Weekword: Tea

Emma at the Gift Shed offered this week's word.



When people ask, I usually say I don't like tea. That's not strictly true. I don't like black tea made with milk - so, tea in the traditional sense. Apparently there was a time when I was small that I did, and I did go through a phase at uni where I drank it at work because I had a leetle crush on the man who checked in the deliveries and used it as an excuse to go and hang out with him; but I won't drink it for preference. This is probably because I don't like milk, and if I have black tea, well, black, then it makes me feel a bit sick.

However, I do like other tea. I like white tea, green tea, fruit tea, nettle tea, mint tea....and when I visited the tea plantation in Malaysia I realised I really liked their orange pekoe tea, too. Perhaps it's a freshness thing. I prefer tea like that brewed lightly and drunk while it's still really hot; unlike coffee, which I often leave until almost cold before drinking. I still drink coffee over tea all the time though.

The problem is, I like all the tea paraphernalia. I love tea pots, tea cosies, strainers and infusers in interesting shapes, cake stands, scones with cream, dainty sandwiches with no crusts, pretty tea cups and saucers (which will always remind me of my nanna) and, of course, cake. I like the ritual of making and serving tea and how it takes time to do tea properly, and therefore you have time for chatting.

Here's a good Flickr group called A Cup Of Tea, which I like to look at from time to time; and here is a song I love, all about tea. It's by Zoe Lewis, and unfortunately it's not on YouTube, but you can listen to a little sample on Amazon and I urge you to buy it, because she's great and this song is lovely. I was introduced to her music when I was living in the US and I can relate to this one particularly, which is a little bit about being an ex-pat and longing for homely things.

Be sure to visit Emma for a look at what everyone else had to say about tea this week!