92256 Tue Apr 12 15:35:59 -0700 2005 11 5 Texas 0 506760 Curious to find opinions about this. I have found some good oolongs and green teas at Asian markets, a decent selection of Indian teas at the Indian shops, and I know that the Bodum store has a wide selection of some black/red teas. But does anyone know of a good shop (with knowledgeable help) specializing in loose teas? Tue Apr 12 15:35:59 -0700 2005 0 Kirk 1 506761 I have a friend who is a tea fanatic. Brings her own pot into the office and brews it all day. She says she hasn't found anything decent around. She mostly orders from online. She thinks its cheaper, better quality, and more variety. Absolute favorite: http://www.specialteas.com/ She says they are very reasonable and good with the samples. http://www.uptontea.com/ Huge selection and sell samples on everything. http://www.harney.com/ Smaller selection, but very very good. A bit more pricey. All sites have a ton of information posted and she said Harney has a live chat option. I know its not the same as going to the store, but I don't know anywhere here that is great. Tue Apr 12 17:09:01 -0700 2005 506760 0 simply_victoria 2 507094 Absolutely agree about the online selections. I use Upton all the time. Green tea needs to be very fresh, and a good source is essential. Another place online, but both expensive and top quality, is imperialtea.com for Chinese teas. In Dallas, I'd go to a big Whole Foods, like the one on lower Greenville. Buy anything by Rishi (or by Special Teas), and only in bulk. Try a green tea, try an oolong, try a black Indian or Ceylong/Sri Lanka tea. If making green tea, remember not to use boiling water, but rather 160-190 degrees F. Steep 3 minutes but possibly less. Thu May 05 12:03:00 -0700 2005 506761 0 Tex Nosh 1 506778 The Cultured Cup in North Dallas Thu Apr 14 12:54:41 -0700 2005 506760 0 Dolores 2 506779 Thanks! Thu Apr 14 16:02:39 -0700 2005 506778 0 Kirk 2 506787 I've been here once, and while they were very nice, I didn't buy anything. They mostly only carry Mariage Freres which are nice teas, but I think overly priced even when buying in large bulk. I would maybe use them as a resource, but you get better deals online. Fri Apr 15 13:57:08 -0700 2005 506778 0 simply_victoria 1 506786 I second the Cultured Cup recommendation. They have a large selection of loose leaf tea, and the owners know their tea backwards, forwards, sideways, and diagonally. While I have not tried it yet, they also carry a good selection of high-end drinking chocolate. Honestly though, I have usually been quite happy with tea purchased at various ethnic markets when I have asked the proprietor for recommendations. Fri Apr 15 13:34:51 -0700 2005 506760 0 Benjamin 1 506808 If you make it to Austin, you must come to the Tea Embassy downtown. The owners really know their stuff and have a great selection. You can sample what they have brewed for the day, and sometimes they have little scones or other goodies to go with your tea samples. Mon Apr 18 18:16:15 -0700 2005 506760 0 chow-a-holic 1 507095 I wonder if DFW area could possibly have more/better tea than many other locales in central/eastern US, simply because of the direct flights between DFW (the airport) and Shanghai. When I was scoping tickets for my trip there, most carriers wanted to send me ABQ-DFW-PVG (Pudong-Shanghai), which I thought was strange and out of the way.... so I ended up going through Vancouver in the end. :-) Andrea http://tenacity.net Thu May 05 12:27:36 -0700 2005 506760 0 Miss Tenacity 2 4453064 HALO tea & chocolate in Frisco, Texas Wed Feb 25 21:38:34 -0800 2009 507095 269942 delshow777 1 4469056 I'll...umm...third the Cultured Cup recommendation. But as a general rule, I think you're probably better off getting tea from online retailers due to selection and freshness. I use Adagio.com for a good portion of my tea selection...and o-cha.com for my Japanese Senchas. Tue Mar 03 08:58:57 -0800 2009 506760 271352 lawofmurphy 1 4626343 My tea snob friends turned me on to Teavana in the Dallas Galleria (www.teavana.com). They have a plethora of wonderful teas that are very well organized by type, region and flavor. They can serve them there, as well, and they're always sampling something. Fri Apr 24 16:36:11 -0700 2009 506760 285936 nocomicsans