An article in the November 2011 edition of Specialty Coffee Retailer caught my eye. It speaks to the growth of the tea industry and some of the key differences with coffee. One major difference is selection with specialty tea being dramatically larger than coffee. Coffee may boast 40 - 50 kinds whereas tea could have 150 - 200. A second difference is in subtlety of taste with coffee being much more intense than tea. And finally, it is the fact that tea is a more contemplative beverage than coffee. David De Candia, of Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, is quoted as saying:
"People, contrary to what they think, they do want to slow down, take time, reflect on life. From the point of preparation, steeping, scooping the leaves, (tea brewing) takes time. During that period of time, you're more in the moment, you're more present, and that's what the key to what more people probably want - to be more present, more in the now".
