tea has brought me back to life this morning.
there is a 'perfect' temperature for tea, where you can take a gulp and not get burned, yet it warms your whole body right down to the ends of your fingers and toes. I have it right now. though it only lasts a short time. fleeting, a span of minutes. you cannot leave your cup in order for this to occur, if you get up to do the dishes, start reading a book, or answer the phone you will miss it. you must sit with it, without blowing, and be present. Wait. Only then will the 'perfect' temperature present itself to you.
I love when I can drink a whole cup this way.
***
Samuel Beckett made my stomach hurt yesterday.
So apparently Becket was notorious for having few possessions in his apartment and shunning the outside world.
"All I want to do," he said once early in his career, "is sit on my ass and fart and think of Dante."
Posted by kerismith at February 25, 2004 08:56 PMlove tea. adore beckett. mmmmm. beckett and tea. i think a day of that would be perfect
Posted by: lor on March 2, 2004 07:21 PMI'm totally addicted to green tea. Dragon Well is my favorite right now. Adding to the perfect tea experience: finding the ideal tea ball! One that's just the right size, allows enough water to flow through but not too many little tea bits to escape, and is an interesting shape.
Posted by: frog on February 29, 2004 11:44 PMso does green tea have caffeine?
Posted by: sarahj on February 29, 2004 11:46 AMi wholeheartedly agree. a cup of tea at that ideal temperature is truly one of the most satisfying and simple things in life.
Posted by: pippa on February 28, 2004 04:26 AMMmmm... Beckett is tasty...
Posted by: Brandy on February 28, 2004 02:35 AMSimply gorgeous! I shared your posting with the ladies at my office and they fell in love with it! Thank you for bringing magic to our morning!
Posted by: mabelle on February 27, 2004 09:47 PMPowdered Matcha, yes of course...thank you for set-tea-ing me straight.
I like all high grade variants of green...
Kukicha
Matcha
Sencha
Bancha
Hojicha
Gyokuro
Japanese barley tea is good too...
Especially iced.
And how could I have forgotten my beloved Earl Grey?
Let's all have a big tea party!!!
Posted by: Donavan on February 27, 2004 09:38 PMi love that pattern...
Posted by: j on February 27, 2004 12:08 PMI love Tazo Zen tea and have recently discovered Tazo Chai. The Chai has the spicy flavor but is unsweetened. And you're right--temperature is everything.
Posted by: Kateri on February 27, 2004 11:14 AMat this exact moment in time, i'm sitting in our loft with a sore throat, the sun shining, sipping THE PERFECT temperature of tea. It's not too hot, but it's hotter than just hot. Quite nice like this.
Posted by: brandi shigley on February 27, 2004 11:01 AMa friend of mine recently went to S.A where she bought some tea and she sent me some. It is delicous.. and then I went to a little shop that sells English/Scottish things. While i was browsing thru the kilts.. I noticed the owner drinking tea.. So, I asked what she was drinking.
It was lemon lime.. I have to go home and see what it is.
And another friend sent me some Blackberry tea from San Fransico.
But, really I would kill for some Kona coffee.
Combining two of your latest blog subjects - have you tried Twinings Grapefruit, Mandarin Orange and Lime tea. Wow!! I have a bit of a love affair with grapefruit in all shapes, sizes and forms. Grapefruit on the East Coast is expensive but this tea is a way to indulge in flavour and scent plus the happiness tea can induce. I have nicknamed it "grapefruit and friends tea". I think you would like it.
-Chara
Posted by: Chara on February 27, 2004 08:32 AMi had to come over and post a comment STAT. i'm drinking my green tea and i've hit that perfect temperature....it's heaven.
Posted by: amanda on February 27, 2004 08:15 AM(In the famous tea-ceremonials the tea Matcha is used. A powder-variant of Gyokuro.)
Posted by: Marloes on February 27, 2004 06:09 AMSencha is a wonderful tea, but not the one which is reserved for special occasions. It's the most common tea in Japan and it's available in many sorts of quality.
I like Gyokuro ("Pearl Dew") more, which may consider as the finest green tea on the planet. It's an expensive one though, but definately worth it.
Posted by: Marloes on February 27, 2004 06:04 AMI find Earl Gray tea essential life luxuary!
Posted by: m on February 27, 2004 04:05 AMFirst of all, Samuel Beckett rocks - Waiting For Godot is hysterical - but still, he is no match for the fabulousness that is tea. You are so right on about that perfect temp, because the water has to be to boiling for the tea to stepp correctly but then it is too hot to drink. I have this whole morning ritual things of something like ten steps so that my tea will be p-e-r-f-e-c-t when i am done with morning practices and sit down to the computer and want my tea. My secret is this huge 32 ounce insulated mug that I use as a "teapot" and it keeps tea piping hot for about three hours, and to get that perfect temp I just keep adding hot tea to the tea that gets too cool. Ahhhhhh, I use to slam back illegal drugs and now I never leave my home without an assortment of herbal teas :) Do you like different kinds of tea or stick with one or two? I have dozens of kinds here, but am really partial to decaf chai, Celestial Seasonings herbal "black" tea, Constant Comment, and Yogi Tea's Lemon Ginger. Yum!
Posted by: Katherine on February 26, 2004 10:16 PMWe become tea fiends over here in what we laughingly call "winter". When i get down to Melbourne i make a point of buying some fabulous fresh teas, you know, the kind with dried fruit, twigs, and berries in it. i don't know why, but the more ritualised the tea making, the better is the tea...
Posted by: Lynda on February 26, 2004 09:58 PMmmm... now that's the stuff.
i recently discovered LADY GREY TEA from Twinnings.
i don't add anything.
i drink it at least once a day at that *perfect* temperature.
these are life's simple pleasures!
I love tea.
And I totally understand the whole perfect temperature thing.
Like a Zen exercise.
My top 5 favorite teas:
1. PG tips- A good, strong, proper English tea...
Add a little milk and sugar and you are in heaven.
2. Yorkshire Gold- Ditto.
3. Republic Of Tea White Tea From China's Fujian Province-They come infused with wonderous flavors like Jasmine, Honeysuckle, and Honeydew Melon. YUMMY, especially with a bit of honey, or a bit-o-honey. And very high in anti-oxidants.
4. Japanese ceremonial sen-cha green tea-The best green tea, usually reserved for special occassions. I say make every day a special occasion! When you cut open the bag, the bright green loose leaves emit a fragrance like green tea ice cream mixed with fresh cut grass. WOW!
5. Celestial Seasonings Sleepytime-Comforting, delicious, and with a super-cute picture of a bear on the front. Reminds me of childhood. Ahhhh...
"You Can't Go Too Far Wrong With A Good Cup Of Tea"
--Anthony Hopkins in 'Shadowlands'--
The right temperature also assures no burnt tongue...and best is when drinking tea from a handleless little Japanese tea cup that you cradle right in your hand, which warms them right up, too!
Posted by: pt*:) on February 26, 2004 04:04 PMKeri
I was totally thinking the same thing last night. I was having problems with my sewing machine (ok...big problems which has me in knots right now) and k made me some licorice tea, and by the time i made it to the tea it was the perfect temperature for me to slurp it down...i love the licorice tea!
And hey i must thank you for that mention of spirited away a while back, those little germs intrigued me so much that i just had to see what the inspiration was, and i am totally addicted, i watched again last night, and i may have one more screening tonight! Soo amazing...i got my journal up and running, but it is soo ghetto.
have a beautiful weekend
rhya
Posted by: rhya on February 26, 2004 03:52 PMWhat type of tea is your favorite? Mine seems to change based on the season. I love a cup of Good Earth tea in the Fall and Winter and then a cup of the decaf Apple Cinnamon before bed. In the Summertime I love Tropical Iced Tea from Trader Joes. I recently tried Darjeeling for the first time and have fallen in love with it. Oh, and I can't forget Chai! :)
Posted by: Kristin on February 26, 2004 02:03 PMhola,
i coincidentally just read about this big sur/ henry miller wkshp yesterday. i thought you may be interested based on yesterday's blog post. ??
Big Ideas in Big Sur
If you'd like to hone your craft somewhere close to home but worlds away, Jason Roberts wants to recommend the First Annual Big Sur Fiction Writer's Workshop, coming up in March. It's sponsored by the Henry Miller Library, an invaluable nonprofit group maintaining the legacy of Henry Miller in the landscape that inspired him (and so many other writers and artists). The faculty will include agents Laura Rennert, Nancy Ellis-Bell and Andrea Brown, authors Lynn Vannucci and Barry Eisler, and editors from HarperCollins, Putnam, MacAdam Cage and Ten Speed Press. This is a small, highly hands-on workshop at the beautiful Big Sur Lodge--the staff warns, "Rooms have no TV, radio, or alarm clocks. Plan to write." If that appeals to you, check out the details at Big Ideas in Big Sur
If you'd like to hone your craft somewhere close to home but worlds away, Jason Roberts wants to recommend the First Annual Big Sur Fiction Writer's Workshop, coming up in March. It's sponsored by the Henry Miller Library, an invaluable nonprofit group maintaining the legacy of Henry Miller in the landscape that inspired him (and so many other writers and artists). The faculty will include agents Laura Rennert, Nancy Ellis-Bell and Andrea Brown, authors Lynn Vannucci and Barry Eisler, and editors from HarperCollins, Putnam, MacAdam Cage and Ten Speed Press. This is a small, highly hands-on workshop at the beautiful Big Sur Lodge--the staff warns, "Rooms have no TV, radio, or alarm clocks. Plan to write." If that appeals to you, check out the details at http://henrymiller.org.
(original source: http://www.sfgrotto.org/)
Posted by: katie on February 26, 2004 01:53 PM