Tea Tales: Earl Grey

Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey (1764-1845)
via: Google images

You either hate it or love it. There are no fence sitters for the Earl Grey Tea. For me, I like to brew a cup on sluggish mornings. I find the citrus bergamot refreshing and perfect to jump start my day. Just like we have numerous versions on the discovery of tea (camellia sinensis) itself, there are enough and more stories on how this iconic tea got it’s name.

Who is Mr. Grey?
Earl Charles Grey served as Prime Minister of England from 1830 – 1834. Though he accomplished a great deal during his term, the abolishment of slavery being key among them, he is most fondly remembered through England’s most popular beverage, Earl Grey Tea.

Legend has it that the recipe for Earl Grey tea was given to Earl Charles Grey when he saved the son of a tea blender in China from drowning and the recipe for scenting and flavoring black tea with bergamot oil was given to him as gratitude for this good deed. It is unlikely, however, that Earl Charles Grey ever visited China, much less saved a drowning boy there. Tea and mystery are old friends, I guess. Since there is no concrete story about how Charles Grey was honored by having a tea named after him, it could have been a nod to a powerful political leader, because Earl Grey Tea got its name around his time in office.

Fast forward to present day, Earl Grey tea has made a number of appearances in popular culture. It is a favorite of Star Trek: The Next Generation’s Captain Jean-Luc Picard, as well as The Davinci Code’s Sir Leigh Teabing.

Tea and Food Pairing
Earl Grey Tea holds its own with stronger flavoured foods. Earl Grey fits like a body glove with Bacon and Fried Eggs.
A bar of Dark Chocolate along with a cup of Earl Grey is another good idea to try out. Only for those who adore Dark Chocolate though.
If desserts and tea is your ritual, go for Creme Brulee/ Creme Caramel. Fruit Compote’s or Fruit tarts (Citrus based in particular) work very well with a cuppa Earl Grey.

DIY Earl Grey
If you have access to bergamot, you can make your own Earl Grey Tea at home! Here’s how – http://www.thekitchn.com/diy-earl-grey-tea-for-earl-grey-tea-haters-and-lovers-too-183012

Reference: http://coffeetea.about.com/od/typesoftea/a/Earl-Grey-Tea.htm

 

Job Title: Tea Studio Manager, Goa

Position: Full Time

Location: Goa, India

Job Description:

We need an operations whiz to join our Tea Studio in Goa. Your responsibilities include:

1) End to end order processing, including timely shipment of orders and deliveries. We don’t keep tea lovers waiting too long.

2) Keep stock of inventory and prepare key reports on stocks and sales. We hope numbers and you get along well.

3) Handle customer phone calls and emails on product inquiry or order status and revisions. Just a reassuring voice to confirm tea goodies are on their way.

4) Co-ordinate logistics for tasting events and workshops.

5) Periodic co-ordination with our tea brokers, tea estates and other vendors.

Work Experience: 1-3 years

We’re looking for some one who is:

- Self-driven with good attention to detail, especially because you will be working in a small, high-performing team.

- Articulate in communication, as you will be a key touch point for internal and external communication

- Familiar with MS Excel, Word and Power Point.

- Confident in his/her existing skills, but open to learning more.

No racial inequality. We allow you to drink coffee at work.

Please send your resume to teatime@teatrunk.com. Tell us what motivates you and why you are best suited for this role.

‘Around the world in eight teas’ – By Tea Trunk

‘Around the world in eight teas’ by Tea Trunk at The Goa Project from teatrunk

A Tea Tasting in Goa, while you shop.

A day of handpicked cotton-silk, silk and linen sarees & some lovely handpicked teas in the serene ambience of Paper Boat Collective, Goa.

Yes, another Tea Tasting in scenic Goa. And this time you get to shop while sipping tea!

When I stepped into this stylish and offbeat home decor and lifestyle shop set in a quaint Portuguese house on Chogm Road, Sangolda in Goa, I knew this was a perfect place for a Tea time. And sharing tea is what I do best.

So you are all invited! Read on to know more…

Image courtesy: Paper Boat Collective

 

A Good Word Works like Magic

There could be nothing better than to find another who shares the same passions as you, and hear their story too. Monday morning I wake up to this lovely message from a fellow Tea Lover and couldn’t wait to share it with you.

We love to hear your thoughts on our blog. Leave us a comment or join our growing community on Facebook. See you around!

Milk in Tea: Say Yes or No?

A lot of tea enthusiast I have met have asked me why isn’t it good to add just some milk to tea.

I simply like my tea best sans milk or sugar. But here’s an article from The New York Times that I am glad I stumbled across. Found it to be a good lead. Click on the below image to read the entire article.

Tea, Beaches and Creative souls

We are busy gearing up for our workshop at The Goa Project. Our first in Goa and we could not be more excited!

So what’s this workshop going to be about ? 

Well, we all know tea in one avatar that’s “chai”, but different cultures around the world celebrate tea in such unique ways. This year at The Goa Project we take you on a whirlwind tour of eight countries around the world while we taste and explore their story of tea.

To know more read on here – http://funnel.thegoaproject.com/workshops/83-around-the-world-in-eight-teas

We are also eager to meet the other creative souls out there. Here’s a mention of who’s going to be there - TGP Workshops