3 Leaf Tea

3 Leaf Tea is a specialty tea shop and café based in Auburn, New York. In a small town of around 30,000 people at the heart of New York State, a trendy shop selling unique Chinese and Japanese teas is not something one would expect to find. The story of how this shop came into existence is as uncommon and interesting as the store itself. The founder and owner, Luciana Torous, is an Auburn native and Auburn High School graduate. As a child, she often ran little businesses; selling candy and crafts, making coupons and pretending to be a cashier. It was a phase she grew out of as she got older but remained in her memory as fond childhood memories. During and after high school, Luciana worked at local restaurants while thinking about what kind of work she would really like to do. On a whim, with some friends, she visited a tea shop in Syracuse and drank properly brewed tea for the first time and fell in love with it. Luciana had tried tea in the past but found them bitter and avoided them. However, the aroma, the flavors and the potential medicinal benefits spurred Luciana to begin researching Chinese teas and brewing techniques. It was at this time that a friend had just returned from a year-long exchange program in Japan. Her name is Julia and she and Luciana have been friends from middle school (and actually, that is me. Hi. :-D) Among the souvenirs that Julia brought back with her was a tea bowl, bamboo whisk and a small tin of matcha. Upon hearing about Lucianas interest in Chinese teas (and convinced of the superiority of Japanese teas) she whisked up a bowl of matcha and with a little encouragement, had Luciana try it. Like with the Chinese teas, she was hooked instantly. Luciana was inspired to share matcha with others and began experimenting with blending matcha with various flavors. After becoming more confident with the result, she started blending hot chocolate and turned it all into the brand 3 Leaf Tea in January of 2015 and selling it online. Her experie