Tea can brew up some wonderful adventures

How about putting aside our 2019 diets and resolutions for a moment?

Instead, let’s chat about something that doesn’t have calories and requires no commitments: tea.

Tea and I became acquainted 49 years ago. It was sort of a survival thing. Jim and I were vacationing along the Jack’s Fork River in the Missouri Ozarks. And it rained — a lot. Everyone else drank coffee while we sat on the porch, watching the downpours.

I like the smell of coffee, but not the taste. In defense, I started drinking Bigelow’s Constant Comment, with its nice cinnamon flavor. Little did I know that tea could bring adventures as well as pleasure.

England, land that launched the love of tea, is the perfect setting for would-be devotees of the beverage. Lyons Corner Teashops in London, which lasted from 1894 to 1976, offered inexpensive perk-me-ups. The ultimate experience is afternoon tea at Harrods in Knightsbridge, or at Fortnum and Mason on Piccadilly.

Afternoon tea is an elegant, expensive event. Also, pardon the expression, it’s jolly good fun.

It’s the height of luxury. All those little sandwiches and cakes — oh my. The offerings keep coming and you leave feeling rather jumpy from too much theobromine (plus caffeine, which tea also contains) and a bit overstuffed. A good portion of those partaking are Americans, seeking the ultimate London experience. One time we were at Harrods and Jim was wearing a “Members Only” jacket. Remember those? They used to be standard casual dress for recent male retirees.

Senior Living

As we exchanged remarks with the Americans at the table closest to us, the husband mentioned he was president of Members

Only. Obviously, he was delighted to see his merchandise on display. Fortnum and Mason is equally as famous for its afternoon teas up on the fourth floor, but the tea is just as good at the store’s main-floor restaurant, the Fountain Room.

One year, my dear friend and fellow F&M aficionado, Christie, happened to be in London at the same time we were. So instead of enjoying a cup on her porch in Williamsburg, our venue for sipping the brew was the low-key Fountain Room. A good share of Fortnum and Mason’s main floor is devoted to selling tea. Blends of all sorts entice you. They come in tins or bags, and in every type or flavor imaginable. It’s a tea-drinker’s paradise.

Familiar Fortnum and Mason teas include the Royal Blend, which was concocted especially for King Edward VII, a son of Queen Victoria, who reigned from 1901 to 1910. Still popular today, I received a tin for Christmas this year. Others I enjoy are the Queen Anne, Darjeeling, Jubilee and afternoon blend. If adventurous, try the Guards’ Blend. The tin is a winner, with guardsmen on display in all their glory. The empty tins are great decorations for a fireplace mantel.

Because England isn’t just around the corner, I always stocked up on favor- ites from F&M and Harrods. Leaving from Heathrow airport after one trip, I lugged a gigantic bagful of tea tins. After we cleared security and were waiting to board, I discovered I had left the bag behind in the main waiting room. Back I flew, scurrying to the “lost and found” department. No tea had been turned in.

Next I figured out where we had been sitting among the hundreds waiting for their flights to be called. And there it sat unattended and surrounded by people. Why someone hadn’t panicked about a large bag with no owner, I haven’t the faintest. But I grabbed it gratefully and dashed through the whole security thing again. Jim was relieved when I reappeared, as boarding had begun.

But you don’t have to be in London to enjoy tea. It’s lovely sitting at the kitchen table, watching the birds, reading the newspaper and sipping a favorite. It’s even nicer when you’re sharing a well-brewed pot with a dear friend or neighbor.

If you prefer a strong brew, Barry’s Irish Tea and Yorkshire Gold are good choices. Twinings has a wonderful afternoon blend for a lighter taste. And Harney and Sons offer a hot cinnamon sunset tea, which is great on a wintry day. A similar version to try is Trader Joe’s winter wake up. For those of us who need a decaffeinated tea, Typhoo makes one that’s almost like the real thing.

Hope you will try a cup soon — and while enjoying, forget all about dieting (tea is calorie free, unless you add sugar or honey). And those resolutions seem like fleeing figments of a foolish attempt to improve — which we can always try again in 2020.

England, land that launched the love of tea, is the perfect setting for would-be devotees of the beverage.

Karen K. Spaulding can be reached at kksbadger@cox.net.