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To many folks out there, the very word “selfishness” raises their blood pressure a few levels, since the term has been vilified for centuries. Before you start thinking that I am proposing some totally hedonistic and/or bacchanalian tea time bingeing, hold on. I’m just saying that selfishness can be a key ingredient in the enjoyment of tea.
Yeah, I like milk in my black tea. But be selfish and have tea YOUR way!
Here’s how:
- Take a tea moment — Slip away from your routine and even away from friends, family, and associates to enjoy a solitary cuppa tea. I’ve posted a series of examples on this blog of tea moments, that is, opportunities to do something just for your own enjoyment (see the list at the bottom of this article).
- Acknowledge the validity of your own taste — You like what you like, not what some tea “expert” says you should like or even what some celebrity likes (or is paid to say he/she likes). So, go ahead at tea time and satisfy yourself. Who cares if that aged ripe pu-erh won some award somewhere? If you like Iron Goddess Oolong or a basic black tea blend, go for it!
- Your method is not necessarily madness — Have the tea your way. This is subtly different from the above in that here we are talking not about which tea to have but how to steep and serve it. I like milk and sweetener in a lot of black teas. Other people think that milk in tea is an abomination and/or interferes with the body using the beneficial elements in the tea. The selfish tea drinker decides which, if either, is right for him/her. Ditto for whether you steep in your gaiwan or a teapot, whether you serve in cups, sipping bowls, or mugs, and a multitude of other options.
- Letting others do the same — You’ve been a bit selfish with your tea time, so it’s only fair and balanced to let others do the same. Make your recommendations and then stand back. If they select some tea that makes you cringe, just look away. That’s what I do when hubby has some mint-flavored tea. Love means never having to say you’re sorry (that hubby could drink such a thing). Hee!
Well, I’m hoping the meaning is clear here. I’m not advocating that you hog the teapot, just that you feel free to have your own tea moment your way. See, selfishness can be good!
Pick an article and have a selfish tea moment:
A Cozy Tea Moment: The Kids Are in School
Tea Moments — Doing Laundry
Tea Moments — Watching Raindrops on the Window
Tea Moments — Remembering a Thanksgiving Past
Tea Moments — Long Shadows at Teatime
Tea Moments — Being Thankful
Tea Moments — Enjoying the Christmas Sparkle
Tea Moments — The Christmas Tree
Tea Moments — Reading Fortune Cookie Fortunes
Tea Moments — Hubby Bakes Some Pies
Tea Moments — Candles Setting the Mood
Tea Moments — Putting Down the Duster
Tea Moment — Bird Bath Brouhaha
Tea Moments — Watching an Airplane Fly By
Tea Moments — Iced Tea and the Bug Zapper
Tea Moments — Enjoying a Cloudy Summer Day
Tea Moments — Finding a Shady Spot
Tea Moment — Tea at the Piano
Tea Moments — The Scrabble Game
Tea Moments — The Trick-or-Treaters
Tea Moments — The Relatives
Tea Moments — The Carolers
Tea Moments — A Too Quiet House
Tea Moments — A Castle on My Teaspoon
Tea Moment — That Fall-time Frame of Mind
Tea Moments — The Chef Knows Best?
Tea Moment — “Honey, I’m Home!”
Tea Moments — The New Pot of Tea
Tea Moment — The Colmar Pâtisserie
Tea Moments — Filling (Not Pushing) the Vacuum
© Online Stores, Inc., and The English Tea Store Blog, 2009-2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this article’s author and/or the blog’s owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Online Stores, Inc., and The English Tea Store Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
One of the benefits of my travels to Romania is our lovely apartment, which is located in a commercial area with easy access to transportation and is just a short walk from downtown. Aside from the cost savings and privacy, staying in an apartment rather than a hotel means the convenience of a washing machine and a full kitchen, and most importantly being able to collect things with the knowledge that they’ll be there for the next visit.
The balcony, set for tea for one
When we renovated the apartment several years ago, we incorporated a pretty tea cabinet into the kitchen design. While I still store tea here during each visit, my tea things have, with time, outgrown the space and claimed additional cabinets and shelves. Tea things have a way of doing that …
The tea cabinet
A favourite spot in the apartment is the balcony, with its view overlooking the city – the perfect place to relax, perhaps with a book or a crossword puzzle, while enjoying a good pot of tea. It’s especially pleasant to watch the magnificent sky show as the sun is setting. While the balcony isn’t a dedicated space like the one we have at our home in the USA, it serves as my de facto tea room whenever I’m in Bucuresti.
Three new teacups … and a gift from a friend
My every-expanding tea ware collection includes several teapots, large and small, tho’ as the kettle is a small one I usually fix tea in a two-cup pot or in my gaiwan, refilling as needed. At one time it was necessary to bring tea with me from home, but for the past several years I’ve been able to rely on buying good tea in Bucuresti. This latest trip, as previously reported, was a particular success.
Within a few minutes’ stroll from our apartment are several pastry shops offering a variety of strudels from apple to mushroom, and these make splendid teatime accompaniments. At other times I’ll bring home an artisan bread – I’m particularly fond of the olive rolls from the local market – to enjoy embellished with vegetable paté. And what would tea be without chocolates? On this trip I discovered Leonidas; besides their luscious Belgian chocolates, they carry a huge selection of Tea Forté.
Daytime view from our balcony
Now and again I’m fortunate to have a guest for tea. We bring another chair onto the balcony, and we sip, chat, look out over the city together, and solve all the problems of the world over our teacups. I hope you enjoyed these chronicles of travels with tea in Bucuresti. If so, do please leave me a comment.
Sunset view from our balcony
© Online Stores, Inc., and The English Tea Store Blog, 2009-2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this article’s author and/or the blog’s owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Online Stores, Inc., and The English Tea Store Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
There are many different tea experiences to be had, and there has been some discussion on this blog recently about different ways to take your tea and the conflicts this might create (see the articles here, and here). Tea houses take many shapes and forms, with some offering an overwhelming selection of teas and some offering only one. Some are styled in a traditional East Asian manner, with tea served gong fu style, or in cast iron pots, while others serve afternoon tea English-style. When in San Francisco last month, I happened upon a place that offers another take on this situation.
Our oolong teas were served in elegant gaiwans
Samovar’s Tea Lounge, exclusive to San Francisco but with several locations throughout the city, offers seven “tea services”. Fittingly for San Francisco, known for its foodie culture, the tea services are pairings of delicately prepared food dishes and teas based on traditions from around the world. The seven tea services offered are: Moorish, English, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, Indian, and Palaeolithic (this theme is more for fun than authenticity!). So there is something to meet your needs whether you are in the mood for an Asian, Middle Eastern, or good old English-style tea experience…or all of the above!
If you can’t quite make up your mind you can always mix and match because they do also serve some of the dishes that appear in the tea services as separate appetizers. And, of course, you can also order any of their thirty-seven teas independently.
My tea companion and I opted to mix and match. We paired Middle Eastern appetizers with oolong teas, each selecting a different oolong. I opted for Baozhong oolong, a Taiwanese oolong with a fruity, floral undertone, while my companion chose a featured tea not listed on the menu—Aged Oolong. Both were exquisite, and our server had good (and accurate!) knowledge of the subtleties that differentiated the various oolongs we were considering. I was looking for a lighter, less oxidised oolong, while my companion prefers smokier teas (her favourite is Lapsang Souchong!) The Aged Oolong is roasted and more oxidised, which gives it something more akin to a smoky flavour. Dried, the Aged Oolong is a much darker colour than the green twists of the Baozhong oolong—black dragons indeed! When brewed, it produces a golden brown brew in comparison to the yellow-green brew of my less oxidised oolong. We had many chances to analyse the differences between our oolongs, as our teas were served in gaiwans accompanied by cast iron teapots full of hot water, which the waitstaff refilled without prompting (much appreciated!). This allowed us to appreciate the subtle ways in which the tea flavour changed over time as the leaves slowly opened up after multiple steepings.
While Samovar’s is a little pricey, this is actually a place that I think might be worth it for a special occasion. They have successfully created an atmosphere of calm, acceptance, and contemplation in which to enjoy your tea and enjoy the company of others; they fulfil their mission to connect you to the present moment and create positive human connections through tea.
© Online Stores, Inc., and The English Tea Store Blog, 2009-2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this article’s author and/or the blog’s owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Online Stores, Inc., and The English Tea Store Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Some of you are probably thinking right now: “Gee, she’s making a really big assumption here. That it’s possible to get a good cuppa tea at a coffee shop.” No assumptions being made here, since I have experienced this seemingly impossible feat.
Cups like this also make tea drinkers shrink away from coffee shops
To some, the very thought of getting tea in a coffee shop is practically blasphemous. The smell of the coffee beans and the fresh ground coffee, plus the brewed coffee are strong enough usually to overwhelm the more delicate aromas and flavors of the tea. How do you enjoy a delicate tea in such an atmosphere? If you are the type that really pays attention to the sensory nuances of your tea, this will be a big problem. So, the first step is to face the fact that you will most likely be going for a tea with a more prominent aroma and flavor.
Another fact tea drinkers have to deal with in coffee shops is the usage of tea concentrates in preparing chai lattés and other specialty tea drinks. One particular coffee shop chain even bought the company that makes the concentrates they routinely serve. Just don’t expect the same taste experience you’ll get when you make your own stovetop chai.
Some coffee shops carry brand name tea bags such as Harney & Sons, which is a “silk” (actually, nylon or some other material) pyramid bag filled with tea leaf pieces instead of dust and fannings. Sadly, the water is usually not freshly boiled and is generally heated to the same temperature (really, really hot in some places and downright tepid in others), no matter what type of tea you’re having.
The answer to getting a really good cuppa in a coffee shop seems to be to avoid the specialty tea drinks and the more delicate tasting and smelling teas, going instead for their regular teas that are stronger in character. And since there is quite a variety between coffee shops, you will also be better off if you select one that has the type of tea you want and that you know heats the water sufficiently.
In short, do a bit of homework or even private investigation. Then, you won’t go far wrong!
© Online Stores, Inc., and The English Tea Store Blog, 2009-2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this article’s author and/or the blog’s owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Online Stores, Inc., and The English Tea Store Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Like this:
As I detailed in the first posting of this series, my long-time favourite bookstore tea room is now closed. The shop, Carturesti, still sells dry leaf – in fact, they were the first company in Romania to carry higher-quality teas, and for many years they have been my main source when I travel there.
Demmers – A welcome newcomer to Bucuresti!
Alas. They seem to have stopped caring about tea. Nearly half the floor space upstairs used to be devoted to tea, including the out-of-the-ordinary (at least for Bucuresti): pu’erh bricks, matcha whisks, and the like. Now? Tea and tea things are confined to about three display areas. Worse, the tea itself tastes like they haven’t restocked since my last visit in 2010 – the three I purchased (a black, a green, an oolong) were simply stale. I won’t be back.
Fortunately there are some interesting new tea shops. A friend told me about a tea shop he’d seen near the University, and said I absolutely had to go there. It didn’t take much convincing. As I walked down the street I passed an outlet for Carturesti and thought oh no, this can’t be what he means! Fortunately I kept walking and just two doors down found Demmers Teehaus.
This Austrian company has been expanding throughout Romania and opened their first shop in Bucuresti about a year and a half ago. Teas are properly stored in metal tins behind the counter. Amongst the obligatory flavoured and “health” teas and tisanes, they had a very nice selection of single-origin teas. I chose a white Oothu, a Dong Ding oolong, and a Nepal green. All turned out to be of excellent quality. Along with knowledgeable and courteous sales staff, Demmers displayed the only tea cozies I’ve ever seen in Romania: two lovely thick fabric carriage cozies. Tempting …
Tea Treasure – A small but well-chosen selection.
From University Plaza I headed up to the anticariat – the used and rare book shop – on Magheru (mah-GHEH-roo) Boulevard. In a space behind the shop I discovered a holiday fair, with many local merchants offering handicrafts, toys, jewelry, sweets … and tea! Along with a display of Fortnum & Mason was Treasure Tea & Coffee, where I picked up some teacups. The following week I visited their regular shop, where they stock a good selection of teas, tisanes, and tea ware. I found a nice Java green tea amongst others, and some very pretty Japanese teacups.
Livada – Long on tea ware, tho’ sadly short on customer service.
My last stop was Livada cu ceai (literally, orchard with tea) at Baneasa (bah-NAH-sah) City, a very upscale mall. Their large shop was crammed with tea wares. Many were rarities in Bucuresti: aroma cups, Yixing, gaiwans, and samovars. Service, however, was not so good. When two of the salespeople finally broke off their conversation to acknowledge me, I asked for “ceai simplu” (tea without additives). The first tea they proudly showed me was a “special” “superior” Taiwan oolong. Unfortunately, the leaves had no discernible aroma. When they told me the price – almost $75 for the minimum 100 grams – I declined, and asked what other teas they carried. Perhaps they’re accustomed to having well-heeled shoppers buy whatever they recommend, because from that moment on they essentially ignored me, except to brag about how their owners travel to the source countries to buy their tea. Yeah. Maybe. In any case, they were clearly annoyed that I did not buy the oolong. Which, I should point out, was on offer at another shop I had been to for less than half that price – aroma included.
So although tea shopping in Bucuresti was a mixed bag, I did manage to find good tea, as well as a couple of worthy new sources.
© Online Stores, Inc., and The English Tea Store Blog, 2009-2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this article’s author and/or the blog’s owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Online Stores, Inc., and The English Tea Store Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
The other day I was drinking tea (as always) and thinking of chocolate (also as always). Then, I had some chocolate and started thinking about tea! It seems to be a fairly common occurrence, as a bit of online searching revealed.
See the article about my great tea and sea salt chocolate experiment for an explanation of the above.
Awhile back, Lainie Petersen, well known to readers of this blog, had a chocothon all by herself. She tried three versions of chocolate (dark, white, and milk) with a hojicha green tea. The results were quite revealing. She also recently stated that chocolate with jasmine tea is a favorite combo. Being a great sipper of tea, she is certainly one who knows!
Another blogger tried several teas paired with several chocolates and had more revelations. These pairings all worked well:
- white tea with milk chocolate
- green tea with milk chocolate
- scented floral tea with ginger flavored dark chocolate
- oolong tea with green and black dark chocolate
- oolong tea with bittersweet dark chocolate
- black huckleberry tea with white chocolate
- black huckleberry tea with milk chocolate
A couple of years ago Tea Consultant Lisa Boalt Richardson had mouths watering at the America’s Mart International Gift Show when she and tea company owner Beth Johnston showed how tea and chocolate paired together. There is such an interest in the subject that she conducts Tea and Chocolate Pairing Seminars and gives presentations on the subject at the World Tea Expo.
Yours truly did my own mini tea and chocolate pairing taste test to find what tea went best with salt chocolate. (See photo above.)
Lots of information is out there in cyberspace about what tea goes with what chocolate. You could spend hours going through it all, or you can read my handy compilation of the pairings that I spent hours looking up (does not include tea-infused chocolates):
Milk Chocolate
- Black teas that can take milk, such as Assam, English Breakfast Blend, Earl Grey, Yunnan
- Oolongs
- Darjeelings (the flush and garden were not specified)
- Green teas, such as Gen Mai Cha, Dragonwell, Sencha, Jasmine Green, Matcha
- Teas with a roasted or “toasty” quality, such as Houjicha Green Tea or Wu Yi Oolong
- Masala chai (strong black tea blended with mixed spices) traditionally simmered directly in milk
- White Peony (Pai Mu Tan, Bai Mu Dan)
- Some flavored teas such as Black Huckleberry (full leaf blended with raspberry, cornflower and rose hip, citrus note, full body, sweet under tone, coppery liquid)
- Herbal infusions
- Organic spicy ginger yerba maté
Dark Chocolate
- Black teas that can take milk: Assam, Keemun, Earl Grey
- Lapsang Souchong and similar smoked teas
- Darjeelings (the flush and garden were not specified)
- Bai Hao Oolong rich in Honey notes
- Really floral oolongs such as Ti Kuan Yin Oolong
- Both plain and scented green teas: Gyokuro, Matcha, Hojicha, Jasmine Green Tea, Jasmine-scented Pouchong
- Pu-erh (again, the specific type was not named)
- White teas including White Peony (Pai Mu Tan, Bai Mu Dan)
- Some flavored teas such as Vanilla Cream Tea and Black Huckleberry (full leaf blended with raspberry, cornflower and rose hip, citrus note, full body, sweet under tone, coppery liquid)
White Chocolate
- Black teas that can take milk, such as Assam and Yunnan
- Spicy teas, such as Masala Chai Black Tea
- Darjeelings (the flush and garden were not specified)
- Oolong such as Dung Ti
- Green teas: Sencha, Matcha, Gen Mai Cha, Dragonwell, Hojicha
- White teas, such as White Peony (Pai Mu Tan, Bai Mu Dan) and Silver Needle
- Black Huckleberry Tea (full leaf blended with raspberry, cornflower and rose hip, citrus note, full body, sweet under tone, coppery liquid.)
- Herbal infusions
Flavored/Filled Chocolates
- Green teas such as Sencha, Gyokuro, Jasmine Green, Hojicha
- Oolongs
- Earl Grey
- Lapsang Souchong
- Citrus flavored tea paired with citrus flavored chocolate
- Fruit flavored tea paired with fruit flavored chocolate
- Floral scented tea paired with floral flavored chocolate
- Unflavored tea, naturally reveals flavor notes to similar filling in chocolate
- Flavored teas such as masala chai, almond cookies green tea, and strawberry black tea
Simple, eh? Now, uncross your eyes and head out to buy some chocolate, then rush home and steep some tea to enjoy with it. At least, that’s what I’m gonna do!
© Online Stores, Inc., and The English Tea Store Blog, 2009-2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this article’s author and/or the blog’s owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Online Stores, Inc., and The English Tea Store Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Like this:
Spring and Autumn (Fall for some of you out there) are my favourite times of year. I love the season changes and the unpredictable, sometimes irrational, weather patterns that come along with them. Right now, for example, I have been experiencing days that shift from glorious sun and blue skies to sudden thunderstorms. While I love the promise of a new season, this time of year presents me with a dilemma regarding tea drinking. When it can go from sunny and 75° F to torrential rains that chill me to the bone (I often get caught while out and about), do I drink my tea hot or iced? And it’s not just about temperature: weather affects my mood, and my mood affects what kind of tea calls to me.
Iced Tea and Accessories
For example, black tea (often with milk) tends to be a comforting, pick-me-up beverage, so I am more inclined to choose it on an overcast day when I am in need of a little energy boost. If it is beautifully sunny out I am less likely to need a boost, and might opt for a green or a white tea. These feel lighter in my system and seem more suited to a clear, bright day. And then, of course, there are all the different flavoured teas. Like most people, I tend to associate spices with autumn and colder weather, and fruits with spring and summer time. So I find myself turning to spiced teas such as chai less at this time of year, and starting to re-acquaint myself with my fruit teas.
However, in this period of changeable weather, these conflicting desires converge and I end up a bit all over the place in my tea drinking. I’ll find myself drinking a cinnamon spiced tea, but favouring a peach white tea immediately after. I’ll spend a good fifteen minutes (or more!) trying to figure out what type of tea I want, unable to accurately pinpoint my tea feelings as I intently analyse the weather outside my window. Sometimes, even after this deliberation I make a cup of tea only to realise that it wasn’t actually what I wanted.
But despite all this tea confusion, I manage to enjoy my tea. Firstly, I always have some standard go-tos that work for me year round, and secondly, this confusion is not necessarily a bad thing. It is just part of the process of shifting into the next part of the year. It is much like struggling to choose the right amount of layers to wear, or deciding when to start eating meals outside—it can be a fun challenge to figure out, and at the end of the day, even if it wasn’t exactly the right choice, you still end up with a delicious cup of tea.
© Online Stores, Inc., and The English Tea Store Blog, 2009-2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this article’s author and/or the blog’s owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Online Stores, Inc., and The English Tea Store Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Bottled tea? Really? Excuse me while this Tea Princess chuckles. *Hee hee hee hee hee* Ah, there, got that out of my system. Now, seriously, can you get real tea in a bottle? Or can? I guess that depends on how you define “tea.” These days, that seems to be pretty broad, even including things like rooibos, honeybush, chamomile, and other herbals. It can also depend on why you drink tea: taste, health benefits, thirst quenching, cooling off, etc.
Want great cold tea? Forget the bottle (and the sugar).
As recently as only a few years ago, hubby and I chugged by the case full a popular brand of bottled tea flavored with citrus from the grocery store. It was usually served well chilled or even over ice, slaked our thirst, and was better than the colas we had been drinking. However, as part of our strange transformation due to tea, we have come to prefer freshly steeped hot tea, even in hot weather, and to drink cold water or lemonade if we want a cold beverage. Being the open minded types, though, we recognize the popularity of iced tea, “sweet tea,” and the many brands of bottled tea and why people choose them.
That means, of course, that yes the stuff in those bottles is tea. But there are a few caveats: taste, quality, and health benefits.
Taste
Taste is definitely a big factor. For those not attuned to the nuances of fine teas, a bottled green or black tea with flavorings added (often some kind of fruit) will be a real pleaser. However, for those who have a developed palate where tea is concerned and are able to detect the subtle nuances in the tea aroma and flavor (or even for those of us in the process of developing such skills), bottled tea can be devoid of this opportunity.
Quality
For me, nothing beats freshly steeped tea. And the stuff in the bottles is not freshly steeped. However, I am also a very practical-minded Tea Princess who realizes that people don’t always have time to steep tea, chill it overnight in the refrigerator, and then enjoy it (or steep up a strong batch of tea and then pour it over ice for a quick chill, as many iced tea drinkers do). If lots of you out there did not also need the convenience of cracking open a bottle of tea, these products wouldn’t be out there on the grocery store shelves. That being said, I would definitely have to say that the quality in the bottle does not come close to the freshly steeped version.
Health Benefits
Lots of sites that tout the health benefits of tea, especially of green tea, claim that bottled teas lose a lot of the chemicals that make them healthy drink choices. An article by Christian Nordqvist that appeared in Medical News Today in August 2010 states that polyphenols, the key ingredient in tea that is supposed to protect our bodies from the damage done by free radicals, are very low in bottled teas. Other sources state that the level of catechins can vary widely (3 to 215 milligrams in 16 ounces). These are antioxidants, said to have a very beneficial effect on your health. So, if you’re drinking tea for this benefit (versus as a refreshing and cooling beverage), bottled tea is going to fall short. Plus, you will pay a lot of money for this less beneficial version of tea.
High sugar content and less than pure tea are other issues.
Bottom Line
As my buddy, Alex Zorach, points out in a Wikipedia entry, bottled tea can disappoint and deprive you of the joy of the tea-making experience (sort of like “zapping” your food in the microwave vs preparing a dish from scratch). If you want tea fast, you will go for the bottled kind. If you want really good tea, you will take some time to learn and then prepare your own (or hang out with someone who does). It’s up to you!
See my blog for a list of popular bottled tea brands.
See also:
Iced Tea vs. Hot Tea
Citrus and Tea
Quick and Easy Iced Tea
Iced Tea: Themes and Variations
Keeping Cool with Iced Tea
Iced Tea Tidbits & Trivia
Teas That Can Take the Chill
© Online Stores, Inc., and The English Tea Store Blog, 2009-2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this article’s author and/or the blog’s owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Online Stores, Inc., and The English Tea Store Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
My recent visit to Romania did not start well. I arrived on Tuesday, and after handling some business on Wednesday headed out on Thursday morning for my long-time favourite tea room at a downtown bookstore. When I walked in, the tea room – an airy, comfortable spot that for years had served the best-prepared tea in the city – was gone. A staff member assured me that I could get a cup of tea at the new café downstairs. The menu listed all sorts of hot and cold drinks, an assortment of light meals, and exactly one tea: Earl Grey, which I do not care for.
Land of Tea – Airy, modern, and comfortable
Even worse, when I asked when the tea room had closed they told me “Monday.” Ouch! Then on Friday I came down with food poisoning, which put a damper on the vacation, not to mention tea room visits. Fortunately I was eventually able to visit a few places.
In Romania, like much of Europe, you won’t find “traditional” tea rooms serving formal English-style teas. A few upscale hotels used to offer this service, but now if you ask them about afternoon tea they’ll tell you “Sure, you can get a cup of tea here in the afternoon.” Romanian tea rooms – or ceainarie – generally serve not only tea but coffee, soft drinks and juices, and a selection of alcoholic beverages, plus light meals or snacks. Many still welcome smokers.
The first destination after regaining my health was Land of Tea in AFI Palace, a new shopping mall near the Presidential palace of Cotroceni. Situated at the base of a man-made mountain that serves as the mall’s centerpiece, this contemporary café is well stocked with a variety of teas, tisanes, and tea serving ware.
Land of Tea – comfy seating
From their wide selection – typically, comprising mostly flavoured leaves – I chose the Ceylon jasmine. While not a fan of flavoured teas, I do like an occasional cup of jasmine scented tea, and was curious about its being produced in Sri Lanka. Tea is served – again, typically – in a tea-for-one set, the tea in a T-Sac. A packet of honey, another of lemon juice, and a three-minute timer completed the service. The tea, tho’ slightly over-steeped, was delightful.
My next destination was Rendez-Vous, a tea salon next to the University. With red plush seating, peach-coloured walls, and dark wood throughout, it’s an elegant setting. Happily, I visited during the pre-Easter “post” season when observant Christians eat no dairy or eggs. Most restaurants offer at least one postspecialty, so I was able to enjoy a yummy piece of chocolate cake (more like a huge brownie) with pineapple and cherry pieces with my tea.
Rendez-Vous – Unfortunately they would not let me take pictures of their lovely tea room
When I see Darjeeling Gopaldhara 2nd flush listed I don’t have to look any further on the menu. I had, however, forgotten how Rendez-Vous serves tea: a T-Sac holds the leaves, which are placed into the teacup, and hot water is provided in a two-cup teapot. No matter whether you pour the water into the cup, or place the tea into the pot, it makes for a rather flat-tasting cup of tea. Oh well, at least I enjoyed the atmosphere, the jazz music in the background, and of course my cake!
I tried to visit several other tea rooms that were described to me as focusing more on tea, but they all seemed to open at 5pm. Apparently in Bucuresti tea is not considered a daytime beverage, and I had other obligations in the evenings. French patisseries with tea salons have also been popping up throughout the city, including the Paul chain. Tea selection is limited, and served in teabags, but they’re pleasant places to while away some time people-watching and indulging one’s sweet tooth.
© Online Stores, Inc., and The English Tea Store Blog, 2009-2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this article’s author and/or the blog’s owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Online Stores, Inc., and The English Tea Store Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Tea time should be relaxing, stimulating, and help you prepare to resume the challenges of your day. It doesn’t always work out that way. Achieving the necessary ebullience is sometimes not possible.
According to my Oxford English Dictionary:
ebullience – noun – enthusiasm, exuberance, a boiling up as of liquid (figurative)
Since boiling — water, that is — is part of tea time, and since enthusiasm and exuberance often are, we find that referring to tea time ebullience is a natural. The mystery is why more often than would be desirable it is sadly lacking.
Start with a quality tea like Earl Grey Cream Metropolitan Blend to keep that tea time ebullience!
The obvious culprit would seem to be the tea. Starting off with a poor quality tea or the wrong tea for the occasion is akin to doing your own hair and makeup for the Prom (been there — don’t ask!). In other words, some things are too important to leave to chance. Select your tea with care, as opposed to grabbing the first container out of the tea pantry. You can go for an old favorite like Earl Grey or a new taste experience such as a pu-erh or a Japanese Houjicha. The old favorite, as long as it is a quality version, will be familiar on your tastebuds, while the new tea venture will add that flair of excitement and adventure and as long as it’s a quality version will not disappoint.
Other factors that can throw a-kilter that ebullient feeling at tea time include water that takes forever to boil, scones that don’t rise, clotted cream that’s too clotted (eww!), and peach jam that is fuzzy (and I don’t mean peach fuzz — double eww!). Having something bad happen during the tea time can throw things off, too. From solicitous and unwanted phone calls hawking life insurance or an upgrade to your phone service to that knock on the door from the cable TV guy wanting to know why you are preferring satellite TV — the timing of each seems less than impeccable.
Finally, if you are planning a tea time with a certain someone and that certain someone is unable to attend at the last minute (or absentmindedly forgets), it can put quite a damper on that ebullience. Some reasons for the no-show cannot be overcome, such as acute appendicitis or a surprise meeting with the boss for that big promotion your would-be tea time guest has been working toward for years. So, find out the reason for the absenTEAism before getting too upset!
There is a saying that the first step to prevention is knowledge. Hopefully, you now have what you need to prevent that fizzled feeling at tea time. Here’s wishing you a true state of ebullience as you sip!
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