tea tours
Photo by wjpbennett. I recently watched an episode of Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations in which Tony visited China. It was a great episode with one glaring and (in my opinion) huge exception: no tea! How can you have a show focused on food in China without mentioning or even showing tea? I love you Tony, but I think you broke my heart a little bit with that episode. I was reminded about this, somehow, when I checked out the Tea in London Tour website (mentioned by Steph here). It looks like a fantastic tour, though in all honesty the English tea experience is quite contrary to my reasons for drinking tea. English tea time has too much pomp and circumstance. One of my main reasons for loving tea is that it reminds me to simplify, to cut out the extra, unnecessary stuff. In my mind, the English tea party celebrates that extra stuff, with its saucers and table cloths and doilies and scones. Not that I can’t acknowledge those things are great, they’re just not my style. And so, I thought, wouldn’t it be awesome to go on a “Tea in China Tour”? I haven’t done any research to see if such a tour even exists, and with a baby on the way, I doubt I could arrange one for any time soon, but it’s a lovely thought. I would go to all the places Anthony Bourdain should have visited!
Posted by Rachel at Monday ~ October 08, 2007 | 11 Comments
Category: Tea Stories, Tea
Tea Culture in South China
Picking tea leaves by xrodgers This summer, China celebrated the 10th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return from Britain. National Geographic honored the event with a series called “Tea Culture in South China.” If you missed it, as I unfortunately did, you’re in luck! It can be found in five episodes (just under 10 minutes each) on YouTube. Click here to view these great videos! (I would embed the video, but I can’t get it to work in this version of WordPress. So sorry!)
Posted by Rachel at Monday ~ September 17, 2007 | 2 Comments
Category: Tea Videos, Tea Stories, History of Tea, Tea
8 Great Tea Quotes
You aren’t the only one who has spoken about their love of tea. Here are some classic quotes about tea for your reading enjoyment! “Bring me a cup of tea and ‘Times’” - Queen Victoria’s first command upon the throne “You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me” - C.S. Lewis “Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the world earth revolves - slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future.” - Thich Nat Hahn “If man has no tea in him, he is incapable of understanding truth and beauty.” - Japanese Proverb “The spirit of the tea beverage is one of peace, comfort, and refinement.” - Arthur Gray “Teaism is a cult founded on the adoration of the beautiful among the sordid facts of everyday existence. It inculcates purity and harmony, the mystery of mutual charity, the romanticism of the social order” - Okakura Kakuzo “Tea is liquid wisdom.” - Anonymous And finally……….. “”I hope next time when we meet, we won’t be fighting each other. Instead we will be drinking tea together.” The final quote was said by the immortal Jackie Chan in the cinematic masterpiece, Rumble in the Bronx.
Posted by CB at Thursday ~ March 15, 2007 | No Comments
Category: Tea Stories, Tea Facts, History of Tea, Tea News, Uncategorized
Robot Serves Tea in Japan!
Japan is pretty serious about robotics. If the droids are going to fit in, they probably need to learn the Japanese custom of serving tea. Fortunately, researchers at the University of Tokyo are exploring just that. In a demonstration this week, a humanoid with camera eyes made by Kawada Industries Inc. poured tea from a bottle into a cup. Then another robot on wheels delivered the cup of tea in an experimental room that has sensors embedded in the floor and sofa as well as cameras on the ceiling, to simulate life with robot technology. You can find the whole article here.
Robots in Japan are serving tea! I would be set if one of these robots would come over here and make me a nice cup of green tea right about now! Here’s a little bit of the article:
Posted by CB at Saturday ~ March 03, 2007 | No Comments
Category: Tea Technology, Tea Stories, Tea News, Tea, Uncategorized
A Day in the Life of a Sri Lankan Tea Worker
Have you ever wondered how the people who cultivated the tea that made your chai latte lived? Well here is one example for you. http://www.wsws.org/articles/2005/dec2005/sril-d09.shtml This little story about Sri Lankan tea workers gives you a bit of background on that tea you are drinking and created a whole new level of respect for these people from me. A short read, but a nice little story.
Posted by CB at Friday ~ March 02, 2007 | No Comments
Category: Tea Stories, Tea Facts, History of Tea
Creation Myths of Tea
According to a Chinese legend which spread along with Buddhism, the Indian Bodhidharma is credited with the discovery of tea. Bodhidharma, a semi-legendary Buddhist monk, founder of the Chan school of Buddhism, journeyed to China. He became angered because he was falling asleep during meditation, so he cut off his eyelids. Tea bushes sprung from the spot where his eyelids hit the ground. Sometimes, the second story is retold with Gautama Buddha in place of Bodhidharma In another variant of the first mentioned myth, Gautama Buddha discovered tea when some leaves had fallen into boiling water. Whether or not these legends have any basis in fact, tea has played a significant role in Asian culture for centuries as a staple beverage, a curative, and a symbol of status. It is not surprising its discovery is ascribed to religious or royal origins.
In one popular Chinese legend, Shennong, the legendary Emperor of China, inventor of agriculture and Chinese medicine, was on a journey about five thousand years ago. The Emperor, known for his wisdom in the ways of science, believed that the safest way to drink water was by first boiling it. One day he noticed some leaves had fallen into his boiling water. The ever inquisitive and curious monarch took a sip of the brew and was pleasantly surprised by its flavour and its restorative properties. A variant of the legend tells that the emperor tested the medical properties of various herbs on himself, some of them poisonous, and found tea to work as an antidote. Shennong is also mentioned in Lu Yu’s Cha Jing, famous early work on the subject.
Posted by CB at Wednesday ~ February 28, 2007 | No Comments
Category: Tea Stories, Tea Facts, History of Tea, Tea, Uncategorized