As I said to my students on a course last night, my body is held together with tea. If anyone exhumes my body 6 months after I've shuffled off this mortal coil, they will find it completely intact, I'm convinced of it
As for losing tea, bwhen I was at uni I was sitting on my bed having some breakfast when there was a knock on the door. After dealing with the caller I went back into my room and thought to myself "I could have sworn I had a cup of tea. Oh well, I must have finished it " Three weeks later when I thought I ought to make my bed I discovered a half cup of tea and a plate of toast under the bed.
A couple of observations:
1. Whoever invented the teasmade should have been shot. The tea it makes is like coloured dishwater, which I don't make a habit of drinking by the way.
2. I don't wish to start WW3 or anything but in my experience Americans cannot make tea. If you ever go there stick to the coffee, which is marvellous and, usually in eateries, bottomless.
I must now return to my second cup of tea before persecuting a feline.
Greetings from the US! You can get PG at the local market, but unless you buy loose tea, most come with strings. I prefer bt0. My kettle and I are long-time and daily companions.
I loved this, Rebecca as a fellow Brit and avid tea drinker, I love the way a cup of tea can instantly make everything alright again. Whatever the circumstances I always feel better after a good, strong cuppa!
I drink tea with some regularity, but not every day. I drink loose leaf tea, and have both stringed and stringless tea bags for bagged tea. I’m also not committed to a specific kind of tea, though when I’m at someone else’s house, I usually drink King Cole Orange Pekoe (there are two brands of orange pekoe sold with great volume in Atlantic Canada, and I grew up in a King Cole house, so that’s my choice. They are stringless bags).
Original black Red Rose, because each box comes with tiny collectible figurines, like a Cracker Jack prize steeped in teapot for 4 mins. Warmed by a homemade tea cozy. Poured in bone china teacup preloaded with a splash of milk. Never cream. And never lemon.
I'm also a nonstop tea-drinker who should probably cut back. I'm lucky to have a wonderful tea company in town where I can get loose and bagged tea, and I'm not much of a purist about either (though I couldn't drink a cup with the bag in... ick!) I did switch to decaf because I also drink tea at night and realized it was messing with my sleep. The caffeine headaches are no joke :-( Always some variety of black tea with a dash of honey (ideally from the beehives) and lots of milk.
And I totally know what you mean about leaving a half-drunk cup somewhere. I do it all the time. The saddest part is finding it too late, because it's just never the same rewarmed in the microwave :-(
Coffee has always been my morning go-to, but if I had to give it up I'd replace it with tea. I live in an area of the US that has four distinct seasons and tea is a cold weather beverage I enjoy during the afternoons/evenings (when I'm not having a Happy Hour of red wine or Tito's vodka!) I love the many flavors available and even got 'serious' about the whole thing, buying a single cup brewing basket & a looseleaf Indian brand called Vahdam. I appreciate their commitment to sustainable & ethical wellness. I still use the bags & strings, too and am focusing now on Green Tea, Turmeric, and such due to alleged health benefits.
Thankfully I wasn't drinking my coffee when I got to the part about "conversion therapy." LOL! I loved this! And now I want to run to the kitchen and throw out my accessorized tea bags. I've never been so unsure of tea before in my life! Perhaps you can include a video tutorial in your next post?
First, we mostly drink iced tea here in the Southern U.S.--the more sugar, the better (but not for me...I prefer unsweetened). *Your* hot tea with milk is the color of my morning coffee, so now I'm not sure we even have tea that is proper tea. More research needed...
I'm an American, but I've never been a coffee drinker. One of my favorite things about the year I lived in London was having hot tea available everywhere. Good hot tea and milk. I was spoiled and now I'm back stateside I can only have good tea at home. I use tagless PG Tips, unless Im feeling fancy and brew loose leaf black tea in an infuser. Demerara sugar and a splash of milk. ☕️
Nov 26, 2022·edited Nov 26, 2022Liked by Rebecca Holden
I adore the national obsession Britain has for tea. My British landlady back in San Diego, California (who's been in the states since the 60's) drank tea, but I'm not remembering the brand. She would make herself a cuppa with toast and marmey (marmalade).
I think tea is also about the ritual. Putting the kettle on, getting out cups and saucers, doling out the tea into the teapot, waiting a few minutes, splashing it with cream and then....settling down with a nice mug of your addiction.
I live in Portland, Oregon so it's very "coffee-forward" (as am I). It's 30% addiction and 70% ritual. I love preparing my coffee and knowing that "oh my god my coffee is almost ready, oohmygodohmygod". I'm fairly positive I've never had a proper cup of tea. Oh sure, I drink herbal tea in the evening to wind down, but it's nothing like what you folks have. Come to think of it, l love black iced tea, no sugar. Sooo good.
I loved this line: "[I] was actively resenting the sofa for making me lie on it." I have a perverse sofa just like that. It is damned impossible to resist. But, Rebecca, just reading your words "...drinking 20 cups of tea a day" made me begin to jitter. I had to sit down. I cannot imagine ingesting that much caffeine in one day. I am glad you worked it out.
I'm a black coffee drinker but I'm trying out tea with a string (hehe) I love the lemon ginger flavor and yes my teeth were stained too! I had to be mindful of my cups of coffee, (writing a book and drinking coffee to keep going...what can I say) thank goodness for dental cleanings to help with the stain on my teeth...yikes. Thank you for sharing Rebecca.
As I said to my students on a course last night, my body is held together with tea. If anyone exhumes my body 6 months after I've shuffled off this mortal coil, they will find it completely intact, I'm convinced of it
As for losing tea, bwhen I was at uni I was sitting on my bed having some breakfast when there was a knock on the door. After dealing with the caller I went back into my room and thought to myself "I could have sworn I had a cup of tea. Oh well, I must have finished it " Three weeks later when I thought I ought to make my bed I discovered a half cup of tea and a plate of toast under the bed.
A couple of observations:
1. Whoever invented the teasmade should have been shot. The tea it makes is like coloured dishwater, which I don't make a habit of drinking by the way.
2. I don't wish to start WW3 or anything but in my experience Americans cannot make tea. If you ever go there stick to the coffee, which is marvellous and, usually in eateries, bottomless.
I must now return to my second cup of tea before persecuting a feline.
Greetings from the US! You can get PG at the local market, but unless you buy loose tea, most come with strings. I prefer bt0. My kettle and I are long-time and daily companions.
I loved this, Rebecca as a fellow Brit and avid tea drinker, I love the way a cup of tea can instantly make everything alright again. Whatever the circumstances I always feel better after a good, strong cuppa!
I drink tea with some regularity, but not every day. I drink loose leaf tea, and have both stringed and stringless tea bags for bagged tea. I’m also not committed to a specific kind of tea, though when I’m at someone else’s house, I usually drink King Cole Orange Pekoe (there are two brands of orange pekoe sold with great volume in Atlantic Canada, and I grew up in a King Cole house, so that’s my choice. They are stringless bags).
No milk, a bit of honey.
I like to say that I take my coffee black, like my soul. No tea for me!
Original black Red Rose, because each box comes with tiny collectible figurines, like a Cracker Jack prize steeped in teapot for 4 mins. Warmed by a homemade tea cozy. Poured in bone china teacup preloaded with a splash of milk. Never cream. And never lemon.
I'm also a nonstop tea-drinker who should probably cut back. I'm lucky to have a wonderful tea company in town where I can get loose and bagged tea, and I'm not much of a purist about either (though I couldn't drink a cup with the bag in... ick!) I did switch to decaf because I also drink tea at night and realized it was messing with my sleep. The caffeine headaches are no joke :-( Always some variety of black tea with a dash of honey (ideally from the beehives) and lots of milk.
And I totally know what you mean about leaving a half-drunk cup somewhere. I do it all the time. The saddest part is finding it too late, because it's just never the same rewarmed in the microwave :-(
WT0 but if I'm especially tired or cold I might have WT1.
I heard somewhere and it may not be true but doesn't milk in tea prevent the staining?
Coffee has always been my morning go-to, but if I had to give it up I'd replace it with tea. I live in an area of the US that has four distinct seasons and tea is a cold weather beverage I enjoy during the afternoons/evenings (when I'm not having a Happy Hour of red wine or Tito's vodka!) I love the many flavors available and even got 'serious' about the whole thing, buying a single cup brewing basket & a looseleaf Indian brand called Vahdam. I appreciate their commitment to sustainable & ethical wellness. I still use the bags & strings, too and am focusing now on Green Tea, Turmeric, and such due to alleged health benefits.
Thankfully I wasn't drinking my coffee when I got to the part about "conversion therapy." LOL! I loved this! And now I want to run to the kitchen and throw out my accessorized tea bags. I've never been so unsure of tea before in my life! Perhaps you can include a video tutorial in your next post?
First, we mostly drink iced tea here in the Southern U.S.--the more sugar, the better (but not for me...I prefer unsweetened). *Your* hot tea with milk is the color of my morning coffee, so now I'm not sure we even have tea that is proper tea. More research needed...
I'm an American, but I've never been a coffee drinker. One of my favorite things about the year I lived in London was having hot tea available everywhere. Good hot tea and milk. I was spoiled and now I'm back stateside I can only have good tea at home. I use tagless PG Tips, unless Im feeling fancy and brew loose leaf black tea in an infuser. Demerara sugar and a splash of milk. ☕️
I only drink unsweetened ice tea when I'm dining out. Used to have it all the time at home but don't anymore.
I adore the national obsession Britain has for tea. My British landlady back in San Diego, California (who's been in the states since the 60's) drank tea, but I'm not remembering the brand. She would make herself a cuppa with toast and marmey (marmalade).
I think tea is also about the ritual. Putting the kettle on, getting out cups and saucers, doling out the tea into the teapot, waiting a few minutes, splashing it with cream and then....settling down with a nice mug of your addiction.
I live in Portland, Oregon so it's very "coffee-forward" (as am I). It's 30% addiction and 70% ritual. I love preparing my coffee and knowing that "oh my god my coffee is almost ready, oohmygodohmygod". I'm fairly positive I've never had a proper cup of tea. Oh sure, I drink herbal tea in the evening to wind down, but it's nothing like what you folks have. Come to think of it, l love black iced tea, no sugar. Sooo good.
Not the same, I know.
This post is steeped in love and knowledge!
I loved this line: "[I] was actively resenting the sofa for making me lie on it." I have a perverse sofa just like that. It is damned impossible to resist. But, Rebecca, just reading your words "...drinking 20 cups of tea a day" made me begin to jitter. I had to sit down. I cannot imagine ingesting that much caffeine in one day. I am glad you worked it out.
I'm a black coffee drinker but I'm trying out tea with a string (hehe) I love the lemon ginger flavor and yes my teeth were stained too! I had to be mindful of my cups of coffee, (writing a book and drinking coffee to keep going...what can I say) thank goodness for dental cleanings to help with the stain on my teeth...yikes. Thank you for sharing Rebecca.