Tea: A Time-Honored Tradition Returns
by writecorner on Mar 15, 2009 with 0 Comments
Tea is making its return to coffee tables and kitchens everywhere, and not just as a mug and paper packet. Old-fashioned teapots, tasty side sweets, and ceremonial aspects of the afternoon tea tradition are making a comeback as well.
While tea isn’t the traditional afternoon meal or formal social ceremony of yore, the concept of tea as an art form is still very much alive. A recent surge of interest in tea-related items and facts is noticeable in online forums, retailers, and magazines.
The teapot’s return is one of the most noticeable signs. Collectors crowd Internet sites like Ebay in search of elegant china, English patterns, and hallmarks identifying the top teapot manufacturers of the past. Authenticity is important here, as is condition–but many who purchase plan to use them instead of confining them to the china cabinet.
Magazines like Martha Stewart Living and Victoria include articles on serving tea and selecting the right kind, as well as recipes for the perfect side. Tiny tea cookies in the tradition of the well-known English “bisquit” and variations on tea “cakes” appear in glossy illustration.
Tea merchandise finds its way into magazine ads, as well as the shelves of retailers and boutiques. Items like the “tea ball”, a metal collander with a chain used to hold loose-leaf tea, are essential for tea enthusiasts who prefer to skip the modern tea bags in favor of more traditional steeping and serving methods.
As the tea tradition continues to grow, so will the appreciation of its history–along with the items that help create it.
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Published in: Cooking
