Tea author Bruce Richardson shares his advice on developing skills that help everyone feel comfortable at afternoon tea events in London and beyond.
Six Skills to Sharpen Your Teatime Etiquette
The 6 BEST TEAS of 2020
As 2020 drew to a close, I looked back on the exceptional teas that came my way throughout the year - even as gardens experienced temporary lockdowns and shipments from Asia encountered delays. While I was unable to visit gardens in person, I continue to search for teas that represent the classic taste profile from…
What Tea Would 007 Drink?
What if Sean Connery as James Bond had been a teetotaler rather than a expert? What tea would he drink to leave us shaken, not stirred?
The Tea Things of Jane Austen
What tea did Jane Austen drink? And what role did tea play in her novels?This Regency period writer often used tea as a literary tool to bring the sexes together, and the term tea things was frequently employed to set the stage for conversation. In Sense and Sensibility, Elinor attends a social gathering at…
COVID-19 Locked Down the Tea Gardens in Assam. Then The Floods Came.
The 800 tea gardens of Assam have experienced one of their most challenging growing seasons in history this year. At the outbreak of the COVID-19, the government ordered the shutdown of all tea plucking, fertilizing, and pest management activities for three weeks. Plucking tea in Assam, India. Photo by Bruce Richardson That closure slowed the…
What Is a Dish of Tea?
It was a common occurrence in the Colonial era to receive an invitation to “share a dish of tea.” In 18th century Boston or Bath, a dish of tea referred to a teacup or tea bowl, containing black or green tea, placed on a saucer.
Which Countries Ship the Most Tea to the United States?
Where does America get most of its tea? Statistics just released from the Tea Association of the United States indicate that the major tea producing countries continue their usual rankings in tonnage exported to the U.S.A through the first four months of this year. Tea grown in the shadow of Mt Fuji, Japan. Photo by…
Tea for Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was an early “foodie” and his great passion for food and drink included Chinese teas, both black and green. According to the archives of Monticello, Jefferson’s financial records and correspondence show consistent purchases of tea and provide valuable information about the kinds and amounts of tea he and his family drank. The few…
Is There Plastic in My Cup of Tea?
A news report about plastic particles leaching from tea sachets and into teacups has been spreading online and through news publications across Canada, England, and the United States since the end of September when a research study from Montreal’s McGill University was published. The small scale study showed plastic teabags released as much as 60…