A cuppa a day...
Tea is the answer to everything. Tea is the cure. It sets your mood right… keeps you company on rainy days and provides the best waking up on lazy Sunday mornings. What more could you wish for?
I don´t remember
the exact moment when I first fell in love with tea, but one thing I know for
sure; it was a love at the first sight. I guess it all happened during my very
first visit to England, when my host family prepared the English Breakfast Tea
for me on my first morning in my new temporary home. The milk which they poured
in my cup was a shocker. I immediately thought about the taste which I expected
would be the worst thing to ever taste. Surprisingly enough, I really liked it.
The tea blend in combination with cane sugar and milk changed the tea into
something very close to the taste of caramel. So I guess that was it. The moment
it all happened for me; the moment I started the longest and the most faithful
relationship of my life… a relationship with my tea cup.
Of course I
didn´t stop only with the breakfast blend. A world full of different smells and
taste opened its door for me and welcomed me warmly. But one thing I knew since
my first milky cup; black tea is, and always has been, my favourite. Namely the
wonderful blend of bergamot flowers with the night-dark leaves called Earl Grey
is my chosen one. It tastes the best with citrusy flavours and that´s why I
always add lemon juice in my cup. I know that tea fanatics will hate me for
this, but sometimes, on extra-special days when I need a little bit of joy in
my life, I add honey to my Grey blend and make it so sweet that my friend´s
mouth is glued together for the rest of the day.
I think that was
enough of an ode to the black tea. Don´t get me wrong, I like other types, too.
My second favourite is green tea, which is a great energy boost in times of
need. I especially liked green tea with jasmine flowers during my student
years. I found the combination strong enough to keep me going when studying for
exams, while the singular touch of jasmine soothed my nerves. Some years ago, a tea expert told me that
green tea with jasmine is a good companion while reading books. I tried it and
since I am a proud bookworm, I strongly agree. I can´t even imagine a cosy
winter evening with a book in my lap without having a cup of tea (or the whole
jug) at hand. My mom always warns me
that drinking so much tea will ruin my sleep but I can safely declare that I am
okay, still able to sleep half of the day away J
But did you know
you can make a great tea without even using a single leaf? For those afraid of
having troubles sleeping, there is a tea even for you. Here´s the thing.You can
buy blends that are made from dried herbs or fruits. My mom even has her own
winter/Christmas blend. What is interesting, she doesn´t dry her fruit. AND,
she doesn´t even prepare it in winter. The process starts at the end of summer
with fresh apples, berries and other jewels of her garden. She puts it in a pan
and…wait for it…bakes it until nice and soft. What makes it so winter-like is
the citrus zest, ginger and cinnamon that she adds in for a better taste. Then she
puts the mixture in tiny little jars and sterilizes them so they can last
through winter. Sometimes, if she makes more than enough, we have her baked tea
the next winter, too.
I know it´s not
even September yet, but we had a heat-wave after which a windy and rainy period
surprised our region. And today, after a three-hour nap and a nice jug of Assam
tea under a blanket while watching Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, I
couldn´t help but share my obsession with you on my little private (public)
cyber space. If you are like me and you love tea madly, I am sure you will like
this little contribution of mine. If you want to, leave a name of your
favourite tea blend in the comment section, please don´t hesitate and do so. I
am open for new suggestions.
Until next time,
čauko!
Your Mad Hatter 2.0
čauko!
Your Mad Hatter 2.0
xx
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