What’s in a Name? 

Learning and your Cultured Cup: Part 1 of 3

We’re often asked at The Cultured Cup if our name has a specific meaning.  In fact, our name means at least three different things to us.  The simplest answer is found in the definition of the word ‘cultured,’ which means ‘cultivated’, or ‘enlightened’.  We think that’s generally the key difference between a good and a great cup of coffee or tea: how much you know about the whole experience and how much of that knowledge you use when you make your cup.

Obviously, the latter is not a new insight on our part.  In Japan, centuries of tea masters have studied for decades to master the intricacies of making tea in the tea ceremony. They cultivate their knowledge of every aspect of the tea until they genuinely are enlightened by the experience. 

While Japanese culture is unusual in the degree of care it gives to the ritual of selecting and making tea, it is hardly alone.  Many countries have developed rituals around the making of tea.  From the Russians and their Samovar, to the Indians and the sweet, milky hot water they add to the tea to the distinctly British process of making a proper ‘cuppa,’ cultivating a knowledge of your ingredients and the best way to prepare them can significantly elevate your tea – or coffee - experience.   

 

Here at The Cultured Cup, we’re dedicated to continually educating ourselves and you about the best coffees and teas as well as the best ways to prepare them in order to enrich and elevate your coffee and tea drinking experiences.  That’s the first and simplest reason why we call ourselves The Cultured Cup.  For more reasons, check out our next post!