I've been reading, or more like gulping, a book on tea ("Tee teematka",by Helena Petäistö, in Finnish). It's such a nice book - plenty of delicious descriptions on the best Afternoon Teas found in various European locations (mostly in grand hotels of the capitals, but of course also in actual tea houses and tea rooms), a lot of history (sometimes very bloody measures have been taken in order to guarantee tea to the salons and chippendale tables of the high and mighty), and personal accounts on different tea varieties. The lady who wrote this book is a long-time foreign correspondent of Finnish television, she's located in Paris, and is an expert on all things French.
Being known as a not-so-avid coffee drinker (meaning no coffee for me, like, ever...), I've lately taken up different coffees, and grown to somehow even like them - I guess more important is the mood and athmosphere of the café or coffee house than the actual drink itself. Although I must admit that the boost of caffeine for someone like me who's not used to it is quite something, and at times can provide good extra energy for a short period of time.
Due to this background of not drinking coffee, I've been always offered tea at parties etc., and mostly it has tasted bad, bitter and bland. The Lipton Yellow Label, which gets a special mention in the book for the most awful thing that has ever happened to tea, is the worst of them all. Rumour has it that it's made from the stuff they sweep off the floor after finishing the production of the better teas. Eww!
Anyways, this book has been really inspirational - she's comparing teas with wines, that it's possible to find as subtle and multiple differences between different teas (black, green, white, yellow..) as a wine-buff can find among red wines, for example.
If you take time to prepare the tea properly (quality and temperature of water is the key, and after that make sure that the brewing time is correct), it's really an experience worlds apart from the 'place-the-yellow-labelled-bag-into-boiling-hot-water-and-let-it-simmer-there-until-taste-is-unbearably-bitter' method.
Just imagine a fresh pot of delicious tea, some scones with thick cream and strawberry jam, cucumber sandwhiches, cakes and pastry.... Makes you want to jump on a plane and hurry off to London/The Hague/Dublin/Frankfurt/Vienna immediately (just to mention some of the best places mentioned in the book to have your afternoon tea in the old fashioned way).
In the meantime, you can also feast you eyes on the web pages of the top Finnish tea place. The calm effect of this alone will convert anybody from the rush of caffeine into a Slow Movement supporter and tea drinker.
1 comment:
I definitely agree with you (and Helena) about Yellow label, it's just pure piss to be quite frank. One of the best black teas I've ever tasted is Hyvä Ostos Ceylon tee (spelled exactly like that), which incidentally is one of the cheapest there is, as well. You should try it - and no, this is not a paid commercial :). Another one was the old Clipper Fair Trade tea with a big yellow moon on the box but I haven't found it in shope in years...
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