Chabom Teas + Spices

Chabom Teas + Spices sits at 209 East Commercial Street, on the historic C-Street of Springfield's north side, and opens Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 18:00 and Sunday from 12:00 to 17:00. The catalogue is split in two halves: loose teas on one side and herbs and spices on the other, from Ceylon cinnamon, Tellicherry pepper and smoked Spanish paprika to Madagascar vanilla beans, ras el hanout and a Madras curry powder. A Loco Roco section, a body-care line and an e-gift card round out the shop, and the same site carries a blog and a page about the street itself.

The tea list runs to some 180 entries and covers every column of the trade: Assam, Darjeeling, Lapsang Souchong and a Yunnan black; Fukamushi sencha, Dragonwell, gunpowder and genmaicha among the greens; Formosa and milk oolongs; Pai Mu Tan and Silver Needle; a two-year-old shou pu-erh called Dante; a Huo Shan yellow tea; yerba mate, rooibos, honeybush, a spiced masala chai and Egyptian chamomile. Most teas come as a 1 oz bag or a half-ounce taster bag at one flat price, and a series called C-Street Scenes names its blends after places on and around the street, from a firehouse chai to a tavern happy hour.

Online orders can be picked up in the shop Monday to Friday or shipped to any address in the continental United States, with free shipping from US$ 59. The shop packs orders in three to five business days, up to ten in November and December, and anything placed after Friday morning goes out the following week. Teas and spices count as food items and cannot be returned. If a tea or spice is missing from the shelf, the shop will try to source it on request with about two weeks of lead time, and its FAQ says plainly that the staff sell tea and do not give medical advice.