The love of teapots and singing kettles stems from my Enid Blyton days. As a child I lived, ate and slept in the Faraway Tree. Silky, Moonface, Dame Washalot, Saucepan Man and Mr Watzisname never needed an excuse for a tea party. Tea was the most enchanting drink in the world and yet it was so elusive. Every adult around me drank it, even craved tea, but it was strictly off limits for me. The fact that these children could just go up a tree and indulge in not just tea but all kinds of yummies (google buns, pop biscuits and toffee shocks) made it all
the
more
vexing...
"The buns were most perculiar:they each had a very large currant in the middle. This was filled with sherbet,so when you got to the currant and bit it, the sherbet frothed out and filled your mouth with fine bubbles that tasted delicious.”
The magic Faraway Tree, Enid Blyton
Im a little teapot,
Short and stout.
Heres my handle,
And heres my spout.
When the kettle's boiling,
You hear me shout.
Pick me up ,
And pour me out.
Polly put the kettle on,
Polly put the kettle on,
Polly put the kettle on,
we’ll all have tea.
Sukey take it off again
Sukey take it off again,
Sukey take it off again,
they’ve all gone home. . .
T |
eapots are old |
E |
gg shaped or oval |
A |
ll will be sold |
P |
erched on my shelf |
O |
r sitting on the floor |
T |
eapot galore. |
by |
Hamza Khan |
...You can imagine how enticing this became, I couldn’t consume tea, but I was consumed by a desire for it. My initiation came at college in the 80's - tea in a polystyrene cup from the vending machine , not exactly what I had been anticipating (especially after my mother’s insistence on bone china for hers!). Every break became' time for tea'. But there was still something missing and the plastic packaged custard creams didn’t quite fit the bill. You might think that after such an anti-climax one might have given up on the idea, but no, I was on a quest for the perfect tea...
...The smoke filled, caffeine high common rooms of college took me to the quieter and purer climes of chamomile, marigold, nettle, mint and japanese white tea-organic, tai chi and anti-oxidant entered my vocabulary. I marvelled at these infusions, their colours and their tastes. I watched the leaves unfurl and release their treasure, ruby reds, topaz, saffron and gold, all the colours of autumn. Then came marriage and with it, coffee(or in my case, tea)mornings and gossip. Mother and toddler groups followed and a pressing need for caffeine-enter Earl Grey, Assam, Darjeeling( and all the blends I ever came across). In 2000, after all our teddy bear picnics, it finally happened, we had our first Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, and with it, came the magic moment....
 |
Once upon a time |
 |
Yummies |
 |
Land of tea parties |
'Dewdrop honey sandwiches-ooh! And here are some sardine and strawberry sandwiches- what a funny mixture!... And here are orange and lemon sandwiches and pineapple and cucumber ones!’
The magic Faraway Tree, Enid Blyton
...“’Have some wine’, the march hare said in an encouraging tone. Alice looked all over the table, there was nothing on it but tea. ‘I don’t see any wine,’ she remarked, ‘There isn’t any’ said the March Hare.” Alice in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll.
And from then on, it was a happy unbirthday for someone or another in the family- cakes and biscuits, decorated and baked by the children, Mismatched china, herbal teas, orange blossom and rose petal ice cream, served in tea cups. Liquorice dipped in humous, chocolate covered pizza and anything and everything we could think of. I finally experienced the tea party I’d been looking for, I had come full circle. It could not have been enjoyed without my own folk from the Faraway Tree-my children. The joy, wonder and discovery on their faces was what it was all about.
Japanese proverb:
A man without tea in him, is a man without wisdom
I thank my parents for not introducing me to tea early,and understand the wisdom of a caffeine-free childhood.I am grateful for realising that if my tea was not agreeable in the first instance, it wasn’t the tea but it's presentation. In the same way, on my journey, if life ever left a bitter taste, it was my faith that made It palatable.The flaw lies not with the religion but other ingredients that adulterate it . Often our introduction is through biased media,sometimes the brewing time is not enough, at other times, too much added culture. Dont blame it on the tea!
PINK TEA
Before I close, I must declare that the Tea of teas is the pink variety, otherwise known as, Kashmiri Chai. There is an art to making it, as with most things. Made well, it is a Tea Rose pink. The likes of sweet velvet on your tongue,-with milk and almonds, a heavenly scent of cardamom. This pink elixir, is a fairytale experience.
The little rabbit waiters ran up, and bowed to old Mrs Saucepan. ‘What will you have to drink?’ they asked, ‘tea for me,’ said Mrs Saucepan...
The magic Faraway Tree, Enid Blyton