In the Piedmont of North Carolina, where I grew up, there are two kinds of people: those who vacation at the beach and those who prefer the mountains. I was one of the latter, and spent many weekends in Asheville, N.C., a laid-back town similar in some regards to Portland, Ore.

So, I found it only fitting that I begin my cross-country move and tea tour from Charlotte, N.C., to Portland with French Broad Chocolate Lounge, where Asheville’s foodie culture has blurred the lines between tea and chocolate.

French Broad Chocolate Lounge is on Asheville’s artsy Lexington Avenue, just south of the vintage clothing stores and eco-chic boutiques. It’s named for the local French Broad River, aptly, since the lounge focuses on the flow of liquid – “liquid truffles” (drinking chocolates), more than a dozen teas and tisanes, and various coffee drinks and local beers. Its specialty is chocolate, which it serves in liquid form and as solid truffles and other confections.

Walking into French Broad Chocolate Lounge from the street, I was struck by how fitting the title “lounge” is. Lush surfaces, low lighting and a laid-back vibe permeated the atmosphere. The shop was crowded even thought it was about 3 p.m. on a weekday; the day after I visited, the Lounge opened a second level to accommodate the burgeoning patronage.

Hand-written chalkboards listed the gourmand-centric food offerings, including local cheese plates and vegan options, but what had drawn me to there was the tea. Like other more adventuresome gourmet chocolatiers, the Lounge’s owners have opted to use “trufflefy” (as the menu put it) tea as a culinary ingredient for chocolate. Its tea truffles are White Jasmine (white chocolate and jasmine green tea ganache covered in dark chocolate), Earl Grey (Earl Grey-infused dark chocolate covered with milk chocolate and topped with Earl Grey tealeaves) and Masala Chai (milk chocolate ganache infused with traditional masala chai spies, vanilla bean and Darjeeling black tea).

The co-owner, Jael Rattigan, told me that Masala Chai (which is also offered as a “liquid truffle”) is the most popular tea-infused chocolate; Earl Grey is the least popular, in large part because tea and chocolate isn’t as obvious as, say, fruit and chocolate to American consumers. It would seem that many customers still associate Earl Grey with teabags instead of the loose-leaf teas Rattigan used, which wholesale at $13 to $39 per pound. (One of the cheapest is a chai they simmer all day, solely as “tea aromatherapy” for customers.)