Shop small-batch loose-leaf teas at Tshikovi Tea House, where freshness and quality are the priority. Read on for Yvette Nathalie Brown’s expertise on all things tea.
Yvette Nathalie Brown & Sina-Ta Brown
Owners
Tell us a little bit about your relationship with tea. How did your love/appreciation for it begin?
You can say it was the family business before it was officially a business. As a child, my mother and grandmother were always putting herbal concoctions together to cure everything from headaches to stomach aches. Our pantries and cabinets were always overflowing with herbs and supplements, so it was something that I naturally carried with me through adulthood. I even had the nickname “Mother Earth” at a previous job because people knew I was all about holistic healing.
What is the meaning behind the name Tshikovi Tea House?
Tshikovi is a hybrid name honoring both sides of my family. Tshinguta is my maternal grandmother’s middle name as well as mine. Tekovi is my father’s middle name.
Explain the significance of being a certified master herbalist, a tea master and a celebrity “tea tender.”
At first glance, people think creating teas and tisanes is easy. You just throw things together and they either taste good or bad. My teas are delicious, but I also pride myself on creating teas that are intentional health aids as well. With that purpose, you have to know what the components of different teas and herbs are. You have to know what herbs you can’t combine and which you can. You have to know how different people will react to certain herbs based on their backgrounds. You have to be willing to give as much information as possible to your clients. That’s what I do. Sure, you can go to the supermarket and pick up a box of herbal tea, but will that box tell you that it might not be the best choice for you if you have a ragweed allergy? No. That’s the significance.
Describe the variety of teas offered at the shop.
Our tea varieties are endless! We have teas for energy, teas for sleep, teas for joint pain—the list goes on.
Is there something that readers may be surprised to hear that you offer?
Our wine-infused tea is always a pleasant shocker!
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Can you talk about how the shop celebrates Black women?
I always feel it is important to honor the Black women before me. Some of the teas are named after women like Toni Morrison, Maya Angelou and Miriam Makeba. Others are named after family, like my daughter (Zaura’s Blend), my mother (Gaby’s Blend) and my mother-in-law (Ileta’s Blend). And others are named after hip-hop/R&B classics (Sweetest Taboo, Purple Rain, Electric Relaxation).
Tell us about the importance of shopping at a shop like Tshikovi Tea House versus a big-box store or chain supermarket. How does the quality of tea differ?
Big-box stores are not giving you the best-quality tea. By the time it is imported from whatever country to their shelves, it has already been six months or more. Then it is on the shelf until customers buy it. You are not getting the freshest possible tea leaves. Most of the time, you are also not getting full tea leaves, especially if you are buying tea bags. With Tshikovi Tea House, there is no middle-man box store. Our teas and herbs are coming straight from our trusted suppliers to your home. We make everything in small batches to maintain the integrity of freshness. We also dry all of the fruits used ourselves!
What’s the overall vibe like at the store?
When you walk into our store, it feels like a hip home—tons of natural light, chic colors, flowers, velvet couches and hip-hop legends in Renaissance paintings.
Is there anything else you’d like to mention?
We appreciate the support that we have received since we started! A lot of people were skeptical if the Lehigh Valley area would take to the idea of a tea house boutique and we were told that we had a slim chance of lasting. But we’re still here and thriving. Thank you!
74 S. Main St., Phillipsburg, NJ | 908.751.3090 | tshikoviteahouse.com
Published as "Get the Goods" in the March 2022 edition of Lehigh Valley Style magazine.
