For the past decade, coffee has been the beverage blockbuster, but tea is giving it a run for its money. Tea shops are popping up everywhere. The teapots above are housed on shelves at Gong Fu Tea in Des Moines, Iowa; gongfu-tea.com. Check out what's available in your local destination. Some of our favorites include Alice's Tea Cup (alicesteacup.com), Lady Mendl's (innatirving.com), and T Salon (tsalon.com) in New York. In Los Angeles, we love Paddington's (paddingtonstearoom.com).

Function is indeed important for a successful brew, but the endless variety of teapot styles available suite tastes from dainty to simple and shapely. From left: Yellow cast iron tea pot; Tea District (teadistrict.com). "Magic Flute" porcelain teapot; Rosenthal. "Sunfish" stainless steel teapot; Nick Munro (nickmunro.com). "Year of the Monkey: cast iron pot; Teavana (teavana.com). "Stitch" cast iron pot; Teavana. "Sensation" Limoge porcelain teapot with metallic glaze; Haviland (haviland.com).

Cooking with Tea
Tea leaves add delicate herbal and floral notes to baked goods, sauces, marinades, and broths. The package description will tell you what characteristics to expect when you add tea leaves to your recipe. Usually, one tablespoon is enough to flavor the finished dish.

Brewed tea can be substituted for water in recipes with superb results. As a rule of thumb, substitute brewed tea for half the liquid in a recipe. (Try cooking jasmine rice in brewed tea.) Brew tea for cooking in slightly warm (not boiling) water to avoid bitterness.

These four recipes showcase tea as an ingredient in shortbread, pasta sauce, deviled egg, and sangria. Visit a tea shop or a natural food store for the best, freshest selection of tea leaves.

Green Tea Shortbread Wedges
These intriguingly beautiful cookies are made with emerald-hued matcha (Japanese green tea powder), ground from tea leaves. Matcha is sold by the ounce

• 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons matcha (green tea powder)
• 1 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel
• 1/2 cup cold butter
• Green luster dust* (optional)

Preheat oven to 325°F. In medium bowl combine flour, sugar, matcha, and lemon peel. Using pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs and starts to cling. Form mixture into ball; knead until smooth.

To make shortbread wedges, place dough on ungreased cookie sheet; pat or roll dough into 8-inch circle. Carefully crimp the edge of the dough circle. Cut circle into 8 to 12 wedges. Do not separate wedges. Using rounded edge of candy or cookie mold, make leaf imprint in each wedge.

Bake in preheated oven 25 to 30 minutes or just until bottom of shortbread starts to brown and center is set. Cut circle into wedges again while warm. Let stand on cookie sheet 5 minutes. Transfer wedges to wire rack; let cool. Enhance leaf designs by lightly brushing leaf imprints with luster dust. Makes 8 to 12 wedges.

*Test Kitchen Tip: Look for luster dust in the cake- and cookie-decorating section of crafts stores.

To store: Place cookies in layers separated by waxed paper in airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 months.

Tea-Sauced Scallops with Orange and Honey
Keemun tea has a fruity aroma with hints of pine. This recipe works equally well with shrimp or fish. If using fish, choose firm-fleshed fillets such as bass or roughy; cut fillets into thumb-size pieces

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 1 pound sea scallops
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1 tablespoon Keemun tea leaves or other Chinese black tea leaves
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce or soy sauce
• 6 ounces Chinese egg noodles, rice noodles, or angel hair pasta
• Thinly sliced green onion
• Cilantro sprigs (optional)

Heat olive oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add minced garlic; cook and stir 30 seconds. Add scallops. Cook and stir 2 minutes or until scallops just turn opaque. Transfer scallops to small bowl; cover and keep warm.

Carefully pour orange juice into skillet, stirring to dislodge any particles adhering to pan. Add tea leaves; cook and stir mixture 30 seconds. Add honey, soy sauce, and any scallop liquid from bowl. Reduce heat; simmer 3 minutes or until sauce thickens slightly.

Cook Chinese noodles or pasta according to package directions. Drain; set aside.

Strain tea mixture through fine mesh sieve; return liquid to pan, discarding solids.

Transfer scallops from bowl to pan with slotted spoon; toss gently to coat with sauce. To serve, arrange noodles into nests on four warm dinner plates. Top with scallops and sauce. Garnish with green onion and cilantro sprigs. Makes 4 servings.