A Cup of Peace
Photography: Jillian Clark
Location: Guest House Raleigh
Make a Cup of Tea:
Place 1 heaping Tablespoon of good quality loose leaf tea in a tea-infuser or strainer. Place it in a cup.
Heat water in a kettle or pot to boiling.
Pour 8oz of water over the tea leaves.
Let it steep for 3-5 minutes.
Find a relaxing place to sit and enjoy.
Words by:
Charman Driver
I have fond memories of my grandmother making “sun tea” by placing several tea bags in a gallon glass container filled with water, and placed in the sun for several hours to brew. As a kid, I thought the sugar-laden drink was delicious, but I didn’t know until later what tea (without sugar) actually tasted like. My introduction to “real” tea was pretty extraordinary and it shifted my way of drinking tea forever.
At the age of 12, my best friend’s Japanese mother performed a Matcha tea ceremony for me in the spare and pebbly garden of their backyard. I remember how she made every move count, like a meditative dance. As the special guest, I was considered with every movement and it felt very special. I loved the vegetal smell and the faintly sweet taste of the frothy green tea. Needless to say, I never went back to “sun tea” after that.
The herbal varieties like chamomile, mint, and ginger are wonderful and prepared in the same way but, technically, they aren’t teas at all. The four true varieties of tea (made from the Camellia sinensis plant) are: Black, White, Green and Oolong.
To this day, I still think of tea as nourishing and ceremonial, and I will always offer a cup to guests in my own home. Plus, tea is a powerful antioxidant with many health benefits that are numerous and well-documented. It’s no surprise since tea is the most popular beverage in the world, after plain water.