My first memories of tea involve cold mornings, coming in from having fed the horses with my father. We'd walk back from the barn on a wintry Saturday in January. Mom would make us Lipton tea in brown earthenware mugs. (She still has a few, and I love them!) I remember adding two spoons of sugar, then wrapping my hands around the heated mug and breathing in the warm steam. Mmmm...it smelled and tasted so good and warmed my belly!
What are your first memories of tea?
My first memories of "tea" are nasty! My mom had this spicy, instant powder that was called tea, and if you wanted to go on a diet and not drink hot chocolate, you drank it. That was what I thought tea was ... until I went to Russia, and learned about black tea with cream and sugar!
ReplyDeleteMy first memory of tea is being served tea in the summer between my 5th and 6th grade by two little ladies that were interviewing my mother to rent their little house. They explained all about afternoon tea and they even put on gloves and served store bought cookies and tea in a silver teapot.
ReplyDeleteBeing part Japanese, my first memories of tea are of my mom pouring hot water over green tea leaves & of tea cups with no handles. The tea was soothing on cold days, after a large meal, and with crackers while visiting with friends. I love both the Asian and European ways of drinking tea, though they are so very different. A tea party with scones & cakes or with seaweed crackers is still a tea party! MIKI
ReplyDeleteMy 1st tea memories are around kindergarten age, I was 5 or 6 and had the flu, my mom made me tea and toast. I remember asking later if "tea" was only for sick people because I would like to have some more! I have been drinking it ever since! Thanks for asking!
ReplyDelete~Blessings~
Donna
I think my first was of some very pale milky tea that I shared with my grandmothers. I don't remember the tea, but I remember being allowed to have a "grown-up" drink and how special that was.
ReplyDeleteI love tea. My memories of tea are going with a friend and my twin (we were probably ten years old) to the health-food store to buy teas by the gram.
ReplyDeleteAlso, my twin and I would anger our mom by picking fresh lavender from a bush we had growing in the yard, and make a fresh tisane. It was delicious!
My twin and I also researched other plants in the yard and dyed some cloth with sumac berries once. We were displeased with the earthy brown it created.
But yes--love the tea! My first love was jasmine tea, bought from the health-food store.
My Dad used to save me the last sip in the bottom of his cup which was the sweetest, I think he didn't stir it just for me.
ReplyDeleteMy first memories of tea were of enjoying Celestial Seasonings peppermint with my mom, who likes tisanes. My mom had (and still does have) boxes of all of their varieties. She lived in Boulder around the time Mo Siegel was picking fresh herbs from the hills for the teas, so I'm not too surprised she's been a lifelong fan of the brand.
ReplyDeleteHi Steph, when I first read your post title, I thought it was a party to join in on...to be honest, I'm glad it isn't! Sometimes, it just gets to be too much for me. I would love to tell you about my first memory of tea. I was 8 years old, in 3rd grade, and my mother gave me a china teaset (wish I still had it). It was blue and white. I loved the taste of tea even at that age, but I did add sugar and cream to it. My mom made cookies and I invited a couple of school playmates to have a tea party. I have been enjoying tea ever since, and I enjoy those memories even more!
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Mary
I don't remember the first time I tried tea. I do remember that by the time I was twelve, I was sharing pots of tea after school with my friend Louise. Back then I made my tea with teabags. I didn't try loose tea till much later.
ReplyDeleteThank you, thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI love those mugs!! :) My first memories of tea are drinking it at the table with a spoon from those brown mugs...I was pretty small, but you all were drinking it! It still gives me comfort to drink a nice warm cup of tea! What a great family memory!!! :)
ReplyDeleteLove ya!
Steph, What a lovely memory. My first memories of tea where when I was a young girl around 12. I had to go to work to help with the family bills. I waitressed late nights and one of the regular customers was a big hot tea drinker and he was very kind to me. So I liked to emulate him. That's how I got started drinking it. Of course he was big on using the spoon to squeeze out all the extra tea!
ReplyDeleteAt the end of a busy week, the family would gather around a fire in the fireplace, and mom would make herbal tea. We would relax together and drink our tea. Oftentimes we'd get foot massages too -- great memories of Friday nights at home.
ReplyDeleteI actually loved the instant tea, orange, spice combination mix that was popular in the eighties. I thought it was delicious and felt like a big girl drinking it with my mom.
ReplyDeleteMy next tea memories come in college when my best friend and I LOVED the tea at our favorite Chinese restaurant.
My mother had boxes of Constant Comment which are the first tea that I ever remember being exposed to. I may have been five years at that time. I'm glad they haven't changed the script on their logo because it brings back those memories of 30 years ago.
ReplyDeleteLike Donna, mine was definitely after being sick and my mom gave me very milky, sugary tea (likely Lipton or Red Rose) with a slice of cinnamon toast. After that, I never really WANTED tea unless I was sick. Good thing I got over that!
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