At the Tea Table with Tami Kowal of Mindful Tea Queen

Tea is a daily practice for Tami Kowal. In fact, her motto is “be present with your tea and you’ll be present with your days.” As a Mindful Tea Queen, she encourages fellow tea drinkers to explore the world of loose leaf tea in hopes that it would give them what it has given her over the years, a chance to slow down. I first connected with Tami through social media after she picked up a copy of my book Tea-spiration. I found her to be a breath of fresh air and she quickly grew into an incredibly supportive tea friend. At the tea table Tami shared her first tea memory with her grandma Rose, her dreamy tea sanctuary with tips on how to create your own at home, recommended tea shops in Seattle, Washington and much more.

The kettle is on and I can hear it about to sing. What tea are you going to steep for us today?

First of all, thanks so much for inviting me to your tea table! This is a real treat!

I am CRAZY about Nepalese Himalayan Spring Green Tea from Rare Tea Company. It’s harvested and hand rolled in the early spring from a specific tea field in the Jun Chiyabari Estate high in the mountains of Nepal. 

It’s delicious and smooth with notes of mango, stewed pineapple, and lychee. This is one that I think will surprise people who think they don’t like green tea.

How did your relationship with tea begin?

My first tea memory is when I was about 5 years old with my beloved Grandma Rose in her kitchen in Detroit, Michigan. She followed a recipe for “Russian Tea” that used an ingredient that was all the rage in the 1970’s: Tang (orange flavored powder popular with astronauts and therefore children everywhere).

The final beverage could be served hot or cold, although we always sipped it hot. It was a slightly spicy, sweet orange black tea with a hint of cinnamon & cloves.

My grandma would mix instant lemon-flavored black tea with tang, and then add cinnamon, clove, and sugar. I loved it!

She would make large batches of it in glass mason jars so we could easily scoop some out and add hot water whenever we wanted to have our special tea time together. When she didn’t have all the ingredients needed we made another version by steeping Bigelow Constant Comment with Tang. This was also very good.

Although the flavor of this “Russian Tea” was definitely kid friendly, the best part was sitting with my grandma at her small Formica dinette.

There was always something so cozy, sensory, and comforting about the whole tea time experience.

Compared to what I sip today, I don’t know that I would call what was inside my cup “true tea”, but the warm experience of enjoying it with my grandma Rose was most definitely having tea!

Later as an adult I drank mostly tea bag tea and occasionally loose leaf tea.

When I attended the first Northwest Tea Festival in 2008, I realized just how much there was to explore in the world of loose leaf  tea and I was hooked by all I tasted and learned! I’ve attended every Northwest Tea Festival ever since and have become a bit obsessed with tea.

I am in love with the tea space you made in your home! What are a few tips or words of advice that you would share with fellow tea drinkers looking to create their own tea sanctuary? 

Thank you, Lu Ann! I have several places in my home that are dedicated to tea.

In my kitchen, I have a tea station. I like to keep only appliances/objects on my counters that I use daily and my electric tea kettle is one of them. I decided to add other items needed to make tea next to the tea kettle since I literally make tea every single day, often several times a day.

Before I knew it, I had a designated tea making space or tea station as I like to call it. I added tea infuser baskets, a teaspoon, honey, tea pets, a few small tea pots, and vessels to hold dripping infuser baskets.

All I need to bring to my tea station is the tea I want to steep and my mug or cup & saucer.

My teens know they are welcome to use my tea station too – and it makes me smile to see them use it!

My tea station is located on the kitchen counter closest to our sink, which makes for easy filling of the tea kettle with filtered water and easy clean up of infuser baskets and tea pots. This is where I make tea when I’m enjoying it with others, often in more of a celebratory mode.

I also created a special tea sanctuary for when I have time to really sit intentionally with my tea on my own. There is a tea table across from the second story floor to ceiling window in our 1964 mid-century modern home.

I call our home the “Wabi-Sabi Tree House”  because it has an earthy, Danish meets Japanese design, and it is fully surrounded by mature evergreen trees.

There used to be a low to the ground table in this spot. I would sit on a meditation cushion to have tea. I love to look out and see the changing of the seasons and my tree friends as I sip my tea.

In this sanctuary, I keep an electric kettle, a gaiwan, a fairness pitcher, a simple tea cup, a candle, lighter, and journal. I also add something that I enjoy looking at like a beautiful crystal, photograph, or small vase with a fresh flower.

When sadly, my father passed away in 2021, I inherited a small bamboo table for two with an oblong glass tabletop and matching chairs that fits perfectly in this space. I no longer sit on my meditation pillow and my knees are rather happy about that!

My father had inherited this special table from his mother, my grandmother when she passed away. This was not the same grandmother I told you about earlier. But, now I have a connection to both grandmothers through tea, which is very nice.

And of course, I think about my dad and I know he would smile to know I use this table daily to slow down and pause.

Speaking of connection, I think it’s very important to bring meaningful objects into your own tea sanctuary space. They do not have to be fancy or expensive. They could be things like a cool rock you found on a hike or a pine cone, a quote written on a post-it note, a plant, or a trinket that makes you smile.

I think it’s important to change what you keep or use in your tea sanctuary in order to keep things relevant and fresh in your tea practice.

If you don’t have the room to have a designated tea space, creating a portable tea tray works great too. Find a tray that you can easily carry. Add your teapot, teacup, candle, a book or journal, and anything else you like for a sacred tea time practice.

One of the things we have connected over is tea meditation. You share great content about this! You’re about to sit down for a personal tea session/meditation. Describe how that would look for you.

Yes! You are a kindred spirit, Lu Ann, when it comes to tea meditation. I remember thinking that when I read your wonderful book, Tea-spiration!

If I am going to sit for a tea session, the first thing I do is look through my loose leaf tea collection and see which tea calls to me. I might open the tea tin lid and smell the aroma, to confirm it is the tea I want for that sitting.

Then depending on the tea I have chosen, I will select a tea cup that suits the tea or one that speaks to me.

Next, I head over to my tea table that I mentioned earlier, and fill my electric tea kettle.

Once at the tea table, waiting for the water to heat, I spend time using my sense of sight, touch, and smell to experience the dry tea leaf.

I light a candle, listen to sound of the kettle heating and the formation of bubbling water.

Then I begin to prepare my tea mindfully and slowly, paying attention to the entire process using my five senses.

I listen to the sound the tea makes as I add it to my gaiwan.

See and feel the steam as I pour the hot water over the tea leaves. Listen to sound of the pouring water. Watch the tea leaves dance!

After the tea has steeped I lift the gaiwan lid to take in the warmth and aroma. That is one of my most favorite parts!

I look at the wet tea leaves. I pour the tea from the gaiwan into the fairness pitcher and observe the color of the liqueur.

Then I pour from the fairness pitcher into my tea cup. Slowly lift it to my lips, taking the tiniest of sips to test the temperature, but also to slow down.

I hold the tea in my mouth and taste. I sip as Thich Nhat Hanh says, “…slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the world earth evolves – slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future.”

When I am mindful and truly pay attention to my tea with my five senses, my tea practice is most definitely my meditation.

Take us on a tour of your city’s tea shops and cafes. What are your favourites and go-to orders?

I’d love to! Seattle, WA is often thought of as the coffee capital since this is the home of the original Starbucks. But, we are full of true tea lovers too. I think it has to do with our weather. Plus, our love of learning, books, outdoor adventures regardless of the rain, and all things cozy.

When you visit Seattle be sure to check out Miro Tea in the historic neighborhood of Ballard. Not only do they have an outstanding selection of loose leaf teas and tea ware, it’s a great place to sit and enjoy a pot of tea and pastries made by local bakers.

The aesthetic is modern & warm and the owner, Jeannie Liu, and her staff are super welcoming & kind. You can also order online & create a Miro tea experience at home. I actually live about 45 minutes away (longer with traffic) so I often do Miro at home. I always love my experience.

East of Seattle is a small town called Issaquah. There you will find my OG of tea friends: Roberta at Experience Tea Studio.

Roberta’s area of expertise is selecting really fantastic teas for purchase and offering a variety of super interesting tea classes.

When my kids were younger they took some fun tea classes at her studio and I have enjoyed classes too. Although her place is not a café like Miro, she can make you a cup on tea to go – and I know you will love it!

Also east of Seattle is Lizzy Kate Tea in downtown Kirkland, WA owned by the lovely couple, Amy & Will Riffle. This is a bright and light filled, modern tea shop, tea bar, and cafe with plenty of tables inside and outside to enjoy your tea.

When you first walk in you see a wall full of labeled tea canisters. There is literally something for everyone! The service is friendly and they are always creating fun new tea based drinks. They even offer Japanese wagashi from a local maker along with tea flights. 

Speed Round:

Black, Green, Yellow, White, Oolong or Puerh?
My latest obsession is GREEN!

Hot, Iced or Cold?
Hot

Teapot, Infuser or Gaiwan?
Gaiwan tied with my tiny 150 ml teapots from Miro tea and Rare Tea Company.

Straight, Sweetened or Latte?
Straight

Cheese or Chocolate pairing? 
Chocolate

You’re stranded on a desert island and you could only bring 3 tea related items. What are they?

1. A self-replenishing tin of White Peony Tea. It was my first true tea love and I don’t think I could ever tire of it.  It’s super calming.
2. My gaiwan travel tea set from Rare Tea Company.
3. A tea kettle to use over an open flame.

Find The Mindful Tea Queen:

Website | Instagram | Facebook | Podcast

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.