Anyone for a cuppa?

I once met a charming Englishman called Stephen Twining, tenth generation of the famous English tea family whose dynasty stretches all the way back to 1706. His objective in talking to people in the Australian media and hospitality industry was to educate us tea heathens into the art of the English cuppa. The first step was to establish the optimum way to make tea; freshly boiled water into a warmed earthenware/porcelain/glass teapot containing one teaspoon of tea for each cup plus one for the teapot. Brew for 3-5 minutes according to desired strength, and then serve in a cup containing no sugar (but perhaps a dash of milk). If using a teabag for an individual cup, steep the bag in the cup for 3-5 mins, remove, then add milk if desired.

It is surprising how many people can get this simple process wrong. Coffee chains treat tea customers like embarrassing cousins and don’t get me started on the Americans - USA and Canada alike. The absolute worst cup of tea I ever had the displeasure to sip was on an American Airlines flight from Vancouver to Dallas. It was lukewarm, too milky and too watery at the same time and seemed to contain very little actual tea. No wonder they’re keen on their coffee. Conversely, a British Airways flight presented the best in-flight tea service I’ve experienced thus far, perhaps an homage to the Brits’ love of their cuppa.

The Scandinavians find it strange that the Brits love their tea so much when English tea is comparatively boring. Head north to sample tea that will most likely contain a sample of floral flavours and Nordic berries taken without milk. The hint of sweetness also discourages the addition of sugar.

Then there are the Asian countries, where most of the world’s tea is grown. Sri Lanka, India, China and Japan are all prolific tea-growing countries (Japan is renown for its green tea but most of it is consumed by their domestic market). Tea in these countries is usually taken hot and strong, a testament to the robust flavour of the tea they grow and pick. In India they generally add plenty of sugar. Further north, Tibetan-influenced areas brew the Tibetan butter tea, a specialty tea with a salty, milky taste that is purported to warm the body. In South-East Asia they tend to blend tea with milk such as the Malaysian ‘teh tarik’, which means ‘pull tea’ as the tea and milk are poured at great heights to produce froth. Originating from Taiwan, bubble tea is popular in plenty of Asian-influenced areas around the world. Bubble tea is tea blended with flavouring and/or milk to produce a refreshing taste designed to attract children into the tea culture. Tapioca ‘pearls’ are added to enhance the texture.

But why has tea become such an important part of our culture? The relaxing properties of the brew is evident; tea represents a break from work, a morning or afternoon hiatus that lasts from the time you fill the kettle, and wait for the water to boil and the tea to steep, to the last sip. It is also the universal comforter, with the term ‘tea and sympathy’ coined in its honour.

Twining is now turning to the future. The restorative properties and the nutritional benefits (high in antioxidants, no calories) of tea are evident but he says the key to ensuring the popularity of tea is to educate the food and beverage industry about tea matching. Tea-matching involves the enjoyment of food with a complementary brew or a guide to what would taste best with your favourite brew, for example Earl Grey with sweet dishes like cakes and desserts or Darjeeling with fish and curry dishes. Tea matching has many advantages over similar concepts like wine matching - its affordability and availability, as well as the lack of age limit. But Twining also espouses the fact that tea can also be matched with alcohol such as Lady Grey after Cointreau or a peppermint infusion after a ginger liqueur.

All this boils down to is an exceptional, almost global, embrace of tea, the wonder drink. Make a ritual of it, take time out and rejuvenate with a cuppa.

A Different World

Whether you’re a tourist or a traveller, on a working holiday or just a weekend away, it’s wonderful to have the opportunity to discover a different world.

“I need a holiday” is the all too familiar catchcry of the overworked and there’s nothing quite so tempting as having time in which to do as much or as little as you wish. Holidays are responsible for so many aspects of our happiness, from romantic getaways to family memories, recharging the batteries to expanding our world view.

The word ‘tourist’ has been bandied about in a negative way for some time, they’ve been accused of everything from ruining the ecology of nature reserves to behaving in a sheep-like manner that sees crowds at cultural landmarks and the obligatory photo to prove you were there. But there is nothing wrong with being a tourist as long as you travel responsibly. For starters, the average tourist is more comfortable giving the holiday reins to their travel agent and relying on the help of a concierge or guidebook, which means less stress about transport, accommodation and sightseeing. And you’ll still have a good time.

Travellers, on the other hand, believe that they see things that no one else sees. When we see the world from a different perspective, we are inspired, we are eager to learn and pursue our curiosity of the people, influenced by geography and history, which inhabit this different world. Whether you’ve just driven a couple of hours to the next town or have flown across the globe to immerse yourself in this other world, it is this focus on difference that takes your mind off the routine of the everyday.

Working holidays are tricky for this reason. After all, isn’t work the reason why you’re trying to get away from it all? But some people gain a new perspective on their job or career when they are away from their usual environment. And provided you keep a good work/holiday balance, the holiday part of the deal serves as an incentive to work efficiently and then explore your new surrounds. It could even inspire better work.

We get so much from ‘down time’, even if it’s just a weekend away. Taking a moment to reflect, without deadlines or stressed out colleagues in your periphery, is a valuable way to reconnect with yourself as a human as opposed to a worker. Some people thrive on pressure but no one wins when we are constantly burdened - there needs to be a break so you can keep yourself fresh, and we all know people work best when they’re fresh, not jaded.

If you need a holiday, take one. It needn’t be to an exotic destination or even involve any travel at all. A holiday is a state of mind where you are free to do what you like, even if it’s just sleeping in for a couple of days and settling down to a long novel. That’s rejuvenation.

De-Stress Signals

What I wouldn’t give for my own masseur. Staring at a screen all day, I forget the kind of damage I must be doing to my muscles, which are wasting away from underuse. My posture suffers and I get tired from doing not very much. On the opposite end of the scale, more physical jobs cause aches and pains that come from tension and overuse. A massage is the first step to regaining control of those muscles by remembering how they’re supposed to move.

One of the stereotypes about going for a massage is that it’s indulgent. While a lot of the relaxing massages can be considered that way, most massages, like remedial or sports massages, are actually therapeutic. Others, such as shiatsu and reflexology, aim to release built up energy that causes tension. In general, a professional workplace massage (if you’re lucky enough to receive one) will aim to give you a quick release from tension. If you find that you’re not getting a lot from a ten-minute session, then perhaps you should consider an hour-long session.

If you have a pre-existing condition such as a back problem, you should carefully consider the kind of masseur you’re after and the objective of the session/s. Remedial masseurs are used to treating patients recuperating from operations and they often work in conjunction with physiotherapists so will know how to deal with your less healthy parts. Otherwise, most masseurs will offer a range of treatments to help you rejuvenate different parts of your body, massaging your head, hands, neck, feet, back, shoulders.

Another stereotype about massages is that they’re relaxing. Not all of them! Some are designed to reinvigorate the body by stimulating blood flow. If you’ve ever had a Thai massage, your acrobatic masseur will demonstrate all types of ways to stimulate blood flow. Similarly, a reflexology foot massage works on the principle that different parts of your feet correspond with different areas of your body. When the masseur stimulates different areas of your feet, some areas might be painful or uncomfortable - this indicates a problem with its corresponding body part.

Massage can be paired with other therapies such as aromatherapy, which is based around the beneficial properties of plants and their essential oils. Newly stimulated skin will absorb oils more readily, accelerating any positive results. Hydrotherapy is also a popular addition to day salons. This involves a bathtub with water jets of varying strengths stimulating different parts of the body, not unlike a jacuzzi but more precise about its objective. Another water treatment uses the Vichy spa, where you lie on your front and have showerheads spray needles of water down the length of your body. The result is a tingling sensation that awakens the nerve-endings under the skin’s surface and improves blood flow.

Something else about massage that can’t be overlooked is the genuine ‘me’ time it generates. You can’t do other things while you’re being massaged and there are no distractions from your focus on your body. It’s nice to be cared for by someone and a good masseur should exude a calming aura to make you feel comfortable and in capable hands.

So whether it’s ten minutes or two days, a massage is a great pick-me-up that needn’t be expensive or exclusive, just an acknowledgement of your body’s needs.