The tea shop that I am talking about this week is not down the street, or just a car ride away. It is actually in Asheville, North Carolina, in both West Asheville and Downtown. During Thanksgiving break, I went on a little trip out of the state and of course I had to have some tea from my favorite tea shop! The first time I went to Dobra Tea I was about 15 years old and it was part of my birthday present from my dad. By then, I had already somewhat defined my tea palate and ordered something I thought sounded interesting, Forest Dragon. Then, going back at 18 years old, I ordered the exact same thing while the two other people I was with ordered matcha, a traditional Japanese tea, and chai. I was beyond excited and paired it with something called a medicine ball, which is a vegan chocolate with herbs and nut. Once we were ready to order, we rang the bell our server had given us and he came right over.
            The cool thing about this tea shop is that it has something for everyone! Not only is the tea menu huge, and I mean over 60 pages long huge, it also gives you a lot of detailed information about their tea. It tells you the history of the type of tea you want, where it is grown, what its flavor is like, and of course it talks about what it is made of. The food menu is separate in itself and they keep it to one page. There, they offer everything from sweet to salty with gluten-free and vegan options everywhere! Also, another really cool thing about this place is that they cater to almost every single dietary need by adding substitutes to make their food and drinks what you would like them to be.
            After a little bit of waiting, they brought our teas out. My Forest Dragon taking the longest because it takes extra time to make due to its complex flavor profile. Taking the first sip brought back memories of when my father had brought me to the tea shop in the past and honestly, I loved it. The tea itself brought everything to the table it said it would, with a very strong earthy flavor that tastes like it was right out of the forest. The tea itself has a matcha base which gives it a potent green tea flavor and a kick of caffeine. Then they add organic rice milk, fresh mint, cinnamon, and local honey. Which, for only six dollars, is a steal. The medicine ball I got was also beyond amazing! The chocolate was rich and smooth with a flavor that made it taste like it had actual milk in it. Then you are hit by crunchy pieces of nuts and then lastly there is a whole dried berry in the middle. I know that Asheville is nowhere near the University of Massachusetts Boston but if you ever find yourself in the Asheville area, make sure to enjoy some of your time at Dobra Tea.