Preparing tea for a group comes easy for me because my wife and I owned a tearoom for 14 years. However, I realize this simple task might appear daunting to a tea novice, or even a seasoned host who needs a bit of guidance on the logistics of making tea for four or more. Here…
Nelson Mandela’s Tea Cup Diplomacy
Nelson Mandela invited a South African general over for tea. Mandela had gotten word that the general was plotting an Afrikaner guerrilla war against multiracial rule, but the kindness of a cup of tea caught the general off guard and his warlike thoughts were purged by kindness.
Two Classic Tea Books of the 20th Century
Book of Tea, Edinburgh edition 1917Two landmark books on the subject of tea were published in the first half of the twentieth century. One, written by a William Ukers, was a massive two-volume reference set chronicling tea as a commodity. The other was an inspirational collection of essays from Japanese artist Okakura Kakuzo, who spoke…
President Kennedy Takes Tea in Ireland
President John F. Kennedy was honored as a returning son during his visit to Ireland in June 1963. He is pictured here receiving a cup of tea from his distant cousin Mary Ann Ryan as her mother, Mrs. Mary Ryan, looks on outside the Kennedy ancestral homestead in Duganstown, Ireland. The president's tea toast that day was "We want to…
Birth of the American Tea Room
America’s great twentieth-century tea party was stoked by three remarkable social phenomena 1) the advent of the automobile, 2) the temperance movement, and 3)· women’s quest for equality. Put a thoroughly modern woman into the driver’s seat of a Ford, ban alcohol, build good roads that spiral out of major cities into the scenic countryside, and you…
Tea After Dinner
Do you sometimes hurriedly search for a hostess gift before leaving for a dinner party? When I receive an invitation, it's usually accompanied by the request, "Could you bring an after dinner tea?" Because I am a tea blender, I would be disappointed if they didn't ask.Where I live, people tend to linger at the table…
From the "Mad Men" at Lipton Tea
I am a great fan of the television series "Mad Men," set in an early-sixties Manhattan advertising firm. I often laugh at the fashions and incorrect behavior, mostly on the part of male characters, in that well-played depiction of a time I still remember. And viewers often cringe at the portrayal of women as second-class citizens dependent…
Lipton Tea and British Social Classes
Thomas Lipton was always the master of marketing, especially when it came to touting the fact that he indeed owned the Ceylon gardens wherein his teas were grown. "Direct from the Grower" was one of his favorite slogans. Why then pay the extortionate prices that are being charged by the Trade when you can buy…
Can I Make Tea with a Microwave?
Can I make tea with a microwave?I get this question often from audiences wherever I speak. It seems to be a question on the minds of a number of tea drinkers - usually novice. It was also on the mind of a reporter last month when she called for an interview on the subject for…
Tea Can Lift Your Mood
I discovered this humorous Grant Wood painting titled Daughters of Revolution recently while visiting the Cincinnati Art Museum. It never fails to put a smile on my face.Grant Wood, Daughters of RevolutionWood (most known for his iconic American Gothic) stirred up considerable controversy with his satirical portrayal of the Daughters of the American Revolution, a…