A Toast to Tea

One of the first lessons I learnt during bouts of addictive reading was that a cup of hot brew was essential to appreciate the flavor of the book- whether Gothic romance , Sartre or Sharatchandra.

Tea was forbidden when I was growing up-the only brew we were ‘administered’ was the cure for all ills and a  palette’s nightmare- The  karha-guaranteed to drive the cold out of your head and every rational thought too -it flowed like lava down the throat and the fiery peppers in it made an active volcano out of your stomach .

Tea , defamed to be in the same league by scheming adults ,I  wouldn’t have touched with a bargepole.

Much  later, living in the foothills of Darjeeling  I was initiated to Tea under  circumstances beyond my control . An inveterate coffee addict till now, I found myself in the select coterie of tea-lovers talking about their Nilgiris, EarlGreys Temis , Lopchu and what have you with  the dreamy  reverence  I have seen only in the eyes of priests  when speaking about the gospel. Pressed ever so sweetly and stealthily by the hostess (and the absence of coffee) and shuddering at the anticipation  remembered from childhood days, I took that first sip. But Wait! Was this the gall that I had been driven away from? The outlawed   drink? It teased the taste buds, an unfamiliar taste-but a strange endearing aroma  that started to haunt me …

So just as you grow to like olives and dal and new people, I grew to like tea. I think it is a sign of true

maturity when you accept new things and don’t reject foods or ideas or even people outright even when they don’t fit your definitions which have started  losing their bite and fences as a matter of course.

What are your preferences and perspective about tea? s Want to share them  on this blog? Leave  a comment here.