Steeped in Tea

One of my favorite childhood memories is crossing the road to my Grammy Lightfoot’s house and being offered tea and sugar cookies. The cookies were big, and the tea, especially to start, was mostly milk,

Tea seems to have been a part of our family tradition, part of our English roots, Not that we are anglophiles; we are staunch American family, Founding Fathers.

So I grew up drinking tea, occasionally, and more frequently as an adult. But it was all standard grocery store issue, bag tea.

Until I found something online from Whittard of Chelsea, an English tea company. They had this gift pack of four samples of loose leaf teas. I got it for my parents for Christmas (or was it a birthday/anniversary?) They liked it so much that I received the same sample packet for my next holiday/event. And so our relationship with loose-leaf teas began.

The issue was availability. Whittard was available, then wasn’t then was again. Then wasn’t. So we found other places. For awhile it was Belfast Bay teas from New Hampshire, but after a few years they went out of business as well.

Most recently I have come across Rooibos from South Africa. It is a plant brewed like, and in place of tea, that is naturally non-caffeinated. It comes in a more red color and has a subtle but robust flavor.

But who knows how long that source will last or what next tea will be available. For the situation of being a follower of fine things leaves you with the emphemeral nature of limited items and always needing to find new suppliers.