Tea culture steeps in Madison

Anna Speaker
5/1/08

Nearly 60 glass jars of different tea line the wall of Dr. Xiping Zhou’s tea room, leaving the scent of indiscernible dried herbs lingering in the air at his Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine clinic on the west side of Madison. That may have seemed like a lot to a Madison resident several years ago, but today, even coffeehouses are stocking more and more varieties of tea, trading in the caffeine-laden coffee and providing a fresher, healthier option.

Madison tea consumption is on the rise. Liz Tymus, General Manager of Espresso Royale, estimated that while tea used to contribute 10 percent of her overall business, in the past few years, tea produced nearly 20 percent of overall sales. Lorie Henn, owner of Fair Trade Coffeehouse on State Street, estimated that her store sells 20 percent more tea than it did several years ago.

Tymus attributes the rise in consumption to residents wanting more than the caffeine boost from what she calls a “crazy explosion” of coffee shops in Madison.

“People are looking for something new and different and tea is absolutely a new sort of off-the-beaten-path direction that people are willing to take,” Tymus said.

Ground Zero and Cargo Coffee owner Lindsey Lee said that Madison tea drinkers are becoming more sophisticated, so his businesses now sell a wider variety of tea. Espresso Royale on State Street currently sells 29 varieties of tea. MaCha teahouse on Monroe Street sells over 40.

But while these coffee shops are providing steaming cups of tea to the growing number of willing consumers, Dr. Zhou, Medical Doctor of Oriental Medicine, warns that too much or too little tea could lead to health consequences.

“The Chinese believe, we said, good health is not perfect heath; good health is called balance health. We keep balance,” Zhou said. He says people should drink an average of two cups a day, but advises drinking less black and red tea due to their high caffeine content.

Julie Foote, an undergraduate student at University of Wisconsin-Madison, said that part of the reason she drinks tea is because she likes the taste and because she recognizes that it is good for her health. As a tea drinker, she strays from coffee for several reasons.

“Firstly, I really just don’t like the taste and I really don’t like coffee breath,” said Foote. “Secondly, I’m not big on caffeine. I prefer not to be a caffeine addict if I can help it.”

While Foote is cautious of coffee’s addictive qualities, Dr. Zhou warns that too much of the drug is bad for digestion and the nervous system, and it can cause cardiological problems. He said that females in particular should be wary of their caffeine intake.

“Drink caffeine for female really make worse for female, like for menopause, female dysmenorrheal, and also [cause] high defect for birthrate,” said Zhou. He also said overdosing on caffeine can lead to worse cases of osteoporosis and arthritis.

Zhou recommended that tea replace coffee in everyday diets. While the caffeine in coffee can be debilitating to the body, tea contains polyphenols, which help lower cholesterol and reduce fat. In addition to these benefits, Zhou said the antioxidants in tea can also reduce bacteria in our body. He also commented on how the drink can help fight stress.

“Tea is more [to] help our body relax and make our calm our focus. Coffee makes our [focus] hyper.”

But as exam time rolls around on campus, students will be flocking to the tea-bearing coffee shops to cram for their finals and get their fix of caffeine. Dr. Zhou recommended replacing the caffeine-loaded espresso with herbal, green or white tea. He said to avoid strong black tea because it too contains large amounts of caffeine.

“People wanting to have some stimulant or also have some focus should drink some green tea and or jasmine tea,” said Zhou.

The key to getting the most out of your cup is drinking fresh. In order to get the greatest beneficial impact from tea, Zhou said it is best to drink loose tea. Loose tea consists of free-floating leaves or herbs, unlike tea bags that have been manufactured and packaged. According to Zhou, these store-bought tea bags have less antioxidants than loose teas. Tymus of Espresso Royale says that the loose teas are also different from prepackaged teas in that they allow the consumer to “personalize each experience.”

So whether Madison residents satisfy their taste with 29 tea choices at Espresso Royale, or over 40 at MaCha, they have a steep array of options to choose from when broadening their cultural--and nutritional-- horizons.