I am quite passionate about tea and because i hugely enjoy both drinking it and talking about it i have "sat down" together with some lovely tea drinking ladies and asked them a few questions about their relationship with tea. This time it is the sweet Caitriona and i who are having our tea-time together.
V: Caitriona, have you been drinking tea for a long time?
C: Yes, I have! As a child, I remember thinking it was a tasteless drink for grown ups and couldn't understand the big deal about it. As I grew up, I think starting from when I was a teenager, I came to love and appreciate a good cup of tea and its restorative, reassuring and reviving qualities!
V: What are your favourite teas?
C: To be honest Vibeke, my favourite is a good, old fashioned cup of strong tea made with Lyons tea bags with just a little bit of milk added. I believe it is sometimes called "builders tea", I just call it "real tea". Although in the past few years I have been trying new flavours and infusions (thanks to reading blogs like yours Vibeke which have opened up the world of tea to me!) - at the moment I like rooibos with vanilla (it satisfies my sweet tooth!) and in the colder months, infusions with ginger and cinnamon are good. A treat would be Sea buckthorn ginger tea from the most amazing little tea shop in Galway, An Cupán Tae (which is Irish for a cup of tea!).
V: Do you prefer loose tea or teabags?
C: Both :) usually tea bags just for handiness.
V: Where do you mostly buy your tea?
C: Luckily there is a small grocery shop across the road from where I live!
V: Is your country, Ireland, a country where it is very common to drink tea? Are there any tea traditions there?
C: It is very common :) (this question makes me smile, it would be difficult to find a kitchen here without any tea in it!). The most common tea tradition here is to offer a visitor (be they friend or stranger) a cup of tea. Don't worry if you are too polite to accept the first time, you will be offered again. And again!
V: Something specific that you like to enjoy/eat with your tea?
C: I have a sweet tooth so usually I would enjoy a tea cake or piece of chocolate with my tea. One of my favourite things is a slice of brown soda bread with butter and raspberry jam on it with tea. For simple comfort, buttered toast with a cup of strong tea does the job for me.
V: Most times do you do something while having your tea?
C: Having tea is a reason/excuse for me to stop doing things for a few minutes! In summertime My favourite thing is to sit outside with a cup and do nothing but feel the breezes. If I have a good book, to read a bit while having my cup. And I love having tea with my aunts, cousin and Mum (altogether!) or catching up with friends. That's the beauty of tea drinking - It can be alone time or sociable. Now that I think of it, I do do something while drinking tea: for my elevenses I usually read some nice blogs while sipping! One thing I can't do is have tea while painting - guaranteed to dip my brush into the cup of tea instead of the jar of water by mistake every time!.
V: How does a typical "tea-day" look for you?
C: 5 days out of 7 I will start the days with porridge with an apple and mint tea (trying to start the day well!). So my first cup of "builders tea" is usually around 11 after a few hours of work or a walk. I usually have a cup of tea after my lunch and then a much appreciated one for my 4 o clock break. Another cup around 6pm after my dinner and then one between then and bed time! They are like pauses (sometimes the highlight!) in my typical day.
V: Which cup of the day do you enjoy the most and why?
C: Ooohhh, this question really got me thinking Vibeke! Honestly, I enjoy them all the most! The cup I have for my elevenses I really savour - maybe because its my first "proper" one of the day. Also the 4 o'clock one - it revives me and keeps me going for the last stretch of the day.
V: Do you have any favourite cups or mugs?
C: I have a favourite size of cup/mug! It is not as large as a mug or as small as a cup. And I prefer it not to be filled up to the brim - for some reason I think it tastes nicer when the cup is 3/4 full! I absolutely have a favourite cup-mug. The plain white one. It was a birthday present from my friend ( nearly 20 years ago! I still drink out of it almost every day!) it is a Kaj Franck design made in Arabia factory in Helsinki in Finland. Although produced in a factory, the handles are attached by hand (so they say) so that when you feel it with your finger, it has that soft feeling you get when you rub your earlobe which is meant to be very soothing. I always find tea drunk from this cup very comforting. Also the stripey little cup from Rosie's pottery in Sligo , I bought it on holiday in the west of Ireland.
Also Vibeke I just want to thank you for sharing this "cup of tea" conversation with me. Your questions really got me thinking and made me grateful for tea :)
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