“The very act of preparing and serving tea encourages conversation. The little spaces in time created by teatime rituals call out to be filled with conversation. Even the tea itself–warm and comforting-inspires a feeling of relaxation and trust that fosters shared confidences.” ~ Emilie Barnes, If Teacups Could Talk
I think I’ve mentioned before that I love tea. I drink ridiculous amounts of the stuff, it’s one of the things that people know about me. I’m not a fan of wedding gift lists, I don’t like the way they make present giving so impersonal, so whenever I’m sent one I always hope that there’s a tea-pot on there. That way I can be sure the people I’m buying it for will surely be able to associate the gift with me. So I was very pleased when I moved house a few months ago that I now have the space to devote a whole cupboard, or at least a whole shelf in one way – to my tea collection.
At last count I had fifteen different types of tea, some Cadbury’s drinking chocolate, and a tube of Berocca-type effervescent tabs for those mornings when tea just isn’t going to cut it. There’s usually some biscuits in there as well, but I polished off the last half of the packet about ten minutes before I decided to take that photo.
You’ll notice that there’s absolutely no coffee in there though. I cannot drink coffee; I’d really like to, I think it would sound so much more sophisticated to be a connoisseur of coffee than of tea but I just cannot acquire a taste for it. In fact my dislike for it is so strong that it makes me gag, and even the smell of coffee makes feel nauseous. Which has led to quite a few misunderstandings when I’ve started new jobs. You know how when everyone comes into work early in the morning the first thing that happens is that someone gets a line of morning wake-up coffees going? Well I need my morning cup of tea just as surely as those others need their coffees, but being in a confined kitchen with all that coffee aroma can make me feel quite queasy. So then one or two people will notice that I’m feeling a bit sick; and that it’s the morning. And then they notice that the same things happens the next morning, and the one after. Before you know it there’s a bunch of rumours going around that it looks like the new girl might be pregnant and planning to leave again already.
So to the teas – from left to right we have:
- Some basic green tea bags from the local Chinese supermarket – you can’t beat a good green tea, I always think that drinking it feels the same as taking a really nice shower, only on the inside of your body.
- There’s some Sainsbury’s Fair trade decaffeinated tea – this is left over from a visit by a friend who recently decided that she was allergic to caffeine. I’m not sure about this one myself, I’m not sure that I see the point of black tea minus the caffeine kick.
- Then there’s a box of PG Tips – my favourite of all the teas, nothing makes things feel better like a nice cup of PG; I take it with a splash of milk and half a spoonful of sugar.
- In front of the PG Tips are a couple of boxes of Marks and Spencer’s strawberry and raspberry tea – like a cup of warm Ribena, only healthier.
- Next to it there’s a box of Twinning’s green jasmine tea – which is like green tea only sweetened with jasmine flowers. This is good for people who’d like to switch to drinking green tea for the health benefits but are put off by the bitterness.
- On top of that there’s some Mark’s and Spencer’s lemon, ginger and ginseng tea – this is one of my favourites, especially in cold weather. It helps when you’re feeling sniffly or have a sore throat as well.
- Then there are a few Higher Living white tea bags floating about – I picked those up to see what they’d be like. It’s a refreshing tea, and tastes not so much fruity as vegetably, if you can describe a drink that way; I’m not so sure that I’ll be hurrying to buy a whole box of it though.
- In front of those there’s the Mark’s and Spencer’s peppermint tea – this is another one of my essentials, particularly when my stomach is upset, I have a hangover, or I’m just generally feeling sorry for myself.
- And next to that is some Mark’s and Spencer’s cranberry and elderflower tea – this one has quite a sharp, tangy taste to it, it’s nice but none one of the ones I drink most often.
- The pink box at the back contains some Chai tea, which I think is also M&S’ own (the reason I have so many teas from there is that I bought them all at the same time, I think it was buy one get one free or something) – another tea that comes into it’s own in the winter months when you’ll appreciate a nice, spicy pick-me-up as you get in from the cold. I think the main ingredient in this one is cinnamon.
- Next to that we have a box of Twinning’s Assam tea – a black tea similar to English breakfast but with a bit of an extra kick to it. I got into drinking this when another friend came to visit who insists that no matter how strong you make it breakfast tea just doesn’t do it for him.
- And in the red packet on the end are dried flower heads for making chrysanthemum tea – this a nice enough tasting flowery tea, I actually enjoy drinking it as much for the novelty of drinking a cup full of flowers as for the taste of the tea.
- In the yellow wrapping atop of the Assam box is dried rose petal tea which my friend in India sent over a present – I haven’t actually tried this one out yet but it smells like potpourri.
- The green cylinder with a picture of a tea-pot on it contains some loose leaf green jasmine tea that I bought in a tea house in Souzhou, China – it’s by far the nicest green jasmine tea I’ve ever tasted.
- In front of that you’ll see that I still have a few of my Time to Change #TimetoTalk tea bags left.
- And then in the little red tin is some loose leaf lemon verbena tea from Lahloo Tea, the online tea store – this one is crisp, refreshing, and, well, lemony; I like it.
How about you, what’s your must have beverage?
Make-Up & Mirtazapine 
Tea lovers unite! Have you guys heard of Adagio Teas (http://www.adagio.com)? It’s my favorite place to get tea. They literally have hundreds of teas and blends. I just put in a order yesterday and my total was almost $30, oops. New members with a referral even get $5 off their first order. Sadly, it is only on the first. I don’t mean to sound like a salesman, but I recommend you guys check it out… unless you’re trying to quit your tea addiction.
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I hadn’t, no, they don’t have a UK site, but it looks like they ship to the UK anyway. This could be dangerous. I want all of the teas! And all of the tea accessories.
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I have a HUGE tea collection as well. Can’t live without it. During the day, it’s black tea or green tea, and at night I’ve got to have my chamomile. And wine. Wine is a must. 😉
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I’m also partial to the odd glass of wine or five. It’s a bit of a disaster with the medication I’m on the moment though so I’ll have to wait for that until I’m better. Although I have just discovered an ace wine app – Hello Vino – it lets you pretend that you know far more than you actually do about wine. Far more than I know anyway.
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I’m a tea person too. I really don’t function well before my first cuppa.
Seeing as you like the strawberry & raspberry, have you ever tried Rooibos? I fell in love with it after living in South Africa. It’s really quite a lovely, summery tea. Like little bits of sunshine in there.
I am always amused by ‘chai tea’ because ‘chai’ in Hindi translates to tea. I realise it’s used to distinguish between teas, but still. I’ve told coffee shop baritas off about it, much to the embarrassment of my friends.
One of these days, I’m going to do a post on how to make your chai- it’s excellent for the winter months. All milky and hot and with these yummy flavours of clove and cinnamon!
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I’ve never tried Rooibos actually; I’ll give it ago. And I didn’t realise that, I’ll never call it ‘chai tea’ again!
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Ah yes, tea is a must! My husband, who is from England, always had the typical black tea in his cupboard when he was single. I introduced him to Red Rose, a Canadian brand an old neighbour lady got me to drinking (adorable for the miniature porcelain collectible figurine in each box), and then I started him with herbals. My daughter was a barissta at Teavana a year ago and got me into lose-leaf tea. Now we have a variety of black, white, green, herbal, rooibos, and mate’ in the house at all times, in flavours ranging from Earl Grey to Chocolate Truffle- yes, chocolate tea! Too much tea, really, but one never knows what one will have a mood for, right? Personally, I think tea is classier than coffee, plus, you can buy the pretty tins in which to keep it! So I suppose for us, too, tea is the one drink that MUST be in the house. And honey to sweeten when needed. I don’t like sugar in tea as much.
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Chocolate truffle tea sounds amazing. I’m going to have to find some chocolate tea!
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As a little girl, I grew up drinking instant tea (with the lemon and sugar already added), rather than brewed teas. The first time I ever drank brewed tea was at an aunt’s house as a child. I quickly spat it back out because it just didn’t taste the same. Mercy, she got mad! LOL Only recently, I began drinking Earl Grey Tea. Finally, I’ve acquired the taste for brewed tea; and I love it as much as coffee! Unfortunately, I still have to put 2 teaspoons of sugar in it (coffee is even worse, 3 teaspoons). I also like chamomile tea before bed.
Your story about the rumors in the office gave me a laugh, as did the fact that you said, “I think it would sound so much more sophisticated to be a connoisseur of coffee than of tea” because I always thought that drinking tea sounded so much more sophisticated than drinking coffee!
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Oo, I never even knew there was such a thing as instant tea. I’m really curious about it now, I’ve just never seen any.
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My parents always used to buy a powder mix made by Nestea. I haven’t looked for it in ages, but I’m sure they still make it. It’s good for a quick pitcher of tea over ice. I’ll have to look for it again because it really is good for a cold summer beverage. Not the premixed stuff in the 12 oz cans, though; it’s kind of gross! You’ve got me wondering if they sell the same things in England as in the U.S. 🙂
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I had a look in the local store and didn’t see any, I’ll check whether they sell it in the supermarket next time I go.
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I LOVE tea too and hate hate hate coffee. Green Jasmine is a wonderful cup, it’s my favourite green tea. I am a huge fan of the Earl aswell in all its different versions – Lady Grey, Jasmine Earl, Lavender Earl, Rooibos Earl… so versatile!
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See, I have to say I’ve always hated Earl Grey, and because of that I’ve never really thought to try the other varieties. Maybe I’ll have to give Jasmine Earl a go and see if I get on any better with that.
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Earl Grey does have a distinctive taste so i guess it doesnt appeal to everyone – a can never get the hang of lapsang for example, it tastes like a bonfire – but let me know if you try the others and what you think. Ive written about tea a few times (you can search for tea on my blog to find all the posts!)
japanese sencha tea with goji berry is my alltime favourite!
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Sorry to barge into the conversation, but tea discussions are so much win, I couldn’t resist.
I love Earl Grey (the smell of a properly brewed pot is one of the most comforting things for me) and I second the Jasmine Earl recco.
If you like green tea, have you tried gunpowder? It’s quite strong, but I reckon the smokiness grows on you.
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Hi PMG! no need to apologise, barge in! i always love a tea chat 🙂
yep ive got a couple of gunpowders – i love the way they unfurl in the bottom of the cup so you start off with a few pellets and by the time youve finished there’s a whole tea bush!
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I hadn’t actaully heard of gunpowder. I’ve added it to my shopping list along with the Jasmine Grey and the Rooibos!
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