Tea in a Bowl

The first time I drank tea from a bowl was when I lived with a French family outside of Toulouse. Earl Grey Tea made in a pot was the breakfast tea along with a fresh baguette and sometimes choclatines which was the local name for pain au chocolate.

Returning to Boston, I returned to mugs or cups and saucers for my tea.

Moving to Switzerland, I had a short story published called Shoppers. The wife couldn't adjust to the culture differences, but the husband wanted his morning tea in a bowl after they stayed with French friends who served it that way.

Later in my Third Culture Kids mystery series (TCKs have parents of one culture, move the kid to the new culture and the child becomes a hodgepodge of old and new. I claim I'm a TCK adult.) Annie, my TCK heroine drank her morning tea from a bowl.

Boy, did I argue with my editor(s) for them to leave the word bowl and not replace it with cup or mug.

 

Once I retired I spent more time in my "Nest" my studio in Argelès-sur-mer. I loved my Acapulco  bowl for my morning tea.

When I married - it took me 71 years to find my soulmate - he brings me tea in bed almost every morning. It's seldom the same tea. It might be Constant Comment imported from the States or Yorkshire Tea, a gift from a Brit friend. Sometimes the tea is flavored with vanilla or spices. Sometimes it's just tea. The aroma from the BOWL placed on my night stand is a wonderful way to start the day.

The bowl pictured at the top of the page we found at Jardinland, a chain that has lovely china dishes besides its plants, dog food, garden furniture and many other things. 

I let my morning tea cool and usually read a bit before separating myself from the duvet and mink if it's winter. I drink part of the tea from the bowl before gathering my clothes for the shower. The rest I will drink with breakfast or with my first daily writings.  

I also love my penguin mug which is in our Geneva flat. The apartment is furnished and has  a Villeroy and Boch cup and saucer. 

I discovered long ago if I see a set of dishes I love, it will be made by Villeroy and Boch. That German company has been making ceramic products since the mid 1700s. It also makes toilets. Members of the original family still work there, although it is no longer a private company.

Tea is not just a beverage for me. It carries with it a mystique, memories, comfort and more. Drinking it from a bowl or in a special cup or mug is just another level of pleasure. 

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