Monday, November 21, 2016

Bitter Sweet - All About the Tea

I enjoy tea.  Plain black tea with a little honey.  Or an orange herbal tea.  I also like a lightly sweetened iced tea in the summertime.  This is the second installment of my visit to the DIA special exhibit called Bitter Sweet.  Let's start with the history of Tea.
Tea originated in China with the Dutch explorers introducing it to Europeans.  That being said, my personal favorite is Assam black tea from India.  Here are some lovely tea services:



The above picture displays the proper layout of items for serving tea - not quite how I do it at home.  Here are some rules to follow:
A lovely silver tea pot on a stand:
Some of the items displayed in the exhibit:

 The above was my favorite teapot.  Here is a close-up of one of the many decorations they had in the museum hallways.  Some cups have chocolate and others have tea bags.

And now some of my teapot collection, starting with Franz porcelain:

A German tea set:
A Kutani Lithopane cup and tray from Japan:
Chinese teapots and a Japanese dragonware set:
And I did not even take a picture of the pot I use when I make tea.  It is hand made and I purchased it at the market in Vancouver, British Columbia.  Did I mention that I collect china and porcelain?  I need to start getting rid of some of these as my children have no interest in the collection.

Do you prefer coffee or tea?  Next up, chocolate - and who doesn't like chocolate.

9 comments:

  1. I pr for tea...herbal and I don't drink much of that either. I love the dragonfly teapot and the one right below it. I am amazed at how a tea service is to be served....where does one begin. I also am thinking how the women from then would be aghast how we serve tea now...often in a mug!

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    1. Well, the women back then with these China sets had maids. They only had to pour and it was quite the proscribed ritual. Hot water, loose tea and strainer, mug. Done.

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  2. Your dragonfly set is beautiful!

    Have you ever been to the tea plantation in Charleston, SC? I love that place. They have a lot of beautiful tea things.

    I definitely prefer tea. I'm just not much of a coffee drinker, it's too bitter for me. I'm all about sweet iced tea, but I also enjoy hot tea, especially this time of year.

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    1. I've been to Charleston, but did not know there was a tea plantation. If I go back there, I must visit.

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  3. I'm definitely a coffee person, but I also love the ceremony of drinking tea - and, of course, the tea pots. You have some beauties!

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    1. From what I read at the exhibit, the tea ceremony is quite well-defined. Definitely not how I do it. I have had the experience of high tea in Victoria, BC and Melbourne, Australia. That was truly a delight.

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  4. Such beautiful tea services. I prefer coffee but I do like ice tea in the summer. No sugar in my tea though. Unless it is peach tea. I love that too

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    1. I made a pot of orange herbal tea last night. It is very refreshing with just a touch of honey. This morning it is my vanilla coffee.

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  5. I enjoy both coffee and tea. What a lovely teapot collection you have. I especially like the set with the dragonflies. It's so unique.

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