Tea is a popular drink in Poland. We drink it very often, but unfortunately in the simplest variant. Glass, tea bag, sometimes lemon and a teaspoon of sugar… Our grandparents can remember leaf tea, but I’ll bet that not many of us could say what the deference is between Assam and Ceylon, or sencha and genmaicha. Tea in recent decades was less popular then coffee. First appeared espresso and latte, then came the flat white, and recently we drink drip, chemex, aeropress coffee. We care about the quality of coffee beans. We have beautiful cafes and great bassists, and what about the tea? Konrad Konstantynowicz, our collaborator, founder of one of the first Polish cafes with the third wave of coffee, confessed to us a few months ago, that he begins more and more to be interested in tea, that in Filtry you can get this high-quality drink, well-brewed. We went for a tea reconnaissance to Berlin. There is an avant-garde tea shop Paper and Tea. They not only have a huge selection of beautifully packaged fine teas, but also organize a professional brewing training. A modern interior and an ancient ceremony that takes time, concentration, accuracy and delicacy. Carefully selected and prepared tea in small earthenware or porcelain cup has an amazing flavor and – as described by Wojciech Bońkowski – stimulant-calming effect. In the USTA you will find the history of this drink, but also the latest trends in the serving of tea, and a selection of accessories for brewing. We serve tea bouquets created by Kwiaty & Miut, tea cakes baked by Magdalena Święciaszek, we talk with Andrzej Bero about ceramics created specifically for tea and Przemek Nieciecki portrays people pursuing their favorite ritual of drinking tea.
Fall tea warms up and soothes, but for USTA it’s not enough. As usual, we take you on a journey, this time to Lisbon and we show where to eat the best ceviche and pasteis de nata, and if you are not going to Lisabon any time soon Marta Greber teaches us how to make them at home. And if you reach the capital of Portugal, we may persuade you to a trip out of the city. An hour drive from Lisbon is the Alentejo region, Portugal’s heart of wine. We advise you what to drink and what to visit.
We also have some great conversations. Gaspar Noe confesses to USTA: My body is a temple of darkness. I love red meat, I drink, smoke and do unhealthy things. “And Jerzy Vetulani tells us why mantis eats her partner and why toadstools are red. We also have a story of a farmer who is trying to farm his land in Poland using biodynamic method according to the theory of Rudolf Steiner. Anna Królikiewcz recreated three extremely beautiful compositions of Dalí and talks about her extraordinary book “Le dinners de Gala”. Fall USTA is a little change: we have two new columnists. Joanna Mróz known as Froblog describes her fascination for the capital MOD, Wojciech Bońkowski suggests to taste the hit of this season: orange wines. A new cover paper and a lot of energy, which we want to share with you.
