Tea was discovered in ancient China when a leaf blew in the window and landed in the emperor's bath, which he was slurping through a straw. Sip leaves steeped more decorously with today's Groupon: for $15, you get $30 worth of specialty teas and fortune telling at Bottom of the Cup Tea Room.

Catering to the French Quarter since 1929, Bottom of the Cup Tea Room invites visitors to breathe in the soothing flavors of more than 100 fair-trade-certified tea-leaf varieties while peeking into their future via tarot cards, palm readings, and more. Sold in 4-ounce and 1-pound quantities, the shop's tea leaves invoke flavors from around the world, from the fruity aroma of the Bourbon Street vanilla rooibos or plum-pear ceylon teas to the lively spark of the indian spiced chai (all $9.98/4-ounce package). The formosa oolong tea ($19.98/4-ounce package) blends the slightly toasty taste of semifermented leaves with a dash of dry sweetness, ideal for breakfast or for filling up one's dunk tank.

Bottom of the Cup also hosts a lineup of professional psychics to remove the shielding veil of time from patrons' futures, deciphering fortunes through tarot cards, palm readings, and tea-leaf divination ($30/10 minutes). Answering questions as personal as "Whom will I marry?" or as universal as "What is the optimal size of a flat-screen TV?," these mystical services sniff out the future's whims in an engaging ritual that can be both lighthearted and informative.

To learn more about each tea's flavorings, ingredients, and history, click here.