Cold January is hot tea month

January is National Hot Tea Month Debbie Heth smiled and chatted as she poured Earl Grey à la crème from a green teapot in a cozy room decorated with royal photos.

“It feels special somehow to sit down with a pot of tea and all the accompaniments,” said the owner of A Taste of Britain in Wayne. “It’s like you’re worth it.”

So take a moment to savor the warmth of a freshly brewed cup. It’s National Hot Tea Month.

“Tea is for everyone. It’s not just for when you’re sick,” explained Trish Stubbs of Tilly Mint’s Tea Room in Souderton. “If it makes you feel better when you’re sick, imagine how it will make you feel when you’re well.”

Tea is, in fact, “the most widely consumed beverage in the world next to water,” according to the Tea Association of the U.S.A.

“It’s not their grandmother’s tea,” noted Karin Mason of Simpson House Tea Room in Chester Springs. “It’s gone a long way. There are more options. It’s not just a Lipton tea bag or a Red Rose tea bag.”

The certified tea professional offers about 100 loose teas ranging from dark chocolate to strawberry green.

“Earl Grey and English Breakfast are always your top sellers. They’re the most popular teas,” she said. “Anything that has a ‘breakfast’ in the name is designed for milk.”

And remember: “Milk goes in after your tea,” she added. “If you put your milk in first, it meant that you were too poor to afford to break your china.”

Mason blends many teas herself and encourages trying it at home “if you like to mix flavors.”

“It’s actually very easy,” agreed Heth, who’s celebrating the shop’s twenty-fifth anniversary with a custom combination of black tea, vanilla, blackcurrant and peppermint. “Peppermint blends well with other teas and lavender blends well with other teas.”

Also experiment with lemongrass or hibiscus flowers.

“Loose tea is not scary. It’s not complicated,” she said. “Loose tea opens a whole new world of delicious teas that you can suit to your own taste.”

One final piece of advice: “No pinkies,” Mason stressed.

“Originally teacups didn’t have any handles. They were like bowls,” she said. “Your pinky goes out to balance.”

Now, “it’s something kids do to have fun, but you’re really not supposed to.”

PHOTO BY EMILY RYAN Enjoy a cup of tea with a cranberry and orange scone, January’s “scone of the month” at A Taste of Britain in Wayne.

FILE PHOTO BY EMILY RYAN Choose from a large selection of loose teas.