Rug Rakes and Sugar Cubes

By far, mint is the flavor most adored. Its fresh and earthy profile wafts all throughout the country like an airborne garden. At markets, you see glasses filled to the brim with bunches of green leaves and towers of cubed sugar. The tea itself is as sweet as can be, balancing out the headstrong bitterness of the gunpowder with copious amounts of sugar. All day, everyday this tea is served, offered and shared, extending glasses like olive branches of warmth and kindness.

Beyond all of these sensorial delights is the art of how the tea itself is poured from pot to cup. The history and symbolism of this is layered like anything else (some say: the higher the pour, the more welcome the guests), but it boils down to the craft:

1. Pouring from high up allows the tea to mix with oxygen, enhancing its flavor and making it more aromatic.
2. The splash from the high pour creates a light layer of foam or a "crown" on the surface of the tea. This is seen as a sign of a well-prepared pot.
3. Traditionally served very hot, pouring each cup of tea from a height helps cool it down slightly before drinking.
4. Typically very sweet, pouring from up high ensures that the sugar dissolves and blends well with the green tea so that no one flavor steals the spotlight.
5. Lastly, showcasing skill and hospitality, the higher the pour, the more elegant the presentation.

Raking a rug is the quickest and most satisfying way to enliven its design. It's also, in our mind, a meditative act like tending to a Karesansui garden. Just a few minutes of your time and attention is all it takes. A quick combing through the rug’s natural fibers offers a gentle wake up call to the thousands of woolen strands that form your rug's design. One, two, maybe three times every week? Whatever feels best to you.

The ritual of raking is even more delightful when the pattern that comes alive zigs, zags, or wiggles. Our collection of best sellers has no shortage of those things, but we'd suggest you start with Tom Delavan's Archival series.