Tea crisis
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| My tea collection is depleted. |
It was a sad morning this week when we realised we were down to our last Twinings' Lady Grey teabag. As previously discussed we ask friends to bring it over when they visit. Now we have a whole month to survive before we go to England and restock on decent tea. I've just been out in a blizzard to try and source some tea. Our local store which sold pretty good loose leaf Grand Earl Grey has closed down.
So I am left wondering about the possibilities of something called organic earl grey in an expensive looking box. Look, I was desperate so I bought it. Now I'm drinking the stuff. I don't think I need to go into details other than I've just checked in the pot to see if I remembered to put the bag in. I thought maybe I was tasting the insides of the pot dissolved in water. Actually there is less flavour than water. Please don't tell me they sell Twinings tea in Canada because I've tasted it and it's made for the Canadian market. It's special tea for your Canadian palates and it's not what I'm used to. I know there are worse problems in the world, really I do, but I just want a decent cup of tea. Send help soon.
I am writing this addendum in 2015. Canadian Twinings tea is still undrinkable in my opinion but we have discovered the delights of David's Tea - a Montreal company now with branches across Canada. It sells excellent full-bodied black teas - some of our favourites are the Kenyan, Earl Grey and Lapsang Souchong plus not black but red - red bush tea which Canadians only know as Roiboos and will give you blank stares if you ever say Red Bush to them.
The store itself was once described to me as a tea store for people who don't drink tea. I know exactly what they mean by this. It is full of colourful fruity "teas" which aren't tea at all and are aimed at schoolgirls as far as I can gather. They have flavours such as birthday cake and it kinda makes my blood boil (you know what I'm like) but their more classic teas (real teas) are excellent and we have a kitchen full of them. Well done David's Tea I say - just don't offer me pink coloured coconut hairspray flavour tea every time I come in the door to buy my Earl Grey.
Other tea rants
hehe...I have some M&S earl grey teabags I could spare you if you're interested and regular tea - Yorkshire brand (from Bramble house). By the way - is that a Emma Bridgewater tea container?? Nice.
ReplyDeleteBless you - I'm sure we could squeeze a month out of a couple of Yorkshire teabags. I think it's time to go to Bramble House and stock up on British food.
ReplyDeleteYes I do have some Emma Bridgewater products to remind me of home. They are what my Canadian friend refers to as your snobby British china.
You're going to England????? I've given up and learned to lick the inside of the teapot and suck the lukewarm teabag. Goodness, this is starting to sound like teaporn.
ReplyDeleteI love Emma Bridgewater - it's actually made in Stoke-on-Trent, unlike Royal Doulton/Wedgwood which are now made mostly in the far east...
ReplyDeleteWell, Anne....I know what you mean about tea, as I was brought up on the wrong side of the Atlantic too....
ReplyDeleteBut what I use here is Red Rose Orange Pekoe. And if you put two bags in a hotted pot, use a tea cozy and wait long enough, it makes a darn good cuppa!! I know its pretty plebeian but ..... any teapot in a storm!
Keep up the good fight!
Only a Brit would know an Emma Bridgewater when she sees it.
ReplyDeleteIn Britain Orange Pekoe is known as Builders' Tea which I can only assume refers to the working man's preference for the stuff. My middle class pretentions mean I drink teas with ridiculous names like Lady Grey. I never make tea in a mug or cup, always a pot. Goes without saying.
Oh, I'd hate not have my daily cuppa. Luckily we get really good tea here in Bahrain - must be all the Indians and Sri Lankans who live here insisting on it. My worst tea experience was in Germany where they served me luke warm tea with condensed milk - revolting.
ReplyDeleteDon't get me started on worst tea experiences. I'm on a knife edge at the moment and if someone serves me a bowl of warm water with teabag-garnish anytime soon there is no telling what could happen.
ReplyDelete...Just off for my Lapsang Suchong, Or shall I have rooibos this time? Nah, the Twining's Earl Grey it is.
ReplyDeleteMmmmm, hot, tasty and plenty of flavour.
Glasgow Jane
You are deliberately taunting me I know. ...
ReplyDeleteI'll send you a box of Lady Grey if you'll send me a box of Jasmine Green Tea :)
ReplyDeleteHH You have a deal - which brand do you favour?
ReplyDeleteHello, I have never heard that Twinings sells a different tea in Canada than it does in Britain. Is this true for both the bagged tea or also the loose leaf tea?
ReplyDeleteHi Cura
ReplyDeleteYes as far as I know - here is the exact quote from Twinings themselves.......
"While Twinings is an international organization, every Twinings blend is customized based on the local markets due to the difference in demographics, the water used, and the difference in consumer taste pallet. "