Growing up in the predominately Scandinavian, Midwest culture of the 70s and 80s, food’s primary role was to provide only the most basic aspects of nourishment. That’s not to say the food was bad – it just seemed to be on a steady race to mediocrity. Vegetables came from a can, fruit needed to be drained before incorporating into some type of dairy or wiggly medium, and breads were whiter than a December snowfall. It was rare to see a dish that did not incorporate yellow-dyed cheese, a potato in some form, and fully-cooked meats that were large enough to act as a meal in-and-of themselves.

It was not the environment under which to develop a diverse palette.

Take coffee for example. In today’s hyper-coffee culture, it’s hard to imagine how utilitarian this drink can be. Although everyone was drinking coffee during my youth – it had little to do with flavor. It was simply a vehicle for an early morning drug addiction. It was part of a social event. It was consumed as an accompaniment to some type of dessert (usually in the form of a “bar”). But cans of Folgers have little to provide in terms of a great tasting coffee.

I have never jumped on the coffee/caffeine bandwagon. I love the smell but have not turned that into an enjoyment of the taste. That said, I know that if I tried some good coffee – more in the form of espresso (coffee’s intended delivery vehicle) – I would become a fan. Likely, an addictive fan.

But, I’m not and really don’t plan to start.

My tea is usually served in a stainless steel container - photo courtesy of Flickr user t-moe

Now, green tea is a whole other story. I am a BIG fan of tea and will have a large cup most days of the week (even weekends). It’s been that way with me for several years. I’m not totally clear when/how I started, but I have been working my way through the intricacies of this fascinating drink and don’t see any end in sight.

I probably picked it up on a health kick. A few years ago, green tea was one of the latest fads claiming to extend life and retain youth. Being then in my early 30s, I can see why I would have been drawn to it. Although I’m not generally one to follow fads, I like to give new things a try to see if they stick. Green tea was something that stuck with me, which is a little surprising since it is such a polarizing drink. I have found very few people in my life who will state they like green tea. Most people find the taste a little offensive and prefer the sweetness or creaminess that can be incorporated into other hot drinks. With green tea, you really need to leave it alone and find some high-quality ingredients to really make it work.

That said, it’s amazing the degree to which the quality of green tea can vary. It’s also amazing how hard it can be to find green tea that is worth drinking. I can understand how many people may try it and turn away in disgust. There are a lot of terrible tasting green teas out there and it takes a resilience in drinking to uncover the true gems. Green tea does not seem to like abuse and needs some TLC to produce a quality cup. Other teas – like black teas (think Earl Grey and others) – can take a lot of variables and still produce a drinkable tea. Green tea is best when left alone – and must always be enjoyed in whole leaf form, since pulverizing the tea produces a weak, bitter brew.

Even the growing of tea can be an experience - photo courtesy of Flickr user ncclab

I’ve found some great tasting teas – from Numi, Revolution, Cameron’s, and others. All of them whole leaf and all providing subtle complexity with little bitterness. But I had never taken it to the level of going to a dedicated tea store and buying loose leaf in bulf. Until yesterday.

On Saturday, I bundled up my daughter and we headed over to the Tea Source to begin a whole new charter in my search for great green tea. It is a tiny little store in NE Minneapolis (right next door to an apartment building I lived in with my brother during my college years). They have at least 80 varieties of tea, including a very large selection within my favorite green variety and are very willing to help explore while in the store.

I gave a few flavors the “sniff test” and came out with 3 different options:

• Downy Tip Green – a real simple, basic green tea with subtle grassy flavors
• Gunpowder Special – the classic rolled leaves that generate a little more fuller flavor
• Hulu Green – a different take on a green tea the produces a little smoother flavor

I didn’t want to get too many varieties, as their minimum order provides enough tea for approx 25 cups. Quality tea doesn’t keep beyond a few weeks, so I wanted to be able to use up the leaves that I purchased. It’s also good to know that in purchasing several varieties and having about 75 cups worth – I only spent $10. That’s a great value per cup of good tea and far exceeds anything I was able to achieve via the local grocery stores.

I’m excited to enjoy the teas I have and look forward to going back to the Tea Source to explore more variety.