Marco Namowicz is the tea enthusiast behind the STEAP’D blog and Instagram where he shares some of the most sophisticated tea tasting notes. I’m grateful the social media platform introduced me to him last year as he is exactly how you might picture a tea drinker – kind, open and eloquent. I’m sure the fellow tea drinkers who take part in his STEAP’D with Friends sessions would agree! Surprisingly though, Marco’s relationship with coffee began at a young age, so his deep passion for tea didn’t come until later in life. At the tea table we discussed his transition to high-quality tea, music and tea pairing recommendations and he takes us on a virtual tour of his favourite Chicago tea spots!
The kettle is on and I can hear it about to sing. What tea are you going to steep for us today?
I’ve got a delicious Chuan Tong Tie Guan Yin I’ve just weighed out here for this morning! I’m finding with the change in seasons I move away from the more modern style TGY in favor of this more traditional styled one, complete with an apricot jam sweetness and slight sour pulling sensation in the mouth. I’ve also found it’ll provide 12 infusions or so meaning I’m going for the long haul!
A perfect pick for this tea chat! How did your relationship with tea begin and eventually lead to you starting your tea-stagram & blog?
I’d like to believe that my tea journey began as most have here in America during the 90s; tea bags of a certain sort and cans of lemon or raspberry iced tea. I actually began drinking coffee at the age of 10 and so my relationship with tea largely remained in iced black tea, sweetened green tea, or hot herbal blends with honey if I fell ill or had difficulties sleeping. This evolved in high school as I sought out better alternatives that cut out high fructose corn syrup. I leaned to tea and the plethora of blends that lined the shelves until university, where I stumbled into a tea cafe and saw loose leaf blends used in crafting signature drinks and tea cocktails. I was heavily interested in the health benefits of tea and fell down the loose leaf rabbit-hole.
I’d say it’s been about 3-4 years now that my tea experiences have primarily consisted of pure leaf teas, and the last year has been a practice in gong fu brewing. It was discovering gong fu cha that led me to develop a daily practice that I could share on Instagram and the blog! It’s a practice I’m humbled by, savoring both in solitude and with others.
I’m so glad tea found you in the end! Thank you for your contributions to the tea community.
With a background in music, I’m sure you love to pair some tunes with steeps! Can you share a few tea + music pairings that are your favourite?
Oh this is a good one! Most of my pairings also reflected in Instagram mirror the sensations experienced through the leaf and the energies induced. Since our relationship to tea evolves with our mood, weather, and palate moment to moment it means that I can have 1 tea and experience countless soundtracks. Here are a few that stand out to me!
– 2017 Winter Yu Shan/The Delicate Forever by Steve Roach: The nearly 25 minute track reflects a voided space in waves of tones sprinkled with delicate frequencies. The repetitive nature lulls me into a state of mediation as the rolled leaves of the oolong slowly exhale with hot water and provide nuances in texture and aromatics.
– Gui Fei Cha/Spohr Clarinet Concerto No. 2 in Eb Major: There’s a particular recording of Jon Manasse with the Seattle Symphony Orchestra that is perfect to me. Manasse’s sound in general is liquid caramel and its beautiful sweetness encapsulates the oolong. Gui Fei Cha is uncommon and not as renowned, matching the obscurity Louis Spohr’s musical contributions fell into, despite being pivotal from Classical to Romantic eras The composition is clean with substance and matches the experience of drinking this delicious tea.
– Matcha/Tycho: When I prepare matcha it’s usually accompanied by energetic music and a desire to get moving or remain in transit. Coastal Brake from the album Dive is lighthearted and rich in momentum, similar to the relatively swift whisking preparation and consumption of high quality matcha.
Tell me about one of the most interesting teas you have ever tasted.
Trying Hon Yu aka Cultivar #21 processed as a yellow tea blew my mind last year as it opened my eyes to both cultivars and yellow teas. A cross between both Keemun and the Assamica, this material was processed in such a way that the leaves maintained a light freshness of pear with rich pumpkin seeds. Their large and thick leaves demand slightly hotter water to penetrate and is longer lasting than most yellow teas I’ve had so far.
Take us on a tour of your current city’s tea shops and cafes. What are your favourites and what would you typically order?
Hop off the Blue line’s Western stop in Chicago and in a few short minutes I frequently find myself at Easthill Tea Co., the tea bar pivotal to my introduction into gong fu cha. With a thoughtful range of tea types and sourced from friends of Keqi (the owner), I find myself often ordering a ceremony of Gyokuro or Bai Mu Dan. They’ve also got phenomenal matcha that I request prepared as koicha!
Argo Tea Cafe is also prevalent in the Chicago area and is a wonderful way to grab tea when on the go! From a robustly muscatel 2nd Flush Darjeeling sourced from Happy Valley Tea Garden to their Green Tea Ginger Twist drink with sencha, spicy ginger puree, lemon and rich vanilla; they’re great options for any tea drinker!
Speed Round:
Black, Green, Yellow, White, Oolong or Puerh?
Aged White
Hot, Iced or Cold?
Hot
Teapot, Infuser or Gaiwan?
Gaiwan
Straight, Sweetened or Latte?
Straight
Cheese or Chocolate pairing?
Chocolate – I’ve got a sweet tooth for any dark chocolate!
Who (or what) has been your greatest teacher in tea?
In addition to the community that continues to inspire me through their curiosity, experiments, and passion for the leaf, the lessons in impermanence teach me the most in tea. The nature of tea and gong fu in particular for me is a discipline in acceptance, letting go, and embracing the moment in life and at the tea table; A lesson I love experiencing with others.
Find Marco Namowicz / Steap’d:
ABOUT THIS SERIES: Tea tells stories and when connected with humans, more are created. That’s where the idea for this blog series, At the Tea Table, originated. With this series, The Cup of Life asks tea lovers around the world to take us inside their tea lives to share their favourite steeps, spaces, routines and more. Meet some of your fellow tea drinkers here.
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