What is it about tea that the Irish and British love so much that it’s become the national drink?
So much so though that here in Ireland there’s a schism over which brand you drink.
Barry’s in Cork and Lyons in Dublin.
While I’ve been here for 13 and a half years but don’t know which the rest of the country prefer.
My pal Ines who runs the Milena guest house in the Marian site of Medjugorje http://www.pansion-filipovic.com takes a diplomatic stance.
She stocks both…
I always try to spread the message wherever I go around the world.
And I flagged it up to the Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse in Colorado… https://www.boulderteahouse.com.
Dushanbe’s story is unique and inspiring: it came about as the result of a friendship.
Between the Tajikistan town and its sister city Boulder.
The Tajiks built it out there, it was disassembled, crated up and transferred across the world during the Cold War… Go West.
Of course the way we drink our tea is different from many countries in the world.
And in Muslim countries and the Middle East they prefer it spiced, minted, and with any number of infusions.
I first fell in love with Turkish tea in, get this, Turkey where I also fell in love with the people.
That was on a much-storied family holiday but I have, of course, been back… Wham bam, thank you Hamam.
And this is the evidence where every visitor to the historic hamam of Cagaloglu gets a refreshing Turkish tea… or stronger wine https://www.cagalogluhamami.com.tr.
The wine doesn’t flow as freely in Jordan, a drier country, but their teas are a great substitute.
And the Kawon Once Upon A Time vegetarian restaurant in Madaba with its big library of books and games is to be recommended… https://kawon-once-upon-a-time.business.site/posts/979636663081914742?hl=en.
As obviously is Jordan with G Adventures http://www.gadventures.com and The water of life, Petra, and the sands of time.
I’ll get back to you on more of my favourite cups of teas (and my frontrunner is rosehip).
While, of course, I’ll tell you where I love my traditional tea, the way we drink it.
MEET YOU IN THE TEAHOUSE
