First came the wine, beer and apple cider food pairings, and now . . .  flights of mighty leaf?

by Jeff Bateman

The art of bellying up to the bar takes on new meaning at the Silk Road Aromatherapy and Tea Company in Victoria’s Chinatown. Co-owners Daniela Cubelic and Nancy Larose are offering not only 100-plus leafy imported blends, a dazzling collection of tea accoutrements and green-tea spa facials, but also an in-depth education at the world’s only linger-and-learn tea bar.

“Tea has enough distinct aromas, flavour profiles, colours and complexity that it deserves the same respect as wine,” says tea master Cubelic. Weigh the vegetal hints of a Japanese green, for instance, against the malty hues of an Assam from northern India. Or ponder the difference in a pair of smoky gunpowder teas, one from Sri Lanka, the other China’s Zhejiang province. As to affecting the air of a connoisseur: Gently inhale the steaming bouquet, then sip slowly, swirling liquid over tongue before swallowing. 250-704-2688

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Photo courtesy Silk Road Aromatherapy and Tea Company