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Jackie Gamber, a lover of both tea and science fiction, has been sharing with us her suggestions for the perfect “tea companions” to some of her favorite novels. Enjoy!
Stash’s Fusion tea of a green and white blend is, at first glance, a tea of familiar elements. And yet their combination masterfully creates an entirely new flavor experience, unique unto itself. It is the taste expression of Jay Lake’s novel “Escapement”; a story of familiar elements masterfully combined—fused—into an entirely new world.
In “Escapement”, Queen Victoria rules England and American Possessions. The Royal Navy is on the job defending; not in the seas but in the sky, in great airships. And Earth turns by way of gears and mechanism, following God’s grand mechanical design. In this world, Paolina Barthes has grown up as a genius undetected, with a skill for engineering even she doesn’t understand, but by which she creates her destiny.
Stash’s Fusion tea carries this metallic clang of flavor that strikes the tongue, but is mellowed by the smooth after note of the delicate white tea leaves. Even in the cup, the tea is the warm bronze of reflected sun from an airship’s hull. It is innovation and tradition, a classic with a twist. It is rich and utterly believable.
Just the way a great story should taste.
Jay Lake’s “Escapement” and Stash Fusion Green and White Tea. It’s a fit like clockwork.
Jackie is the author of “Redheart,” book one of the “Leland Dragon Series,” and was recently awarded the Mary Shelly Award for Imaginative Fiction. Visit her site, www.JackieGamber.com, for more information!
The English Tea Store’s French Blend tea is a romantic mixture of mystery, depth, and fragrant petals. It hints at royalty, but drinks smooth and easy. It’s a journey from the familiar into the magical, as the first nip of malt touches the tongue, and then fades into perfume.
It’s the ideal complement to Magic Kingdom for Sale-Sold by Terry Brooks. In the novel, widower Ben Holiday purchases a magical kingdom through a quirky gift catalog and discovers that not only is the kingdom real, but there is much information missing from the fine print of the contract. “Landover” is falling to ruin, what with a witch and a dragon running amok, and Barons who won’t submit to authority. It’s chaos in Landover, and Ben Holiday is the new king.
The English Tea Store’s French Blend might appear at first glance to be a little chaotic; it’s a brew of Ceylon, Nilgiri, Assam and Kenya, and that’s just the base. Add to it the Jasmine, Lavender and tangy Bergamot of Earl Grey, and the tea becomes a veritable cornucopia of elements. But it works together to make a unique flavor blend that just can’t be created any other way.
Just like the kingdom of Landover. Ben Holiday finds himself surrounded by unfamiliar creatures; kobold servants, a talking dog as the court scribe, a magician, a paladin who appears no more than a suit of empty armor, and lovely Willow, who loves like a woman but lives more like a tree. It’s a place of wonder and adventure, and through Ben’s journey from the familiar to the magical, he discovers a unique understanding that just can’t be created any other way.
With Magic Kingdom for Sale-Sold and English Tea Store’s French Blend, take a journey of your own to discover your inner royalty.
Among other things, Jackie’s an award-winning author, a publisher of speculative fiction and a homeschooling mom of two teens. To learn more about Jackie and her work, visit JackieGamber.com.
Stash’s Ginger Peach Green Tea is a startling blend of traditional tea and nouveau fruit flavor, creating a taste experience that is more than the sum of its parts. With its daring ginger overtaste, it’s brave. Bold. Maybe even pioneering.
It’s a taste found in reading Yevgeny Zamyatin’s We. The story is chronicled by D-503, a cipher of the One State. He is happily obedient as worker-mathematician, toiling for the Benefactor. But by the meddling in his head of a woman, I-330, he becomes ill with a “soul” that torments him with feelings, laughter, confusion…love. In the end, has he forsaken one dictator for another?
Zamyatin was no stranger to Totalitarianism. This novel emerges from the time of revolutionary Petrograd. It took the Czechs to manage getting it to print. Zamyatin had been arrested and exiled from Russia, arrested and internally exiled (when they couldn’t keep him out), and put before a judge again who kicked him back out. All for his revolutionary writing. Some say Zamyatin is the inventor of Dystopian literature, and it may be true. We is rife with “cliche” plot twists and turns, but at its time of writing, it hadn’t become cliche yet. It was pioneering.
And like Stash’s Ginger Peach Green Tea, it’s brave and bold, too. As the flavors of the tea blend artfully into each other, so too does the “stream-of-consciousness” narration of the novel. At times it’s difficult to tell the difference between D-503′s imaginings and reality; true to the design of both tea and writing.
Deeper still, the overall flavor experience of Stash’s Ginger Peach Green Tea is nothing if not clean. Sip after sip, it complements the tragic–but aseptically unsoiled–life of Zamyatin’s ciphers living at the mercy of the One State.
Try both, the book and the tea, and let me know what you think!
Jackie is the author of “The Leland Dragon Series” and was recently awarded the Mary Shelley Award for Imaginative Fiction. To learn more about Jackie, visit her site, JackieGamber.com!
Jackie Gamber, a lover of both tea and science fiction, has been sharing with us her suggestions for the perfect “tea companions” to some of her favorite novels. Enjoy!
There is, perhaps, nothing so impractical a food as gummy bears. A food that exists for the sheer pleasure of the mouth; for the taste, the texture, and the experience of the moment. The intrinsic value of gummy bears is exactly what they are created for, and that which makes them just a little bit silly. But you know it and I know it. Silly is good.
English Tea Store’s Lady Londonderry Tea isn’t the least bit silly, as far as tea goes. It’s rich and dark, with a leaf that bears all the characteristics of a tea with excellent character. But beyond the leaf is a flavor that’s sweet and fruity, and, if you’ll allow me the comparison, just a little bit gummy bear. It’s a giggle on the tongue; from aroma to taste bud, it appeals as a flavor simply for the pleasure of it.
Much like the humorous science fiction work from Douglas Adams, “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.” What began as a radio play for BBC Radio has grown into numerous adaptations, including a beloved novel. It follows Arthur Dent and his friend Ford Prefect , an alien, as they traverse the galaxy on a quest for the Question to the Ultimate Answer. Collected along the way are such characters as Zaphod Beeblebrox; Marvin, a depressed robot; and a fellow named Slartibartfast, who insists his name isn’t important. It isn’t.
Though “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” is a story full of all things story-like; plot, action, and excellent character, it nevertheless goes beyond that to impractical puns, sweet and fruity turns of phrase, and is, in every aspect of the word, gummy bear.
Lady Londonderry tea nearly sweetens itself; you can go light on the sugar or honey. But don’t pass up the chance to taste this giggle sensation, especially paired with “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.” Repeat after me: Silly is good.
Jackie is the author of “Redheart,” book one of the “Leland Dragon Series,” and was recently awarded the Mary Shelly Award for Imaginative Fiction. Visit her site for more information!
The English Tea Store brand of maple-flavored black tea may not quite be what you expect to taste upon trying it. The scent of maple wafts from the tin, promising a candy sweetness. As it brews, it releases even more aroma, watering the mouth in anticipation. With a little sweetener and a dash of cream, it presents itself as a swirling, steaming mug of dessert.
And it delivers polished maple charm. But it’s unexpectedly rich and dark, as well, sobering the tastebuds and offering a distinctly “grown-up” and satisfying flavor.
For me, it immediately brought to mind one of my most cherished novels: Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus. Originally published in 1818, it is the story of Victor Frankenstein, a Swiss student who, in his relentless pursuit of science, discovers the secret of animating life. He does so, creating a monstrous being who, upon being rejected by society and his creator, vows that “If I cannot inspire love, I will cause fear!”
The story was written at a period in Shelley’s life around her early twenties, and was her first novel; but it may not be quite what you expect upon reading it. The narration delivers polished Old English charm, but it’s unexpectedly rich and dark, as well. It’s a sobering tale with a distinctly grown up and satisfying flavor.
Mary Shelley describes the summer experiences that inspired the story as the time “when I first stepped out from childhood into life”. And English Tea Store’s Maple Tea reflects this concept exactly. Its flavor is the memory of penny candy and home-cooked breakfast, blended into the smooth and sultry taste of stability and responsibility.
English Tea Store’s Maple Tea deserves a permanent home on your cupboard shelf, with your collection of tea classics. And don’t forget to include Frankenstein on your bookshelf with your collection of novel classics to pair with it.
Jackie Gamber, a lover of both tea and science fiction, has been sharing with us her suggestions for the perfect “tea companions” to some of her favorite novels. Enjoy!
Stash Tea offers an intriguing chai green tea that is at once familiar, yet surprising; mild, yet zesty. It’s a tea I have come to consider a favorite; just as the book I’ve chosen as the reading companion has become a favorite.
“The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”, written by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson, was first published in 1886. It’s narrated by the character Mr. Utterson, a London lawyer and longtime friend of Dr. Henry Jekyll. In the tale, Mr. Utterson encounters a strange and eerie gentleman, who he eventually learns is familiar, yet surprising, indeed.
It is this quality that so defines Stash’s Chai green tea, and pairs it so well with Stevenson’s story. Chai is a classic, spicy collection of flavors, but in combining it with green tea (versus the classic black), it’s a completely different creature. It is, in fact, the mildness of the green tea that makes the chai spice stand out, and, conversely, the flavor burst of chai that makes the green tea seem that much meeker.
In “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”, the mild doctor concocts a mysterious potion (I assume there is no tea ingredient, although Stevenson doesn’t elaborate on that point) that causes a darker, disturbing version of himself to emerge. He becomes a man of two separate natures within a single vessel; an entirely new creature. His gentle self makes the darker more menacing, and vice versa.
And Stash’s chai green tea shares this duality of nature, with one exception. In reading of Dr. Jekyll and his frightful alter-ego, Mr. Hyde, we experience the tragedy of two characters at odds with each other. In sipping the tea, we experience the pleasure of two characters in harmony with each other, Chai Spice and Green tea. Give it a try and I think you’ll agree it’s the best-captured taste of split personality since Stevenson’s masterpiece.
Jackie is the author of “Redheart”, book one of the “Leland Dragon Series”. Visit her site today!
Jackie Gamber, a lover of both tea and science fiction, has been sharing with us her suggestions for the perfect “tea-companions” to some of her favorite novels. Enjoy!
“The Midwich Cuckoos” by John Wyndham is a 1957 classic. It’s a little tricky to get hold of, but well worth the effort. It’s one of my personal favorites, written at a time when science fiction writers were coming into their own. I once found Irish Breakfast tea to be a little tricky to get hold of, too (and well worth the effort), but the English Tea Store has, thankfully, made it easy to find this perfect companion to the novel.
In the story, a sleepy village in rural England loses contact with the world for an entire day. Strange and mysterious, yes, but alarming? Not so much, at least not for a bunch of proper British folks who simply wake up and go about their day. However, a few weeks later, all the females of childbearing age find themselves pregnant — married or otherwise. And the babies all share the same feature: golden eyes. As time goes on, the village discovers that’s not all the children share.
Irish Breakfast tea has its own delayed surprise in its taste. It’s a black tea, strong like English Breakfast, but with a malt under-taste that comes along after the initial sip to really deepen the experience.
Wyndham is also a little ahead of his time with “The Midwich Cuckoos”. He writes of moral implications and cultural effects with a style that is straight-forward and charming. He spends little narrative on the science of what’s happening, and more on the results in the lives of people caught up in the mystifying experience.
Isn’t that what a great cup of tea is all about, as well? With Irish Breakfast, each sip is straight-forward and charming, leaving one to focus on the taste and the results of being caught up in the experience. With a little cream and sweetener, the tea becomes downright dessert, smoothing the way to being captured by Wyndham’s intriguing tale.
Check out Jackie’s site for more great writing!
Jackie Gamber has been giving us her suggestions for the perfect “tea-companions” to some of her favorite science fiction novels.
Fahrenheit 451 is the temperature at which books burn. In Ray Bradbury’s novel, Fahrenheit 451, Guy Montag is a fireman whose job it is to burn those offensive and illegal items. Fahrenheit 212 is the temperature at which water boils. Pour that over some leaves of Lapsang Souchang tea, and you’ve got the perfect complement to Mr. Bradbury’s story.
Lapsang Souchong is a black tea, and is traditionally dried over pinewood fires to give it a unique smoky flavor. History tells us that during the Qing era, soldiers traveled through the Chinese province of Fujian, delaying the usual schedule of tea drying in the Wuyi region. So the workers cleverly sped up the drying process by laying the leaves over fires fed by local pines. The unexpected, campfire-reminiscent result has become the taste for which the tea is favored.
And Guy Montag is a character well acquainted with the taste of his own work. In the novel, he enjoys the process of burning; and not just books, but the homes that hide them as well. He’s a soldier in his own right, employed by a government who uses firemen to start fires, instead of putting them out. But then he meets 17-year-old Clarisse McClellan, who isn’t afraid of him, and asks him questions he hadn’t even asked himself. Guy’s life slowly turns toward an unexpected result, as well.
With Lapsang Souchong in a mug, you’ll enjoy a one-of-a-kind tea that not only enhances your reading of Fahrenheit 451, but immerses you into it. You’ll experience the heat from the drink, the scent from its smoldering leaves, and the liquid taste of smoky depths. With a dash of milk to make it creamy and a hint of sweetener to tame the bitterness, Lapsang Souchong is the tea of choice for firemen, or anyone!
Check out Jackie’s site for more great writing!
Jackie Gamber, a lover of both tea and science fiction, has been filling us in on the perfect tea-companions to some of her favorite novels. Her latest installment deals with Jules Verne’s classic, Journey to the Center of the Earth. Enjoy!
Jules Verne’s classic story, Journey to the Center of the Earth, is a panoramic tale of voyage and fortitude. It’s also a mixture of charm and density of detail, to which Blueberry Herbal is the perfect tea-companion.
In the novel, the story is told by Axel, the nephew of Professor Otto Lidenbrock. He reluctantly accompanies his uncle and an Icelandic guide into an inactive volcano that’s also a pathway leading to the center of the earth. Axel disbelieves each step of the way, while his uncle is a force of determination.
It’s this paradoxical experience that pairs so well with Blueberry Herbal. The brew is light in a mug but weighty on the tongue, and full of taste like the pop of a fresh blueberry between the teeth.
Further paradox exists in Verne’s telling of Journey to the Center of the Earth. It reads much like a geography lesson, heavy with facts and the scientific debates of his time. But what spares the reader from being completely buried beneath the lesson is Verne’s ability to use his skill for detail when it comes to characters. The fiery temper of Professor Lidenbrock is true-to-form through the entire story, and even the landscape itself takes on a personality that carries throughout.
That’s why there’s no better tea-companion to Journey to the Center of the Earth than a fruity herbal. The reader will need patience for this tale, not the effects of caffeine. Be ready to slow down, and take the novel at the pace at which it’s written. Also, Blueberry Herbal is an excellent flavor to contraindicate the dark depths to which the characters in the novel descend. And don’t forget the sweetener! I think you’ll need it.
For more great articles, check out Jackie’s site!
It’s a basic understanding, of course, that the vessel one chooses for tea drinking won’t necessarily affect the flavor, but it can certainly affect the experience. Style, color and, perhaps, size of the vessel are a matter of preference. But let’s get specific and pick one choice: bone china.
What’s the difference between bone china and the regular version? Is it really about bones? In a word, yes! Porcelain is ceramic material that’s also referred to as china (named after the country that perfected it, of course). There are recipes for porcelain called hard paste or soft paste which vary the strength and feel of the finished product. In 1800, Josiah Spade of Staffordshire, England, added bone ash — animal bones fired at high temperatures to render them to ash — to the porcelain recipe, and effectively created the most durable version yet. Hence the name.
It didn’t take long for word to spread. The recipe was less expensive and the tea cups were lighter and held colors better. Today, bone china has become the standard of England-produced porcelain ware.
Durable as it is, however, it’s still china and requires a gentle care. Hand washing it is best, and harsh chemicals can wear at the glaze and gild of a bone china tea cup. If treated well, bone china can be passed on for generations.
When searching for vintage bone china tea cups, check for chips, cracks, or crazing (hairline fractures in the glaze), all of which can affect the value of the piece. And never drink from a cup that’s been repaired; it’s best to keep that for display only.
Antique shops aren’t the only place to look for bone china tea cups. Try flea markets, yard sales, and, if you’re looking for something specific to complete a collection, the internet. Searching for a perfect bone china cup for your tea can bring as much enjoyment as the cup of tea itself!
