Yes, it seems a shame that workers can no longer come into our country to work at the jobs Americans won't do. If it were me, I'd rather work with organic tea plants than hamburger at McDonalds for the same wages, but I know it's not that simple. It's not just agriculture that is hurting for workers; take for example the tourism industry. We live an hour away from a big tourist destination (Myrtle Beach) where young people used to come from other countries to work in the various businesses for the summer. Last summer when they were no longer allowed to come, businesses in resort towns everywhere could not open because they could not get workers.
Okay, back to tea! Different types of tea are all from the same plants and the difference is in the way they are processed. So white, green, oolong, and black all come from these plants and were available for tasting at the tea plantation. They also flavor some teas (raspberry, peach, and cinnamon spice were available the day we were there).
They had both iced and hot, caffeinated and decaffeinated, sweetened and unsweetened. My favorites are green and black and I'm not fond at all of the fruity-flavored or the decaf ones. We were encouraged to drink all we wanted. I had trouble falling asleep that night ... too much caffeine!
In closing, I'll leave you a little something to think on while you drink your next cup:
I am a totaling tea person. Never learned to like coffee except the highly sweetened kinds that I really don't need to drink. I take a bit of sugar and milk in mine. I use both bags and loose.
ReplyDeleteI'm normally a coffee drinker, but since my diagnosis all I want is real sweet tea.
ReplyDeleteI just had a cup of tea on the deck with my wife - and lovely it was too!
ReplyDeleteTea first thing in the morning...coffee later. But mostly tea since I stopped smoking! It seems you're having a similar debate over there about employment in the hospitality sector to the one we're having over here. It seems most Brits don't 'do' customer service..! :-)
ReplyDeleteI quit coffee pretty much when I stopped smoking when pregnant with my first child (who is now 47!).
ReplyDeleteI've become such a tea drinker that I carry an emergency tea bag with me just in case a restaurant offer yucky tea - Lipton! Pfoo! And why do non-tea people think that herbal teas are equivalent to a good black tea?
I am very much a tea drinker. Didn't know you grew it in the USA though. Twinings is my favourite make and I try to drink decaf now just suits the constitution better these days!
ReplyDeleteAlways have a cuppa with my breakfast.
ReplyDeleteInteresting to read about imported workers no more and businesses now not being able to find staff...our people won't necessarily pick fruit etc. either.
I'm not a fan of herbal teas. I just like good strong tea with no milk or sugar! There are some who boil the tea and that really has a kick to it.
ReplyDeleteOh dear.. My husband has started a business of pure darjeeling tea. You can buy tea online from www.freshcarton.com .. please the site..
ReplyDeleteI am sat at the table with a lovely cup of tea, no sugar but a little milk.
ReplyDeleteI fully agree with you, I drink my tea without anything in it, loose tea in a metal tea leaf holder I put in my cup hot water and drink at breakfast. No silly tasts, just pure real tea. And later on a cup of coffee, halfway the morning and in the afternoon tea again. You are my girl!
ReplyDeleteGreat tea quote. Oh yes, in Britain whenever there is a crisis we put the kettle on and for the nice times too. Next weekend there will be a lot of tea being drunk as we watch the Royal wedding!
ReplyDeleteWren x
Dear Cynthia, I've so enjoyed these two postings of yours on tea. Until 1973, I was a coffee drinker. I didn't realize how addicted I was until one day in the classroom, while the students were taking a test, I realized that I was hiding in the closet at the back of the room guzzling coffee. That was a clue to me of just how much I needed it. So I began keeping track of how much I drank each day. I kept track for 7 days and averaged it out and came to 53 mugs of coffee a day. In other words, pretty constant drinking of caffeine. No wonder I was nervy!!! Peace.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed both your posts on tea. Lots of afternoons I think a cup of tea would be good, but I would not sleep a wink. Not a wink! Even decaf tea, any time after noon, keeps me awake at night. I don't like the fruity herbal teas either. I do like black tea with honey. How the heck do folks over in England have tea every afternoon, and get any sleep at night? and I bet they don't drink decaf. :) Cynthia, I enjoyed your comment on my Mother's Day post. I love how you went with your mother to pick violets too. About that electric streetcar; we used to sit in the swing on the front porch of my grandma's house in Sanford NC and watch the electric streetcar pass, called the trolley. This was in the late 40's and not in town. It doesn't seem possible.
ReplyDeleteFun post about tea. I like it hot, iced, and mostly plain, but I have a peach tea that I get once in a while. Adn then there is coffee, too, but just a tad every day.
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