Palate, Nose and Soul
For eons, spices and teas have offered flavor and solace to the human experience. Whether for medicinal, celebratory or culinary reasons, these simple yet complex pleasures connect people with nature and to one another.
Teas
Close your eyes and imagine your hands wrapped around a warm mug, the aroma of chai, chamomile or lavender floating into your nostrils. Envision the hot liquid moving through your mouth and down your throat, soothing from the inside out.
Tea offers a multitude of health benefits to the body and spirit. Even the act of sitting down to tea offers much-needed reprieve from the hustle and bustle of the outside world.
Timeless Elegance Tea Room, in Morristown, Tennessee, has been a staple in the town since 2002. Its country-style setting and menu feel welcoming to diners and tea drinkers of all ages. In fact, their sign-in book holds names from almost every state and from around the globe.
The late Barbara Long was the original owner of Timeless Elegance. When she passed, her husband, Howard, and son, Kelly, took on the business. They offer an array of tea choices, with a signature homemade fruity blend that can be served hot or cold and sweet or unsweet. Customers often come in to enjoy a cup of tea along with a piece of homemade pie.
Front of the house manager Amanda Simerly said, “We have a lot of regulars here. People come back again and again and that says a lot.”
In North Carolina, Dobrá Tea Room offers a much different vibe. In post-communist Prague, the first Bohemian-style tearoom, Dobrá Čajovna, opened. The Čajovna (tearoom) became somewhat of a shelter, a safe place where like-minded individuals could gather and taste the world of tea.
There are a handful of Dobrá Tea Rooms in the U.S., with two of those being in Asheville. Many describe the atmosphere as something between a pub and a place of worship or meditation. The goal is to offer a space where balance is sought and friends can congregate freely in a relaxed environment while enjoying well-cultivated teas from around the world.
Spices
Spices are a distant relative to teas. While herbs are the leaves of a plant, spices come from roots, bark and seeds. Throughout the ages spices have been used to ward off everything from the plague to bands of thieves. America began dabbling in spice trading during the late 18th century when a bold young sea captain returned to Massachusetts with spices after a yearlong voyage to the East Indies. From there, the spice trade moved through the 13 colonies and later, throughout Southern Appalachia.
Cooking is at the heart of the Smoky Mountains, and spices add to the essence and allure of regional foods. In an area already rich in wildlife and agriculture, spices offer flare.
Gone are the days of acquiring spices from indigenous countries via long and grueling months at sea. For today’s cooks and chefs, modern transportation and technology have made acquiring quality spices easier than ever.
The Spice & Tea Exchange is a small franchise that has grown deliberately over the last 11 years, with a number of locations in the Smoky Mountain region, including Greenville, South Carolina, Asheville, Cashiers and Blowing Rock, North Carolina, and Gatlinburg.
After visiting the flagship store in St. Augustine, Florida, Bob and Jill Long were enamored. In Florida on vacation, Bob was in search of a spice rub for grilling. The Longs not only found what they needed but also developed a curiosity about the spice business itself.
“Later that day, I sat on my porch with my laptop and a bourbon and sent an email to inquire,” Bob said. The CEO of The Spice & Tea Exchange quickly got back to him, saying the company had been interested in developing a location in Western North Carolina. Haywood Street in downtown Asheville eventually became home to the business.
While the franchise infrastructure helps with allocation of the raw products and distribution, the spice blends are made in-house at each Spice & Tea location. Even the zest is made fresh. Once the citrus fruits are ordered, store employees grind it, dry it and bundle it themselves. These protocols ensure customers purchase high-quality, flavorful items.
With a resurgence of holistic practices, modern people are on a quest to find natural remedies that offer comfort and healing to the mind, body and spirit. Whether you’re a fan of spices, teas or both, the Smoky Mountains are well stocked with what you need and desire.
Select Purveyors
Camella’s Remember When
165 East Main Street, Abingdon, Virginia
276.676.0089 • camellasrememberwhen.com
Cottage Treasures
170 Cleveland Street, Ringgold, Georgia
706.935.2548 • cottagetreasuresringgold.com
Dobra Tea
78 North Lexington Avenue, Asheville, North Carolina
828.575.2424 • dobrateanc.com
Dobra Tea West
707 Haywood Road, Asheville, North Carolina
828.505.4307 • dobrateanc.com
LuLu’s Tea Room
3703 West Beaver Creek Drive, Powell, Tennessee
865.947.5858 • lulustearoom.com
The Spice & Tea Exchange of Asheville
46 Haywood Street #101
Asheville, North Carolina
828.505.7348 • spiceandtea.com
o-Cha Tea Bar
300 River Street #122, Greenville, South Carolina
864.283.6702 • ochateabaronline.com
The Spice & Tea Exchange of Gatlinburg
634 Parkway #23, Gatlinburg, Tennessee
865.436.1415 • spiceandtea.com
Spicewalla
829 Riverside Drive #110, Asheville, North Carolina
828.417.7010 • spicewallabrand.com
Timeless Elegance
156 West Main Street, Morristown, Tennessee
423.318.9292
Wild Plum Tea Room
555 Buckhorn Road, Gatlinburg, Tennessee
865.436.3808 • wildplumtearoom.com