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photo by Talia Hodge
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There are 450-plus teas at Ohio Tea Co., and co-owners Kurt Gibbins and Terry Gabet can tell you tasting notes for each, along with how tea is grown, how it’s processed, how to brew the best cup and more.
Their shared love for tea started 26 years ago when Gibbins started dating his now-wife, who is Gabet’s daughter.
“We both looked at each other and said, Do you want a cup of tea?” Gibbins says. “That’s how Terry and I bonded.”
The pair runs the Canton store that Gabet and minority owner David Edwards opened in 2015. Gibbins and Gabet taste-test every loose-leaf, dry blend, pure and flavored tea before they sell it and create their own blends. Edwards travels to Japan, China and other countries to find teas and recipes.
Whether you’re a fan of white, green, black, oolong, rooibos, pu-erh or maté teas, there’s plenty to sip from the shop that also sells teapots, mugs, infusers and more. Popular picks include the rare Imperial Silver Needles ($7, 1 ounce) pure white tea that has a smooth, silky mouthfeel; the floral Jasmine Pearls ($8.25, 1 ounce) pure green tea that’s infused with oil from jasmine flowers; and the complex Golden Monkey ($4.50, 1 ounce) pure black tea from Yunnan, China, where tea was discovered.
“It’s got a very deep multi and sweet flavor profile,” Gibbins says of the latter. “Yunnan is world-renowned for its tea processing as well as tea plantations.”
They also sell about 35 of their own hand-blends made with high-quality ingredients. Try Extra Sleepy Bear ($5.50, 1 ounce), which has valerian root for a calming effect, and masala chai ($5.25, 1 ounce), which is based on a recipe Edwards got from India and is one of the most popular year-round.
“We hope that they have an enjoyable tea experience,” Gibbins says. “As much knowledge as they want, we will share.”
Gift This: Starlight Sleep, $5, 1 ounce, 5569 Fulton Drive NW, Canton, ohioteaco.com // AS
