Tea,or tay


Some of you may think this is a strange post but I have spent ages today checking out blogs dedicated to all things to do with tea.Why am I not out gardening? It is freezing cold and windy with snow forecast! While posting this I am having my umpteenth cup of tea today.In Ireland tea has been a constant companion and so has been taken for granted. January was national tea month in the US.Until the Celtic tiger came roaring in, as soon as you entered a house the kettle was put on and the tea made and a pleasant chat ensued over the cuppa and was refilled as required.Then the invitation became would you like a glass of wine and the teapots were consigned to the back of the cupboards.Now that the Celtic tiger has slunk out maybe the teapot will be reinstated to its rightful place.
I have always had my teapot in fact I have a collection of them, maybe another post in there sometime soon.My teapots never had a tea cosy, a wrong I have finally righted recently when I saw knitting patterns on eBay.My daughter K. unknown to me was also buying them on eBay and has also knit one.My teapot is now resplendent in a little colour co ordinated number!

This is a little tea set I received for one Mother's day, it is a one cup pot sitting on a cup and saucer.It is a nice big cup because nothing tastes as good as the first cup. I have also included Barry's tea. It is a tradition in Cork as it is an old family company who have been importing and blending tea for over 100 years.The tea caddy was my mothers as she was of the opinion that tea bags, while convenient did not make a 'proper cup of tea'.Barry's tea is now available for a number of years as teabags and how many holiday suitcases have carried boxes of these on holidays all over the globe!Emigrants were sent boxes of them as a taste of home to what ever location they had settled in around the world.
I remember as a child on holidays in Co Tipperary in my grandparents house, the kettle was always on the range ( an Aga type solid fuel cooker)and tea was brewed in a big soot blackened tea pot, you could taste the turf ( peat which was cut and dried )which was used in the range. You could probably have trotted a mouse on it ,it was so strong.'Wetting the tay'was a ritual.
Some tea facts, gleaned from the Barry's tea box,the first time I have ever read what is on the side of the box.
Tea is 100% natural
has NO calories
has NO fat
has NO sugar
is a source of hydration
is a source of anti oxidants
Barry's source their tea from Kenya,Rwanda and the Indian Assam Valley and they are a fair trade company.
This little dissertation on tea was prompted by Catherine's Blog so you can also follow the tea trail from there while enjoying a cuppa or two!

Comments

Linda said…
I have a collection of teapots too. The tea cozy is very nice, something that I don't have. I've even used my old teapots to make a totem for the garden.
A friend of mine called it char but i'll stick with tea. Love the cosy.
Thanks for the Great post.
oldcrow61 said…
The tea cosy is wonderful. I have a collection of teapots as well. I'm not sure why, but I'm always drawn to them. I think it might be because when growing up my grandmother always had afternoon tea. Jams and biscuits, sweets, etc. It was lovely.
Peggy said…
Crafty gardener, I thought how could you put your teapots out in the garden??! I had a look at your link abd it is a very crafty idea!

Stewart, I have heard it called char too or cha.

oldcrow61 I think we all have in our memory banks, as there was not aluminium then there was usually a 'best' china teapot.
Latane Barton said…
Nothing like a cup of tea on a cold windy day. I too have a collection of teapots that my oldest daughter is eyeing.... I'd better watch them, had I not? ha
Ann said…
I left a comment for you yesterday Peggy but I was having a bit of computer trouble so I don't think it showed up. Thanks for you lovely comments on my blog, glad you like it, looking forward to following your blog too.
I adore tea (although have gone off it since being pregnant again !) & although Tanzania is a tea growing country, a lot of the good stuff is all exported - so I import my tea from South Africa or the UK ! I love the teapots you've shown us today, yes please do another post sometime on the other pots you have. Nothing beats a good cuppa :)
~PakKaramu~ said…
Pak Karamu visiting your blogs
Linda said…
Just the right post for a snowy day! I'm a tea jenny myself - Coffee makes me ill.

Your two-tone tea cosy brings back memories - this was the first item we had to make when we were learning to knit at school in Primary 3 (age 7). I took ages over mine, and kept getting the two colours of wool in tangle, even tho we had jam jars to help keep the balls separate.
Peggy said…
Thanks for visitng and leaving comments. Tea seems to be a universal pancea.I remember learning to knit in school too Lindab,but nothing as complicated as a two colour tea cosy!
All of these crafts are no longer taught as it is all academic now and life skills have no place in the new curriculum,mores the pity.

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