Sips of Wisdom

“Honestly, if you’re given the choice between Armageddon or tea, you don’t say ‘what kind of tea?” – Neil Gaiman.

Enough has been written about this magical concoction of leaves and boiling water, and more cups have been drained with relish day after day as centuries came and went, and as they will come and go. What is it all about, one might wonder? And one might wonder what will it be like to sip a cup with Mad Hatter? Lots of mad talk with method one might presume, but remembers that truth does set you free in the end but first it will drive you mad. So here is Hatter over tea with a little bit of tea trivia and a little bit of outrageous tea trivia.

Long before the commercial production of tea started in India in the late 1830s, tea plants were growing wild in the jungles in northeastern Assam, in India; and without o’course the factories, machines and what-not, the locals just used their hands (they still do) and bullocks (they no longer do) to create the first brews! On a different note, did you know that long back the Assamese at times ploughed their land using Rhinos! Figure that.

Darjeeling Tea is the champagne of teas! In the 1960’s two fellows Bernd Wulf and Ranabir Sen began to modify the processing of the various tea leaves in the beautiful hills that stretched below the snow-capped Himalayas. The result was the more complex aromas and oolong-like subtleties we find in many Darjeeling Teas today. However, beware for every 400 tons of tea sold under the name of the Hill Town every year, only 100 tons actually comes from Darjeeling! 

Tea from the southern Nilgiri hills of the blue mountains makes great iced tea due to their liveliness and clarity! Besides it is really good for health: It reduces risk of heart attack and strokes, protects your bones, and bolsters your immune system too; besides bringing that smile to our faces every morning and sometimes at night too. Night? Well, here is how to have tea as a party drink: Mix gin and cold tea, flavor with little lemon rind, and you’ll get a great summer cocktail.