bringing style to the art of tea appreciation
We all have friends and relations who love tea in a special way. We won’t call them tea snobs, but let’s just say that they are very particular about the teaware they use and the way they prepare and sip their tea. Does the following profile match the person whose gift you are puzzling over? not interested in expanding their teacup collection don’t do “Victorian” serious about the quality of their teawares and their tea hard-wired for style and […]
Part I: The Garden “I do not know anything half so refreshing on a hot summer’s day as a cup of tea; I mean pure and genuine as the Chinese drink it, without sugar and milk, It is far better and much more refreshing than either wine or beer.” Ch VII, pg 116, A journey to the Tea Countries of China, Robt. Fortune, 1858 London was hot in August – not as oppressively hot as my August trip to […]
When planning my visit to Hangzhou I wanted to be sure to include some ‘Silk Sightseeing’. I knew that Hangzhou, in Zhejiang province, was central to China’s development of the silk trade. Through a series of water canals and rivers, its precious cargo was ultimately transported to the Ancient Silk Road, starting in Xi’an and ending in Persia, the gateway to Europe. Hangzhou’s Silk Market is popularly known as Silk City, an outdoor pedestrian shopping area located at Xinhua and […]
Another Curio I’m not fond of curios and figurines – what I consider to be the “tchotchkes” of decorative accessories. However, as I continue to sort the chattels of departed family members, I’ve been forced to take a closer look at a relic that made its way into my Mother’s possession after a cherished life with my long-departed Aunt Dorothy. Royal Doulton’s Afternoon Tea, HN1747, was designed by P. Railston (not sure if this artist was man or woman) and […]
I’ve just returned from Europe and on every street, signs beckoned me to tea as I walked past on my way to meet up with relatives or friends or visit a sight. The weather was beautiful (only 2 days of rain in 3 weeks) and there was so much to see. I purposefully avoided a busman’s holiday and walked on by. Most European and UK bistros, tea rooms, salons de thé still serve teabag tea and scones (UK) or cakes, […]
In my quest to learn more about the deep affection Koreans have for rustic ceramic teaware I asked my friend and artisan tea producer Cho, Yun Seok of Jukro Tea if he knew of a ceramic artist that we could visit in the Hadong area. His aunt, who owned a tea room in Hwagae Village, knew of someone high up on Jiri Mountain. Yes, he could arrange this and we would visit him tomorrow. We picked up Cho’s aunt in […]
Ephemera I recently inherited boxes of family photos, ephemera, dishes, etc. Having culled the less important material, I’m now left with the more interesting remnants of past family life. There are plenty of faded black and white photos of my Dad’s family, in particular his mother who I never knew. Tales from my Mom’s side of the clan had become part of family culture since I was very young, but legends from my Father’s family and the characters that may […]
Bloggify! I had to get up bright and early for the first core session of the day. There was no missing this one as I was on the panel! I wasn’t sure how full Room 258 would be for the 8am panel discussion, “How to Use Blogging in Your Business”. The sign outside the door read “How to Use Bloggers in Your Business” – subtle difference in the semantics I think. The second implies that you can’t do it yourself, […]
H²O On Friday I had been given some Essentia Water while visiting the Healthy Beverage Show (conveniently co-located with World Tea Expo). Before heading over to the Convention Center Saturday morning, I decided to test it out by making some tea. I thought it would be fun to compare it with spring water that I bought at the hotel’s cafe. Essentia Water is quite scientifically formulated through purification, electrolyte infusion and ionic separation. Product info claims that “Essentia removes acidic […]
This is my fourth World Tea Expo. I’m a newbie compared to many who’ve been attending since the start 11 years ago, but it still feels like coming home. I’ve noticed an evolution in the look and direction of the Expo in these four short years. It is an indicator of the increasing popularity of tea and the ability of the organizers to respond to that. In my opinion the core conference sessions are becoming more relevant to the shifting […]
Linda Gaylard is author of The Tea Book, by DK Publishing (a division of Penguin Random House). Linda is also a Certified Tea Sommelier located in the city of Toronto, Canada. She graduated from a comprehensive program of study developed by George Brown College, with certification by The Tea Association of Canada. During her year-long training, Linda studied an extensive program of courses, including sensory perception, tea and food pairing, tea regions and terroir, tea history among other tea focused subjects... Read More
