Tea was once my friend: Earl Grey, Lady Grey, Russian Caravan, Orange Pekoe. Greeting me every morning, sitting down at the computer with me, even going for strolls around the block. Mixed with soy milk, honey, or straight, always hot, pouring from the pot.Then came one pregnancy, breastfeeding, and then another, and finally illness. After that, I found I didn't want my caffeinated friend any longer. Plain water or Aktavite came to take its place.
But I have been missing my cup of tea. The other day I had tea of hot water, fresh mint, honey and cloves. It was so good, I've used up all our mint. It reminded me what I've been missing.
Today I took my faithful old teapot from the cupboard, and made a brew from a stem of the perennial basil from the garden, and a teaspoon of homemade chai spices.
You can add whatever spices you like to the chai mix, but mine had 3 parts cinnamon to 1 part each of coriander, ginger, cardamon. I then threw a few cloves and a sprinkling of fennel seeds into the pot.
But it was the handmade teapot that really topped off the experience. In that moment I poured my tea, I experienced what ceramicist Shannon Garson describes as that 'intimate, familiar feeling'.
This feeling is the way the right object can connect you with your past and present, can remind you of things you've forgotten, and can heighten your appreciation of the things right under your fingertips.
For me this means that the old tea days are worth bringing back, just without the caffeine.
Hi Ruth,
ReplyDeleteMaybe you should try the combination of few slices of apple+ginger+honey and lemon :) It's very refreshing and great in the winter :) I can't live without a cup-a :)
Adding a slice of apple in the mix - genius! The apples we're getting at the moment are crisp and fresh, so I'll try this later today. Thank you, BN.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, my clumsiness means that my sturdy teapot now has a hairline crack in the handle, but not yet a break right through. Adds a new wabi-sabi precariousness to the tea ceremony.