My Country, 'Tis of Tea — Arizona

• This week in "My Country, 'Tis of Tea," my year-long research project focusing on tea in America, I couldn't wait to explore Arizona and learn more about that great Arizona company, Arizona Tea. Because of course it's an Arizona company, right? Imagine my surprise when I learned that Arizona Tea was "born in the heart of Brooklyn" in 1992. Whaaaaat? They seem to realize that people may be curious why a New York-based business named its product Arizona Tea, because one of the questions in the FAQ on their website is, "Why did you name the product Arizona?" and the answer is, "John Ferolito and Don Vultaggio, the two owners of the company, looked at a map to see where it was hot. At first they thought of naming it Santa Fe, then they focused on Arizona, and the rest, as they say, is history." I wonder how the people of Arizona feel about seeing their name on a tea that isn't made there. Despite the misleading name, the teas above are some of the Arizona Tea products I have tried, and I've learned that there is a great following of that classic Arizona Green Tea in the tall green can. Click here and here to see some of the surprising products featuring this iconic image. (Just remember: It's not really "Arizona" tea!)

• Quite a few other kinds of truly “Arizona tea,” however, can be found in the 1942 USDA Publication “Flowering Plants and Ferns of Arizona” by Thomas H. Kearney and Robert H. Peebles. In this publication, I found quite a few references to plants used by Native Americans and “early white settlers” to made medicinal tonics. One of these was made from certain types of the ephedra plant and was known as Mormon tea or Brigham tea. (Perhaps that was because such “teas” aren’t actually camellia sinensis, which I understand that Mormons do not drink.) There were also references to plants known as Spanish tea, Mexican tea, Hills tea, and Navajo tea, so these portions of the book make for interesting reading. Click here to download a copy for free yourself.

• Hotel teas can vary in quality, but in Googling tea in Arizona, I found several references to afternoon tea at the Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix. I was delighted to come across this video featuring their tea sommelier and showing some of their lovely offerings. If I'm ever near Phoenix, tea here will be a must! The hotel, a Waldorf Astoria Resort, was built in 1929, and Frank Lloyd Wright was the consulting architect.