Melissa’s Cozy Teacup

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Growing up, there was always iced tea at dinner. Lipton bags were usually used but also, Constant Comment from Bigelow was added to spice things up, literally. The taste of cinnamon and cloves was, and is, refreshing. I remember when my mom brought home her automatic iced tea maker. It was quite a big deal. We stood around it and watched it do its thing. Now, I have one of my own. Back in those days, the selections of teas were quite limited. When I got older and moved out, I progressed to Earl Grey. If it was good enough for the Captain of the Enterprise, it was good enough for me. It wasn’t until I worked in a tea room that my eyes were opened to the myriad of teas available outside the grocery store. First flush teas, Silver Needle teas, Monkey Pluck, oolong, Lapsangsuchong (nasty btw). The flavors and possibilities seemed endless. I had to try more, but how? Where? I live in a not so metropolitan city, how could I get my hands of a variety of teas without breaking my piggy bank? I did some research on the internet, and found a whole sale company I thought would have a good selection. I pretended to be a tea room and soon after contacting them, I received a packet that included a catalog and a wonderful selection of teas. I tried them all. I fell in love with Monk’s Blend. A black tea flavored with vanilla and grenadine. It is now our house favorite. We had company on Saturday and went through half my tin of Monk’s Blend. I didn’t mind though, I love having happy guests.

Tea is not only about the taste. Tea is also about the experience. When I make tea, I open the tea container and smell the aroma, I listen to the leaves as the gently strike the sides of the tin, or shift about within a tea bag. Tetley tea feels hard like tiny pellets, Monk’s Blend is long rolled strip of leaf with bits of what is used for flavoring mixed in and visible. When it is done steeping, the leaves have unfurled and now look like leaves and not previously mentioned thin black rolls. The air is permeated with the earthy, exotic scent of freshly brewed tea. This scent differs from the scent of the unsteeped leaf. It is now infused with the moisture and heat from the water and has taken on some of the water’s characteristics. Plop in two demarera sugar cubes, stir until dissolved and I am ready to be transported from the everyday to the exotic moment. That is all that is needed to relax my over stretched mind and rejuvenate me physically.

How about you? What is your favorite part about brewing and savoring a cuppa?