Tea dust. In America, that's what most of us are brewing when we brew tea. It's the tea equivalent of wine in a box.

"The British have gotten the leaf and the Americans get the dust," said Amy Paulose, head of the online retailer and manufacturer Teaosophy, who regularly visits the top tea plantations in the world.

"The dust is the lowest grade," she said. "It is literally swept off the floor and into (American) tea bags."

Here in the home of the Boston Tea Party, however, that seems to be changing — even without angry patriots throwing shipments into Boston Harbor. Just as Americans have become more sophisticated consumers of wine and coffee, they're starting to let the wonders of tea seep into their consciousness.

"We look at grocery store shelves, and two to three years ago they had 6 feet dedicated to tea," Paulose said. "Today some stores have 18 feet of tea. People have begun to notice the difference."

The tea industry in this country grew from $1.82 billion in 1994 to $6.16 billion in 2004, according to the Tea Industry of the United States. Today 127 million Americans drink tea on a daily basis.

"There is so much more (tea) out there," said Kathy Peacock, owner of Special Teas in Peabody, one of a number of teahouses that have cropped up North of Boston in the last 10 years.

"Because there is more of it available, it's not as intimidating," she said.

One of the current allures of teas is its health benefits. Studies have shown tea may be beneficial in lowering the risk of cancer and heart disease, as well as helping with weight loss.

"If you are not feeling well, tea is the thing to have," said Laurie Nelson of Peabody, who swears by the healing properties of Special Teas elderflower tea, as well as other fresh teas at Special Teas. "It's like fresh vegetables as opposed to frozen. It's fresh and the flavor is much better."

Teahouses old and new

For years, tea and teahouses conjured up images of chintz, antiques, scones, cucumber sandwiches and bone china. And while today they compete with places that are more modern and hip, these teahouses are still alive and thriving.

One of the oldest is Antiquiteas in Londonderry, N.H. Co-owners Brenda Ghorashi and Robin Dewey had to move their 11-year-old business from its former location in Salem, N.H., to bigger quarters to accommodate a growing and tea-sophisticated clientele.

"We are staying a true teahouse," said Ghorashi, who offers about 40 types of traditional loose-leaf tea. "We don't even offer a chai. Most people come in this type of a tearoom for the ambience. They are coming here for the experience, pretty tables with pretty china, floral wallpaper and antiques."

Dianne O'Brien, who opened up Crumpets Tea Room in North Andover less than two year ago, also went for a traditional feel.

"(Customers) are coming here to sit and relax," she said. "It's more like being in someone's house. People don't come here to set up their laptop. It's like sitting in your aunt's parlor."

But for those who want to set up a laptop or stay out of the parlor, there's Special Teas in Peabody and Licorice and Sloe Co. in Newburyport.

With tea-colored walls, modern furniture and a "tea bar" from which to order, these places straddle the gap between Starbucks and a traditional teahouse.

Why the difference? Because tea is still tea.

"You have to sit down and drink a cup of tea," Peacock said. "You don't just dump it down."

"Tea makes you want to sit and relax, it really does," agreed Special Teas "barrista" Chris Piper.

Discerning tastes

Special Teas in Peabody looks like a neighborhood cafe from the front, with tiny tables and comfortable armchairs. Heading back to a counter with stools it becomes a modern diner, with a menu of about 80 varieties of tea from which to choose.

"Customers are very knowledgeable, we've got to keep up on what we do," Piper said.

Licorice and Sloe Co. teahouse in Newburyport feels almost like a bar, or at least a hipper-than-hip Starbucks. Here more than 80 varieties of tea are served, from traditional, to iced, latte and bubble.

"Basically, we are riding on the explosion of the specialty coffee business in the last 10 to 15 years," said Bil Silliker, who co-owns the teahouse with his wife, Meg.

Before opening the company, the Sillikers did their research. They read dozens of books on tea, experimented with varieties they planned to sell in their shop, and investigated the ways to give customers the optimal tea experience. Even so, the more the Sillikers learn, the more they discover there is more to learn about tea.

"I am really green, if you will, when it comes to the tea industry. I'm not in any way a specialist or an expert," Bil Silliker said.

Both teahouses host regular seminars and tastings. While they've developed a loyal clientele, they know they've got their work ahead of them when it comes to educating the public about brewing tea.

The wine industry faced the same problem several years ago — and there other similarities between the two beverages.

"I always compare (the tea industry) to the wine industry," said Rona Tison, vice president for Ito En Teas, which started a Zagat-award winning teashop in Manhattan and distributes tea all over the United States, including to Wild Oats supermarkets like the one in Andover.

"Once upon a time our country was just about red wine and white wine. I think the consumer is far more knowledgeable, they are more specific about the wine they enjoy. They want to know how to serve wine and store the wine," she said. "There is a similar relationship between the consumer and green tea today. We are seeing a tremendous demand for high-quality teas, and people are wiling to pay a lot for an ounce."

How much is a lot? Some luxury teas can cost upward of $40 or more an ounce, putting it on par with the California pinot noir in the cellar.

One of Ito En's premiere teas is its sencha, which Tison compares to a Beaujolais nouveau.

"It's the first pick of first crop, the finest quality," she said. "People will be put on a waiting list for this tea."

You can even cook with it, as California chef Robert Wemischner, author of "Cooking with Tea" discovered. He said the comparison to wine is particularly apt. While all tea comes from the same plant, camellia sinensis,tea can taste dramatically different based on the soil it's grown in, the weather that year and the time it was picked.

"The difference is teas don't get better with age," Wemischner said. "They are better consumed when fresh."

He developed the recipes in his book through experimentation, and encourages all cooks to do likewise. He cautions, when cooking with tea, to take out the leaves before consuming. While the tea liquid itself (called the liquor) can be great, the leaves may not be appetizing.

"It's an affordable luxury, even at it's most rarefied," he said.