I admit it. I’m a tea newbie. In fact, I’m not ashamed to say that I’ve only just recently learned where tea comes from, the difference between Earl Grey and English Breakfast, and, well, how to brew tea properly. For some, this is quite shocking, given that I come from a Persian family in which tea is taken from the moment the alarm goes off to late at night, when decaf or herbal blends are consumed. Even more shocking is the fact that my father works for one of the world’s largest tea manufacturers, Ahmad Tea London, and that this company is owned and run by family in the UK. Maybe I should be ashamed.
Last year, I moved to New York City from Texas (I did have my fair share of iced tea in the South!) and I started working with Ahmad Tea, helping my father on the marketing side. I was quite nervous at first. I’m that quintessential city girl who until recently could not imagine a morning without her strong, black coffee and who rarely drank tea, except when I went home for a visit or to dinner events with my family. What I’m discovering each and every day is not only how fascinating the world of tea is, but also how delicious! I never thought I’d be a fan of green tea, but I’m absolutely addicted to mint green tea. I feel like someone who has just gained his or her vision after years of blindness – everything seems so new and interesting and, more importantly, I see tea everywhere now. Not only do I notice the various afternoon tea selections and tea-tasting experiences in cafes, but I’m seeing tea as a significant part of pop culture as well. Everyone loves Downtown Abbey, right? Ohhhh, Matthew Crawley…
Thank you for joining me in my tea-exploration adventures. After all, I have to know what I’m talking about when I visit retailers and tea lovers, right? I’m fortunate to have access to some key tea experts, like our Master Tea Taster (yes – that’s his title!), and to have the opportunity to meet tea enthusiasts around the globe, like Lady Sippington in New York City. If you ever want to know how to properly host tea and have it all look like a beautiful piece of art, there’s no one better than Lady Sippington.
I’m excited to be a part of the wonderful and interesting conversations here at T Ching. I look forward to many more conversations (over tea, of course!) and – hopefully – to growing from a tea novice to a tea expert!
Welcome to T Ching and TEA Shadi. I’m really delighted to have a tea newbie on board. I want to hear all about your journey. I don’t find it suprising to learn that you come from a tea family. Often we take for granted what interests our family, only to discover it when the time is right for us. I’d love to hear what surprised you about tea. What were your brewing mistakes initially? I too am a green tea girl. I LOVE green tea – properly prepared of course. Who would have thought this ancient brew could be sweet and delicious. For me, coming from a coca cola habit, I was used to very sweet beverages. It was as if my palate was asleep and needed a major assault to awaken it. What I discovered was that over time, I was able to detect subtle taste differences and learn to enjoy them tremendously. My first green tea was called Golden Green Tea and had lemon in it. I think it saved my early brewing mistakes of over steeping and using water that was too hot. If you have the time and patience, I encourage you to move toward orthodox greens and see what you think….BUT you must be vigilant about time and temperature. Otherwise it will be sure to disappoint.
Looking forward to your next post.
Mint green tea is my favorite too!
Why Miss Shadi! How kind you are. And how refreshingly honest you are. It’s always a pleasure to welcome newbies to tea time – it makes us all remember the first time tea transformed us. Jolly good!