Earl Grey Tea - Exploring Tea - Part 6

Who was Earl Grey

Everyone is familiar with Earl Grey tea, but not everyone will realise it is named after a former British Prime Minister.

Born in March 1764, Charles Grey – who became the 2nd Earl Grey in 1807 – was the Whig Prime Minister of the UK from Nov 1830 to Jul 1834. Among the notable achievements of his government was the abolition of slavery in the British Empire. Grey was also an architect of parliamentary reform, and the 1832 Reform Act saw major changes to electoral boundaries and the representation of major cities.

- Grey was educated at Richmond College, Eton and Trinity College, Cambridge

- A descendant of a Northumbrian family with its seat at Howick Hall, Earl Grey is commemorated by a statue on Grey’s Monument in Newcastle-upon-Tyne

- Grey spent his retirement at Howick, died in 1845, and is buried at a nearby church

Grey married Mary Ponsonby in 1794 and, between 1796 and 1819, the couple had 10 sons and 6 daughters. Prior to the marriage, he was already having an affair with Georgiana, the Duchess of Devonshire (as played by Keira Knightley in the film ‘The Duchess’), who fell pregnant with a daughter, Eliza Courtney. Born in Aix-en-Provence, France in 1792, she only learned of her true father following her mother’s death 14 years later.

Dominic Cooper (Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey) and

Keira Knightly (Georgina)

According to the Grey family, the tea which bears his name was blended specially for the Earl, using Bergamot to offset the excessive lime in the water at Howick, but many stories exist as to how he became to be introduced to the alluring blend. There is no doubt, however, that he led an eventful life, both politically and personally, and his name lives on in the form of one of the world's most flavoured teas.

Using only natural bergamot oil, Newby presents its own Earl Grey in loose-leaf form, as well as tea bags and extra-special Silken Pyramids, at the Newby e-boutique.

- See more at: http://www.newbyteas.com/2015/03/earl-grey/#sthash.x8ZhZK6z.dpuf

Crafted from silver at the height of the Regency 

period, this Paul Storr teaset from the Chitra

collection dates from 1810.

His work was found in the homes of the Prince 

Regent and noted aristocrats of the year. 

Exploring Tea - Part 5 - Rediscovering The Art of Tea

In continuing posting on Tea I found this 4 minute video interesting telling of the vision behind

Newby Teas.

If you are interested in tea drinking you will be interested in this.

THE CHITRA COLLECTION

The definitive chronicle of tea’s extraordinary history, The Chitra Collection is as enchanting as it is elaborate. Pieces drawn from every continent bring a fascinating story to life, illustrated by the intricate craftsmanship of artisans through many hundreds of years – a craftsmanship rarely found today.

The Chitra Collection exists not just as a reminder of that past, but as a hope for today and tomorrow. Its elegant artworks represent an age where the business of enjoying tea was taken seriously, and the various ceremonial traditions which emerged around it were observed with great reverence.

By sharing the treasures which define this exquisite collection, Newby hopes to rekindle a desire to respect tea tradition again. Fine teas, blended, preserved and stored by those who truly care about indubitable quality, are deserving of that respect – a fact surely recognised by the likes of Fabergé, Paul Storr and Tiffany and Co, as they crafted esoteric teaware of similarly unquestionable merit.

Newly commissioned decorative pieces line up with one-of-a-kind antiques, beginning an overdue renaissance of tea culture led by Newby founder Mr Sethia, whose N. Sethia Foundation charitable trust owns the collection. While at present privately held, the collection’s items will add unique value and interest to future public exhibitions.

The Chitra Collection is an ever-present inspiration, a reminder that tea need never be ordinary, it should always be special.

You can discover more about the origins of the pieces which make up The Chitra Collection, and the personal ethos which inspired it's curation on the above video.

For myself right now I can hear Alan in the kitchen making tea

I'll be back
Happy Easter to everyone

Exploring Tea - Part 4

Here we have a taste of the history of tea in China

TEA’S GOLDEN AGE IN CHINA

China’s Tang Dynasty (609-907 AD), often called the golden age of Chinese civilisation, flourished alongside a golden age in tea. It was in this epoch that Lu Yu wrote his celebrated The Classic of Tea, which describes the Tang Dynasty’s elaborate tea culture. In his masterpiece, he describes the importance of the terroir where the tea is grown, the ideal water to use, the brewing process and the 24 items of tea paraphernalia required for serving the perfect ‘bowl’ of tea.

In this era and the centuries that followed, tea leaves were not infused but ground into fine particles whisked in hot water in a large vessel before being served in small tea bowls. In the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), this evolved into placing the crushed tea leaves directly into the bowls themselves and using a pot simply to boil the water, much like Matcha tea is served today. A royal pastime called doucha, or tea contests, gained popularity: tea dust was placed into cups and mixed with boiling water with a bamboo brush, this produced a powerful white foam and the tea-drinker with the best looking foam would win. 

This tradition of whisking tea can be seen to this day in chanoyu, the elaborate and methodical Japanese Tea Ceremony. Brought to Japan by the Buddhist monk Myoan Eisai (1141-1215 AD), tea was embraced in Japan alongside Zen philosophy and flourished into a nationwide pastime.

Firmly established in the East by the 15th century, tea’s journey further west was just beginning.

Exploring Tea Part 2 - The First Cup of Tea

© The Chitra Collection, Sèvres Tea Set

The First Cup of Tea

With origins shrouded in millennia of myth and folklore, the first written record of boiling water for tea appears relatively late, in an anecdotal tale by China’s Wang Piu titled Contract of a Youth in 59 BC. It details a contract between a servant and the author, who stipulates that the servant buy tea, boil tea and serve tea.

A legend ascribes the discovery of tea much earlier to Shen Nung, an emperor whose reign is traditionally dated some 26 centuries before Wang Piu detailed his tea needs. According to one version of the legend, Shen Nung (2737-2697 BC) was boiling water to drink, sheltered in the shade of a majestic tea bush. Whilst the water came to a boil, a gust of wind disturbed the branches and several tea leaves fell into the water. He was so enchanted by the infusion that he included it in his celebrated Pen t’sao, a medical treatise written some time later.

Archaeologists corroborate this period, estimating that tea was consumed for thousands of years before Wang Piu’s written reference in the 1st century BC, as a snack to be chewed or a medicine to be ground into a paste as well as an infusion steeped in boiling water. Whatever its true origins, one thing is certain: tea has been part of human history for millennia. (Courtesy Newby Teas)

Since my last post I have been asked to share how to make a good cup of tea. Since my Grandmother taught me as a child I will share just the way she taught me.

  How to Make a good Cup of Tea

Always use freshly boiled water as re-boiled water will have lost much of it’s oxygen. It is important to heat the pot first, pouring the water away, before taking the pot to the kettle, not the kettle to the pot. Use 1 teaspoon of loose tea per person and 1 extra for the pot. Infuse 3 – 5 minutes or to taste.  

Length of infusion

The length of infusion depends on the type of tea and leaf as well as personal preference. Teabags require less time as the leaves are smaller, and the increased surface area lends itself to quicker infusions. Loose leaf teas require slightly more time, with black teas and tisanes requiring the longest length of infusion.

Storage

The perfect cup of tea begins well before the water has been boiled. Storing tea correctly is essential. Tea leaves are fragile and easily corrupted by heat, light, moisture and air pollution. Store in a caddy with an airtight lid.(The last two paragraphs courtesy of Newby Teas)

Many more posts to come on the subject of tea.

Exploring Tea Part 1

For all my tea loving friends across the world I have a treat in store. I will be doing a series of posts over the coming weeks/months. Two things recently got me thinking about posting on the subject of tea again.

The first was the fact that my son recently visited some tea plantations while on holiday in Bangladesh.

He brought back bags of tea direct from the plantations.

Secondly I came across  Newby Teas when looking for a good quality Peppermint tea

It certainly was good and tastes more like the fresh tea I make at home during the Summer when my own Mint plants are growing

I am looking forward to trying more of their many teas over time.

For now I will leave you with a taster of interesting facts from Newby website

Victoria and Albert Museum (in London) Tea Gown

The tradition of taking tea in the “afternoon” conjures up images of sophisticated, beautifully-dressed ladies socialising over cups of steaming Assam tea. Tea gowns were invented for such events. Above we have a picture showing a tea gown by the celebrated designer Charles Worth, with luxurious flowing fabrics of pink satin, silk and lace. The tea gown could be worn without a corset and this allowed women to feel relaxed and liberated whilst taking tea with their friends.

The custom for fashionable ladies to take tea in the afternoon existed from the end of the 17th century- Madame de Sévigné (1626-1696) often referred to “five o’clock tea” in her letters. The tradition for Afternoon Tea gained popularity in the Victorian era and such social occasions called for larger and more impressive sets of silver and ceramic tea services.

Hope you enjoyed - do come back there is much more to come.