Freshly picked tea in a basket.

photo: Courtesy of Sanctuary T

Considering the importance of tea in American history – the Boston Tea Party, anyone? – most folks don't really know that much about how the stuff gets from the ground into the teacup. Dawn Cameron, of SoHo's Sanctuary T, wants to change that. Having just returned from a tea-gathering trip to Sri Lanka, Cameron is launching a monthly tasting and talk called the Sri Lanka Limited at her New American restaurant on April 1st.

Each month, Cameron and her peers will not only talk about the different varieties and methods of tea harvesting in various regions but also offer attendees a chance to actually smell and taste the leaves being discussed. For the inaugural lecture, there will be "first flush" samples of a rare Sri Lankan green, an Orange Pekoe black and a Flowery Orange Pekoe black tea. And for comparison, there will also be samples of regular black teas from the same region (6 PM; suggested donation of $10 goes to City Harvest; reservations recommended; 212-941-7832).