It is time to put the day's obsessions on hold, time to make some space for oneself, time to sit a spell for well-being, time to tune in to a ritual that has been soothing millions of people for thousands of years.
It is time for tea.
A simple cup of tea can provide an oasis of calm in a harried life.
"Tea is more than an herb," said Alexandra Stoddard, author of the new book "Tea Celebrations: The Way to Serenity" (William Morrow and Co. Inc., $18). "Tea is a conduit to the soul. Just say the word and it calms you down."
Though tea has been on the tips of people's tongues for thousands of years, it has recently become a hot topic in the specialty-food trade.
"There are a tremendous number of companies coming out with tea," said Ron Tanner, communications director of the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade. "Of all the [specialty-food] categories, tea may be the strongest one." There were more than 100 companies presenting tea products at the summer Fancy Food Show last July in New York City. "There's more growth in tea than in any other category, especially in the last six months or so," Mr. Tanner said.
Last November, Food Arts magazine, in an article called "Coffee, Tea and Money," by Beverly Stephen, noted that "Trend watchers predict [tea is] hot on the heels of coffee. They actually expect to see a crossover from the interest in specialty coffees to an interest in specialty teas. There will be more tea shops and tea bars."
And there will likely be more small regional tea companies, such as the Eastern Shore Tea Co. of Church Hill, an 11-year-old family firm that produces a line of 48 flavored and herbal teas.
Jan Burns, who runs the company with her husband, Howard, an artist who produces all the artwork for the company, and friend Kathleen Chilton, said when they first started exhibiting at the Fancy Food Show, there were only 15 to 20 tea companies there. "Now there are 120," she said.
Ms. Stoddard is not surprised there is a new interest in tea. "The renaissance in tea has a direct connection to the spiritual hunger in this country. We're going about it all the wrong way, trying to do things faster and faster."
What people really need to do, Ms. Stoddard said, is slow down. Stop. Take three minutes or 30 minutes, and just savor the ritual of preparing the tea, the aroma of the tea, the sense of the present moment.
