Spring Break
Food Review
Laura Katzer
Issue date: 10/1/07 Section: Culture
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411 Pennsylvania Ave.
Teadrops is a quiet, smooth oasis of calm in the heart of Westport.
Tea is supposed to be the next hot trend, the new coffee, and Teadrops definitely presents tea as a modern beverage in many forms.
The shop has large, inviting windows and exudes a natural aura with tonal greens and yellows, plants and a small fountain.
There is plenty of space to chat, study or just sit and relax. It's a laid back place, which is perfect, because tea is a drink that requires time to be enjoyed.
The menu offers a wide assortment of loose leaf teas. They are grouped by style in five main categories: black teas, green teas, herbal teas, oolong teas and white teas.
The style refers to the type of processing the tea leaves have undergone.
Black teas require the most fermenting and drying while white teas require the least. This is why black and oolong teas are richer and have mellow tannic bodies while green and white teas are generally lighter, sharper and more floral.
Herbal teas are not really teas at all but infusions of herbs or herbal blends. Because herbal teas do not contain actual tea, they do not contain any caffeine.
I tried a variety of the loose leaf teas each priced at $2 for a paper cup or $4 for a china pot.
The price includes as many refreshments of hot water as desired.
All the teas were served with water at the proper temperature and a timer to track the brewing times. They were consistent and refreshing.
My favorites teas were jasmine green, citron oolong, earl grey supreme, blood orange and yerba mate.
Yerba mate is the only herbal infusion that has caffeine, and beware, it has quite a lot.
Next, I dabbled with bubble tea.
It's a sweet tea and fruit drink that includes gummy, bean-sized tapioca balls, which are called bubbles.
Bubble tea is a polarizing drink: some love it and others find its texture discomforting.
Teadrops offers several styles and flavors of bubble tea.
The menu lists bubble juice, bubble lassi, bubble milk and bubble tea. The four styles are available shaken over ice, steamed hot or blended frozen.
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