About the secrets of tea with Radovan Křížek - Boleslavský deník

He went through a difficult period building his business and creating a steady clientele and also fighting the first competition. In the end, despite all the obstacles, he managed to open what is currently the only tea shop in Mladá Boleslav - Satori in Lukášová street. He really knows a lot about teas, but he modestly adds that there is no such thing as an absolute tea specialist, because there are thousands of teas.

Have you always been a tea lover? Definitely not. I belong to the generation that didn't have access to any real loose tea. When various Eastern philosophies and especially martial arts began to penetrate here in the 90s, it appealed to me and I devoured all available literature. Like a lot of guys, I went through judo and karate classes. But at the time it was simply an exercise in which we were not looking for any philosophy or deeper meaning. This came much later, when the necessary literature was available and I could thus expand my understanding of Eastern cultures and their customs.

And did you also learn about tea there? Basically yes, I read in one of the books that the old samurai did tea ceremonies. And also that tea has many beneficial effects on the human organism. I've been practicing Ninjutsu since 1992, and since then I've traveled all over the Czech Republic for various seminars or competitions, and I never got tired of going to pubs with others. I was interested in tea houses and visited quite a few. I liked that they are different from each other, that each owner puts a piece of their own self there. Even then, I was thinking in the back of my mind that I could devote myself to something similar.

When did you make the final decision? The path to your own tea shop was not exactly easy. After school, I worked as a technical worker in Škodovce. I decided to get to know something else as well. That's why I traveled to America for a year, traveled to Oklahoma, Arkansas, but also New York and other places. It was a great experience and when I came back I came to the decision that I didn't want to go back to the cycle of a big race, to the lifestyle I lived before. The bridging period was challenging - especially financially. I finally managed to get premises at least for a tea shop and it was a few days before opening. And suddenly the news reached me that Mr. Špaček is opening a tea shop a little further away in Mladá Boleslav. It was a blow to me. But I plucked up the courage and went to introduce myself to him. Mr. Špaček welcomed me warmly and even though we were actually competitors, we became friends. We did not harm each other, rather we supported each other. We both fondly remember those times to this day.

Where are the teas actually bought for your store? There are many reputable tea companies that import tea. And I buy from them. Some might say they are more expensive. But I am sure with them that they pass the test and are checked to see if they do not contain any chemicals. In many countries, tea is an important export item, and some growers therefore do not hesitate to protect the tea plants with pesticides or other chemical means. But that's bad, because the consumer can then drink them in tea. So I bet on quality. Teas are imported vacuum packed, even frozen. But most often they come in boxes or bags. I have some shipped in multi-layered bags to keep them fresh for as long as possible.

Which teas do you like the most? I like Japanese teas the most. But I definitely don't want to make myself a 100% expert. That's because nobody really is. There are thousands of types of tea, no one is such a specialist that they can say I know all types and harvests. That's bullshit. Here at our tea shop, people want ninety percent fruit flavored teas. But there are also those who want to try something new, or who are definitely after a certain tea. For example, fresh Japanese tea Gio curo is popular.

How many types of tea do you offer in your tea shop? About a hundred types. But I hold the philosophy that everyone who walks into a tea room should be treated. So I don't only offer teas, but also cold drinks, or Colombian or Brazilian coffee. I brew coffee in a pot, that means I put it in a container, sweeten it, cover it with cold water and let it boil several times. That's how coffee is brewed where it's at home. In the tea room, we also offer toast, mead or mead and wine. In short, everyone can relax and refresh themselves with us.

Your tea room is divided into two different parts. Can you imagine them? Yes, we have it divided into a European part, where there are rattan chairs and tables, and a part separated by a Japanese wall, where you can really try sitting in style on cushions at low tea tables.

When did people actually find out that tea is a delicacy? There are many legends about it. One of them says that the first Chinese emperor only drank boiled water. Once when he was meditating in the forest and boiling water in a kettle, a twig of a tea tree fell into it. The smell of tea roused the emperor from his meditation, he tasted the drink and found it delicious and that it dispelled fatigue. Another legend tells that the Buddha made a resolution to meditate for several years. But after a while sleep overcame him, which angered him so much that he cut off his eyelids and threw them behind him. A tea tree then grew from them. But the tea tree basically has only two cultivars – it is the Indian and the Chinese tea tree. And of these there are different types of teas, which differ according to processing or according to the geographical location where they grow.

Why are teas divided into green, black and white? What is it? Green tea is the healthiest - it is fresh tea that is only dried. Black tea gets its color through fermentation. The tea leaves are crushed to disrupt their structure, the tea releases its juices, which contain tannins. Oxidation will take place in the air and oxygen will start to damage the leaf, which will then change color and turn brown. The tea starts to ferment, and depending on which part of the fermentation it stops, that kind of tea will be made from it. With semi-green teas, the process stops quickly. With black teas, after a longer time. And there are types of Pu erh teas, where multiple fermentations take place, and those teas get their distinctive earthy taste. White tea, on the other hand, is made from tea shoots or flowers, which is why it is so delicate. But even these tea buds can be fermented, for example Golden Monkey is a tea that is black and is made from these buds.