32 I Like Tea

I like tea. Especially in winter when it pours outside and I am working in my warm room. I buy my tea in bulk at Wissotzky's Tea House in Tel Aviv. From time to time, on my way to the musical evenings at the home of Rafi Lavi, I make a stop at the Tea House on Hashmonaim Street and stock up on fresh, fragrant tea. I prefer the blue Earl Gray and the mild Darjiling (with its large leaves) but occasionally also try other flavors. For example, Assam or Ceylon, English Breakfast or my latest – green Earl Gray.

I prepare my tea in various ways, almost all of which I discovered at the tea house. I had already tried tea bags hanging on a round frame and serving as filters, metal filters and a micron filter. However, lately I acquired a personal tea kettle that I am very satisfied with. When I used to prepare large glasses of tea, I preferred tea with milk, mainly blue Earl Grey, strong and aromatic. Now my taste has changed and all because of my new kettle which is seen in the picture. When I bought it, it was suggested that I also buy a little glass cup from which to drink the tea. In the beginning the little cup seemed to be a joke. One gulp and the tea is gone. But that is exactly its advantage. The tea in the kettle stays hot (more than half an hour!) thanks to the insulated cover, and every few minutes I pour myself a little cup of hot tea. What a pleasure.

When I changed to this method of preparing tea – and specifically to the new style of drinking tea which is completely different from what I had been used to – I discovered that I prefer tea without milk, as well as a red herbal tea that is sweet and sour. I enjoyed the latest brew so much that I quickly got out my cell phone camera to preserve the image. On the kettle's cover you can see a reflection of me and of my cell phone camera.