There are coffee people and tea people. Some are crossovers and dabble in both sides. Well, I am mainly a tea person and also enjoy a good strong cup of coffee occasionally. The java jolt certainly has its place. Somehow sitting at a Parisian sidewalk cafe with a cup of tea just doesn't feel right. Coffees' "in your face" strength grabs me with its flavor and power. Tea has a friendly gentle nudge and comfort. My friend Debbie, (she's a coffee person) gave me the most delightfully packaged tea for my birthday. I have to admit, I haven't tried one yet because the pyramid packages are just too much fun to look at and play with! Tea can be complex in taste and in culture. It had a starring role in the American Revolution as colonists protested its taxation and dumped it into the Boston Harbor. Its endurance can be found in any stores long aisle of choices. The immortal French tea shop, Mariage Frere, would send an indecisive person into shutdown mode. It has so many types of tea to choose from that just when you think you know what you want, you have a choice of the tea seasons first picking (green) or second picking or yikes......so many options! Deciding can be enjoyable though, as you read the descriptions and are taken care of by handsome men in coarse linen suits with a British East Indian trade atmosphere. There is even a tea museum and tea room that you can indulge in after your selections. My friend Lisa and I were beguiled by the dried tea blossom bundles that unfurl as the hot water is poured into the teapot. We chose a cellophane bag of Fleur d'Orient to share. Lisa surprised me last week with a gift of a new glass teapot. It really makes a cup of tea a ceremony as you watch the floral tea blossom. After having a very snowy December here in Boston, I needed that comforting and friendly tea. Being a new year with a precarious economic outlook, I brewed a beautiful pot of tea and celebrated my own version of The Boston Tea Party. Happy New Year.
Written and photographed by Diane
Sake Mushrooms
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