then, Smith and his team of tea “Smithies” have acquired worlds of knowledge about the drink.

They travel to places like China, India and Japan, meeting directly with growers to obtain unique varieties.

“Some of them are very seasonal. You know, they’re only made in the springtime, or maybe only in the fall. Others are very geographic specific. Dragonwell, for example, only comes from a certain area in China,” Smith said.

They perform blind taste tests and bring the best selections back to their shop on 78th and Dodge.

“When you get loose-leaf tea, it really, it’s fresher. The leaves have been processed properly. You get the proper types of leaves in there,” Smith said.

But Smith said it’s not just about the leaves themselves — it’s about the ritual, as well as the relaxing experience.

“Tea is best shared. And it’s best when you slow down with a little bit. So, we try to serve teas in store and equipment that is appropriate for the style,” Smith said.

So, if you’re looking for a way to slow down and enjoy some comfort and conversation over a cup, Smith recommends giving tea a try.

Make sure you can always see the latest news, weather, sports and more from KETV NewsWatch 7 on Google search.