English Breakfast

English Breakfast tea is my all-time favorite. It is always a black tea blend, and it is meant to be prepared with milk and sugar. Black tea rests best with me in the mornings (probably because of the caffeine!). And, really, there's just something about the name "English Breakfast" that says "If you're drinking this in the morning, you are doing the right thing."

The heart of any meal named an "English breakfast" is bacon and eggs. Yet, you'll find that no matter how you prepare a cup of English breakfast tea, it won't taste like bacon and eggs! Apparently, it was so named because it was/is specifically blended to go well with an English breakfast, and to be prepared in the style of the English. An entertaining, informative article on the subject can be read at Ask Mr. Breakfast.

Mr. Breakfast claims that "When blended with milk, [English Breakfast tea] produces a comforting aroma eerily similar to warm toast and honey." I can't say I've had that experience, but I am aware that different English Breakfast teas have slightly different tastes, and thus scents. Tea in general is a comforting thing, but moreso the English Breakfast tea. And it's all about the preparation:

Warm milk is a source of comfort and security for babies. I believe that the addition of milk to a warm cup of tea does something to soothe a person's deep unconscious by bringing him back to that day when milk could solve all problems.

Sugar is cheering. It makes you happy. It gives you energy. The tea doesn't have to actually be sweet - in fact, too much sugar will confuse your taste buds, and you won't get the full flavor of the tea itself!

So we have, in one cup, the following:

• Caffeine, to keep you awake for your responsibilities of the day.


• Warm milk, to calm your nerves and prepare you for your day.


• Sugar, to provide a bit of instant energy, a "spark" as you go in to work or as you begin your daily responsibilities.


• Tea, to hydrate and refresh you, to give you that five minutes of breathing time before you rush off to work (or to clean the house, or make breakfast for the kids)

I think you'll agree that this is a pretty amazing combination to have in one cup. This is really what you need to start your day, every day! Here are some very basic instructions for the new English Breakfast tea-drinker.

• Water temperature: Boiling! Not boiled, not almost-boiling. Really, really hot.


• Use a regular size mug or tea cup - nothing too big for this first cup, so the proportions of milk and sugar won't be off.


• Put an English Breakfast tea bag into the mug and pour the boiling water over it, leaving about an inch of space at the top of the mug.


• Let it steep at least 4 minutes. It shouldn't get too bitter, and the sugar and milk will help any over-steeping that happens, so don't be afraid to make it dark!


• Remove the tea bag. Stir in 1-2 teaspoons of sugar. I like less sugar; others like more. If you are using a smaller tea cup, I would definitely go with less sugar. You can always add more later if you think it needs it!


• Milk: This is a toughie for me. I don't actually know how much milk I pour in! Generally I pour in milk until the tea is the "right" color, but that is subjective. I did about two minutes of internet research and couldn't find a lot of opinions. So experiment. Pour in enough milk for the level of liquid to rise about 1 centimeter. Swirl it with a spoon and take a sip.

At this point, consider the strength of the tea, the sweetness, and the taste of the milk. If you aren't enjoying the taste, there are a few things to keep in mind:

• I prefer some brands of English Breakfast tea over others. Stash is the kind I drink most often. It might be worth it to experiment with different brands, though I haven't done a lot of experimenting myself. I found one I liked and stuck with it!


• If you are new to tea, feel free to overdo the sugar and the milk. In fact, English Breakfast might be one of the most friendly teas for new drinkers.


• I use real sugar. Here I'm going to be a snob and say you should too! If you are diabetic or cannot consume sugar for health reasons, I have no recommendations for you - would you experiment and let me know if there is still a way to enjoy this tea? Of course, some people forego the sweetner altogether, and I think if the milk were done right it would still be a satisfying cup.


• I use whole milk. Not cream. Not skim. 2% I have used before with only mildly disappointing results. Here my snobbishness comes through again - please, please use whole milk! You have to be able to taste it in the tea!

Order Stash English Breakfast Tea online!

Please tell me about your experience with English Breakfast tea, and if you have any additional comments (especially if you are a bigger snob than me!) - theteasnob at comcast.net.

Day of Rest

(Photo courtesy of http://www.openphoto.net/)












Here's a Sunday morning prayer that comes to mind:

Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation.

Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I
pray.

My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I
direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.

Psalm 5:1-3, KJV

I'm not much one for commenting on self-explanatory biblical passages. And I'm taking a day off today. Just enjoy this poetry with some tea and smile.

"Cheap Tea" and Freedom

(This image courtesy of http://www.dreamstime.com/.)









In my claim to be a "tea snob", I realize some would scoff at assigning me that title. I regularly commit atrocities true tea aficionados would be horrified to see. For example:

• I use tea bags most of the time, as opposed to loose-leaf tea. Why? Tea bags do tend to contain a lower quality tea. In the processing of tea, the larger pieces of leaf are reserved for "higher grade" loose leaf tea, and the smaller pieces that are sifted out are stuffed into "tea bags". I usually can't afford loose-leaf, and when I want a cup of tea I don't have time to prepare loose leaf. I argue that there are many good teas in tea bags - not all, but there are many. The key to enjoying "cheap" tea is knowing how to prepare it. More on this later.


• I am not a purist. I firmly believe that some types of tea are best with milk, or sugar, or both. Not all, but some. If you want a cup of tea, you shouldn't feel guilty for drinking it with milk because that suits your taste better! You'll still receive all the benefits.


• I drink herbal. I still can't bring myself to call it "herbal tea", because there are no true teas in herbal infusions. And I am extremely picky about which herbals I will consume, but I do drink them.


• I make tea with tap water - unfiltered, unpurified, undistilled.


• I use an electric plug-in kettle instead of a stovetop kettle. Here is one area I rather regret, because it is so pleasant to pour water from a metal kettle and to hear it whistle when it is hot, but it takes much more time and electricity to heat water on a stovetop.

That said, I believe the key to enjoying "cheap" brand-name tea lies in experimentation. In my experience, many people that "don't like" tea have tried some random dollar-store bag, plunked it into warm water, and declared it "disgusting". But they have failed to take into account quite a few things:

• How long should the tea have been steeped for to bring out the right amount of flavor for the proportionate amount of water, and for that particular type of tea?


• Should this tea have been tried with milk? Sugar? Both? (Personally, I never take lemon in my tea, but I would try it if I thought it would bring out the taste!)


• What should the temperature of the water have been for the kind of tea it was?


• How much tea was contained in the bag? If there was a lot of tea, it should not have been steeped for very long. If there was not very much tea, it may have required a very long steeping time.

Of course, it is possible to make a great cup of tea without doing anything special, and it is possible to experiment various ways and find that there is nothing that can make a particular type of tea worth consuming.

Bottom line: Do whatever works for you. Tea is not a set of rules. Buy the cheap stuff. Experiment. Find out which teas you like, stock up, share them with friends. Develop a "library" of your favorite teas in your cupboard for every mood or time of day. Tea isn't about what the snobs say is "good" or not - it's about what you like, what you enjoy.

So enjoy!

The Solitary Tea

(Photo courtesy of http://www.openphoto.net/).

Tea should be taken in solitude.

-C.S. Lewis

In my last post, I emphasized the power of tea in a social setting, and I have a great deal more to say on that subject later, as "social tea" relates to old English and Japanese culture, and also to the modern social benefits of tea. C. S. Lewis is one of my all-time favorite authors, and this quote of his surprised me at first. After all, he was English - didn't he realize the social importance of tea?

After doing a bit of research (I confess, I originally found the quote with a Google search) I found the context for the quote. And, of course, as an Englishman, Lewis was not referring to tea as a beverage but as a meal, as is common in England (and other countries!). Not only that, but he was telling about a specific instance, and not even claiming that meals should be eaten solitarily. So I tricked you a bit and gave you this quote that had nothing to do with the beverage at all! But I would like to talk about solitude today, because it's something I have been thinking about.

First, a few definitions (and forgive me, I hate quoting dictionaries verbatim because it sounds so official, but these came from http://www.dictionary.com/):

alone: isolated from others.

solitary: without companions.

"Alone" reminds me of the single man (or woman) who is unhappy with his current single state. "Alone" makes me think "abandoned". "Alone" is negative and sad, a state you want to avoid, and when others describe themselves as "alone" with sad eyes, you feel genuinely sorry for them.

"Solitary", however, reminds me of the man (or woman) who walks confidently, head held high. He enjoys social interaction, but he does not require the good opinion of others in order to remain confident. He makes his own decisions. He is happy with himself.

Now, I may be stretching things, but "alone" makes me think of using time by yourself to wish you were with people, and "solitary" to use time by yourself to the best advantage.

Of course, "the best advantage" will be different per person, per day, per priority. For one person, a period of 1 hour "solitary" time will best be spent on a work project (bettering a career). For another, cleaning the house might be the best option (bettering a living situation). For another, reading a classic novel (bettering the mind) or cooking a healthy meal (bettering the body) or praying (bettering the spirit) are the best options. And obviously, at some time, each of these should be a priority, and many others I haven't mentioned.

Think about it, now - if you pray with a friend, don't you end up talking and bonding with your friend? Don't you better your relationship? If you work on a project with a coworker, don't you share a meal or a drink? If you clean a house with a friend, don't you watch a movie with your friend and enjoy yourselves together?

Here's my point: You have to enjoy your own company if you are going to be able to use solitary time to its full advantage. It's okay to want to be really productive and get stuff done, but you have to have time in there for you to be with you. If you do this, you will be more productive in your "solitary work" times.

And, of course, that's the whole spirit of tea - it's something you do that's just for you. Imagine this:

You gently slip a tea bag into the steaming water and watch the color flow from the bag to the surrounding liquid. The aroma wafts up, and you close your eyes and breathe it in. You carry the mug to your favorite chair, and your hands are happy with the warmth of the mug. You sit there for a moment, with the beautiful tea in your hands, and contemplative thoughts come to you. Finally, you sip - and the flavor rolls over your tongue, and you feel the heat drop down your throat and warm your insides. And you say "ah..."

But this moment isn't about the tea. When you make a cup of tea, you won't be thinking these things. When you drink the cup of tea, you won't be mentally singing tea's praises as you sip and sip again. That's the beauty of tea. It creates the moment, but it doesn't steal the moment. It gives beauty to whatever topic is on your mind.

When you simply sit in a chair and think, your thoughts will wander to whatever topics have, lately, been on the forefront of your mind. Unless something spectacular has happened lately, you will most likely be thinking about a problem to solve and you will be worried, or angry (oh, excuse me - frustrated.) And I'm claiming that a cup of tea will at least bring a spirit of calm to these thoughts. At worst, you will feel more ready to tackle the day. At best, you will have an epiphany and come up with a solution.

This is the benefit of a solitary cup of tea. It is best to have one every day. In fact, right now I am Doctor Tea Snob with a prescription for you: Sometime today, make time to have a cup of tea alone. Lock yourself in the bathroom if you have to. It's okay if you want to read while you drink your tea or play a computer game, but you will enjoy the moment most if you just sit and think.

Do this, and if you have any interesting thoughts after completing this exercise, please send me an email and let me know about your experience! theteasnob at comcast.net.

What is a "tea snob"?

(Photo courtesy of http://www.openphoto.net/).

Welcome to the blog of Amber, the self-proclaimed "snob" of all things "tea". Others have described me as twenty, egotistical, well-read, attractive, Christian, intelligent, curly-haired, a grammatical stickler, "full-of-it", an English buff, female, attractive, a good writer, proud, generous, too skinny, somewhat witty, a jerk, tall, a bibliophile, narcissistic - and, as if to sum up all these qualities, a "tea drinker", whatever that means. And they may be right.

You have seen this, haven't you? True tea aficionados tend to have certain personality types. I do not know whether it is the personalities that give them the passion for tea or the tea gives them those distinct personalities, but somehow, the idea of "tea" brings across certain ideas.

If I may attempt a more poetic ramble, here are a few offhand ideas I get from "tea":

• A flower garden


• Deep contemplation


• A good book


• Bonding with a friend


• Calming dessert

And, perhaps my favorite:

• A hot bath for your insides.

The idea of "tea" is synonymous with beauty, tranquility, relaxation, mind enrichment, social enrichment, gentleness, doing good to self, and all-around well-being. Tea is a spiritual experience.

There is so much I want to say, but this post was intended as an introduction. What will this blog be about? It will have topics of tea, of course, but it will also discuss "tea" arts, people, and life. I know this is vague. I have an idea in my mind, and I can't explain it in words. I can only explain it by bringing the idea to fruition.

The purpose of this blog is to be an enriching, enlightening cup-of-tea for the mind. It should make you feel better, smarter, more confident. It should give you that gentle nudge to go read a classic novel, be nice to yourself, brush up on your spelling, make a new friend - and, of course, to go make a cup of tea!

I would welcome posting contributions to this blog, thoughts, or photos of tea images or tea-inspired images. Please leave information in the comments section or email me: theteasnob at comcast.net.