Paris Tea, Who Knew?

  
If drinking iced tea ever became something to worry about, like drinking a dozen beers a day might be, I am going to be in trouble. Iced tea is my drink of choice and has been for almost as long as I can remember. I don’t drink soda, gave up alcohol thirty-one years ago and only occasionally drink coffee. But iced tea, I wake up to it and have it all through the day.
I’ve got making a big pitcher of tea down to a science, knowing that eleven tea bags makes the perfect two quarts. I like lime juice as my first choice, but will settle for a lemon wedge when I am out in public and a sweet’n low pink packet is my sweetener of choice.
I have traveled the world making my own iced tea in counties, mostly former British colonies, that have frowned upon the inclusion of ice when it comes to tea. I can tell when a restaurant has kept their tea too long, before I even put my lips to the glass, by the smell.
With all these years of teaology today I was tea stumped. I went to lunch with my friend Leslie at a popular Durham lunch spot. As we ordered at the counter the server said to my request for an unsweet iced tea with lemon, “Peach or Paris.” Now I know what Peach tea is, but Paris? I was not quite sure I heard her so I responded, “I just want unsweet please.”
With no explanation of the difference in the teas, the order taker told me, “they are both unsweet,” like everyone on earth knows what Paris tea is. Since my ignorance seemed to be annoying said order person I just said, “Peach.” I turned to Leslie and asked her if she knew anything of this “Paris tea,” and she was equally stumped.
Suddenly I was questioning by years of teaology. From the way I was asked, “Peach or Paris,” I felt like I might have been a tea Rumpelstiltskin and been asleep for 20 years. I came home and Googled “Paris Tea.” Turns out it is one tea made by Harney and Sons with vanilla and caramel overtones. It has not been available for many years and is not made by other companies.
Phew. I was worried that a big thing in tea had gotten by me. At least that is how I was made to feel at lunch. Now the reviews of this tea are fabulous and I probably will go back and try it, even though reports say it is not good with lemon.  
What I wish is that servers would not assume that the iced tea ordering public knows everything and please describe things. I hated being practically dismissed when I asked her to repeat the choices. I certainly did not make the line behind me wait while I was given a lesson in the differences in teas, it wasn’t even offered. Perhaps I have passed into the old lady point where I just get dismissed for asking a question. Lord knows it is hard to find good help, especially ones who are nice to iced tea drinking old ladies.