Rosalee's exotic spice and tea shop

Ana
Feb 24
5 min read

Updated: May 18

A few months back, my husband and I watched the show "Grimm," and I instantly fell in love with Rosalee's exotic spice and tea shop. All the ingredients were stored in vintage potion-like bottles and had beautiful vintage labels that looked like they were handwritten. I knew I wanted to recreate that at home. If you haven't watched "Grimm," I would recommend NOT doing so unless you want to spend hours watching it and hide under the covers while your husband is sleeping just so you can watch "one more episode" or have very interesting dreams. Other than that, I recommend the show.

I've always been a fan of loose leaf tea. I love the rich flavor and aroma that come from brewing it fresh. But I've never been happy with the way I've stored my tea. It always seems to lose its flavor after a few weeks, and I started to dislike the way my cabinet started to clutter with bags and boxes, so I changed it and here are a few of my favorites:

Vintage Apothecary Bottles
Apothecary jars were originally designed to hold medicinal herbs, chemicals, and different blends in pharmacies and apothecaries. Today, they come in various colors and styles, but historically, they were made in amber. This was because amber bottles were more readily available and provided the necessary protection from light to prevent the medicine from spoiling. Amber glass bottles provided durability, chemical resistance, eco-friendliness etc,. You can use these bottles to store your "light sensitive" tea. If you're not sure which teas are most light sensitive, here's a little cheat sheet for you :

- Green Tea
- White Tea
- Oolong Tea
- Herbal Teas (especially delicate flowers)
- Specialty Teas (like Matcha or Jasmine Tea)
Tea Tins
Tea tins are perfect for storing any type of tea, unlike apothecary bottles or jars. What I really love about them is their reusability. I still have tins from teas purchased 5-6 years ago, and I've repurposed them for new teas that my husband buys for me when he's traveling.
Tea tins are usually colorful and often have a lot of designs, but if you're like me and you love being creative, you can purchase them plain and add your own decorations, and labels.
Wooden Boxes
I remember wooden tea boxes from my childhood spent in France, when my French host mom would bring her tea out, organized by flavors, and we would go to the garden and enjoy it together on sunny afternoons, that's one of my favorite memories.
I would love to find a vintage wooden tea box, perhaps with some beautiful carvings on it. If you come across one, feel free to message me :) i'd love to see what you find.

4. Vintage Colored Glass Canisters

This option is perfect for those who appreciate the aesthetics of objects. I don't own any colored jars, just because they don't match my style. If I did own any, I'd sort my teas by the colors of the canisters: green tea in a green glass jar, Earl Grey in a blue one, seasonal ones in an amber or orange color, rose tea in a rose-colored canister—you get the idea. Here are some popular colors:

- Amber Glass: Known for its classic, amber hue, this glass was a favorite choice for storing medicinal and food products, as it offers strong protection against light. Amber glass is still commonly used for tea storage today.
- Cobalt Blue Glass: This color was historically used for decorative purposes and often for storing high-value products, including rare teas. The vibrant blue glass gives a rich, royal look to any tea collection, and it gives the kitchen a very luxurious feel.
- Green Glass: Used for centuries in apothecary jars, green glass is known for its calming color. It has a vintage, earthy appeal that makes it perfect for storing herbal teas. Out of all the colored canisters I do love and have a special place in my heart for the green colored ones.
- Clear Glass with Colored Accents: Sometimes clear glass canisters are paired with colored glass accents around the rim or lid. This creates a subtle but stylish design that allows you to see the tea inside while still offering some protection from light. I think that's a great and a very affordable way to store tea.
- Let me know which color you prefer and why?
As a person who prefers tea over coffee, I wanted to share a list of my favorite tea brands :

Lovaré - Lováre’s creation is a testament to Ukraine’s rich history and love of tea. From its humble beginnings as an importer to becoming a premium tea brand, Lováre has successfully woven together Ukrainian traditions, high-quality ingredients, and a passion for tea crafting to create a product that resonates with people all over the world. The brand embodies not only the essence of Ukrainian culture but also the global desire for refined and flavorful teas.

Whittard - Whittard of Chelsea is a well-established British tea company with a fascinating history and a reputation for offering high-quality teas, as well as a wide range of other beverages and accessories, I have tried their hot chocolate and I was very impressed by how rich it was, I also love their packaging, I honestly think that's what also makes them so unique in the industry.

Thé De Marie-Antoinette - One of the reasons I even tried this tea, was because of it's beautiful tin and color. It gave very coquette like vibes and I honestly just wanted the tin container.
The tea was not at all what I anticipated, as it contained bits of dried flowers and fruit. I'm still unsure of what they were, but it was delicious and greatly enhanced the flavor of the tea.

Greenfield Tea - This brand has always been dear to me as I grew up drinking their tea. It's quite affordable and offers a wide range of rich, flavorful options. Melissa is my favorite because it definitely provides a sense of comfort, and I just love its taste.

The Republic of Tea - I first tried their tea when I moved to the US. I believe my mom shared it with me. Another rich-in-flavor tea company, so it doesn't feel like you're drinking hot water. I love a lot of their variations, and my favorite ones are anything that has berries in it.