My Tea Addiction

A hug in a cup.

An international journey in a sip. 

     I love tea. I really do. I think that if I didn't have my daily cup ( or cups ) I would be off balance, somehow. In fact, I do come apart at the hinges a little bit when I am unable to take time to experience my tea. 

   

     I grew in to a tea lover, in small progressive steps I never noticed. I was raised by a family who loved coffee, and tea made an occasional appearance at the breakfast table, but I didn't like either. My mom would fill my toy china teapot with punch or apple juice when I had tea parties with my dolls or neighborhood pals. I was acquainted to the ritual at an early age; my dad, aunts and uncles would indulge me by crouching in tiny chairs at my little table filled with fruit, cake and cookies, lifting their pinkies in the air and talking "snooty talk". I had finally acquired a passion for real tea during my college years, and it became a part of my daily routine. A cup during study time, or kicking back with my aunt, or sitting perched atop my bed with Walkman headphones filling my ears with soft, sweet jazz, I learned that tea was a way to relax, quiet my mind and disconnect from a stressful early adulthood. it is my elixir for healing. 

     It was not until I met my friend, Simone, that I was introduced to the luxuries of tea.

Our get-togethers were always elegant, with tea served in beautiful cups, and scones with clotted cream. I became a fan of Victoria Magazine at the time, and our experiences together reminded me of the pages of the beautiful publication. I began to use the lovely cups and saucers gifted to my husband and me from our wedding to serve our friends when they would come to visit: Scones, clotted cream, sandwiches and fresh fruit adorned our mahogany dining room table as everyone would comment on how well-appointed everything was. Our little spot of South Central Los Angeles was far departure from our urban surroundings as you could possibly get. 

     As the years have passed, my tea game has become quite serious. I now collect bone china cups and saucers, a few of them in sets of six. I keep a tea infuser at work, several at home, because I love loose leaf tea. My eye is always on the lookout for the perfect teapot and fine accoutrements.

     My palate has evolved; the taste of teabag-steeped brew no longer appeals to me, consequently, a tea sachet is as close as it now gets for my personal taste.  I never, however, snub others and what taking tea means to them; sipping a cup of tea with a friend is perhaps one of the most common social practices in the world, a simple but meaningful communion that seems to stop time.  In many cultures, the pastime is garnered with honor and respect, it is an act of love, reverence and deep friendship. To hold the warm vessel in one's hands, inhaling the fragrant aroma of leaves, flowers, twigs, or fruit and intaking the complex flavor is not only a spiritual experience, it is a connection to our ancient past.

   The website The Tea Spot states that, according to Chinese legend, tea was born in 2727 BC, when the Emperor Shen Nong was purifying water in the shelter of a tea tree, and several leaves blew into the pot. The resulting brew, of superb fragrance, color and taste, made the emperor rejoice. Tea soon became a daily drink in Chinese culture.

     In India, another legend tells the story of Prince Dharma, who left his homeland for China, to preach Buddhism. He vowed not to sleep during his 9–year mission. Toward the end of his third year, when he was overtaken by fatigue, he grabbed a few leaves of a tea shrub and chewed them up. They gave him the strength necessary to stay awake for the remaining 6 years of his mission.

     The Japanese version of this story has the exhausted Bodi Dharma falling asleep, however. Upon awakening, he was so disgusted with himself, he tore off his eyelids, to ensure that they would never inadvertently close again. The place where he threw them on the ground produced enchanted (tea) shrubs with leaves having the power to keep eyelids open.

     In all parts of the world, tea drinking is defined by the ways of the culture of the people. In Morocco, sweet, mint flavors please the nose and the tongue as tea is ceremoniously poured into ornate glasses to welcome visitors. In the Himalayan region, a salty, savory mixture of green tea, goat's milk and yak butter known as payu cha, provides sustenance to the people of the Baltisan province. English tea has deeply rooted traditions that can be seen on Downton Abbey, and here, in the United States, tea is imbibed in every way, form and fashion; from cups, glasses or bottles, hot or iced, sweet or spiked, for remedy, rest or recreation...America, we who once dumped tea in  the Boston Harbor as an act of protest, are coming to love it as much as we

love coffee.

I love giving tea parties!

     I love to give tea parties, invite friends over for matcha green served in warm cups we hold and sip with both hands, and provide 4:00 tea time to my family as we sip and share stories around the fire, or enjoy the soft, cool breeze that is the harbinger of spring. It is my thing to share, and yet, my thing that makes my alone time truly special. With every sip, I am hugged. 

What is YOUR way of enjoying tea? Share how you take your cup in the comments below...