Tea-Dyed Eggs ............ by Bonnie Ramsburg

New Zealand’s only commercial tea plantation is called Zealong, which launched its first products in 2009.

5. USA: The tea explosion

Whether cold or warm, in the morning or at night, tea is in 2014 one of the most popular non-alcoholic drinks in the States. Here is possible to find green, red and even the oolong tea, the traditional Chinese tea. In this sense, it doesn´t matter the type of tea as they are all included in North American people’s healthy diet. Today we can say that coffee is still preferred for the morning ritual, ice tea is often consumed with lunch and all types of tea are drunk in the evenings.

6. Thailand: A very trendy tea

Who hasn’t tried a Thai tea? This is also one of the most popular teas in the world. It is made from strongly-brewed red tea that usually contains anise, red and yellow food colouring and sometimes other spices too. Thai tea is especially consumed in Southeast Asia and in lots of American and European restaurants that serve Vietnamese and Thai food.

Thai tea found its roots in the midst of war, but a civil, rather than a colonial war like in most countries.

7. Britain: Classic afternoon tea

We all know that Britain is the place on the Earth where people can drink a cup of tea even before they go to bed. Yes, British people can’t live without this ancient drink which they brought from India from the time when Britain was an empire. Despite the coffee fuelled culture, tea is still the first hot drink chosen by the British population.

If you have the chance to visit London, don’t hesitate to spend an afternoon at the Orangerie, a paradise for classic tea lovers in the heart of chic West London.

8. Russia: Zavarka for guests

There are two things that Russians love most: vodka and tea. The history of this country tells us that it was along the Bolsheviks’ victory at the Civil War that soldiers and industrial workers started to get free tea, which until that point was considered an upper class product. Today most Russians enjoy what they call Zavarka, a very strong tea prepared in a separate tea pot that allows hosts to serve the guests in several rounds.

If you ever travel to Russia, don’t hesitate to have your tea with a piece of cake, as it is considered quite rude to serve the tea “naked”.

9. China: The dynasty of tea

For Chinese people, tea is synonym of life. They were the first to discover the tea leaf and have been drinking tea ever since. Because of the geographic climate, many locations across the country cultivate different types of tea. The art of making tea is called “Cha dao”, which was soon accepted as one of the most important cultures that Japan learned from China.

The only national museum in China can be found in Hangzhou, where there is a detailed description of the historic development of tea culture in China.

10. Argentine: The mate experience

People often say that if you want to know Argentine well you need to try its meat, its wine and its mate. Yerba mate is the national drink of one of the most amazing countries in South America and the truth is that it’s more than just a drink. It’s also a way of life. Even though it´s not really tea (it grows on a bush) whoever travels to this country will find out that people drink it at any time of the day. The more you drink it, the strongest the after-taste.

Traditional New Zealand Pavlova

from Cookstr.com Chef: Victoria Blashford-Snell, Brigitte Hafner Cookbook: The Illustrated Kitchen Bible Publisher: Dorling Kindersley

Course: dessert Total time: under 2 hours Skill level: Moderate Cost: Moderate Yield: 6-8 servings

Both Australia and New Zealand claim to have invented this meringue and fruit dessert, named after the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, who traveled the world in the early twentieth century.

Ingredients

• 6 large egg whites, at room temperature • 1 tsp cider vinegar • Pinch of salt • 1 2/3 cups sugar • 2 tsp cornstarch • 1¼ cups heavy cream • 6 oz (170g) strawberries, hulled and sliced • 2 kiwi fruit, peeled and sliced • 4 passion fruit, cut in half

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a baking sheet with wax paper. Beat the eggs and salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. One tablespoon at a time, beat in the sugar and beat until the whites are stiff and shiny. Towards the end, beat in the cornstarch. 2. Spoon the meringue onto the baking tray and spread into an 8in (20cm) round. Bake for 5 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 275°F (140°C) and bake about 1¼ hours, until crisp. Let cool on the baking sheet. 3. Transfer the meringue to a serving platter.

Whip the cream until it forms stiff peaks.

Spread over the meringue. Top with the strawberries, kiwi fruit, and the passion fruit pulp. Serve immediately.

Variations

Cinnamon Pavlova Add 2 tbsp ground cinnamon with the cornstarch. Garnish with whipped cream and strawberries, or blackberries and sautèed apples.

Nutty Pavlova Omit the vinegar and cornstarch. Fold ½ cup (2oz/55g) coarsely ground pistachio nuts or toasted, skinned hazelnuts into the stiffly beaten whites.

Brown Sugar Pavlova Omit the vinegar and cornstarch. Substitute 1 2/3 cups packed light brown sugar for the sugar.

Mocha Coffee Pavlova Beat 3 tbsp cooled brewed espresso into the stiffly beaten whites. Drizzle with ¼ cup chocolate syrup and garnish with chocolate curls.

Side note: this dessert features prominently in the Science Fantasy adventure, Falling, our editress’ debut novel

Blue Willow

soaring for more than 200 years

Chances are, at some point in your life you’ve come across some dishware that was blue and white with a patterned border and picturesque Asian scene. It’s unlike any other ceramic pattern and is so distinctive it’s become iconic and collectible, with groups and newsletters devoted solely to its merits.

It is, of course, The Willow Pattern, often known as Blue Willow, as blue is the primary color used against a white background, though variations exist, most notably: pink/ magenta, green and brown.

The pattern, based on Chinese design, was popularized circa 1790 when, as the prevailing story goes, famed porcelain designer Thomas Minton produced it in England.

ThePotteries.org states: “Engraved by Thomas Minton for Thomas Turner of Caughley, Shropshire, in the year 1780, it was closely followed by Royal Worcester, Spode, Adams, Wedgwood, Davenport, Clews, Leeds and Swansea. The original did not have the "Apple-tree" or the two Doves these being added later. Otherwise the differences are slight and mainly in the treatment or the fretted border, either a lattice work or conventional butterfly being used, and details of the fence in the foreground differing.

The original Chinese Willow, Minton copied, had no bridge with people crossing over, and it is not sure whether the stories connected with it originated in China or England. (Probably England, because the main components of the story were not included on the original plate.)” The WillowCollectors.org site offers the following prose & poems:

“The first known printing of the Willow Pattern Legend goes back to the mid-1800s. Since then and in countless forms, the Willow Pattern Legend, or Story, has been told and retold from generation to generation. Many individuals remember their mother or grandmother telling them the story on the blue willow plate as they ate dinner. Perhaps one of these legends will bring back great memories, or provide you with a story you didn’t know existed.

Willow Plate Story

'Two birds flying high, A Chinese vessel, sailing by. A bridge with three men, sometimes four, A willow tree, hanging o'er. A Chinese temple, there it stands, Built upon the river sands. An apple tree, with apples on, A crooked fence to end my song.

My Willow ware plate has a story, Pictorial, painted in blue From the land of the tea and the tea plant And the little brown man with a queue. What ever the food you serve, daughter Romance enters into the feast, If you only pay heed to the legend, On the old china ware plate from the East. Koong Shee was a mandarin's daughter And Chang was her lover, ah me, For surely her father's accountant Might never wed pretty Koong Shee So Chang was expelled from the compound, The lovers' alliance to break, And pretty Koong Shee was imprisoned In a little blue house by the lake. The doughty old mandarin reasoned it was time that his daughter should wed, And the groom of his choosing should banish That silly romance from her head. For years had great artists been stitching In symbols the dress she should wear, Her headband of scarlet lay waiting, She should ride in a gold wedding chair. He was busily plotting and planning, When a message was brought him one day, Young Chang had invaded the palace, And taken his sweetheart away. They were over the bridge when he saw them, They were passing the big willow tree, And a boat at the edge of the water. Stood waiting for Chang and Koong Shee. The furious mandarin followed The groom with revenge in his eyes, But the little boat dance on the water And traveled away with the prize. But vengeance pursued to their shelter And burned the pagoda, they say From out of the flames rose the lovers A pair of doves winging away. They flew toward the western heaven The pretty Koong Shee and her Chang Or so says the famous old legend From the land of the Yangtse Kiang, I wouldn't be one to deny it, For the little blue dove and her mate Forever are flying together Across my Willow ware plate.

There was once a Mandarin who had a beautiful daughter, Koong-se. He employed a secretary, Chang who, while he was attending to his master's accounts, fell in love with Koong-se, much to the anger of the Mandarin, who regarded the secretary as unworthy of his daughter.

The secretary was banished and a fence constructed around the gardens of the Mandarin's estate so that Chang could not see his daughter and Koong-se could only walk in the gardens and to the water's edge. One day a shell fitted with sails containing a poem, and a bead which Koong-se had given to Chang, floated to the water's edge. Koong-se knew that her lover was not far away.

She was soon dismayed to learn that she had been betrothed to Ta-jin, a noble warrior Duke. She was full of despair when it was announced that her future husband, the noble Duke, was arriving, bearing a gift of jewels to celebrate his betrothal.

However, after the banquet, borrowing the robes of a servant, Chang passed through the guests unseen and came to Koong-se's room. They embraced and vowed to run away together. The Mandarin, the Duke, the guests, and all the servants had drunk so much wine that the couple almost got away without detection, but Koong-se's father saw her at the last minute and gave chase across the bridge.

The couple escaped and stayed with the maid that Koong-se's father had dismissed for