Tea Madame

For the 165th week of "7 QUESTION SUNDAY" we shine the spotlight on another influential individual from the PNW. Tea Madame is a fantastic tea shop that offers tea classes and will change the way you look at (and drink) tea.

4EVRGRN: Hey, TM! Tell us a little about yourselves.

TM: Tea Madame was founded in 2004 in a 400-sf shop in Sumner.  Through years of efforts at the local Farmer's Markets and Trade Shows, we were able to open our second store in Lakewood in 2015.  COVID caused us to launch our website and recently, we have just opened our third store in Ruston.  As we grow, we are certain to stay within Pierce County which is where the owners were both born and raised.

Our mission is to make a complicated topic more approachable and easier for everyday use.

What is your most popular tea?

TM: Gold Mountain Spiced Rooibos - Flavored with 3 types of Whole Bark Cinnamon, Sweet Orange Peel and light Clove, this PNW flavor profile has been our #1 seller since ever introduced.  It is caffeine-free, full flavor and easy to prepare.

What can people expect from your tea class?

TM: Our live Tea Classes are only offered in Ruston.  Each class is unscripted and spontaneous.  We have some key points to cover but each class is a little different.  This is what makes them so interesting and has brought back some attendees for more than 10 or 12 classes.

The Tea 101 Class costs $5.  We see, smell and taste 7 products including a White Tea, Green Tea, Oolong Tea, Pu-erh Tea, Black Tea, a Rooibos and an Herbal.  We offer some traditional examples as well as some flavored blends and they change with every class.

Once attendees finish the class, they will have a better understanding of the differences in the categories.  We discuss how to steep them, how to store them and some interesting history among them all.  Afterwards, attendees can take advantage of a 10% discount in any of our stores.

Favorite place to drink tea in the PNW?

TM: Tea is as customizable as our wide variety of customers.  Easier than some think, Tea can be quickly prepared for travel and taken on any activity.  Tea also has soothing compounds which also make it ideal for enjoying a book on a shady hammock or looking out the window as snow piles up.

Birdwatchers to Athletes, the PNW is full of amazing locations.  We as Washingtonians all have our favorites.  Usually, a place where we can see the open water or the mountains.  Tea is great on a charter boat or a walk through the Rain Forest.

Favorite local product?

TM: The PNW is known for many products that are regarded as the highest quality in the world.  Of course, Washington apples staring the amazing Honeycrisp and world class wines come from Eastern Washington.  But, locally, the most amazing product is very simple and only available for a short time each year.  The valley grown Strawberries that bloom seasonally in Western Washington are our favorites.

What is a common mistake people make with tea?

TM: Water temperature.

Some products yield the best when you use a full boiling temperature, and some cannot have water more than 180 degrees.  Teas given too hot water will immediately release their tannin and become bitter.  Blends that need boiling temperature may not offer full flavor when using water at 190 - 200 degrees.

Customers who use an Insta-hot or coffee machine for their hot water should use a thermometer to check it's setting.

What is something people visiting the PNW should see or do?

TM: It wouldn't be our personalized interview if we didn't mention the great Golf available in the area.  The PNW is full of things to do but there is one thing that cannot be found anywhere else that we're aware of.  The Olympic Game Farm in Sequim is something every family should experience.

Learn more online IG @TeaMadame, www.teamadame.com, and https://www.facebook.com/TeaMadameTeaShop/