The Art of Tea

In the 8th Century the celebrated poet Lu Yu wrote that in order to enjoy a really delicious cup of tea a porcelain cup should be used, preferably beside a lily pond in the company of desirable women or gentlemen.

In the East, tea drinking is believed to be a form of meditation with set rules to enjoy the art of tea. The art is in the preparation of the pot, cup and utensils. It is the way you stir the tea and contemplate it before you drink it.

As a true Englishman, Keith is a tea drinker who believes that a cup of tea is the solution for every celebration, disaster, and calamity or when one is in need of comfort. A cup of tea restores the order of things. When one is upset a cup of tea will calm you and put things into perspective. When one is calm a cup of tea will enlighten you as to the reasons for your calmness.

I fully understand the philosophy that tea is a form of meditation. In our house you cannot have a quick cup of tea. I have discovered the art of tea drinking by watching Keith making tea. The first rule is that you have the right tea for the occasion.

Leaf Tea with Roses

It has to be leaf tea. According to Keith what ends up in bags is just tea dust. It starts with the warming of the teapot. Then you add the leaf tea to the pot, a spoon per person and one extra for the pot. Then you boil the water only once to maintain the correct oxygen level in the water. Tea leaves need oxygen to release their flavours. Boiling water twice will reduce the oxygen levels in the water and the taste of the tea will suffer because of it.

After pouring the hot water on the tea leaves one gives it a good stir for improved infusion. The teapot is then covered with a tea cosy to keep the pot and tea warm.

Keith prefers to heat the cup as well. For him tea needs to be hot because it prolongs the enjoyment of a good cup of tea and forces one to drink slowly and allow time for meditation. The milk goes in first and then the tea and sugar. Apparently the milk first rule comes from Victorian times to protect the fine porcelain cups from cracking when one pours the hot tea into them.

One has Breakfast tea, Morning Tea, Noon Tea, Afternoon Tea and High Tea. And Englishmen and women even refer to their meals as taking tea.

We have a lot of different teas in the house. Assam, Pavane Orange Pekoe, Earl Grey, Rose Earl Grey, French Earl Grey, English Breakfast, Irish Breakfast, Royal Blend, Christmas Blend and many more.  This is a clear sign of the importance of tea in our house.

For all the different tea that we have, there is a tea tin among them that for more than fifty years, has held the blend that Keith grew up with. This is a blend his mother blended and it has never changed carrying the memory of a thousand family gatherings to celebrate in good times and comfort in sad times. Keith has never stopped using this blend and I am sure this is true for the rest of his family.

The art of tea in our house is expressed in the familiar and special blends that capture the melancholy and joy of life in one aromatic cup of tea.