|| 9 January 2020

Taylors of Harrogate Pure Ceylon Leaf Tea

It is always a good time for tea. But for me, different teas taste better in certain seasons. As autumn approaches, I always think of “Ceylons,” those teas grown on the island nation Sri Lanka. The country has changed its name, but its teas are still known by the former name.

Ceylons are lighter than the hearty, malty Assams that are my favorite on frigid winter mornings. One of the Nouvelles I did not find time to write last autumn was how much I enjoyed drinking Taylors of Harrogate’s Pure Ceylon Leaf Tea, my Autumn 2019 tea choice.

And since we are having, thus far this winter, many days with the sun and the mild, brisk temperatures of autumn (our afternoon high here at Provence-sur-la-Prairie is 71 degrees F.) this Ceylon tea has continued to taste “right” into the new year. So much so that I made an after-the-holidays pumpkin pie, one of the teatime desserts that I think particularly tasty with Ceylon teas. One of my taste maxims is: If it has cinnamon, it tastes good with Ceylon tea.

This Taylors of Harrogate’s Pure Ceylon Leaf Tea is not a spectacular Ceylon. But I found myself even choosing it, not just as an afternoon tea, but often for a mid-morning tea that I would drink with a splash of half and half — but not accompanied by any sort of food. I eat a hearty breakfast and only want a nice cup of tea mid-morning.

I always found it interesting that the French prefer that robust French-roast coffee for breakfast. But so many of the French breakfast blend teas were based on relatively light — generally with a citral taste — Ceylons.

I took the photo accompanying this article one morning last month when I was wrapping Christmas gifts and sipping the Taylors of Harrogate’s Ceylon tea while I worked. I liked the gold ribbon and bows in combination with the gold lettering on the rich golden-brown box in which the tea was packaged. The tea tasted particularly good drunk from my Tee Pott my brother and sister-in-law brought me from a visit to Germany.

The right tea, the right cup, the right season always intensifies the pleasure of tea.

be chic, stay slim — Anne Barone

Index to 5 o'Clock Teas