This patchwork is made up of a timeless enjoyment, an exited palate, black, white, green, floral, fruity, or spicy…and then some.

One of my favourite things is drinking tea and trying new teas. I like hot tea as much as iced tea, depending on what mood I’m in and what I’m doing. I’ve a lot to learn about tea, but I am an enthusiast. So it didn’t surprise or alarm me when I bought six different packets of tea in the first six days of our recent holiday!

I was a bit amazed I had found tea so soon and so easily. Sometimes, when I go into tea shops it’s almost overwhelming when I look at all the different tins of tea. I know what I like but finding it among a galaxy of tea flavours and types….it’s a lot to take in.

So today I’m trying my first cup of Lady Whistledown’s Black Rose Tea. I found it at Gillards of Bath, established in 1888. It’s a lovely light flavour, no doubt it would be stronger if I let it steep longer, but I am a ‘wait 5-10 seconds and pull it out’, kind of girl. I’m into weak black tea.

When we’re with our lovely friends in Kent, and the kettle has boiled for a cup of tea, they are horrified at how short a time I leave a tea bag in my hot water! It is strong tea so it barely gets 3 seconds in my mug!

“What are you doing? That’s not tea! How can you drink that? That’s just coloured water!”

“You can get another cup out of that, but this is strong enough for me.. I like to see the bottom of the cup.” So funny!! I am a disgrace to my tea-drinking peers!

Tea sure has had a resurgence in popularity and has, I think, become a very trendy drink. Gone are the days when there were only two of three types of tea on the shelf at New World Supermarket in NZ back in the 70s and 80s when I helped my mum with the grocery shopping. She loved Bushells and Choysa, depending on what was on special. There was no such thing as green tea or fruit tea back then as far as I can remember. Maybe it was there, but I was unaware. Anyway, I’m very glad tea is where it is now on the world stage of beverages. There is always a tea out there waiting to be tried and added to my collection of tins.

Are you a tea drinker? What is your favourite? Have you got a tea that needs to be shared? I’d love you to pop a comment below 🙂

Thanks, for reading