Tea Towel (Indaba Home Passion label)
Dunbar Greetings shop teapots.
There is much to learn about the story of “Tea” and how tea-drinking reached the West, travelling from China, first along land and then maritime trading routes. Like the study of anything else, it seems that the more one finds out about its history, the more there is to learn about tea.
Suffice it to say, I love tea! To keep things simple, I’ll begin with Wikipedia’s introduction to tea:
The history of tea goes back 5000 years, and according to legend, tea was first discovered by the Chinese emperor and herbalist, Shennong (Shen Nong or Chen Nung) in 2737 BCE.
It is said that the emperor liked his drinking water boiled before he drank it so it would be clean, so that is what his servants did.
One day, on a trip to a distant region, he and his army stopped to rest. A servant began boiling water for him to drink, and a dead leaf from the wild tea bush fell into the water. It turned a brownish colour, but it was un-noticed and presented to the emperor anyway. The emperor drank it and found it very refreshing, and “cha” (tea) came into being.
–from Wikipedia
Dunbar Street antique shop.
“Drink a cup of tea and forget the cares of the world.”
–T’ien Yiheng
One of my earliest memories is of Grandma’s kitchen, with the kettle boiling on her coal and wood stove. Being Scottish, Grandma loved her tea, and when we visited her in the little house on Haig Street, scones or biscuits and a cup of tea were served. Until I was old enough to enjoy the real thing, I would have “Cambric tea”, which was simply weak black tea with a little sugar and lots of milk added.
But “tea” was not simply a beverage. Not at all! The preparing and serving of this refreshing drink seemed almost to be a ritual. Best served in fine china tea cups, on saucers, of course, tea provided a welcome break from the day’s chores and duties. It was not until my family began to drink coffee, back in the late 1950’s, that we discovered “coffee mugs”. Tea just isn’t as good when served in a thick, heavy mug, at least not to my taste. A good quality china mug or cup makes all the difference!
As for teapots, my mom liked her “Brown Betty” teapot best, and said that it brewed the finest cup of tea. Plain brown earthenware with beige stripes, it is a sturdy, heavy teapot, and comes in various sizes. Ideally, it should be made in England for the real Brown Betty experience!
In my family, a teapot in the old days usually wore a “tea cozy”, almost always knitted or crocheted by a family member.
Brown Betty teapot.
Crocheted Tea Cozy.
For years, before the advent of teabags, my English/Scottish/Canadian family brewed loose, black tea leaves, often purchased from Murchie’s, which still has shops in our city to this day. My mom didn’t use a strainer when pouring the tea, because she liked to “read” the dregs of tea leaves which draped up the inside of the cup when it was emptied. She invented the most interesting stories, predictions and scenarios from the pictures she saw in the wet tea leaves. Never negative, her teacup readings always predicted a rosy future!
Recently, I’ve discovered the refreshing and healthful qualities of green tea. Instead of coffee in the morning, I drink green tea, which is full of immune-system boosting anti-oxidants. Then in the afternoon, I have a cup of regular black tea, an organic blend of Indian, African and Sri Lankan tea leaves. With a little milk and honey added, it provides a brisk “pick-me-up” for the rest of the day.
1940’s Tea drinker.
Reminders:
Tea served in a mug with a single teabag, string attached and tied to the handle? Never!! Who invented such an impatient way to serve tea? Tea is best when steeped in the teapot, for varying lengths of time, depending on how strong or weak you like your brew.
And finally, remember to always pre-heat your teapot with a bit of boiling water, (which is then discarded), before making your pot of tea.
For everything you want to know about tea in one handy volume, see “The Little Book of Tea”, published by Mariage Freres-Flammarion.
There’s nothing like relaxing over a cup of tea while chatting with a friend or family member. Here in Vancouver, tea shops are making a re-appearance, and are a treat to visit. Even some of our numerous coffee establishments serve a variety of teas. Here are a few of my favourites:
Cultivate, Tea Brew Bar on Main Street.
Tea at Cultivate.
Cultivate’s daily tea offerings.
Cultivate Tea.
Cultivate, on Main Street.
“I don’t care about immortality, just the taste of tea.”
–Lu T’ung, Chinese poet. (Eighth century)
Urban Tea Merchant, on West Georgia Street.
Afternoon tea at Urban Tea Merchant.
Urban Tea Merchant’s tea cups and teapots.
Tea varieties at Urban Tea Merchant on West Georgia Street.
“There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.”
–Henry James (1843-1916) from: “Portrait of a Lady”.
Tea at Cafe Artigiano in Kerrisdale, West 41st Avenue.
“Thank God for tea! What would the world do without tea? How did it exist? I am glad I was not born before tea.”
–Sidney Smith (1711-1845)
Secret Garden Tea Room, West Boulevard, in Kerrisdale.
“If man has no tea in him, he is incapable of understanding truth and beauty.”
–Japanese Proverb
Not to forget “Chai”, that wonderful, spicy Indian tea which I love. And all the herbal teas, like peppermint and chamomile, and so many others. And then there’s nettle tea, best brewed with fresh young nettle leaves in the spring. So healthful!
“The best quality tea must have creases like the leather boots of Tartar horsemen, curl like the dewlap of a mighty bullock, unfold like a mist rising out of a ravine, gleam like a lake touched by a zephyr, and be wet and soft like fine earth newly swept by rain.”
–Lu Yu (d. 804), Chinese sage, hermit.
Here’s to Tea!
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My favourite walking companion. He knows how to saunter along, while I take photographs (I mean, while I “point & shoot”)!
