Tea Travels

OCEAN BLEND TEA CO. LTD TIN, TORONTO CANADA

Toronto meaning "meeting place" or "where sticks stands in water" was founded by the Iroquois, In 1793 the Town of York was founded by John Graves Simcoe. As a British colony trade was a key component with the fur trade and exchange of goods including tea.

Growing up in Canada, I was not aware of this until I had the pleasure of having Toronto historian Bruce Bell at The Art of Tea event when he spoke of Toronto's tea history. The tin is an example of the many tea companies that existed in Toronto before the multi-nationals.

Toronto is steeped in a tea history- let us begin our discovery with Bruce Bell.

 

 

Christmas Banquet Tea by Fortnum & Mason

The Christmas basket includes this lovely Christmas tea of black tea, star anise, cloves, safflower petals and mulled wine flavouring combined to create this exquisite tasting tea. I am drinking it in anticipation of the holiday. I have half a tin left from last year and saved it for this year. Tea has a shelf life of a maximum of two years.

It just has a lovely taste and aroma with just a hint of spices so one appreciated the base, which is a black tea. I just have the tea plain and it pairs well with holiday fare or on its own.

Fortnum & Mason A Tea Tradition

Fortnum & Mason has been a world tradition since 1707. Although located at 181 Piccadilly in London, England it is well known for their Royal seals of approval on their products. On arrival of any Fortnum & Mason products one knows the quality comes with the brand tradition. It has supplied the goods for the Napoleonic Wars, safaris as well as gift packages.

My love is for the specialty picnic baskets and teas, which they still supply and ship worldwide.
Here is my basket-note the signature blue ribbon.

It is an early Christmas-

A basket of gourmet foods nestled in straw.

Tea & Me

The Love of Tea Best of Drink & Food

During my studies as a certified tea sommelier I found myself being pulled into my other interests related to food. Yes, of course I loved the idea of afternoon tea as a special time for myself or friends to gather, but the allure of experimentation with food was always there.

I started to experiment with food and tea, and how far I could push the envelope of cooking with both. I am also finishing culinary courses I started several decades ago at a culinary school, and I use those days to ponder and create dishes for my own pleasure and palate.

My husband, who is not a food person, surprised me by pushing me to publish as he felt that if he loved the food and drinks as a non-foodie, they would be a hit with others. Other professional chefs I've worked with, have amazed me with the versatility of tea as an ingredient.

Thus was born my decision to share my adventure of food and tea.

Share the love of the tea

Tea

James Norwood Pratt, tea author and tea master on his book tour in Toronto, ” The Ultimate Tea Lover’s Treasury”.

                       Valerie his wife and James Norwood Pratt at T-buds Tea Lounge, Toronto


I asked James-

1) That more people who are older are switching to tea instead of coffee and do you feel there is more variety in tea to interest coffee drinks as well as health reasons for the switch.
"Tea and Time: To judge from my own experience, coffee gradually ceases to be your friend after age 45 or so. You don’t swear off, you just enjoy it less and less and drink tea more. This seems to be the case with lots of people. That tea is healthier and offers wider variety is true also, but a minor factor in the switch I think."

2) What is your favourite tea at this moment?
"Favorite tea? Well we’ve just finished our afternoon Darjeeling (Risheehat Estate 2013 Second Flush Lot # 141) and I’m strongly inclined to make a Phoenix Dancong Fengshuang oolong from the mountain covered with this ancient single-trunk type varietal in Guangdong province, China. When you get a specific craving like that, nothing else will do."

3) You mention tea as a somewhat of a spiritual experience. Would this be similar as to taking “wine as the blood of Christ” in communion or would you describe it as a meditation practice?
"Tea is quiet, and makes a quiet place inside you when you drink it. It gives you pause, you might say, a chance to enter the quiet in your own mind for a moment and just be. It gives the spirit an adjustment, the way a yoga stretch can ease the body, and restores normal, healthy functioning. This is tea’s main value to mental health, I think, and one of our main reasons to love it.”“

Tea Ware

Collecting Antique Tea Treasures

Winnie Runnquiet, the owner of W.R. Antiques is a knowledgeable gem of history that translated into owning one of the most eclectic antique shop in the city of Toronto at 179 Queen St East. Winnie also supplies those props for the popular television series, Murdoch Murder Mysteries.

Winnie talked about the history of tea and we shared our tidbits starting with the introduction of afternoon tea by Anne the Duchess of Bedford. In fact, the tea cup and saucer was used with mainly the saucer as the drinking instrument. Tea was too hot and to cool it down the tea was poured from the cup to the saucer for cooling. The olde saying was “to have a dish of tea” instead of a cup of tea in the late 1700’s.

The Worcester Tea Cup is from 1753-60, Britain with no markings, as they were used in the 1800s. This is an excellent example of what is called “blue and white”. The word China was applied to tea ware as the porcelain process was developed in China. The blue and white ware was started in the Yeung dynasty who were Mongolian and traveled to Turkey and the Middle East to bring back the use of colors. Note, the wonderful hand painted blue tones. Simple and beautiful.

Tea was an expensive commodity and kept under lock and key. Tea was only grown and produced in China and there were limited shipments. Special tea caddies were produced like fine objects of art and with special lead lined compartments for the tea leaves. They are collected as part of the history but are not used as the compartments are lead lined and poisonous. The tea caddies are distinctive in regards to the period with the Victorian one having a casket top as they were obsessed with death. The lead lining on the inside of the caddy is worn out.

The Regency has a stylized brass work on the keyhole and three sections in the interior with the middle section as a mixing area to house a bowl. The Georgian tea caddy has a similar middle section.

Winnie added to my knowledge of tea ware within a historical context and instead of looking at crockery at a museum I received a personal journey in the art of tea.

Winnie Runnquiet
179 Queen St East
Toronto, Ontario
phone 416-504-6900

Health

Tea Master Jane Pettigrew on White Teas & Health

Health is on the number one radar of many tea drinkers.
Jane Pettigrew, tea master talks about white teas and the health benefits at The Art of Tea, Toronto sponsored by Carol Mark.

Tea Master Jane Pettigrew on White Teas

Afternoon Tea

High Tea and Cruising
Afternoon Tea on the Queen Mary Cunard Liner


What I love about cruising is the time to enjoy high tea!
Although one attributes this more to British based traditions and boats, this tradition has extended to other cruise lines.




 My dream was to sail on the legendary QE1 but she has since retired.
The Queen Mary 2 is the flagship of Cunard’s transatlantic voyage. There is much fuss over white-gloved service meaning the servers wear white gloves, as any amount of dirt will show. The main area where tea is served is located in the Queen’s Ballroom, a grand old nightclub type of setting with themed music. Here waiters offer Twinings tea poured from silver pots and trays of sweets as well as finger size tea sandwiches of egg, cucumber or ham. Enough to tie you before dinner. The pomp and history are what makes this experience worthwhile. Tea is somewhat very acidic and appears to be made in advance, thus sitting too long. Ask for a fresh pot whenever possible.