Favorites: Bosphorus Tea

One of my favorite places to visit when I am up in the Mother Lode Gold Country of California is a quaint little Victorian inspired tea house called Columbia Kate's Tea House.

Watercolor by local artist Olga Wright (From the Columbia Kate's Website)

My husband and I stumbled in one damp day while visiting the lovely historic town of Columbia just north of Sonora in Tuolumne County. I often find myself up in this area for work purposes and when possible will sneak a trip over to Columbia Kate's to pick up some bulk tea. They feature a vast array of different teas from black and herbal to rooibos and mate. My personal favorite has got to be the Bosphorus. When I first visited, this was the tea I choose to try while sitting in the tea room looking out the rain pelted window. It was rich and warm, a hint of sweet nutty chocolately flavor. The aroma of just the dry blend itself was enough to send me into an olfactory orgasm! The blend contained the base of black tea, pistachios, cumin, almonds, coriander, red pepper berries, apples and pineapples. It's so fragrant and when steeped in nearly boiling water, the oils and the fragrances perform this hypnotic dance transporting your mind and spirit thousands of miles away to where the crossroads of the spice trade intersect. This tea resonated with me so deeply, and not totally comprehending where the term Bosphorus originated from, continued to loose myself into the layers of complex flavors with every brew.

From Petali Teas

Time for a little background on myself. My heritage branches off from my grandfathers Armenian ancestry which was centered in Istanbul, Turkey. My parents, who were both U.S. Citizens and serving in the Air Force and Department of Defense as a civilian teacher, were married in Ankara. Turkey is a country that runs deep in my veins, and while doing some research on this particular blend of tea, as if a light bulb exploded above my head, it all made so much sense! Bosphorus! Of course! How could I have not instinctively known it?! Bosphorus is the region in Turkey that spans the great Istanbul Strait.

Wikipedia: The Bosphorus (/ˈbɒsfərəs/) or Bosporus (/ˈbɒspərəs/, Turkish: Boğaziçi, Greek: Βόσπορος, Vosporos, Bulgarian: Босфора, Bosfora), also known as the Istanbul Strait (Turkish: İstanbul Boğazı), is a strait that forms part of the boundary between Europe and Asia. The Bosphorus, the Sea of Marmara, and the Dardanelles strait to the southwest together form the Turkish Straits. The world's narrowest strait used for international navigation, the Bosphorus connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara (which is connected by the Dardanelles to the Aegean Sea, and thereby to the Mediterranean Sea.)

This tea instantly connects me to my past, history of my ancestry and the great bosom of civilization. It transports me to a time of ancient bazaars and lanterns. If I close my eyes while cradling a fresh hot steeping cup, I can faintly hear the jingling of belly dancers, tablas, and Byzantine music trailing off onto the Silk Road. It connects me to who I am and warms me mentally, emotionally and spiritually.