If you have been reading my column or following me on social media, perhaps you know that I was born in Iran and grew up in Italy. Both cultures have greatly influenced my culinary preferences. I have an affinity for tea that started in my childhood in Iran, where we are introduced to it at an early age and drink it for breakfast, midday, midafternoon, and post meals. Basically, the teapot flows all day.

As an adult, my tea-drinking habits have changed. While I drink tea year-round, my preferences for hot or iced tea vary depending on the season and weather. Although Earl Grey remains my flavor of choice, I also really enjoy any type of tea with rose, lavender, mint, lemon verbena, lemongrass, and/or jasmine. Fruity flavors don’t appeal to me, and I don’t add milk or sugar to my tea. Nevertheless, a daily joy is a cup of tea in the middle of the afternoon with something sweet.

Sadly, San Pedro doesn’t have a traditional tea shop. However, we have a few places, albeit inconsistent in service, where some good teas can be found.

Hot tea to-go from Hojas Tea House. (photo: Sanam Lamborn)

I like to go to Hojas Tea House (222 W. 6th St.) because of the large variety of choices. I love seeing all the loose ingredients in the hot teas. This is the type of place that I much prefer going to for hot tea. I also make an exception milk-wise because all their teas have coconut milk. I have a few that I cycle through: Quiet Primrose (lavender and rose blossoms), Lemongrass Bouquet (lavender, roses, and jasmine blossoms infused with lemongrass), Victorian Earl Grey (English tea with rose petals, bergamot, and vanilla), Minty Moroccan (green and black tea with mint and vanilla), and Peaceful Lavender (oolong tea with lavender). Depending on the day, I order the last three without milk. All the beverages are served in to-go cups, and depending on who prepares your drink, the ingredients are either loose or in a tea bag. Hojas serves my favorite tea companion: fruit tart.

Teatime favorites: mint iced tea and a banana muffin topped with chips from Sirens Java & Tea. (photo: Sanam Lamborn)

Sirens Java & Tea (402 W. 7th St.) has a small selection of loose teas. Of all the shops in town, Sirens’ attention-to-detail décor is unmatched. The play-on-words homage to law enforcement and mermaids is brilliant. This is the type of place where you want to slowly sip your tea from a ceramic mug and enjoy the artwork. I have been obsessed with their mint iced tea. I recently tried the hot version of Glow (mint and citrus) and limoncello teas, which were both good. I love their banana muffin topped with banana chips to satisfy my need for something sweet. Before getting to that blissful experience of enjoying one’s tea and muffin, though, when ordering, one must be explicitly clear about desiring a ceramic mug and the banana muffins with the chips on top; otherwise, drinks are poured in to-go cups and you’ll most likely get a regular banana muffin. Also, depending on who works the counter, you might be served your tea in a mug or a teapot.

Boba tea from CaliTea RPV. (photo: Sanam Lamborn)

Given the popularity of Boba drinks, it’s nice to have CaliTea RPV (29050 S. Western Ave.) in town. Boba tea is originally Taiwanese and is traditionally served cold. What makes these drinks unique are the chewy tapioca pearls that sink to the bottom of the plastic cup they are served in and consumed through a wide straw. In my conversations about Boba, I have found that feelings are divided about their chewy texture; people either hate or love them. I belong to the latter group and find them to be a welcoming addition to my drink. I usually alternate between Cali Milk Tea (made with black tea, sugar, and milk of your choosing) and Matcha Milk Tea. Since the tea is already sweetened, I usually don’t buy anything to go with it. Experience has taught me that since they make their tapioca pearls in-house, they are not always available early mornings. spt