Classic Past-times: The 8 Best Ways to Enjoy a Cuppa

Are you a tea drinker? With winter coming to an end (and endless cups of tea drunk), I can truly reflect on how special this tradition is. We've chatted about the ritual of tea here before on the blog, but I thought it was worth mentioning again. It seems that coffee around the country (I'm not sure about the rest of the world) is going up in price, like many other groceries. Visiting a coffee shop isn't always an affordable option for social visits anymore, with some studies suggesting that the future of coffee is quite bleak due to climate change. I love coffee, but ultimately tea is my drink of choice and today I want to share some of my favourite ways to enjoy a cuppa. These are all free or cheap ways to enjoy tea, and with everyone watching their budgets closely I think it's important that we still find joy in this old-fashioned tradition. 

1. Sunrise tea

This is my favourite way to partake in tea. I get up early in the morning, before the rest of the family wakes and make a strong cup of tea. My little library has a fairly large window that faces east, so I put on my meditation, sip on my tea and watch the sunrise. It is absolutely the most peaceful way to start the day and if I happen to sleep in or miss it for some reason, then I feel the repercussions for the rest of the day. 

2. Tisane before bed

This ritual bookends the day nicely. Tisane is the French word for a herbal infusion and this drink technically does not contain tea, or rather the tea plant known as camellia sinensis. They are often made from herbs, flowers, or leaves and are caffeine-free. This makes them perfect to sip on before bed. My favourite tisane is chamomile. If you're more likely to wake in the night for the bathroom, then take your tisane after dinner (peppermint works well at this time), at sunset preferably watching the sunset. Perfection. 

3. An elegant afternoon tea with friends or families

My sister put on an elegant tea for my mum this Mother's Day and it was lovely. She prepared finger food, pretty little cakes and copious cups of tea. Like my children, her children also enjoy a cup of tea and we were all especially delighted by the little sugar cubes that she had found to serve with the tea. There were paper doilies on the plates and a pretty gold cake stand. She used a beautiful tea set, with china cups, saucers, and a matching tea pot. It was a very special day and one that can easily be recreated for Mother's Days, birthdays, anniversaries or other special occasions. The best thing was, she already had a lot of these things in the cupboard and was able to pick up many of the treats beforehand when they were on sale. A special, elegant tea without breaking the budget. 

4. Mid-morning break during chores or study time

Just when you think you've hit a wall in your morning chores or studies, you take a break. Walk away. Put the kettle on. Steep the tea. Take a breather. And gather the energy to keep going. Especially effective with a homemade biscuit (like these Anzac biscuits, recipe found here). 

5. With toast and a weekend paper - leisurely breakfast

It's funny, but there is something almost nostalgic and quaint about settling in with a weekend paper, tea and toast on a Saturday or Sunday morning. It's not a ritual that many people enjoy anymore, especially with this world of instant online news. If newspapers aren't your thing, then try a magazine. Newspapers have gotten quite expensive here, but we do have a free weekly city magazine which I pick up at the supermarket each week and save for the weekend. And I really do recommend the old-fashioned paper version. It's just not the same with a tiny news article on your phone. For true luxury, enjoy in tea, toast (with drippy butter à la Toad) and paper in bed! 

6. On a picnic or during a road trip

This is one of my favourite times to enjoy a cup of tea and reminds me of summers spent with my grandparents on the central coast. We would always go on picnics to the beach or the lake, and there was always a thermos full of hot water for a cup of tea. It tasted all the better because real china cups were used (these were the days before disposable cups!) My own children love to partake in tea during picnics or if we stop whilst travelling. I think it's a traditional well worth continuing, and is much more economical than buying five hot drinks at a roadside cafe!

7. By the fireside/heater on a chilly winter's night

Of course I had to mention this as one of the best ways to enjoy a cuppa. It's even more special if you are reading a classic mystery novel, like Agatha Christie or Ngaio Marsh. If possible, add a crashing thunderstorm outside and you've really set the mood! We had a night like this last night, and I added a candle flickering on the table next to me. It was a really lovely moment, and as I read Flora Thompson's From Lark Rise to Candleford I felt a kinship with those wonderful people who came before me. 

8. During hard times

The British are famous for "putting the kettle on" during hard times or when a crisis strikes. I used to think it was more the feeling of doing something, anything to be helpful, but actually sitting with a hot drink between your hands, taking deep sips and deep breaths, can actually be more therapeutic than simply being helpful. There are a lot of people going through a hard time right now and I think the offer of a cup of tea and a sympathetic ear can really go a long way. These friendly gatherings can bring comfort to lonely days, dark times, and worried minds. As Thompson says in From Lark Rise to Candleford describes:

    Those of the younger set who were what they called "folks together," meaning friendly, would sometimes meet in the afternoon in one of their cottages to sip strong, sweet, milkiness tea and talk things over. Those tea-drinkings were never premeditated. One neighbour would drop in, then another, and another would be beckoned to from the doorway or fetched in to settle some disputed point. Then some one would say, "How about a cup o' tay?" and they would all run home to fetch a spoonful, with a few leaves over to hep makeup the spoonful for the pot.

This wonderful, impulsive social aspect brings even more joy to a delightful ritual. 

These are just a few of my favourite ways to enjoy a cuppa. I'd love to hear your favourite way to enjoy a cup of tea, so please share in the comments below.