Before I start this blog I must firstly say I am not a tea expert, nor a tea taster nor do I own a tea shop or sell tea at that. But I am a tea enthusiast, and enjoy nothing more than supping on a lovely cup of tea.
I suppose compared to some I am only just starting to branch out in my tea journey. For many years, I must admit, I knew no better than to buy main brand Black Tea tea bags, chuck the tea bag in the mug, pour in the water and brew. I am not saying there is anything wrong with tea bags and if you are a tea bag drinker please do not think I am chastising you as I, must admit, still drink tea bags daily when at work, although I am slowly starting to introduce loose leaf into the office.
But now I am branching out and discovering the world of loose leaf tea and enjoying the full variety of White, Green, Oolong and Black teas (I have discovered the world of Pu’erh tea too but this is taking much longer for me to enjoy)!
It wasn’t until I was about 13 years old when I actually realised there was more to the humble cuppa than the aptly known Builders Tea- for those who are not aware of what this is, it is colloquial term for a strong cup of an overly brewed tea bag (containing some type of black tea), which you often find labourers drinking on a construction site. Once left in the mug for several long minutes, the bag is squeezed to an inch of its life against the side of the mug, a guzzle of milk added and usually 1 or 2 spoons of sugar and vois la a dark brown cup of bitter tea with a sugary kick, delicious- or perhaps not!
Anyway, back to 13 year old me and my dad coming home from work, very excitedly one day holding a mysterious black box, with a purple swirled pattern over it, with a gold band at the top with the Tea’s brand typed in large bold lettering (I shall not say the brand but lets just say they are a very well known British Tea brand). My dad explained that he had that day tried a new tea which he thoroughly enjoyed- and we had to try it, an unbeknown tea to my family- Earl Grey.
From that day on my tea tastes had evolved and I drank nothing but this delightful, bergamot infused tea. For many years after that I tried a whole host of different brand Earl Greys but none matched up to my 1st love. It was only about 10 years ago I realised that there were loose leaf varieties of Earl Grey- and boy what a game changer. I then entered a whole new world of tea tasting- new brands to try, different steeping times and the question of what to brew this in- loose leaf pot, an infusing basket, an infusing ball? Tea for the 1st time became somewhat complicated!
Fast forward 10 years and I am getting a much better grip on the tea world. I have a host of infusers, pots and ranges of teas- delightful Silver Needle White Tea, White Monkey Paw Green tea, Jasmine pearls, Tie Guan Yin Oolong and a whole host of black teas (including many variants of my beloved Earl Grey, I’ve even started infusing my own- but more about that later).
This blog is a culmination of my tea exploration, it’s what I have learnt, what I am still to experience and why tea drinking, purchasing and preparation is so fascinating and enjoyable.
First thing first what is tea, where does it come from and why did we first start drinking this delicious leaf…
