Welcome Aboard The Tea Journey
Tea is having something of a renaissance. The supermarket shelves of my youth sold six or seven varieties of English Breakfast, with the bigger places perhaps stocking a dusty box of Earl Grey. Not so anymore. Long aisles of brightly coloured boxes boast myriad varieties of fruit, herbal, green, white and black teas, with brands ranging from supermarket’s own to passionate start ups to the stalwart tea corporates trying to elbow their way into this newly booming market.The trouble now is, where do you start? How do you know which of those brightly coloured boxes is for you? And are these supermarket teas even the best introduction to the world outside of builder’s brews?
This is where The Tea Journey comes in.
Proper tea drinking forces you to slow down: testing the water temperature, timing the brew, pouring from kettle, to pot, to cup. There is a nostalgia about tea drinking, a sense of taking part in rituals that have been repeated around the world throughout time. It grounds you, connects you to the world. This is what makes it such an easy way to embrace a slower pace of life.I’ve always loved the idea of being ‘into’ tea, of drinking something other than English Breakfast. Every time I’ve caught a whiff of speciality teas they smell so exotic and enticing, but I’ve never known which one is for me. I want to know how to choose the right teas for my taste buds, I want to learn how to properly prepare them, and I want to engage, in some small way, with the ancient rituals and customs that have accompanied tea drinking over the centuries.All this, and more, we’ll cover on our Tea Journey this year, all thanks to Jing Tea. Each season I’ll introduce a new set of teas, with interesting insights, how to’s, and, most importantly of all, the taste verdict.Whether you’re already a tea aficionado, or, like me, you love the idea of becoming one, the Tea Journey will have something for you.
About Jing Tea
I’m working with tea specialists Jing Tea to bring you The Tea Journey. Suppliers to 70 Michelin starred restaurants around the world, Jing are true connoisseurs. On a mission to inspire the world to enjoy tea at its best, they believe tea should be as delicious as it is uplifting the spirit. Tea drinking to them is all about the experience. Their teas are authentic and pure, and perfect introductions to the very best of modern tea drinking.