While I enjoyed reading your words, NOTHING would induce me to accept tea dribbled from a pipe.
The ritual of tea-making is as important as the potion itself. I have been known to travel with a minuscule teapot, though lately a fine sieve and my travel cup have done sterling service in its place.
The first tea of the day is invariably tempered by milk and honey, while that in the afternoon is often taken weak and black (as is the one accompanying lunch). Like your mother, I will from time to time make a thick syrupy masala chai, though mine never tastes quite so delicious as that on the streets of Jaipur.
As to the tea itself, my brews encompass my own version of Lady Grey (for the making of which I grow my own cornflowers and dry blood orange zest) along with various tisanes gathered from the garden.
I don’t think a pipe could replace the pleasures (bordering on witchcraft) of concocting my brews.
haha I think I reached a similar conclusion by the end of the piece—I 100% agree with you that the ritual of tea-making is as important as tea itself and such a huge part of the pleasure one derives from it! Your miniature teapot sounds so cute and useful, and I love your descriptions of the teas you make—your Lady Grey sounds absolutely wonderful. Thank you so much for sharing, India—maybe it's not quite witchcraft, but tea-making is definitely a kind of magic!
I loved this piece thank you! My partner and I both follow many of the customs of your parents … tea in the morning and last thing at night(although decaff is de rigour nowadays) … love the tea history too, it’s so important to reflect on the cultural aspects of social and political history … how something so ‘harmless’ as tea can spark wars and colonial expansion
so nice to hear that you and your partner also have tea in the morning and at night! I was also surprised at how tea, so seemingly innocuous, had so much violence and intrigue in its past. Thank you for reading and for sharing your thoughts, Jeff!
Wow! Ramya, this is my most favorite piece of all the pieces you wrote, if I may say! I want to read it again and again and experience all kinds of teas you mentioned.
I love your quote from Oscar Wilde. It is also one of my favorite quotes. Thank you as always for a wonderful article.
Utterly delightful essay on tea and a brief history of its development. I am not a tea drinker myself but I do enjoy Rooibos, a close relative from South Africa and a variety of herbal teas whimsically termed tisanes if you are French. Words can colour, defend, advertise, create and make desirable almost anything and your essay made tea seem like the elixir of the gods.
This is such a sweet comment, thank you so much! Rooibos is lovely, and I keep meaning to try more tisanes! I'm so glad you enjoyed reading, and it's so nice to hear that my words persuaded you towards tea just a bit.
I enjoyed this very much, loved the photos and appreciated all the information that came with it, and now I know that there’s another version of The Importance of Being Earnest to enjoy, starring lovely Colin Firth 😄🫖
Thank you so much, Judy, I'm so glad you enjoyed! And I hope you'll like this adaptation of The Importance of Being Earnest—I don't know if it's the best, but I think Dame Judi Dench is wonderful as Lady Bracknell, and Colin Firth is dishy as always!
There is one Tea Story worth recounting which has not been mentioned here ....
Glengoyne TeaPot Dram!
Glengoyne Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky has unveiled the latest batch of its coveted Teapot Dram - Batch No. 010.
As our most popular limited edition range, the Teapot Dram tells the story of an old distillery tradition where workers would be given three fingers of whisky twice a day (three on a Friday!).
Most distilleries would give workers new-make spirit, hot off the stills. But Glengoyne would always ensure the team were given tumblers filled with whisky from first-fill sherry casks.
The less-seasoned members of the distillery team would, to save face, discreetly pour some of their untouched drams into a copper teapot which sat on the canteen windowsill, ready for their older colleagues to enjoy later.
Honouring this tradition, the Teapot Dram has remained a deliberately bold, sherry-matured limited release ever since its launch. Batch No. 010 is matured exclusively in first-fill European and American oak sherry casks and bottled at 59.4% ABV.
On the nose, you will get boozy raisins mingling with the sweet allure of candied pecans. Vanilla weaves through, accompanied by a warming spice that hints of a cosy evening by the fire. A delightful note of Battenberg cake with tart dried cranberry. The experience is rounded off with the comforting scent of flaky pastry adorned with shavings of dark chocolate.
To taste, the mouthfeel is rich and decadent. Caramel sauce flows into the sweetness of dates and hazelnut brittle. Marzipan and Christmas spice evoke festive memories with a subtle hint of cardamom adding an exotic twist. As the flavours develop, long notes of dry sherry and red grape emerge, intertwined with a burst of orange zest.
The finish is soft with a velvety smoothness. Baked fruits linger, leaving behind hints of vanilla and gentle oak, ensuring a memorable and satisfying end to this exquisite dram.
This is so beautifully written and an enjoyable read! I loved learning a little about the history of tea and have some new recipes to try for the perfect tea time accompaniments 🫖
I am a long time tea lover and have written widely in the subject including a book called Cooking with Tea which explores how to use tea in sweeet and savory dishes, a pioneering book (published in 2000)....have a look.
I was born & raised in America, my husband was born in Myanmar/Rangoon Burma 1945. We married in 1984. He introduced me to Chai tea & I have been drinking it & enjoying Indian tea ever since. Thank you for sharing this soul making data this was an exceptional read
This makes me want to run to the kettle! Thank you for sharing the interesting history of tea, from a fellow tea lover 💕
thank you so much for reading and for leaving a comment!
Thank you for sharing this. Wonderfully whimsical, yet educational and touching. I am glad the Spirit moved you to write this.
Thank you so much, Tim! So happy you enjoyed!
While I enjoyed reading your words, NOTHING would induce me to accept tea dribbled from a pipe.
The ritual of tea-making is as important as the potion itself. I have been known to travel with a minuscule teapot, though lately a fine sieve and my travel cup have done sterling service in its place.
The first tea of the day is invariably tempered by milk and honey, while that in the afternoon is often taken weak and black (as is the one accompanying lunch). Like your mother, I will from time to time make a thick syrupy masala chai, though mine never tastes quite so delicious as that on the streets of Jaipur.
As to the tea itself, my brews encompass my own version of Lady Grey (for the making of which I grow my own cornflowers and dry blood orange zest) along with various tisanes gathered from the garden.
I don’t think a pipe could replace the pleasures (bordering on witchcraft) of concocting my brews.
haha I think I reached a similar conclusion by the end of the piece—I 100% agree with you that the ritual of tea-making is as important as tea itself and such a huge part of the pleasure one derives from it! Your miniature teapot sounds so cute and useful, and I love your descriptions of the teas you make—your Lady Grey sounds absolutely wonderful. Thank you so much for sharing, India—maybe it's not quite witchcraft, but tea-making is definitely a kind of magic!
I loved this piece thank you! My partner and I both follow many of the customs of your parents … tea in the morning and last thing at night(although decaff is de rigour nowadays) … love the tea history too, it’s so important to reflect on the cultural aspects of social and political history … how something so ‘harmless’ as tea can spark wars and colonial expansion
so nice to hear that you and your partner also have tea in the morning and at night! I was also surprised at how tea, so seemingly innocuous, had so much violence and intrigue in its past. Thank you for reading and for sharing your thoughts, Jeff!
Everyone in my house likes their morning coffee - I’m still attached to tea - twice a day and I’ll have a coffee in there as well.
nice to know you enjoy your tea in a house of coffee-drinkers! thanks for reading!
How lovely! I need to go and brew!
Thank you, Candace! ☕
As a fellow tea enthusiast, I found your exploration of tea’s history was both whimsical and enlightening!
aw thank you so much, Brittney!
Wow! Ramya, this is my most favorite piece of all the pieces you wrote, if I may say! I want to read it again and again and experience all kinds of teas you mentioned.
I love your quote from Oscar Wilde. It is also one of my favorite quotes. Thank you as always for a wonderful article.
Thank you so much, I’m so glad you enjoyed reading this week’s post!!
Utterly delightful essay on tea and a brief history of its development. I am not a tea drinker myself but I do enjoy Rooibos, a close relative from South Africa and a variety of herbal teas whimsically termed tisanes if you are French. Words can colour, defend, advertise, create and make desirable almost anything and your essay made tea seem like the elixir of the gods.
This is such a sweet comment, thank you so much! Rooibos is lovely, and I keep meaning to try more tisanes! I'm so glad you enjoyed reading, and it's so nice to hear that my words persuaded you towards tea just a bit.
A sterling piece and an enjoyable read. Thank you.
aw thank you, Vyina!
I enjoyed this very much, loved the photos and appreciated all the information that came with it, and now I know that there’s another version of The Importance of Being Earnest to enjoy, starring lovely Colin Firth 😄🫖
Thank you so much, Judy, I'm so glad you enjoyed! And I hope you'll like this adaptation of The Importance of Being Earnest—I don't know if it's the best, but I think Dame Judi Dench is wonderful as Lady Bracknell, and Colin Firth is dishy as always!
There is one Tea Story worth recounting which has not been mentioned here ....
Glengoyne TeaPot Dram!
Glengoyne Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky has unveiled the latest batch of its coveted Teapot Dram - Batch No. 010.
As our most popular limited edition range, the Teapot Dram tells the story of an old distillery tradition where workers would be given three fingers of whisky twice a day (three on a Friday!).
Most distilleries would give workers new-make spirit, hot off the stills. But Glengoyne would always ensure the team were given tumblers filled with whisky from first-fill sherry casks.
The less-seasoned members of the distillery team would, to save face, discreetly pour some of their untouched drams into a copper teapot which sat on the canteen windowsill, ready for their older colleagues to enjoy later.
Honouring this tradition, the Teapot Dram has remained a deliberately bold, sherry-matured limited release ever since its launch. Batch No. 010 is matured exclusively in first-fill European and American oak sherry casks and bottled at 59.4% ABV.
On the nose, you will get boozy raisins mingling with the sweet allure of candied pecans. Vanilla weaves through, accompanied by a warming spice that hints of a cosy evening by the fire. A delightful note of Battenberg cake with tart dried cranberry. The experience is rounded off with the comforting scent of flaky pastry adorned with shavings of dark chocolate.
To taste, the mouthfeel is rich and decadent. Caramel sauce flows into the sweetness of dates and hazelnut brittle. Marzipan and Christmas spice evoke festive memories with a subtle hint of cardamom adding an exotic twist. As the flavours develop, long notes of dry sherry and red grape emerge, intertwined with a burst of orange zest.
The finish is soft with a velvety smoothness. Baked fruits linger, leaving behind hints of vanilla and gentle oak, ensuring a memorable and satisfying end to this exquisite dram.
© 2024 Ian Macleod Distillers Limited
This is so beautifully written and an enjoyable read! I loved learning a little about the history of tea and have some new recipes to try for the perfect tea time accompaniments 🫖
thank you so much, Avishya, I’m so glad you enjoyed reading!
I am a long time tea lover and have written widely in the subject including a book called Cooking with Tea which explores how to use tea in sweeet and savory dishes, a pioneering book (published in 2000)....have a look.
that book sounds right up my alley, thank you so much for sharing, Robert!
I’ve always been a tea lover. Thank you for such a lovely essay.
thank you, Colleen!
I was born & raised in America, my husband was born in Myanmar/Rangoon Burma 1945. We married in 1984. He introduced me to Chai tea & I have been drinking it & enjoying Indian tea ever since. Thank you for sharing this soul making data this was an exceptional read
it’s so sweet how your husband introduced you to chai! thank you so much for reading and for sharing your own tea experiences, Sharon!