To know the story of the tea, is to respect the leaf, its journey and the lives it has touched, including ours. —Carol Mark
fascinating, original stories about tea PLUS tea deals from around the world
New York City
The Himalayas
Publisher’s Welcome
Amazing deals for tea lovers
People at the love of Tea Magazine
From Beshill To Buckingham Palace: Chef John Higgins
The Art of Tea with Lindsay Chambers
When Tea was Worth its Weight in Opium
Tea Treasures: Ceramic Chewan
Samovar Tea Lounge, San Francisco, USA, Review
Tea Sommelier’s Tasting, Review of Maiden’s Ecstasy pu-erh tea
Words at 4,200 metres by Jeff Fuchs
Recipe for Himalayan Tea Dumplings
Pegu Club, New York, Review
Sunburst Morning Earl Grey Cocktail Recipe
Tea Inspired Cookbooks
Metrodeco, Brighton, United Kingdom
Mackenzie House: Tea in Early Toronto 1859, Toronto, Canada
Tea Sommeliers in the Making: Nova Scotia
Tea and Challenges in the Himalayas
Chai Tea Recipe
Tea Treasures: Knitted Cupcakes
The Russian Tea Room, New York City, USA
The Moscow Tea Room, Ottawa, Canada
Tea Treasures: Real Fairy Tales by Rochelle
Contributor Links
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AsJohn Lennon said -” life happens when you are busy making other plans”. Tea has always been part of my life and heritage, but it became an even greater aspect of my life when recovering from cancer. I took a tea course, which led to becoming a certified tea sommelier.
Part of the journey included my curiosity and interest in the history of tea with its origin and the transition into the revival of the 21st century. As an adult, living with the stresses and speed of modern technology, the ritual of “taking time for yourself” has moved to the forefront of my thoughts. Perhaps others who make the daily round in corporate towers are seeking the same kind of comfort and relaxation that I noticed as a child. Maybe this is part of the reason why tea has become so enormously popular.
But even that popularity has left out many of, what I consider to be, the most fascinating aspects of tea. the love of Tea Magazine brings you unique, never-before published stories, like tales of the Tea Salt Road traders with adventurer-tea master, Jeff Fuchs and Ashley Newport describes her trek in Nepal, fueled by Chai Tea. You’ll also find original recipes using tea, such as Earl Grey tea, the old/new drink taking its share of the cocktail revival with the TEAmartini at the Pegu Club in New York City. Meet Chef Higgins who was chef in Buckingham Palace and shares his Royal afternoon tea recipes. Who wouldn’t want to visit more tea places with this kind of panache and history?
the love of Tea Magazine came out of my adventures and longing for a magazine that would be informative, artsy, whimsical, joyful and most important of all—a magazine that I would love to read. Taking tea is a special time, a time to reflect, as well to connect with the inner & outer world. Enjoy it even more with the love of Tea Magazine
When not exploring the world of tea, Carol loves to tinker in her kitchen and her garden terrace, using them as a creative laboratory that produces inspirations for her recipe development and historical research.
Also. she enjoys reading autobiograhies and being inspired by stories of culture and real people. Such narratives drive her passion for authenticity.
As a nurse, who has more than twenty years of hands-on experience with health and healing, Carol believes in sourcing the best food, produce & tea for optimal health.
And of course, trying new teas!
Alan McKee’s thirty year career in the international advertising industry prepared him well for directing the creative content of the love of Tea Magazine. He has worked in publishing as an author and as a creator of publishing products. In the first instance, his emphasis was on writing, in the second, his role involved both graphic design and writing, aimed at specific interest groups. In the magazine industry, he worked as a free-lance creative source for Canadian Living Magazine and Saturday Night Magazine. He also wrote ads for Time-Life Books and Grolier. He co-authored highly successful products for Hume Publishing, a financial publisher in Los Angeles and Toronto and for Nightingale-Conant, the world’s largest personal improvement audio publisher. When not involved in tea, he plays his guitar, Rinty, and captures nature images which he turns into giant digital painted art works at his second home in the east coast woods.
Even if you already subscribe to the love of Tea Magazine, you may not hear about some of our Members only tea related deals. We source everything from special prices on teas to great breaks on amazing places to stay— like luxury accomodation at working tea plantations— to discounts on books for serious tea people. With our help, you can discover places you’ve never even imagined, like a forest of tea trees that are hundreds of years old.
So, if you’re serious about tea and have a passion for it, become a member in the love of Tea Global Fellowship and open up a whole new world of exotic money-saving deals you won’t find anywhere else.
Because the love of Tea Global Fellowship really does save you serious money on tea related purchases, we charge for it. We also want to know that you are serious about tea and not just a casual sipper, because our deals are not availble in the tens of thousands. Sometimes we can only accomodate a handful of Members with a particular deal. First come, first served. But everybody gets notice by email at the same time. That’s a promise.
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When I met Chef John Higgins, his welcoming smile and warm handshake immediately put me at ease. Chef Higgins has made time in his busy schedule to share his unique knowledge of Royal Tea. I will explain why I say, “unique,” later on.
Chef John Higgins is the Chief Director, Culinary Coordinator at Culinary School of George Brown College, a breeding ground of some of the best chefs in Canada, including Mark McEwan. Chef Higgins was trained in Scotland and landed in Canada in 1986. A distinct Scottish accent gives away his proud heritage.
A man who came from a working class background, Chef Higgins was born in Beshill, Scotland, presently enjoy-
ing a population of 20,000. It is a town built by the muscle of men who worked in the coal mines, not someone destined for the Royal kitchen.
Chef Higgins worked his way up at Gleneagles Hotel to Chef de Partie and then to Chef at Buckingham Palace, also serving the Royal Family at Balmoral, on the Royal Yacht, Holyrood (the Royal residence in Scotland) and Windsor Castle. You can see now why I said, “unique knowledge of Royal Tea.”
The call of new experiences took him to the Four Seasons in Toronto, then to Washington D.C., back to Toronto at the Sutton Place and the King Edward Hotel. In 1992 he was voted Chef of the Year by The Escoffier Chefs Society of Toronto.
Chef Higgins does not rest easily on his laurels, as he is a humble man who cares greatly about his craft. He started his training at Motherwell Technical College, a school much like George Brown College. Success did not come easily. Chef Higgins failed his first test with Mr. Ross. But these early teachers such as Mr. Hogan and Mr. Ross taught him about hard work and honing ones’ craft to perfection. This discipline instilled great dreams in the young man. It must be this legacy of inspiration that Chef Higgins wants to share with his students, just as his former teacher Mr. Hogan shared his vision of working at the Gleneagles Hotel, the crème de la crème of hotel culinary artistry.
describes her as a “great cook” who “could make something out of whatever was left over -a few strawberries became strawberry jam”. This creativity was probably the result of having gone through the war and rationing. His inspiration on special outings to Glasgow, twenty minutes away, was seeing the Central Hotel described as “posh-wow” with a revolving door and a person who would polish the brass daily.
Tea time is a part of the fabric of Scotland, and Chef Higgins takes time whenever he can to honour the tradition. Chef Higgins states, “tea time is all the time, tea was always in the kitchen”.
Chef Higgins’ love of food was something not acquired on the home front. His mother he describes as an “okay” cook, but his grandmother was the one who probably instilled the love of culinary skill in the young chef. He
Taking time is important for a man who loves his work even when there are sacrifices in missing family and social events.
Chef Higgins told me “Father took Chef Higgins modest personal tea set that he uses when working at George Brown College.tea in an oval tin that had special compartments for the tea and sugar. Every person who crossed the hearth into the family home was welcomed with tea and biscuit, tea and scone or tea and a sandwich noting “a cup of tea brings the family together”. Even his aunt Jenny taught Chef Higgins the finer elements of tea. She used a tea strainer and as a young lad he thought this made her “rich”.
Chef Higgins learned the “proper way to prepare tea using a teapot and china” when working at the hotels. Memories are evoked by the senses and in this case, Chef Higgins earliest memories was Ceylon tea scooped out of wooden boxes that had metal corners. Ceylon tea remains his favourite today. His mother baked on a Sunday with her Florentine cake made with dough, raisins and sponge on top and of course, shortbread. His grandmother baked the best scones and if she really liked you, you were served tea in a china cup, otherwise it was a mug. Tea was a time to “improvise, just special, nothing complicated”. Chef Higgins reflected that “tea is like wine at the end of a day, a time for celebration”.
Tea at Buckingham Palace is regimented everyday 4-4:30 pm with setup of silverware and china. The sandwiches are cut precisely bite size with smoked salmon, cucumber, watercress, roast beef and tomato, “very simple”. For desserts it is scones, pound cake, cookies, shortbread, chocolate cake and fresh jams. Tea time was a moment in the day to take a reprieve. He described the Royal Family taking time for tea and said, they “did slow food before it was invented.” Food sources came from the estates and included fresh cream from the Windsor dairy, cheeses, game and fish.
Chef Higgins, gracious with his time, truly believes “tea is the moment for bringing people together,” as we had our conversation over a cup of Ceylon tea served in a china cup. Tea is a special moment of the day when he partakes for himself and guests,
a gesture of welcome from Beshill to Toronto.
Share a special moment by having a friend for tea in china cups, served with these Buckingham Palace special recipes from Chef Higgin’s personal notebook.
www.chefschool
Chef Higgins generously shared his recipes and I tried my hand with the Royal Shortbread. Taking the advice of his grandmother of being creative I used 3 tbsp of organic dried rose petals, which is food grade and I added it at the end of the batter until mixed.
The rose petals gave a slight floral note and is a delicious addition.
NOTE: 16 large portions, if using 1 1/2 “ cookie cutter will make 50-60 cookies
Royal Shortbreads from Buckingham Palace
© Chef John Higgins 2015
PORTIONS: 16 cookies
Mix all ingredients together until it forms a dough-like consistency. Roll out to a ½ inch thickness and cut into circles or fingers. Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake in a preheated oven 170C (350F) for 10-15 minutes. When golden in colour, remove from oven and sprinkle with granulated sugar and leave to cool on wire rack.
Old-Fashioned Scones Buckingham Palace
© Chef John Higgins 2015OUTLET: PORTIONS: 16
Granulated
METHOD:
1. Preheat oven 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. In large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Using wire pastry blender or two knives, cut in butter until mixture resem bles coarse crumbs. Stir in raisins and sugar.
3. In small bowl, whisk together egg yolk and buttermilk. Stir into flour mix ture with fork until soft dough forms. Gather into ball; turn on to floured surface and knead a few times. Roll out to about ¾ inch (4 cm) thickness. Using a glass or cookie cutter, cut into 2 1/2-inch (6.5 cm) rounds. Brush with egg white; dust with sugar.
4. Baked on greased cookie sheet or on Silpat plastic liner 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.
by Lindsay Chambers
This series came to exist in an un-
expected way. I was at a friend’s house and he served tea. When the tea arrived, it was served in a silver teapot with a silver creamer, sugar bowl, and tray. This was the first time this service had been used and it was in absolutely pristine condition with highly reflective areas. My husband urged me to take some pictures as I was gazing into the teapot admiring the reflection of light and the other parts of the service. At the time, I had been painting other antique objects with reflective surfaces, mainly chandeliers. Once I had painted this first silver set, I loved the interaction between the objects on the tray and the various challenges involved in painting silver. It became a repeated image that I began to seek out at various antique markets.
A recurring theme in my work has always been to present the viewer with an alternate view of the ordinary. I try to crop images in an interesting way or present various focal points within an image. Often objects are reflected into one another, part of the under-painting is visible, and there may be dripping paint or textured areas. I always want there to be more to a painting than simply subject matter. My goal is that every time someone views the piece, they find something new to look at.
There is a type of sadness that I feel when I find these objects to paint. Often they are being sold at antique markets and are far away from that
moment when they were purchased or given as a gift. I imagine a time in someone’s life when things were new and exciting and life was beginning. These pieces are now starting over, being purchased and starting their life cycle for another time. In a way, I feel that my paintings bring these objects off dusty shelves and celebrate their beauty in a modern way. In my house I don’t have space for full tea service displays. I have had clients ask me to paint heritage items they have inherited or that are meaningful to them so that they can bring life to the pieces in another way.
Many of the objects in my paintings have been found at antique markets or other shops, however my most recent collection, completed in 2015, is comprised of my Mother’s tea set. She received it as a wedding gift. In my life, I have never seen it used, but it has always been on display in my home growing up.
I spent a lot of time with this tea set and the cutlery from her boxed silver set. I took them off the shelf and into the park where I was able to capture the new blossoms of spring and bring a new sort of life to a traditionally stationary pieces.
My mom is famous for her “children’s tea”, which is a blend of warm milk, water and honey. I’m not sure the age I started drinking actual tea but a “children’s tea” was created, I’m sure, because I wanted to emulate my mother and participate in her tea ritual. As I grew up, tea was always something I looked forward to as a relaxing treat. Simply drinking tea, even in the midst of chaos, gives me the impression of peace.
My husband and I share a pot of tea every night. I met him as I was finishing my undergrad and I remember him sharing his tea ritual with me. He had a favourite tea shop and would create blends of loose tea. I remember being intrigued with this man who drank and created with tea. I thought it was incredibly appealing. Our tea ritual these days is not fancy, nor are we creating loose-leaf blends, but it is our time together to catch up on the day.
Lindsay Chambers is a contemporary Canadian artist who lives and works in Toronto. Her work is in collections in Canada, United States, UK, Dubai, New Zealand and Japan. 2013, Lindsay’s work was selected for the Princess of Margaret Dream Home by Brian Gluckstein. Work has been featured in design segments on Canadian home décor programs such as CityLine, Steven & Chris, and in home-décor magazines.
The SeaWitch, a fabulously fast and manoeuvreable sailing ship used to carry opium. One of the legendary ‘opium clippers.’
Imagine a crop so profitable that it was literally worth its weight in gold, so valuable that empires warred over it, and new technologies were developed to transport it. No, I am not talking about tea but about the crop that was bound up with tea cultivation and which brought the British Empire to the pinnacle of world power and wealth throughout the nineteenth century: Opium. Some historians have even said that without opium there would have been no Victorian era of British wealth and power, perhaps no British Empire. Certainly, history would have looked very differ-
ent. Even today, there are multi-national corporations that got their start in the opium trade.The opium auctions at Bombay and Calcutta drew traders from many nations, each with their own super fast sailing craft, ships that would carry the drug past the ships of the Chinese emperor. Americans, Russians, Germans, French, all stood in line to bid on chests of opium in the two great markets where opium was sold by the British. But what does this have to do with tea, the most widely used beverage, other than water, in the world?
Tea and opium share a long and interconnected history. The opium
poppy, papaver somniferum was first grown in large amounts in India by the British Empire. It’s primary purpose was to even out the balance of trade between the British Empire and the Chinese. After tea was introduced to the British people, consumption rose to a point where the British government was concerned about it’s trade deficit with China. The Chinese were not interested in any of Great Britain’s usual trade products. Even British cloth did not tempt the Chinese who were used to silk.
As the addictive properties of opium became better known, the British set out to create a China of addicts, which they did by sending and smuggling the drug into China in unprecedented quanties, in spite of China’s protests. The British placed vast tracts of Indian land under poppy cultivation, and made it illegal for any one else to grow the opium poppy. Huge “factories” were built where the opium was collected, graded and packaged for export. In fact, so huge did the opium trade become that the opium smugglers built special ultra fast sailing ships to out run the heavy slow
Chinese junks. These fast ships became known as the ‘opium clippers’ and were the fastest ocean going sailing craft ever built. The ships used in the famous Americas Cup race are based on the designs of the opium clippers. So, you could say that tea had a following that was as devoted to the beverage as opium addicts. Eventually, the British wanted their own tea plantations so they could bypass the Chinese altogether. After the two Opium Wars were fought by China and Great Britain, the British began developing their own tea plantations in India, thanks to the boldness of an Englishman who went to China, passed himself off as Chinese and stole a few living bushes from China. Many of our most loved black teas come from these tranplanted tea bushes. Not only were these teas under British control but the Chinese could no longer sell adultered tea to the English, green tea made green with arsenic. So, the next time you sit down to enjoy your tea, realize that the same drink you have in your cup had the power to build vast fortunes and empires. launch multi-national corporations and re-write history.
Alan McKee has been a professional writer most of his life. As a boy, he helped his father, Alvin Schwartz, write Superman and Batman comics for DC in New. York Then followed a long international career as an advertising copywriter and graphic artist. For most of his life he has used words and images to communicate. He has three historical novels for sale on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. Each demonstrates his skills as a researcher and narrator. Visit his s www.hudsonhousemysteries.com
A tanuki (raccoon dog) as a tea kettle
by Katsushika Hokusai
(1760—1849), Japanese
Located in the Castro neighbourhood of San Francisco, Samovar’s elegant atmosphere caters to the thirsty tea enthusaist whose palates could never be satisfied from a cup-togo coffee shop.
Not only do they have a wide selection of high quality whole leaf teas, but they also have Samovar exclusive tea blends. These are recommended to be had with at least one menu item (as noted in the menu).
Their extensive menu can be intimidating to new tea comers, but I was
able to order without hesita- tion as my waiter was extremely knowledgeable about the menu and pairings. Apparently he was already well versed in tea and herbals before working at Samovar! I would have been lost on my own through my indecisiveness.
I ordered:
u Tolstoy’s Sip | a Russian style black tea with dried fruits and infused with a spoonful of home made strawberry preserves. (see next page for a complete run-down and images)
uIron Goddess of Mercy | a personal favourite Taiwanese oolong of mine that I could not pass up!
Tolstoy’s Sip a Russian style black tea with dried fruits and infused with a spoonful of home made strawberry preserves.
Butternut Squash Dumplings
crispy wonton wrappers filled with an
infused Butternut mash. Served with a sesame dip.
An assortment of sweets, which included a scone,
Dessert: cake, fresh fruit, cream and preserves.
Although the dumplings were filling and were fabulous with my cup of oolong, I have to say that my favourite moments were spent with the Russian tea blend, the cherry and oat scone and the vegan coconut rice pudding (that came with the sweets plate).
As I struggled to eat the rest of my lapsang souchong biscuit and matcha mouse (I had just consumed a two person feast all to myself), I sunk softly into the atmosphere as Nouvelle Vague played in the background. Not only was the food extremely pleasant, but the environment was so enchanting, I did not catch myself falling into
a tea trance.
Before I left, I grabbed a box of Pu’er tea to share with my family. I was curious to know whether the amazing impression of visiting Samovar held the same quality in their shelf products.
I was not disappointed.
Samovar’s Castro location is at 498 Sanchez Street in San Francisco.
Please note that Samovar has four locations with varying menu items depending on location.
A superb delight for the senses: a cocoa musty taste on the palate that is soothing. Further infusions with longer steeps created a denser, sweeter taste, much like a dark chocolate with rich burgundy notes finishing with a clean palate. Pairs well with rich foods such as meat or chocolate desserts or even on its own.
Yes, I would agree with their statement: Samovar is a Way of Life a reminder to wake up and appreciate the pure joy of being.
Described as -wild-crafted from 30-foot trees in the jungles of Southwest China, this tea is a traditional wedding gift and evening mood-setter. Dark, creamy and luxurious with notes of bittersweet chocolate and expresso.
by Jeff Fuchs
Kersang’s daughter lights juniper to ‘cleanse’ the home.
©Jeff Fuchs all rights reserved
Amne Machin sits like a massive knife of rock rising out of one of the highest altiplano’s on earth, the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. A pathway that is centuries old and marked with the memories of pilgrims, traders, and the desperate rings of the great mountain’s outer borders. North of the grand 6000 + metre peaks, within the shadows, I’m tucked into a ramshackle little hut along this pathway in a village that is strewn together collection of huts, motorbikes and a general store.
Within this little shack, I sit on a mattress beside a stove that heaves heat outward in a relentless breath. The fuel within the stove is yak dung, and the air is thick with the acrid narcotic wafts of a juniper branch that was just burned, to “clear the spirits” for the new day. Outside, a wind that never ceases rattles at the door and buzzes with intent. Located in Qinghai province, known as Amdo to Tibetans, the region is remote
even by nomadic standards and when winters do come to these lands, “even the wolves leave” according to locals. It is one of the coldest regions within the Himalayan realm.
My hostesses are two generations of nomadic women who have only recently ‘moved up’ in the world (though this might have a little twist of irony too) into a hut from their tented pasts. A couple of small beds act as storage devices, chairs, and even serve as tables besides also providing slivers of sleeping space to the inhabitants. I sit upon one now as the younger of the
two (who is the 49 year old daughter) blurs around the space tidying and preparing food and tea. She is a small powerful woman with long pleated braids tied by coral and silver who laughs much and has a force about her as she whips around the small space.
Kersang the Wise poses in her home near Amne Machin.My presence here on my way around the sacred mountain site is unexpected but taken in stride and treated as nothing more than a welcome extra body to feed, listen to, study a little, and of course offer up a bed to. Here, all living things must cooperate or perish. As part of a journey to trace and document an ancient and little documented nomadic trade route, I’ve arrived here. It has been a touch over a month since this journey began. The route itself is a tale of the ‘white gold of the mountains’, salt. To the local Tibetans it has long been simply known as the ‘Tsa’lam’ (literally ‘salt road’).
These women before me with their calluses, smiles, and sun-scarred faces are part of the landscape, and by extension a living part of the history of the region. The eldest of the women, has for the past hour been recounting her own memories of the route, and with it, a history that is both personal and vital. In this region - where oral narratives serve as textbooks, and close proximity to community and the relentless environments serve as teachers - words and their recounting have long been a form of documentation and of bonding. Words are listened to still and elders are revered, not for sim-
ply being ‘old’ but for having survived intact in one of the most daunting environments on the planet.
“Caravans came by to pay respects to the mountains and deities on their way to and from the salt lakes”, the eldest tells us. Her eyes still glow with energy and vitality and her name - she tells me – is Kersang. She is uncertain of her exact age, because as she reminds me, in those times births were not always marked into a calendar as we know it. She does, after some time, let me know that she thinks she is 67 years old.
Her daughter, Chu’pi, with hair braids running down her back is a blur of movement within the small quarters. Bowls are lined up on the stove and a froth of butter, stewed tea, salt and a little barley powder is sloshed in. Steaming, thick and frothy, the liquid itself is a testament to an unchanged ‘culinary’ tradition. Tea in this remote home is what it always has been: an introduction, a welcome to speak, rest, be heard, and take in calories. To not be offered tea in such a home would be the equivalent of telling someone that they are not welcome.
Taking back a bowl of tea, Kersang continues her talk of a world of splendid isolation and grit…and the route
of salt. In this small space, Kersang is the equivalent for me of an alchemist or magician. When she speaks it is slow and her eyes twinkle the light of all she has seen. Her hands remain folded in her lap, once in a while spreading wide as she speaks. She often refers back to the words, “the land”. Upon the Tibetan plateau, the land and its people are inextricably linked and bound. People may hold grudges but they also bear a shared struggle to simply survive. Trade, though, seems a favorite topic for Kersang.
“The nomads (ngdrog’ba) would come with their yak caravans from Ganzi, Serthar, Baima (in Sichuan to the southeast) and bring pine resin to trade for the salt. Salt…and tea, were everything”.
“Our lives were about our herds and we could trade easily for salt. For these Khampas (Tibetans of the east) they had to travel distances to source the ‘white gold. They had to travel distances to find anything to trade”. She is warming to the memories of the days of trade, and her hands have become more
Kersang in her precious wools, corals, and turquoise.
animated. It is perhaps too, the tea kicking in with its eternal stimulant abilities.
Around us, late afternoon winds hint that the mountain version of night
connection to each other create a luxury of space and feel.
Light fades slightly and preparations begin to make dinner, and of course take a bit more tea. Kersang is glowing,
is not far off. Kersang’s still smooth skin creases briefly as she smiles at something her daughter has said. This little home, with its cracks for the wind to prod, and its smell of smoke and butter is as comfortable a space as I’ve been in a long while. The human dynamic and the
perhaps in rekindled memories of a forgotten trade route, or perhaps simply because she understands her place better than most.
Kersang’s home, which was at times, like a repository of a tea, butter, and wools.Braided pleats of hair tied into ornaments is common within the nomadic communities.
www.jefffuchs.com
Having lived for most of the past decade in Asia, Fuchs’ work has centered on indigenous mountain cultures, oral histories with an obsessive interest in tea. His photos and stories have appeared in World Geographic, Kyoto Journal, The Spanish Expedition Society, The Earth, The China Post Newspaper , Silkwinds , Outpost, The Toronto Star, and The South China Morning Post amongst others.
Jeff’s journey along the route of Salt, the Tsa’lam.
Jeff Fuchs explorer / author
By Carol Mark ©2015 all rights reserved
Tdumplings, and grow ing up I have memo
scented with spices. This is my versionmanitarian aid trip
semi-oxidized yunan tea dumplings, leeks, lamb sauce, five spice, tomatoes, yogurt, garlic serves 4
Lamb Sauce
1 lb. ground fresh lamb
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 T allspice
4 cardamom, ground
5 cloves
1 T turmeric
1 T chili powder
1 T cumin
3 knobs ginger, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic minced
1 stick cinnamon
3 T grenadine syrup
2 C crushed tomatoes
1 C water
vegetable oil
Lamb sauce can be made ahead and reheated.
1)Heat oil in pan until hot adding spices until fragrant watching it does not burn.
Add lamb to brown.
2)Add tomatoes and water and simmer 30 mins on low. Stir often as it burns easily.
3)Check last 5 mins to cook and if too watery cook further until thick. Skim off excess fat.
Vegetarian Himalayan Tea Dumplings
kidney beans, tomatoes, smoked paprika, cilantro serves 4
2 C canned white kidney beans, drained
10 seeded, chopped fresh tomatoes or tinned
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp salt
4 T olive oil
cilantro
1)In a pan with olive oil, saute garlic until fragrant on medium high, add chili powder and smoked paprika, watching not to be burn until just mixed.
2) Add tomatoes and kidney beans cook on low for 30 minutes. Last minutes check that most liquid has been absorbed and not runny. Season to taste and garnish with fresh cilantro.
3) Substitute this vegetarian version topping for the lamb.
Dumpling Filling
3 leeks washed and cleaned with white parts cut in slices
4 stalks green onions chopped or 1 C chives chopped
3 T semi-oxidized Yunan tea or semi-oxidized tea such as oolong infused in 2
C boiling water drain keeping tea leaves and tea separate; mince tea leaves and set aside.
1/2 tsp salt
4 T vegetable oil
1) In a pan on medium heat stir fry leeks, green onions cooking on low once transparent with lid off. Stir often.
2) Add few tablespoons of prepared tea if dry.
3) Cook approximately 15 mins. Add chopped tea leaves and mix well.
Tea Sommelier’s Tip: Rinse the tea leaves initially before infusing to open up the leaf. Teas can have multiple infusions starting with 1 minute and increasing steeping time each steep. This recipe we utilize only one steep.
1 1/2 C all-purpose flour
4 T semolina flour (prevents over stickiness)
1/2 C hot water
1) Place flour in bowl and pour water slowly and stir with a fork.
2) When cool place on floured table and knead about 6 times until firm.
3) Place back in bowl covering with a damp cloth to stand for 20 minutes.
4) Place dough on lightly floured surface and knead 5 more minutes and roll into a roll about 1 1/2 inches diameter. Cut in half and cut out 12 pieces in each roll
to total approximately 24.
5) Press each circle with palm of hand and using rolling pin roll each piece from the centre outwards turning a quarter each time and keeping round shape. The edges should be thinner than the centre.Dust lightly with flour and pile under damp dry cloth.
6) Assemble dumpling place 1 tsp of leek tea filling in centre, moisten edges with water, fold in half moon and seal along edge. Bring ends together and pinch. Extra dumplings can be frozen.
Yoghurt
2 C Greek style heavy yoghurt
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 T mint, chopped
PREPARATION:
1) Mix yogurt with minced garlic and mint seasoning with salt at least 24 hours prior to serving to allow flavors to infuse.
1) Using the tea from tea from the tea infusion boil and drop in dumplings not crowding until they float to top about 6 mins. If not enough liquid add extra water. Drain well. To prevent sticking use 1 tsp oil to toss.
2) Assemble by layering the dumplings, meat mixture, and yogurt. Top with extra chopped herbs such as cilantro or mint.
© Carol Mark all rights reserved 2015
Tea Sommelier’s Tip: Using the tea to boil the dumplings further deepen’s the tea taste. Dumplings have a history dating back to the tea traders and Alexandra the Great with variations that marked his route.
Sourced in small batches from family farms in the Pulang Mountain,Yunnan China.Grown at 1700-1800 meters in century old tea forests.
ORDER ‘YUNNAN FAMILY SECRET’ TEA FOR DUMPLINGS
15 g pouch makes three recipes of dumplings. Note if you want to cook dumplings in the tea, then it will make just under two recipe servings.
$7 Canadian dollars includes shipping & handling to USA and Canada.
$10 International orders
MORE TEA INSPIRED RECIPES-CHECK OUT CAROL’S TEA COOKBOOKS
http://www.theloveoftea.ca/tea-books.html
Tea Time ©Wenda Watt
acrylic on paper, 11.5 x 11.5” by Canadian painter Wenda Watt, reflects both her interest in colour, pattern and fondness for jazz and afternoon tea.
www.wendawatt.ca
Tea Party Twist by Merle Nudelman
in response to Tea Time by Wenda Watt
Afternoon tea beneath a ruffled parasol
rosette cups, lacy linen, domed meringues atop a lavender tray
and she all satin and princess-pink, French braids and bows.
beside the sky-blue castle spires a line of primped Barbies lounge, gossip about Disney’s happily-ever-after:
the dollop of cream on a bewitching, bronze brew. Study that drink deeply––
beneath the glazed reflection, behind the plastic tiara, glass gems, clown’s prevaricating grin––
that once-upon-a-time potion distilled in a faraway enchanted kingdom where rapt beauties wish upon mauve stars.
Bubblebubble, toil/trouble––Words hiss down the neck to collarbone’s pale shelf, drop demonically. Vapors mist, gloss peachy skin, leech onto bloodlines leading inward.
Smile in place the flaxen girl curtsies, wands the array of delicacies.
Tea anyone?
©Merle NudelmanMerle Nudelman is a lawyer, poet and educator. She has written four poetry collections including True as Moonlight (Guernica Editions, 2014).
Merle’s poems have garnered prizes and have appeared in journals, zines, and anthologies.
by
Historically, bars in far away places were watering holes, which acted as a home away from home. A place where conversation flows easily and new friendships are forged. Much like F. Scott Fitzgerald novels where the Gin Rickey is just as important as any of his characters.
Over the years, reading Hemmingway, even before I actually traveled, I gathered a sense of place and time through his writing. When I visited Venice my priority was not to see St Mark’s Square but Harry’s Bar. Tucked away in the corner of the square, a building much the same as the other centuries of mortar and memories within those walls. Upon entering, I sensed the people, who seemed like characters of a play. I was a silent observer. I was wedged
elderly Contessa and friends, who were reliving their youth dressed for an evening out. Being front row and centre, I felt their mysteries of life and angst through their tones and mannerisms.
Feelings of time and place were also strongly evoked when I visited the Pegu Club in New York, established by renowned bartender Audrey Saunders. The Pegu Club is an unassuming hideaway nestled on busy West Houston St. Wedged between two stores, there is a frosted glass door with the Pegu Emblem It signals like a password with the prestige of a private club. Behind the door was the long staircase to the entrance of the second floor.
The room is a long bar with nestled private tables for groups or an intimate table for two. I felt privileged to be ushered into this private space to
Carol Mark
©Carol Mark 2015 all rights reserved
originally created by Audrey Saunders in 2000 at Bemelmans Bar at the Carlyle, New York City. The Earl Grey TEAmartini presents a jewelled white foam with a curl of citrus. The citrus is a pefect complement to the bergamot. Earl Grey tea is the second most pop ular tea, which, legend has it, was giv en to the Earl of Grey as a thank you from a Chinese Mandarian for saving his son. Black oxydized tea scented with the oil of Bergamot, a citrus plant grown in Cyprus.
TEAmartini is a smooth, luxurious blend of citrus lemon notes with the dryness of the vodka. My lips loved the fluffiy egg white as a resting place for my palate in between sips. The tea added an extra depth of mellow ness and smoothness. The liquor was sublime-just the right taste of sweet, sourness and of course, tea. I was ser enaded by the rhythmic shaking of a cocktail shaker in the background, as my thoughts were carried away from the hectic day. Freshness is the key with hand squeezed juices and tinc tures, but more important is the crea tion and care taken with each order.
Simply put, the Pegu Club is a refuge for the body, soul and a great drinking club, much like the original bars of the 1800’s.
Here is my version of the TEAmartini, inspired by the one New York City mixologist Audrey Saunders created. To get the real deal, as I did, you will need to visit the Pegu Club as advised by Audrey on the PEGU website:
“Are we going to share any of our concepts or ideas with you? Nope. You’ll just have to pay us a visit, and see for yourself what we’re doing.”
1.5 oz (1 shot glass) Earl Grey Gin
1oz Simple Syrup
1 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
1 egg white
PREPARATION:
Shake the ingredients for 45 to 60 seconds without ice so that the egg emulsifies, then add ice and shake for another few seconds to chill the drink.
Strain into a prepared cocktail glass as follows, and top with a lemon garnish.
Preparing the glass: Lemon twist for garnish.
Moisten the rim of a chilled martini glass with lemon juice and turn it upside down in a saucer of coarse sugar to rim the glass.
1 tablespoon of loose leaf Earl Grey
1 cup gin
Glass jar for Infusion
Directions:
Combine ingredients in the jar-shake and then let sit at room temperature for approximately 2 hours.
Strain the gin to remove the tea leaves. Rebottle and any left over can be kept in a refrigerator.
Remember, always use the best and freshest ingredients as this will reflect in the final tasting.
Go to next page for recipe
serves 1
1 oz vodka infused Earl Grey
1/2 oz Grand Marnier Orange Liqueur
1 T simple syrup
1/4 C orange juice
1/2 lemon juice squeeze
1 T grenadine
lemon and orange slice
1) In a shaker add ice cubes and liquid ingredients.
2) Shake 10 times.
3) Pour in martini glass, rub rim with lemon twist and garnish with half a lemon and orange slice.
Mocktail Version
serves 2
Substitute the vodka with cold 1/2 C steeped Earl Grey tea made with 1 T Earl Grey tea infused with 1/2 C boiling water for 7 mins. Cool.
1 C granulated sugar
1 C water
4 tsp loose leaf tea
PREPARATION: In a pot boil sugar and water.
Infuse tea in a tea infuser for 7 mins.
Cool and bottle. Use within 7 days.
VODKA INFUSED TEA
4 oz vodka
2 tsp loose Earl Grey leaf tea
PREPARATION:
1) Infuse tea in an infuser in the vodka for 5 hours. OR infuse directly in the alcohol and strain before bottling. Do not leave tea in spirits as this will cause it to be bitter.
2) Bottle and use within 7 days.
© Carol Mark all rights reserved 2015
Tea inspired cookbooks HAVE A PEEK
As a lover of tea and cocktails and hearing about somewhere in London who had tried the idea, I decided to experiment with our own blends. After a few tasting sessions with the staff, which you can imagine went down very well, we fine
tuned the recipes and put them on the menu.
The most popular cocktail at the moment is our Shady Lady. It started as a cocktail of the month but proved so popular that we put it on the regular list. With its mixture of our Shades of Grey tea with gin, which has become hugely popular in the last few years, the floral notes are accentuated with a pomegranate and rose cordial and lychee liqueur. Our customers like the balance of sweetness and tartness and find it very refreshing if not a little too easy to drink.
We always use our own loose leaf blends when making our cocktails. We have fifteen blends so quite a variety to choose from. The monthly cocktails are created by myself and Metrodeco staff.
The inspiration might come from anywhere. A favourite cocktail that we decide to reinvent, a film or book perhaps, or a love of one of the teas. The recipes for our tea blends were concocted between myself and my business partner Maggie, We then refined by a personal friend and Master Blender.
There isn’t a dress code but as we are a vintage venue, 1920s and 1930s dress is encouraged. The girls are usually very glamorous and do make an effort which adds to the whole atmosphere and ambiance.
We have a suitcase of trinkets and a rail of clothes for guests to dress up in for their time at Metrodeco and to get into the mood and together with music reminiscent of this time playing in the background it all sets a rather lovely scene of a bygone era.
Pictured below: The Shady Lady cocktail, the most popular tea cocktail at Metrodeco.
The east coast of Canada is not a place you would expect to find a tea culture, but the early settlers were from Scotland and established themselves in “New Scotland”, Canada. To support thirsty tea drinkers J.E. Morse & Co. was established, as importers of tea in 1870 and sellers of the tea bag in 1939.
Presently, there is a quiet Nova Scotia tea revolution that is stirring, in a coffee establishment of all places. Just Us! in Wolfville outside of Halifax is a Coffee Roasters Co-Op founded by Jeff Moore, who, in 1995, after visiting Ethopia and witnessing the plight of coffee workers ordered 17 tons of raw coffee beans in a shipping container to be delivered
back home to Nova Scotia. Jeff was a social worker with no training in coffee. But with the support of wife, Deb, he took an incredble leap of faith and used the collateral from their home to purchase the raw beans. Off he went to the USA, to take a course in coffee roasting while the beans were enroute by ship.
JustUs! started as a small store in New Minas with a hole cut into the floor to build the roaster. The focus was to work with producer co-operatives and provide a fair livelihood to growers, as well as to educate the public.
The present day location of Just Us! on 11865 Highway #1, RR 3, Wolfville is a sprawling building that welcomes visitors with outdoor and indoor seating. It also boasts an educational area with information about the coffee growers.
An interesting addition on the end of the main room are row on row of tea tins. Not just your regular Earl Grey, but rare teas including those of the Yunnan region, famous for the Tea Horse Road, an ancient trading route dating back to Marco
Polo. Yunnan is a region of century old trees and small family farms that make up the tea collectives, rather than large plantations.
I spent a quiet afternoon at Just Us! in the presence of two tea sommeliers in training, Frank Harris and Britt Mastroianni, who shared their tea philosophy and expertise. Frank spoke about his ideas on the co-op model, while Britt commented on the importance on being biodynamic and organic certified.
The idea of “fair trade” at Just Us! goes beyond paying above minimum wage and health benefits, but is governed by its motto: “ People and the Planet Before Profit”. Frank and Britt are employees and owners, as both have shares in the company.
Britt’s favourite tea is Tie Guan Yin, much like the Iron Goddess tea with “fruity, peach tone like crisp, white wine”. Her parents are originally from the United Kingdom and as she said,“tea is big in my family”. Afternoon tea was a daily must with a “beautiful tea set with flowers and blossoms” and her mom in charge of the food. By university, it was loose leaf tea and there
was no turning back to tea bags.
Graduating in economic development, a sales position opened up at Just Us! three years ago and the rest is history.
Frank’s favourite tea is Puer tea, specific to Yunnan. He proudly shows the fermented brick, much like a bar of gold, with its date stamp. Originally, these puer teas were shaped in brick form and traded like money along the old trading routes. I can see Frank’s excitment as he says, “the more you get into tea, it pulls you in and the more you want to explore the history”. We discuss the packaging and care of the bricks of tea and savour its pungent rich, almost burgandy, notes.
We all agreed when cupping our tea that there are different types of tea for different parts of the day, to “match the time of day and mood”. That tea has a “richness and fullness in flavour and not just the caffeine buzz”. Tea, like fine wines, reflects the terroir of the geography and climate of its growing conditions. There is a certain sense of adventure if one is immersed in tea history. It has a romantic story book quality.
customers as there is “bad tea in rural
Nova Scotia” and to educate palates. As Britt states, “tea is a lovely thing- an intimate experience”.
These two tea sommeliers in training will bring their passion and knowledge to their customers, and in turn, change the world locally and globally for small tea producers.
A win-win for everyone.
11865 Highway 1 Grand Pre, Nova Scotia Canada
Britt and Frank’s vision is to educate
by Carol Mark
Mackenzie House at 82 Bond Street, located in the heart of Toronto was the last home of William Lyon Mackenzie, Toronto’s first mayor and political activist known as the leader of the 1837 Rebellion of Upper Canada. MacKenzie was also an outspoken critic through his newspaper, the Colonial Advocate.
Mackenzie lived at the house with his wife, three daughters and a live-in maid named Catherine Byrns from 1859. After Mackenzie died, the family lived for another ten years in the home. The house is an example of Georgian architecture attributed to William Rogers.
I was fortunate enough to attend a special baking session in the authenic period kitchen. The session, called, Tea & Politics was led by historical intepreter, Sarah Fairley. It was held in the basement where the kitchens were located, as were most kitchens during the 19th century. This location made kitchens warm in the winter and cooler in the summer. It was a humid day when I attended the cooking session and the windows were open to the garden. Fortunately, there was a welcome breeze into the humid kitchen where we were working. I was in a group of fourteen enthusiastic novice bakers who wanted to learn about history, baking in the 19th century and, of course, tea.
The rebellion failed and he fled to the United States as a refugee for ten years and, returning to Toronto, he was given a house purchased through a public fundraising campaign by his friends and political allies. This is the house you will be reading about and seeing in my photographs.
Sarah Fairley loves to “bring history to life” and what better way is there to do that than through food? Sarah has a background in history, as well as teaching. She was previously at Gibson House, another Toronto historical home operated by the City of Toronto, formerly home of Scottish immigrant
David Gibson and his family. Gibson was a land surveyor and fled to the United States for eleven years after the Upper Canada Rebellion.
Historical cooking is appreciated for “the imperfections” since the recipes are based on actual historical cookbooks, which do not have precise measurements. So, even though baking is scientific, historical baking is not necessarily so. Earlier recipes used egg whites whipped stiff to combine with batter to ensure a leavened finished product. Later on, an early form of baking soda, Pearlash was invented as a leavening agent.
The wood/coal burning oven is not the challenge, because once stoked it maintains cooking temperatures very well. The authenticity of the Georgian kitchen, along with Sarah’s knowl-
edge, added to the historical experience. We had a hands-on demonstrations with Queen Cakes, No. 104 Nice Cookies That Will Keep Good for Three Months, Chocolate Macaroons and Excellent Hot Tea Cakes, finished by Sarah. Most recipes were derived by British or US sources and sometimes recopied and printed under a different name and resold.
Toronto was a major port as part of the British colony and had the advantage of the sources of spices and exotic ingredients from the other colonies, if you could afford it from St Lawrence Market located at the port docks.
I was amazed at the sophistication of the recipes and the unique blends of spices and flavourings, such as rose and orange blossom waters, to impart what must of been extraordinary flavours in the early days of Toronto.
Queen Cakes appeared in books in the 18th and 19th century, and sometimes were also referred as King Cakes, a generic name for tea cakes consisting of either fruit, sponge or pound cake. Eggs were used as a form of leavening and noted “ It ought to be remembered that eggs, besides enriching cakes, are intended to supply the place of yeast”.
The Cook and Housewife’s Manual 5th edition, 1833, page 368.
Even today, classical French pastry recipes still utilize this leavening method of separating eggs and whipping separately to combine in stages. Washing butter in rosewater describes blending soft butter in rosewater to expose the surface to the extract.
Mix a pound of dried flour,the same of sifted sugar, and of washed clean currants. Wash a pound of butter in rose-water, beat it well, then mix with eight eggs, yolks and whites beaten separately, and put in the dry ingredients by degrees; beat the whole an hour; butter little timns, tea-cups, or saucers and bake the batter in, filling only half. Sift a little fine sugar over just as you put into the oven.
—A Lady ( Eliza Maria Rundell), A New System of Domestic Cookery, Formed Upon Principles of Economy, (London: J. Murray, Fleet Street and J. Harding, St Jame’s Street, 1806)
Interesting Tidbits:
rrSugar came in a rock form shaped like a cone and was chipped away by the servant to create granulated sugar. Baking was labour intensive as all the preparation was done by hand.
rCurrants were used as they contain no seeds and, when hydrated with warm water before adding to baked mixture, provide a wonderful fruit addition.
rFeathers were used as instruments for icing cakes.
rCakes eaten with tea were small and described as “clean” food without colour such as jam to stain the delicate white gloves that were worn during tea.
Sarah Fairley, our wonderful historical guide at Mackenzie House.
While Sarah was setting our place for tea, we were given a tea tour by Sandy Black, another historical guide. Sandy demonstrated, with a model, the underpinnings of women’s fashions. It is no wonder women were restricted in movement. In 1860 the desired shape was hour glass with an eighteen inch waist!
Afternoon tea allowed women to wear tea gowns, which were cut looser and with multriple layers of undergarments and far more comfortable than regular women’s clothing. White gloves were an essential part of the dress and there were adjustments on the side, used
in taking the glove off, if necessary, to keep it clean, when eating. a
Everyone convened in the parlor- taken from the French parler —to talk— about tea. Sandy showed us a special wooden tea caddy, which the women of the house kept under lock and key, as tea was a precious commody. The lady of the house held the key. As elsewhere in the Empire, even the left over tea leaves were reused by the servants and then resold out to the street. Tea was carried by ship, and originally Chinese Green tea
was the preferred drink followed by black. We learned the importance of putting your teaspoon in the cup and not to the side as a signal to the hostess to stop pouring tea. Social graces and manners were considered essentials of the period with calling cards left at the front hall door on a silver tray as an invitation for introduction at a prearranged date. So there was no such thing as, “just dropping by.” Social behaviour was governed by rules that were rarely broken.
Black, our guide grew up in an historical area along the Quebec borwas immersed in history. By the age of six, Sandy knew she would be involved in historical sites. Growing up in upper Canada village and armed with art history and architectural stud ies, Sandy has a huge knowledge insights she shares with visitors are called forth by common roots in humanity,” often trig gered by an object seen in the kitchen or some where in the house. Being in costume helps the visitors relate more easily and “experi in a complete way through all the senses -smell, sight, touch...” deepening our contacts with
It is only be learning
about the past can we truly appreciate the present and in this case the tea ritu als and social history that have a place in the early history of Toronto.
Cookie- buttery crisp with surprise bursts of caraway.
Chocolate Macaroon a delicious almost modern take of macaroon with a shot of cinnamon. Queen Cakes, my fav, with a moist rose scent.
We were served Isabel’s Afternoon Tea with delicate notes of fruit and vanilla that flattened the heaviness of the black tea. I found it too delicate for my personal tastes, and I would have preferred Mackenzie’s Morning Tea as this black tea would have complimented the rich desserts, cleansed the palate and not conflicted with the rosewater and orange blossoms used in the baking ingredients.
Teas blended by the historical staff for sale in the gift shop:
Rebel’s March:
This tea will suit the “little rebel” in anyone who wants something new and different. A spicy, black tea, this blend is refreshing and invigorating. It has a rich flavour, bright colour and a rebellious character!
Isabel’s Afternoon Tea:
This specialty tea has a unique flavour. An estate tea blended with the essences of passion fruit, vanilla and grenadine, this blend brews a full yet light, richly flavoured tea.
Mackenzie’s Morning Tea: An estate blend tea which brews a rich, thick, full-bodied tea with a strong, superb flavour and a lively character.
www.mackenziehouse.ca
Nepal is known for so much: its mountains, its rhododendrons, its prolific landscape, its colourful buildings and its warm people. It’s also known for its challenges — the poverty, the power outages, the rampant traffic and the scores of beggars traipsing through the dusty streets. It’s a country of contradictions, but one thing is for sure: it treats its visitors well and fosters lifelong connections over heaping helpings of dal bhaat and warm cups of sweet masala chai.
“Don’t drink too much tea,” my travel companion said. She wasn’t speaking from experience. She, like me, was new to Nepal.
“It’s a diuretic,” she continued, citing basic common knowledge about any ingestible that’s hot, spicy and liquid. “You don’t want your stomach to move too much on the trek.”
I took her advice because I knew she was right. Her tumul tuous flight from To ronto to Kathmandu had been a physically eventful one. Stop ping in Dubai for close to a day, the unfamiliar food and drinks made her flight into Kathmandu a queasy one. Anyone experiencing the abdominal sensitivity that often accompanies international travel (even after drinking the foul, gassy Dukoral that’s supposed to prepare your stomach) knows that, when feeling ill at ease, it can be best to avoid hot beverages that run right through you.
(quite literally) sweet and familiar to look forward to — something unique to the landscape that quickly became a staple of every unpredictable meal I had there. I never knew if the chicken would be slimy and sinewy or the cauliflower curry full of wet chunks of soggy onion. I always knew the tea would be delicious. So I had it early on my journey and I had it often — even when the food and drinks decided to violently disagree with me in Spartan hotel rooms and on lush hillsides.
But all that said, a masala chai was the first truly comforting beverage I had in Kathmandu and it was one I would have at every opportunity during the rest of my adventure. It was something
During my too-brief stay, people often asked what brought me to Nepal. It was far from home — 11, 922 kilometers, to be exact. It was also a strange destination for someone who had never travelled to a developing country. The roughest destinations I had visited until that point had been a pious Amsterdam hostel that, while being perfectly comfortable, was a little too open concept and reminded me of a women’s prison with its cluster of bunk beds and a curfew and a dilapidated, slanted cottage in the Muskokas. Actually, to be fair, I have suffered more than one slated rented cottage in my day.
So when people ask why I ended up in
Nepal for two whirlwind weeks in the winter of 2013, I tell them my journey to one of Asia’s most beautiful and troubled countries was something I really just fell into.
In late 2009, I was 25-years-old and about to graduate from my second post-secondary journalism program with no (at the time) immediate internship or job prospects. That fall, I attended a fundraiser run by my good friend’s (and eventual travel buddy) boss in support of a tiny Toronto-based grassroots charity called WELNepal (Women’s Education and Literacy in Nepal).
The benefit — which I had actually attended before, mostly to support Diana (my aforementioned friend and travel buddy) — was fun as always and I saw an opportunity to rack up some writing experience and good karma. I asked David Walton, WELNepal’s president and founder, if I could write a story about him and his organization for an international edition of my school’s newspaper. He said yes and we stayed in touch. A few months later, I asked if he needed any help with copy-writing and social media. He needed help with both and I became WELNepal’s resident editor, copy-writer and social media maintainer.
Later on, in 2012, I seriously began to consider a trip to the country David (who soon became known as David Daai) spoke of so often. So, after much (not really) contemplation, I booked a trip to Nepal for February 2013.
The trip to Nepal was tiring. There are no direct flights from Toronto to Kathmandu, and I decided to take a roundabout trip to Nepal’s chaotic capital by stopping in Beijing to see a then-boyfriend off, flying from Beijing to Chengdu, sitting in a steel chair in the spacious Chengdu airport for 11 hours (thank you to the wonderful staff for the complimentary water and crackers), flying to Tibet (thanks to the Lhasa airport staff for the free spicy soup and to the wonderful traveler who helped me work the hot water machine thing) and then flying to Kathmandu (thank you to my wonderful seat mates for pointing out that I had spicy sauce on my face and sweater, I at least got to take care of the facial staining — the sweater had to wait).
I must say that I hadn’t adequately prepared myself for Kathmandu. I was already infatuated with the idea of the city. I had romanticized it in my mind, picturing exotically dusty, old-world
streets teeming with colour and urban roadside markets. I was not prepared for the breathtaking pollution, hordes of skinny animals, overwhelming car, motorbike and human traffic and overeager beggars and hustlers, asking to carry my bags for a “tip” or demand I buy them milk to stave off death (don’t give anyone your bag, don’t buy anyone milk). It was immediate culture shock, abrasive and frightening.
I had never felt more obviously, physically unlike everyone around me and psychologically unprepared for the daily hustle of the over-crowded, underdeveloped streets. I felt stares from the airport gates to the car and from the car to the hotel. These hungry stares saw a vulnerable, lonely traveler — one who could easily be parted from her “tips.” I didn’t feel unsafe, per se. No one touched me in a violent or suggestive way. But so many people looked and followed closely, asking if I needed a hotel or a taxi or directions in return for a fee or tip.
I wondered if I made a mistake, flying into Nepal alone. When I arrived at my first hotel, the Spartan Blue Horizon in the famed Thamel district in Kathmandu, I felt weak. I hadn’t slept properly or eaten well, but that wasn’t the source of my fatigue. I felt shockingly out of
my element, alone and painfully out of place in a different world.
Diana had arrived a few days prior and was touring the city with our other friend Kim, an experienced traveler who had mastered the challenging streets of Delhi and Cairo and was comfortable in quaint (if not noisy) Kathmandu. I texted her and Kim immediately, saying the yellowed walls of our hotel room were scaring me. I said I lost $20 to a “baggage handler” and that my hair was greasy and my teeth felt like they were wearing dirty fleece jackets.
Actually, I think I said that when they arrived. I think my only text said “OMG!”
I was not at all the worldly, patient, awestruck and “chill” traveler I thought I would be. I was terrified — of the noise, the traffic, the sad and mischievous-eyed requests for tips and spare rupees, the broken curbs and downtrodden dogs and forlorn cows. I was even afraid of the shower spout and how it would fail to wash my journey out of my heavy, dirty hair (it worked just fine).
After Kim and Diana and arrived,
things got better.
Sort of.
We ventured beyond the hotel and into Thamel. I no longer felt as afraid. We exchanged our money for Nepali rupees and headed to a cozy Thai restaurant for dinner. The quiet resto was such a reprieve from the wild streets below — darkly lit (there was a power outage or “load shedding”) and intimate, we could feel at home for a few minutes as I had my first sips of masala chai. It was milky, mildly spiced and comforting.
My first night was memorable, full of unsuccessful bargain hunting, laughter, noise and a fitful sleep in a cool, damp room.
The next morning, we took a Green Line bus to the gorgeous lakeside city of Pokhara — a picturesque mountainside district lined with well-lit shops, delicious restaurants, lovely hotels and a breathtaking view of the Himalayas peeking above Phewa Lake. We spent a night in Pokhara before beginning a trek to Ghorepani.
energy of Kathmandu. The hotel was homey and comfortable, the shops were welcoming (but still required heavy bargaining) and the restaurants were great. In fact, our pre-and post-trek meals in Pokhara — always accompanied by masala chai — were some of our best in Nepal, with the most memorable being a decadent and creamy butter chicken topped with hardboiled egg slices and served with jasmine rice and steaming naan.
After a luxurious night in an exceedingly comfortable hotel, we left for our trek with our guide, Dawa and our porter, Nima.
Dawa and Nima, it must be said, deserve awards for their patience — and not only for their patience, but for their reassuring smiles and constant encouragement during what was indeed a difficult trek with woefully unprepared tourists who were winded after the first mild ascent.
The night in Pokhara couldn’t have been better. Quieter and a little more scenic, it was a nice contrast to the
When we decided to try a trek, we opted for the four-day Annapurna Conservation Area hike to Poon Hill, located near the Ghorepani district. We were told that it was an easier trek, one suitable for most people of all ages and abilities.
It probably was, but it was barely suited for us and for me in particular. It was, in short, the best of times and the worst of times. To be fair, the trek was gorgeous. Absolutely beautiful. The weather could not have been more perfect, with warm and sunny days followed by windless temperate evenings. The scenery was stunning; with rich green fields spread out below us and ancient trees and mountain crevices around and above us.
We got a chance to fully immerse ourselves in the culture, nodding and exchanging warm “namastes” with friendly local farmers and village residents working their land and guiding tired donkeys up daunting stone steps. We saw awe-inspiring women carrying burlap sacks filled with rocks on their backs to their homes, competently ascending the shaky steps in mud-stained flip-flops, their colourful saris swaying behind them. Life in the mountains is hard in a way we could never have imagined.
We were winded and exhausted after every seemingly infinite staircase, while everyone else walked those steps as though they were nothing. It was such a profound lesson in fortune and humility. As inspiring as it was to watch women carry rocks up stone
steps, it was also difficult to see them, to know this backbreaking labour was necessary on an almost daily basis.
We heard sad stories too. Dawa told us about a young girl who passed away from appendicitis because her family couldn’t carry her down to a doctor in time. We also heard news from another Sherpa about a group of young men who died in a car accident after their vehicle tumbled off a hillside into a ravine. No medical help could be reached in time for them either.
The teahouses we stopped in were basic, almost comparable to sizeable tents — perfunctory structures held together with duct tape and tarp. The meals at the teahouses never failed to make us laugh with their mish-mash of cross-cultural ingredients (chicken fried rice with parmesan to appeal to Chinese, North American, Australian and European tourists simultaneously) and adorable English misspellings (“pie” was almost always spelled “PAI!”). What was never disappointing was the masala chai, something I had twice with every meal — regardless of the warnings from friends and fellow travellers to go easy on the liquids.
When the trek ended and we parted ways with the saintly Dawa and Nima, our bodies were temporarily
destroyed. Or at least mine was. I had experienced muscle pain before. In fact, after one ill-advised cardio kickboxing session in 2008, I could not sit on a toilet without extreme pain for two days. This was that times 1,000. I had to physically move my limbs after sitting, standing or lying down for too long. If I had to walk uphill, I would make swimming motions that inspired great pity in shop owners who would offer to help me up the hill (and into their store). Sitting on a toilet — a squat or western-style one — was enough to make me moan in agony.
But as time healed my stiffness and the memory of the difficulty of the trek faded, I felt a sense of accomplishment I had never experienced before. I had done it. I had gone slowly and I had selected the easiest trek, but I still did it. I lost toenails and I couldn’t have been more proud of my battered feet. I had a chance to walk through some of the most challenging and beautiful terrain in the world, and the life lessons were profound.
here that we got to meet the some of the women of WELNepal.
After enjoying the requisite jungle tours, a challenging elephant ride and the kindness of strangers (an extra special thanks to the night guard who walked a group of terrified tourists back to their hotel after they stayed out too late and couldn’t navigate the terrain in the dead of night), we met up with a few of WELNepal’s dedicated organizers and took an exhilarating motorbike journey to the women’s groups that surrounded the charity’s Sauraha, Chitwan headquarters.
After the trek, we boarded another Green Line bus to the gorgeous Chitwan region, home of a famous national park, which teemed with elephants, rhinos and Bengal tigers (we did not see any tigers, unfortunately). It was
The women, sitting on the cold ground with books and children in their laps, didn’t look at all disgruntled with their Spartan classrooms. Quite the opposite — they were excited to be learning and excited to meet WELNepal’s Canadian supporters. The women asked questions: where were we from? What did we do? What did we think of Nepal? They told us how they needed help in other ways, especially for the underprivileged Tharu (a group of people native to the lowlands of Nepal), the children of Nepal. They needed more, they said. More classes, more incomegenerating initiatives, more outreach programs for people in need.We so admired their honesty and their ded-
ication. One of the main benefits of education is empowerment, and these women were not too shy to be frank about what else needed to be accomplished. We left with so, so much to think about. On one of my last nights in Nepal, we ate with a family who is close with David Daai. The mother, Gayatri, made us the most delicious dal bhaat and masala chai while we chatted with her two daughters, Susmita and Asmita. Susmita and Asmita were, unlike so many rural Nepali girls, getting an education and were openly discussing their career ambitions. When we left,
David said that these girls were examples of what can happen when families don’t just decide to value education, but to value girls and women in general. The beautiful sisters were the exception and not the rule. There was, he reminded us, so much more work to do. That was something the women took care to remind him of often. And it’s something I think of often as well, over the Canadian versions of masala tea at various GTA Nepali/Indian restaurants and sometimes over nothing at all.
No one from that remote part of the world is ever far from my mind.
Editor’s Note: This story was filed before the tragic April 25, 2015 earthquake in Nepal. Our correspondent was not in Nepal when the disaster took place.
Ashley Newport is a freelance writer and journalist from Toronto (well, a city just outside Toronto) who specializes in food, restaurants, business and lifestyle writing. You can see her work most frequently on insauga.com, a lifestyle, news and entertainment blog dedicated to life in Mississauga. She also copy-writes for WELNepal and maintains their social media accounts.
www.welnepal.org
Twitter: @welnepal
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/welnepal/
Chai Tea has a history and each person and region has their own version. This is my inspired Chai Tea recipe to share with you.
Created by Carol Mark, tea sommelier
for 2 cups
3 Tbsp loose leaf English Breakfast or Assam tea
2 cup water
1 tsp dry ginger or 1 nob fresh ginger
1 stick cinnamon
5 peppercorns
1 cardamon pod-option
2 Tbsp honey
1/2 cup whole milk or dairy free alternative like Almond Milk
1 Combine water with spices and ginger bring up to boil and simmer 15 mins.
2 Add loose leaf tea and steep 7 mins.
3 Strain and reheat to boil and sweeten with honey.
Enjoy with a friend to share the moment!
It has a long list of famous guests, including Madonna who worked as a coat checker. Used for many film scenes and the evening we attended with a film set of Saturday Night Live.
87 years ago, The Russian Tea Room was founded by members of the Russian Imperial Ballet. A place where expatriates could call home and taste delicacies from their homeland.
Afternoon tea is more special with caviar on bilinis to round out their selection of savouries.
Samovar is a symbol of hospitality and comfort. Tea is prepared in a small pot, which is then poured into a cup and diluted with hot water. Sweetened with sugar, lemon, honey or jam.
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hat an ambiance of imperial intrigue and decadence in Ottawa at the Moscow Tea Room!
The tone of Imperial Russia made modern with an upscale menu and traditional award winning teas. All teas were organic except the award winning Black Jin Jun Mei. It was unclear whether it was grown by smaller farmer with no pesticides and not certified, but the taste profile was terrific. Being concerned with health issues I only saw the disclaimer at the end of the menu after I put in my order.
I avoided the scones because whoever heard of scones in Moscow- the Jin Jun Mei tea came with a timer and it was true to form with a slight maltiness and clean taste that paired wonderfully with the caviar and blini board. Perfect rounds of blini with a selection of caviar complemented perfectly on my palate. Unfortunately, that menu item is no longer available. There is only Acadian Premier Caviar, best Canadian Sturgeon Caviar, 30 g tin at $170-OUCH! Perhaps, the boards are interesting to try on the next adventure -Cheese, Charcuterie, Surf and Turf of the Chef’s Choice.
MOSCOWTEAROOM.COM
527 Sussex Drive
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada
613-627-2335
