When I don’t feel well, there are certain comforts that I enjoy that also bring a speedier recovery. Tea is one of those comforts. Something about the warmth and complexity of leaves brewing delights my stomach. Wrapping my hands around an enormous mug filled with a lovely white or rooibos make me feel strong and safe.
My appreciation for tea began in London many years ago. I abandoned my daily cup of coffee to experience an English breakfast and it set sail from there. My roommate used t make fun of me because I almost always walked around the dorm with my massive mug of tea. The heat and subtlety helped me concentrate and remain calm during final papers and exam time.
I would visit tea shops after finishing a selection to discover a new blend that would surprise me, inspire me or tempt me. Black and white teas were my main poison then. My trip to Ireland only put more fuel to my obsessive fire.
Returning to the states I was maniacal with continuing my new tradition. But I grew tired of the graininess o the black tea and the white tea was too subtle – more like hot water with a drop of floavor than something adventurous.
I turned to green tea which did nothing but revolt me. The flavor of dirty sock water made me want to retch. But I wanted to give it a chance so I tried different mixtures. Nothing worked until I blended it with herbs to cover the soap taste. Mint, hibiscus and chamomile assisted in making it more palatable.
When I went to Nepal with a couple of friends, we went to a tea shop accompanied by our tour guide. Our guide used to work for a tea company so he educated us on the way tea leaves are cultivated and picked. This instruction enhanced my love of the beverage.
While reading the No. 1 Lady’s Detective Agency series, I was intrigued by the red bush tea that Precious often sipped while resolving mysteries. I located rooibos tea in a number of shops and a new respect for tea arose. So when I am not consuming my morning joe, you can usually find me sipping a splendid demitasse of radiance and solace.
1 comment:
What a well-written blog post! You do a nice job of capturing the flavors and essence of the teas as well as your emotional connection to it. If it weren't nearly 80 degrees out now, I'd get a cup of chamomile myself!
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