Fancy a brew
We shall start at the very beginning, before there was even light …..(the mornings are dark up here on the hill)…there was tea. Our precious tea box. Bought by my lovely Mum as a housewarming gift and well used throughout the day. These brews and infusions are the life blood of every great bean-bubbler and help to distract me from quaffing too much coffee.
This is an essential survival necessities in this wilderness (and everywhere). Not your traditional British mug (that’s a strong cup of black tea with a dash of milk) which is also amazingly satisfying. We talking now ’bout ‘erbs. ‘Erbal Teas.
Here are some staples that we never run dry of, that keep us full of zing and turgid with hot water and vibrant botanicals.
We’ve whittled the selection down to three heavyweight contenders for the esteemed prize of ‘The B.H.K – Worlds Best Mass Produced Herbal Tea Bag (available in Dimensions Health Food Shop, Bangor, North Wales)’. ***
YOGI TEAS (http://www.yogiproducts.com/products/perfect-tea/)- The largest herbal tea range, at that price. The Classic variety, packed with cinnamon, keeps us warm and full of Yogi love in the mountain gales. Choco is a nice change, they’re all nice really. I’ve never met a Yogi bag I don’t like.
CELESTIAL SEASONINGS (http://www.celestialseasonings.com/) – Seasonings?! We drink their tea by the bucket load. Jane was on a special no sugar diet and the Bengal spice variety is so packed full of carob that we thought we’d died and gone to Wonka heaven. Sweet and spicy. Tension tamer does exactly what is printed on the card, with a lovely minty exotic herb. This American company makes fantastic little boxes of intensely flavoured teas.
TEAPIGS – (http://www.teapigs.co.uk/) – Intense stuff this. One bag is enough for a nearly full red teapot (which is a beast of a pot). It’s more expensive, so a treat as opposed to an everyday quaffer. We love the Heirba Mate, that keeps us charged up, like a caffeine buzz but without that sense of ‘am I getting a headache’. It feels so healthy to sip. The Liquorice and Peppermint is a real winner though. It goes a lovely shade of vibrant green and is potent stuff. Cool little pyramid bags too.
And the winner is…………..’you may rattle your teaspoons now’…………….
XXXXXXXXXX YOGI TEA XXXXXXXXXX Its called Yogi, its cheap (ish) and always hits the spot. The Classic is, well, a classic and I love the little words of wisdom on each tag (the tag on the bag?! Tea bag tag?!). We also cut the used boxes up to decorate christmas cards and other things (friends you have been warned). A versatile all-rounder.
As well as buying bags, we also like to just throw mint leaves, chopped ginger, maybe a couple of cardoman pods or some rosemary into a big mug of boiling water. If you’re a sweet tooth, make it sweet (honey). Experiment with your own infusions.
Heres and interesting blog I’ve just read about all things tea and spice http://www.steenbergs.co.uk/blog/about-axel-sophies-blog/
*** We will be giving out prized like this regularly, because it makes us feel all-powerful and authoritative, when really we are merely two humble bumpkins who view the world with wild-flower tinted specks.
beach house kitchen 