Freeze warning looms for Phoenix, blizzard in NM sparks misery
These are headlines rarely seen by Phoenicians. (Seriously, that’s what people in Phoenix are called.) Freezing weather is one of the few times that I pass on a glass of iced tea in favor of a cup of hot tea. Today was one of those days, and it reminded me of the importance of tea in Jane Austen’s time. I could demonstrate my erudition by writing an article on tea in the Regency Era, but Kim Wilson has already done it in her Tea with Jane Austen. So, here is my review of a great book on that very subject.
Tea with Jane Austen is a lovingly told tale of the importance of tea in the life of those who lived in the Regency Era. It is all here: How to make tea, tea and toast for breakfast (the usual breakfast fare for all but the wealthiest households), seeping the tea leaves, tea caddies and miscellaneous utensils, shopping for tea sets, and the different types of teas. In Austen’s time, tea was a valuable commodity that was kept under lock and key. In the Austen household, Jane was the keeper of the keys to the tea chest.
For me, the most interesting part of the book was Jane’s excursions into London to buy the best tea from Twining’s warehouse. This was the most expensive way of buying tea, but there was a reason for buying the best. Tea was regularly adulterated with things you don’t want to think about. Dregs were sold out the back door by kitchen maids. After being dried, they were mixed with “leaves, twigs, and sometimes floor sweepings.” That was the worst of it–if you were lucky. “The dyes used on adulterated tea were often quite poisonous.”
Although the afternoon tea we associate with the British belongs to the Victorian Era, there were rituals aplenty in the Regency Era, and this book shows how important tea was to Jane Austen and her contemporaries.
A few years ago, my husband, daughter, and I visited Twining’s in London, and it was impossible not to think about Jane and I occupying the same space 200 years apart, drinking a beverage we both enjoy. To welcome in the new year, my drink of choice will be tea–iced or hot–depending on whether Phoenix has a freeze warning.
On a rainy or snowy day, what is your drink of choice?
Happy New Year to all!
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Whoa. Leaves, twigs, and floor sweepings in Recency teas. Yucky. Glad for tea bags and loose tea seepers. Weird weather we are having across the country.
Very weird weather. While it’s been quite cold in Phoenix, my daughter, who lives in the foothills of the Appalachians, is walking around in shorts. Happy New Year, Carol!
Very enjoyable read.
Twigs , leaves, etc. it would be an absolute must to go to the source in order to get the real deal!
Stay warm !
I’m trying to stay warm, but after 20 years in the desert, I get cold if someone coughs! Hope you have a wonderful new year.
A good cup of afternoon tea is my wind down time. I drink decaf tea and find English brands stronger than American. Nothing compares to sitting down with tea and “Jane”, my idea of bliss!!
I agree that English brands are stronger. I’m really an iced tea drinker. I only drink hot tea if I’m cold. I hope you have a great 2016.
Green tea in the morning and a cup of hot chocolate in the evening for me. Enjoyed your post.
Thanks, Meg. My older daughter’s name is Meg. Here’s to a year of green tea and hot chocolate!
I drink coffee in the morning but usually include a cup of tea later in the day. I drink green tea a lot but Twining’s has a new limited edition Winter Spice which i find quite pleasant.
When I lived on the East Coast, I was a big coffee drinker. When I switched to decaf, I completely lost my taste for it and started drinking tea. I really enjoyed Twining’s, but my daughter, a big tea drinker, was in heaven. She bought a box with a dozen different teas in it. Happy New Year, Sheila, and thanks for all your support.
I drink Earl Grey tea and coffee but usually limit myself to 2 cups of each. Then I drink water. I am glad I didn’t live in Jane’s time as I prefer my tea without added extras and the water wasn’t fit to drink.
I hope your weather improves. It is quite mild in England but we have gales and heavy rain with floods in lots of places.
Thanks for this post.
I’ve been watching the weather in England. Yikes! So much rain. Arizona is supposed to have a wet winter, but so far, the storms have stayed north. That’s good for snow in the mountains, but not so good for the desert. Enjoy your Earl Grey without floor sweepings. Happy New Year!
I love Constant Comment tea by Bigelow. Tonight I happen to be attending a very special candlelight tea service in Stony Brook, which my five year old daughter, also named Mary, and my mom, another Mary, equally adore!! We had a tea party in our dining room last year for her fifth birthday and she wants one again for her sixth birthday next week. I drink more coffee than tea, but you can’t beat tea for a leisurely past time with a group of ladies that you love! Never mind all the yummy treats that are also served at a traditional tea service!! Thanks for the great post Mary!
Hi Claudine. When my daughter was 11 and 12, she had her birthday parties at a tea cottage with about six different types of finger sandwiches. It was lovely. BTW, I’m from North Jersey, and my husband is from Long Island. Enjoy the tea service and Happy New Year!
That’s such a funny coincidence Mary! We are in Suffolk County. Yes, we just came home and had a great time at the tea. It’s such a tranquil and pleasant experience! Happy New Year Mary!!
I love my one cup of coffee in the morning but in the afternoon I have a hot cup of tea. On a really cold night, I like to have a cup of hot chocolate in lieu of my herbal tea in my chair in front of the fire reading JAFF! I also own ‘Tea With Jane Austen’! Friends of ours are heading down for 3 months to Arizona to get away from the winters in Canada! Hopefully, the weather will improve for them. We just got over first snowstorm of the season that arrived after Christmas. It’s been so mild most of November and December so really can’t complain!
Our area tied the record highs the Monday and Tuesday before Christmas with 71 degrees!
Your friends should be fine in AZ. Even a cold day in Phoenix is pretty darn pleasant b/c the sun is always out. Hope you have a mild winter in Canada. Enjoy your tea and hot chocolate. Happy New Year!
It’s just crazy. Our son-in-law is a truck driver, and he had to change his route to get over the Mississippi! We’re having springtime in December.
I drink a pot of tea every morning. I don’t like strong teas, so I only use two tea bags for a 24 oz pot–three perfect cups of tea. I use one bag of Trader Joe’s Irish Breakfast and a second bag of a flavored black tea, usually St. Dalfour’s Organic Strawberry-Flavored Black Tea. I’m out now (must place another order with Amazon!), so currently I’m using Teavana’s Joy 2015 tea, a gift from my niece who works at Starbuck’s.
I love the smell of coffee, but hate the taste. Starbucks is my second office; I often go there to grade essays uninterrupted (we have four “kids,” three of them adults, living at home, two of whom work from home, so I often need to get away for some peace and quiet….). But I often bring my own tea to Starbucks as I prefer organic teas.
No cream, no sugar, no lemon for me–I’ll take it plain. 😉
Wishing you all a lovely 6th Day of Christmastide,
Susanne 🙂
Hi Susanne. You sound like a tea connoisseur. I rarely venture beyond Lipton for hot tea, but I’m fussy about my iced tea. Hope you have a wonderful new year. Thanks for all your comments. 🙂
So far winter in Indiana has been great! The last two years we had sub-zero and a mountain of snow by this time. The furnace went out and a pipe burst. A nice mild start makes winter go a lot faster. I start off with tea and a cinnamon stick almost every day. Lately its been peppermint. Happy New Year! Jen Red
Hey Jen. Thanks for stopping by. I hope you have a wonderful new year.
I am a real lover of winter; however, we have not been having much of one up here in Connecticut. I have had to decaffeinate for health reasons (not cardiovascular), so I do miss my afternoon cappucino. I do like spicy herbal teas (with a shot of Benedictine). By the way, Scottish Breakfast Tea is supposed to be very good. I am going to order some from GB soon. Constant Comment is another favourite of mine. Real hot cocoa is the best with peppermint. Have a lovely New Year’s Eve!
Hi Julia. I have never heard of Constant Comment. I’ll have to ask my daughter. All the best in the New Year. I hope Connecticut gets snow–not too much–just right.
My favorite teas are Lapsang Souchong and Darjeeling, which I drink year round….We are having rainy weather here in central Pennsylvania, but January and February are typically our snowiest months.
Hi Cheryl. When I was researching Darcy on the Hudson, I found that New Yorkers of the Federal Era drank Souchong and Darjeeling. I’ve tasted Darjeeling, and it was good. But when it comes to tea, I have a peasant’s palette. I mostly stick to Lipton. Happy New Year and thank you for commenting.
My favorite drink in he morning is coffee. Then, for the rest of he day…water….as cold as I can get it no matter the weather. If I have been shoveling snow (shudder), I drink a cup of hot cocoa. Our weather here in southern New York has also been odd….dry and today a high of 50. Last year, by this time, we had a few snow storms.
Happy new year to you Mary.
Isn’t the historical Twinings store wonderful? The things those walls would have seen and heard.
I drink both hot and cold tea, but if I had to choose it would be iced tea for me too 🙂
Yes, Twining’s is wonderful. Great entrance. I hope you have a wonderful new year. Hopefully, no stress.