It’s Saturday, and I’m joining up with Ruth Ayres and the #celebratelu community to celebrate and spread some joy.
Today I’m keeping it simple and focusing on something that’s very near and dear to my heart, and which brings me joy each and every morning, and without which I honestly cannot start the day.
Tea.
And not just any tea.
Black tea with lots and lots of milk.
Earl Grey, English Breakfast, Orange Pekoe, Darjeeling…
Tea has always been a staple in my life. What can I say – I grew up in a British-influenced household in which “putting the kettle on” was an important ritual that helped solve many a problem. No visit to my parents’ home is complete without a cup of tea and some cookies to enjoy while watching a movie or playing some intense Scrabble!
I loved my experience in Japan, and I really appreciated many things about the Land of the Rising Sun.
But.
Trying to get a proper cup of tea almost anywhere in Japan was a nightmare. Finding black tea was easy enough – in fact, Darjeeling (the champagne of teas) was quite common, which was quite exciting, as it’s fairly difficult to find here in Canada.
The real rub was the milk. Or should I say, the lack of milk. Again and again I was offered tiny little creamers (or *shudder* “coffee whiteners”) to put in my tea, which gradually chipped away at my very soul. Creamer is for coffee. Only milk deserves to be poured into my tea.
Thankfully, Tullys Coffee was there for me. This Seattle coffee chain, which I’ve only rarely seen in America, is EVERYWHERE in Japan, and they served beautifully steeped Darjeeling tea with lashings of milk, which was just what my homesick heart needed.
Now that I’m back in Canada, I miss a lot of things about Japan, but at least I can soothe my soul with steaming cups of tea.
What are you celebrating this week? ?
Love a good cup of tea. It is a tradition, especially with the cream. I have given up sugar in the past few years, but I was sharing that memory with some students, as they told me the types of tea that they enjoy. Chai is my tea of choice these days, but I love all the teas that you have mentioned.
It’s wonderful the way that a cup of tea can bring people together across cultures and countries. Whether it’s black with milk, green, oolong, chai, strong sweet mint, rooibos or any other kind of tea, most cultures have a special kind of tea that they share with good friends and family.
I am an iced tea drinker, but not a hot tea drinker. It is so nice to find the celebration in something as simple as a cup of tea. Your affection for tea reminds me of Terje, another tea drinking blogger.
Sometimes it’s the simplest things in life that can bring us so much joy and peace.
A cup of hot tea immediately makes me think of home, wherever in the world I might be!
Jane, I also celebrate tea time but I drink herbal tea and especially love ginger tea with honey. I keep little tins of tea marked herbal and regular in my cabinet for those who join me. A good cup of tea is soothing and when it is mixed with Fireball whiskey (touch of cinnamon in it), it makes a great hot toddy. Have a cup of tea with me today-you in Canada and me in New York and we will cheer the day.
My mum loves ginger tea, it’s one of her favourites – you’re in good company! Oh, I will imagine myself in New York as I sip my tea this morning – the city that dreams are made of.
I love Chi Tea and I have yet to find one that I love at home as much as I do when I purchase it at my favorite place. Isn’t it amazing how a flavor can take you right back home even when you’re so far from home. Welcome back home!
Yes! Scents and flavours are just magical in the way they can just immediately transport your mind to another place or time. And no matter where I roam, there’s just no place like home!
I am not a tea lover. But I can definitely sympathizing with needing milk for your tea. I love my coffee with milk. Not cream or half and half or anything like that. Too thick. Not flavored. And definitely not that white powder stuff. Just a nice little bit of milk! I could celebrate that!
Yes! It’s that idea of liking things a certain way, and having your regular routine thrown off. Sometimes it’s the littlest things that can just throw you completely off. I was absolutely comfortable being in a very foreign country, unable to speak the language or understand anything, and I could eat all sorts of new and unusual foods, but not being able to have my regular cup of tea was just unacceptable!
Ah, tea time is great to celebrate! A lovely informative post. Your description of the way tea was served in Japan resonated with me; I had similar experiences with my coffee in Thailand in jungle villages — instant coffee with sweetened condensed milk (from a can). I was so coffee deprived, I did drink it. We spent our last night in the country in Bangkok, and there I went to a Starbucks. When I entered, I closed my eyes and drew deep breaths–as you say, “just what my homesick heart needed.”
I must admit to a similar experience – there came a point in our journey when we just couldn’t handle it anymore, we desperately craved familiar tastes from home, so we broke down and went into a Starbucks, and it was just like being at home! Kind of a surreal experience, isn’t it, being halfway around the world and yet being able to order a caramel macchiato !
And wow – Thailand jungle villages? It sounds like you’ve had some amazing adventures!!
It was fascinating to read your tea story. I am always ready to celebrate tea.
Me too! Tea lovers of the world, unite! After a cuppa, of course…
What fun to read of your journeys with tea. And how your homesick heart was satisfied and soothed with a cuppa tea.
I don’t like tea. There, I said it. I’ll go and hide in a corner now. Funny story though. My partner is British. And she LOVES tea. She lives for that stuff. In a whatever-the-problem-is-just-drink-tea way. So… I tried. I ordered ten different teas. Fruity. Smokey. White. Green. Black. Flavoured. Strong. Weak. And I tried them ALL. I found one… one single one I sort of like. I’m sticking with coffee. But I’ve tried. Very hard. I gave it my all!
My mother is exactly the same way! There’s no problem so great that it can’t be lessened by a spot of tea. Definitely my British roots showing.