Mornings in Plano are steeped in more than just coffee. At cafes and restaurants around town, morning tea is having a quiet moment, whether it’s masala chai simmered with spices or a ceremonious green tea. So we took a tour.
Moroccan mint tea is a symbol of hospitality, with steeped green tea with mint and sugar in hot water, poured and re-poured between teapots and glasses to create a frothy texture. “The higher you [pour it from], the more welcome your guests are,” says Khaoula, a Moroccan server at Darna, where this tea is from.
Hospitality is also the name of the game for Turkish tea, which is a strong, dark black tea brewed in a two-piece pot. The tea is brewed in the upper pot, then diluted with hot water from the lower pot. Small sugar cubes are commonly added, and it’s often served in small, tulip-shaped glasses. This tea comes from Turkish Cafe & Lounge.
Kashmiri tea, also known as noon chai, pink tea or Gulabi chai, is a green tea brewed with baking soda and milk, creating a pinkish hue. The leaves are boiled with spices like cardamom, cloves and star anise, milk and a pinch of salt. The drink can be served iced or hot, and is popular in Kashmir, Pakistan, India and the Caribbean. This one is iced from Chai Wallah.
