I cannot tell you how glad I am, that the prompt for the day is ‘Tea’ and not ‘Coffee’. Then, this would have been a very short post 😉

Considering how tea forms an important part of my day, this prompt ought to be easy. But , it is quite the opposite!

When I sat down to type this out, I wondered what I should write about. Tea is so soothing, so pleasing and so relaxing that I can write a post that runs too long.

My first cup:

I must have had my first sip of tea when I was 12. It seemed like a rite of passage. Moving away from the ‘growing-up’ drink and into early adulthood was somehow, marked by this event, in my mind. I still remember savouring the taste of the tea, as its strange aroma wafted through the air.

My first time:

As a cook. What did you think? 😉

Yes, this was the first thing that I ever made. If there was one thing my mom could confidently ask me to make and serve guests, it was the milky, sweetened tea that I had managed to perfect. Of course, it was quite possible that most of the people praising my culinary skills were doing so out of kindness and not actual appreciation, but, hey, I wasn’t going to turn down praise 🙂

My first meeting:

In arranged marriages in India, we have this custom where a potential groom comes to see the bride. On the ocassion, we are expected to serve tea and light refreshments. My task was to make the beverage, as always. I still remember V, sitting in the room, staring at my face, as he sipped the milky tea (which he detests, by the way!) Fortunately, he was preoccupied with other things to notice the tea cup in his hands, or so I like to think 😉

My first couples tea:

Post marriage, once we had settled into our routine, V expressed his preference for dark tea. This isn’t black tea, mind you; it’s tea with just a couple of spoonfuls of milk. I started off making two varieties- the milky tea which I had grown up on and the dark, brooding one which he wanted. After about three months of washing two tea cans, I just gave up and started trying his way of tea-drinking. And guess what? I can’t drink it any other way now. It has to be just right- with that dash of milk, little sugar and the strong fragrance of steeped tea leaves, percolating through the kitchen.

My first tea set:

Honestly, I don’t remember this. I must have had quite a few over the years. But, I especially loved this set: A ceramic tea coaster set, complete with a teacup, a teapot, a creamer, a bowl of fruit, a saucer, some flowers for the mood and even a frilly, lace tablecloth to complete the ensemble.

The entire thing is ceramic, by the way. You do see the attention to detail, don’t you?

So, what’s your love story with tea all about? Care to share?