Tea, glorious tea...

My friends and family would probably say that I have a rather weird and strange obsession with tea. I’d call it a totally healthy enthusiasm. I’m always on the look out for new teas, teacups, and pots- anything to do with tea really! Last summer I found many a gorgeous teacup in various bric-a-brac shops and car boot sales.

I have also recently stumbled across this rather lovely book ‘Ten poems about Tea’, available at www.candlestickpress.co.uk. I cannot wait to order my copy.

Istanbul Market

On my travels I am always on the look out for new teas, and found some wonderful ones in some of Istanbul’s markets last summer in Turkey, particularly lovely hibiscus and rose hip. 

When in Paris earlier this year and wandering the beautiful Parisenne streets, I was absolutely delighted to stumble across the most gorgeous 

little teashop called ‘Kusmi Tea’. I couldn’t resist and before I knew it I was being babbled at in French about every type of tea you could possibly imagine. The shop was like an Aladdin’s cave full of everything from earl-grey to green tea with orange and cinnamon to spicy chocolate tea. There were huge tins full of tealeaves that you could buy by weight, or alternatively choose from smaller, individual tins, all beautifully packaged in an array of bright colours. After wandering around the shop and sipping on several sample cups, I finally decided on (much to my boyfriend’s relief), a gift set called 'The Momens’ including five different flavoured teas in adorable coloured tins complete with a tea infuser and also a box of divine hand-made green Chinese green tea flavoured with orange, cinnamon, liquorice and sea-buckthorn muslin tea-bags. All packaged up in a colourful paper bag adorned with prints of all the tea-labels- positively frame-worthy!

Since returning I have found the kusmi tea website and am overjoyed that I can get my herbal tea fix with an online order! I have since been enjoying my delicious teas in the gorgeous teacups that I received from my lovely housemates for my birthday!

My next endeavour is to make my own tea bags, my mixing my own combination of various teas and tying them up in sweet little muslin pockets, I shall let you know how I get on.