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Community Corner

Great Escape: Tea Time

Each week, we'll find great escapes for you that will pamper, renew and refresh yourself so that you can keep taking care of the ones you love.

The late winter doldrums have hit. Nothing to do, nowhere to go, and the desire to burrow under the covers and wait until spring has arrived.

How about a nice dose of cozy comfort instead?

For centuries, tea has provided such comfort for many people. From the Far East to the British Isles to the aisles of our supermarket, tea has bridged many cultures.  There is something in the ritual of brewing the tea, the pouring of the tea, and wrapping your hands around a steaming cup that can lift spirits and make you feel whole again.

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If you are new to tea, or simply want to expand your tea palette, Indigo Tea Co. in Burnsville is the place for you.

Neal Grasdalen and his wife, Annie Lai, have 200 different varieties of teas to suit your mood. You may purchase the loose tea and take it home to brew, or let them do the work for you as you sit back and relax with friends over a variety of scones, muffins, shortbreads, rice crackers and light sandwiches to enjoy in addition to your tea.

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The shop is divided into a “European or English style with tables and chairs as well as an Asian style with tatami rice mats and pillows depending on your mood," said Grasdalen.

After years of living and working in China and Taiwan as a translator, Grasdalen, along with Lai, decided to return home and open the tea world to Minnesotans.

The shop also brews their own house-blend chai tea, popular with tea and coffee lovers alike, and, “Because Minnesota is relatively new to the tea world, new customers unfamiliar with tea tend to order flavored teas such as mango-green tea or pomegranate-green tea. After awhile, customers tend to start to try more of the traditional teas and learn to enjoy their own flavor," Grasdalen explained.

In addition to their loose teas, Indigo Tea Co. also features various tea accoutrements such as pots, cups and cozies for purchase in the store as well as on their website. Grasdalen is “happy to spend awhile with customers new to tea, providing them tips on brewing a delicious cup of tea."

The shop has also held tea classes in the spring and fall at the shop; you can find out about these classes by joining their e-mail list. They have also held classes at the shop through Burnsville Community Education. Plans are in the works for a possible class this spring, according to Grasdalen.

For more information and to purchase tea online, visit their website:  www.indigo-tea.com

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