A Few of The Simple Leaf's Teas
Chicago may seem an unlikely home for a tea company, but The Simple Leaf, which specializes in teas from South Asia, has been thriving here since 2006. I recently spoke with founder Nikhil Roychowdhury about his business.
What is The Simple Leaf About?
Lainie Petersen: The concept of The Simple Leaf is that you have 14 teas from Southeast Asia: No flavors, and you don't try to source every kind of tea available, just the teas that you really like.
Is that a fair way of describing your business?
Nikhil Roychowdhury: Yes, that's right. We are not trying to be all things to all people. A smaller selection of what we think are some of our favorites. For customers that want/need a huge variety, I often refer them to other places - like Adagio - which I think is a wonderful company.
Lainie : Do you try to work directly with specific tea gardens and growers in India?
Nikhil: Yes, this is really a partnership with my father, who lives in India. He's a professional taster, and has 40 years of experience in the industry. So we have a lot of contacts and personal friends in the tea growing / tasting community in India.
Lainie: That seems to be key for a lot of the smaller tea companies: Having personal contacts and relationships. Rather than just being able to send someone to bid at auction.
Nikhil: I think one of the key differentiators (in my mind) is that we actually buy from source, and not through importers like 90% of the online retailers out there.
Lainie: One thing I noticed in tasting and smelling your teas is that they are very, very fresh. In fact, I have had people comment on this when I have let them try your teas.
Nikhil: Yes, we buy our teas in small batches several times during the year. In our case, we are the importer.
Trends in Indian and Southeast Asian Teas
Lainie: I think a lot of people associate India strictly with black teas, but The Simple Leaf also offers white, oolong, and green tea. When did India start making those teas commercially available?
Nikhil: Yes, I might add that these specialty teas are a rather recent phenomenon. India used to mostly supply bulk teas for large export markets in Russia, Japan, the middle east, etc.
Lainie: I really enjoy some of the green teas, for example. Yes...some people are very surprised when I mention that I have tried a green tea from India. But I would also note that they are very different than, say, their Chinese counterparts.
Nikhil: India started opening up its economy in the early 90's, and through more trade with places like China, we learned a lot about oolongs, greens and whites
Lainie: Interesting, so the growers over in India decided to try their hand at the other types?
Nikhil: It's still very much a niche with most gardens, because the bulk of Indian tea manufacture is still black tea.Yes, part of the reasoning was that the margins are higher for specialty teas. At first, quality wasn't quite up to snuff in comparison to China, but they're getting better and better.
Tea Drinking In America
Lainie: Yes...has it been hard to get Americans to at least try some of the newer teas?
Nikhil:The main challenge has been convincing people that tea is not something you only drink when you're sick! And there's so m much great tea out there that's way better than your average supermarket tea bag.
Lainie: That is true! For many Americans tea is a medicinal beverage.
Nikhil: Yes, but thats changing quite rapidly now. Which is awesome.
Lainie: At the same time, though, we associate it with nurturing and healing and "mom", so maybe in a tough economy, tea makes more sense to people.
Nikhil: Definitely a comfort drink, at least for me
Lainie: People are so surprised when I give them good tea and they taste how wonderful it can be.
Nikhil: Thats been my experience as well.
Lainie: So if someone is just starting to get into specialty tea, and basically was raised on "Lipton-when-sick", which of your teas would you recommend to them?
Nikhil: Aah, I get asked that question a lot. I'd tell them to start with perhaps our Mild Sampler. It's got a black, and a couple of oolongs. That should be a great place to get started before moving on to green / white teas. Most people have no idea what an oolong is, and most people are pleasantly surprised when they taste one.
Lainie: The funny thing is that lot of people have had oolong tea in Chinese restaurants. Though they didn't realize what it was and, of course, that it is often a very cheap oolong!
Nikhil: Yes I know.
Lainie: I personally think that Nilgiris, such as your Black Frost, are a nice, smooth introduction to good tea.
Nikhil: And thats the other great thing about tea. Everyone has their own feelings / tastes!
Lainie: Is The Simple Leaf strictly mail order?
Nikhil: We have no retail stores of our own, but we do have a small wholesale business, where we sell to other retailers. I would like to start a retail store though...a very authentic Indian tea room experience.
Lainie: So, what is your favorite tea? Or do you have one?
Nikhil: I get obsessed with a particular tea in phases. Right now I'm drinking Shanti. Pots and pots of it.
Lainie: I know exactly what you mean. Actually, I have found this to be common among tea-drinkers!
Nikhil: In addition, I drink a lot of the sample teas that we get from growers from time to time.
Lainie: That must be fun!
Nikhil: That is fun! My dad does most of the tasting though - since he's the pro. I however, put my final seal of approval on them!
Lainie: Do you have any favorite tea rooms or places to drink tea in the city?
Nikhil: I love Tea Gschwendner. I think they just closed the one tearoom near our place on Halsted, but the one on State/Division is still open. They are importers, and have been doing it for a long, long time. They know their stuff. Also, they have one of the widest varieties of any retailer I know. Upton Tea is the other one with a massive range of stuff, but they are mail-order only.
Lainie: Thanks so much for spending time with me, Nikhil! Good luck to you.
Comments