My friend, Jillian, and I love tea and have always wanted to find a lovely, comforting tea house to hang out and study in. Before moving to college, we both attended the same high school and lived in the same town. We bonded over our enjoyment of tea and would often enjoy visiting shops and grabbing a quick tea together.
Once we moved to Tucson for college, we explored the campus and area. As we strolled through University Boulevard, the Scented Leaf Tea House immediately caught our attention. The structure itself radiated a comforting aura, followed by a rich harmonious mix of fruits flowing through the air out the doors. The scent and sight stopped us right in our tracks, we knew we had to try it as soon as we could. Soon it quickly became our go-to place and hang-out spot.
Quali-Tea on Scented Leaf
Scented Leaf was established in 2012 by the owner and his wife after they took a trip to Spain for their honeymoon. The couple had walked by a shop with scented leafs out. When they walked in and talked to the owner, they found out it was tea in its natural form. They were taught about how tea typically ends up being stripped of its natural, essential oils which are what usually make the drink healthy and taste even better. This inspired them to go around the world collecting the best tea from each grower and starting their own tea shop that uses tea leaves in their natural form so that they are a more healthy and delicious option. If you’d like to read more about it, go to Our Story on their website.
Scented Leaf isn’t just about delicious drinks and good food. They are all about being healthy, in fact, they have a section all about it and offer coaching as well on their website on a tab labeled Health Benefits and Coaching. They explore 6 areas that they tackle to help with people’s well-being such as community, immunity, energy & focus, metabolism, longevity, and zen. All black, green and white tea can give you a boost in these areas.
They are all about the sense of community, explaining how it is a form of support system. “The community is AMAZING! My coworkers are like my family and the customers are always so sweet and kind!” says an employee named Alyssa. “We all have each other’s backs and try to make it a safe space for everyone!” And they sure do make it a safe and comfortable space to be in! Alyssa’s favorite drink to get is a hot Evening in Missoula, a combination of mint, fruit, and chamomile.
What To Choose, What To Choose…
As we glanced over the menu at the hundreds of options they had displayed, one caught my eye and stood out to me above the rest. On a screen menu on the left side wall, above the pastry display, in the top right corner read Fruit Gusher. A blend of blueberry bliss, strawberry lemonade, sweetener, and your choice of tap tea.
As I told the barista my order they asked me how much sweetener I would like and what tap tea. I looked behind them at the wide range of teas, ranging from fruity to flowery. There was prickly pear, green tea mango, hibiscus breeze, blueberry bliss, papaya passion, etc. I chose to have raspberry rose and a medium amount of sweetener in a medium cup. My friend got a small fruit gusher as well.
“Is there anything else you’d like?” The employee asked me, I turned to look in the pastry window, gazing upon the different pastries, from brownies to cookies to cheesecake. I decided to have a slice of pumpkin cheesecake on a plate and paid for my order. We both walked around and sat down finally ready and excited to have a taste of our fresh tea and cheesecake.
Taste Test
My fruit gusher was an explosion of flavors, one of the best teas I have ever had. The tea tasted just like a fruit gusher when you bite into and it burst with flavor in your mouth. It was an exceptional fuse of sweet, but not too sweet, and fruity. I could taste the raspberry rose and blueberry bliss perfectly. The tea was delicate and delightful. Fresh, cool, and perfect for a warm, sunny day. The pumpkin cheesecake was extraordinary. Immediately I was hit with the flavors of pumpkin spice and sweet cream cheese. The pumpkin seeds and crumble topping added a small crunch to the soft texture of the cheesecake. Both the tea and the cheesecake paired perfectly together and were terrific. Overall it was an amazing experience from the community to the food to the tea, a very comforting experience, and scenery. If you are looking for good tea or just a relaxing, nice spot to spend time studying, yourself or with your friends, then this is the place for you!
Alyssa Parra is a theatre arts student attending the University of Arizona.