A Reflection on Tea

I'll admit it. I start my day, every day, almost without exception, with a nice big mug of coffee. It is my eye opener and brain defogger and to be quite honest, I'm probably at least mildly addicted to the stuff. Despite this though, I am drawn to tea.

I think part of this comes from my love of all things British. I had never heard of anything but what we Southerners call "sweet tea" which of course, came to you sweet enough to cause diabetes and in a glass over ice. I was not a fan of iced tea then and to this day can barely take a few sips of it and only if I am very hot and thirsty. It wasn't until my mom came home from work one day with an invitation "to tea" at her British co-worker's house that I learned of this other world of tea. I remember sitting at a little table draped in a white cloth with finger sandwiches, scones, and tea cakes and a dainty china cup. The hostess poured the hot amber liquid into my cup and offered me milk and a little bowl of sugar cubes (a fantastic novelty in themselves!) to add to my tea. After stirring in the milk and sugar, I took my first sip and found it quite pleasant indeed. It wasn't the most wonderful thing I'd ever drunk, but it was very nice and it began what would become a lifelong love affair with tea.

I have a deep fondness for black teas with milk and sugar, but also love many green and herbal teas too. I have discovered through my exploration of different kinds of teas, some that I do enjoy iced. There is a iced herbal blend tea that our local Teavana store makes available for samples that is a blueberry pineapple that I could drink absolutely every single day.

It's not just the many flavours of tea that I love. Oh no. I love it all.

I love the ritual of making tea. I love teapots like this:

The classic Brown Betty teapot -- image courtesy of English Tea Store

and like this:

The frilly Royal Albert Old Country Roses teapot - image courtesy of Replace Your Plates

I also love all the accoutrements that go with the teapots -- cups, mugs, tea infusers, tea cozies, spoons, cream pitchers, sugar bowls, saucers, and the various plates, bowls, and platters that one uses for a proper afternoon tea. Check out this fun list from Buzzfeed about things all tea lovers "need."

One of my favourite memories of tea is when I went to England with a church group when I was in my 20s. We spent several days helping out a sister church and then the last two or three days were spent in the Cotswolds area of England. It is here that I discovered the joys of what the British call a "cream tea." I was out shopping by myself in the village where we were staying and got a bit peckish. It was still a good 2-3 hours before I was to meet the rest of my group, so I popped inside a nearby cafe for a quick bite. I saw the phrase cream tea on the menu and decided it sounded like a perfect snack to tide me over until dinner. When it arrived, it was so much more lovely than I imagined. Sitting on a very simple plate was a massive scone studded with currants. Beside that, the waitress placed a small metal teapot big enough to hold two cups of tea, a cup and saucer, and another small plate with two little ceramic bowls containing strawberry jam and clotted cream. I was mesmerized by all of it. At first, I thought the clotted cream was butter because it was a gorgeous buttery yellow colour, but when I tasted it, I soon realised that it was unlike any butter I had ever had. I had to ask the waitress what it was. When I found out, I wanted to take some home with me, but it's not exactly shelf stable stuff. Here's a picture of what a "cream tea" often looks like:

Notice the gorgeous yellow of the clotted cream. The smaller teapot holds extra hot water to make more once your pot is empty. So much yumminess! - Image courtesy of That's My Cornwall

There is something indescribable about tea that draws me back to it again and again. I love the warmth of the cup in my hands, the delicate aroma of the tea, and the ritual of making it properly. It is perfect first thing in the morning (as I learned when I lived in London in college) and late at night and there is truly a tea available for almost everyone. It is wonderful when shared with friends and delightful taken in solitude. There is something very simple about tea and also very complex. These days, tea comes in a wide variety of prices too which means that it is very affordable for those with little money and can be very expensive for those who wish to splurge on premium teas. It both stimulates the senses and relaxes the mind and body.

I'll leave you with a quote on tea from Violet, the Dowager Countess of Grantham (from the series Downton Abbey):

"Ah, just the ticket. Nanny always said sweet tea was the thing for frayed nerves. Though why it has to be sweet, I couldn't tell you."