Scruffy!

While we're at it... Yesterday I was taking about my mug but the question is: what do I put inside my mug? Would you be surprised if I were to tell you it is filled with tea? But a cuppa should not contain any crappy kind of tea. One of my long time favourite has to be the pyramid PG Tips whose history dates back to 1869 when a certain Arthur Brooke opened his first shop in Manchester. I do not think anyone would fall of their chair if I were to tell you that my new favourite tea is also mancunian. Mr Scruff, a DJ whom I have long respected (one of his sets at the Music Box in Manchester remains one of my most enjoyable post-Hacienda nightclub experience), had the good idea to start his own brand. And let me tell you objectively, it is the best English Breakfast tea ever (from Assam, India of course)! It also comes at a GBP 7.99 bargain in a bundle of four lovely packaged boxes (for 200 bags) or in even fancier tea caddies. You have to visit his store at MrScruff.com or you can buy his tea in a few selected Selfridges at the Manchester, Birmingham & London Stores.

Mr Scruff's tea website is here

Buy his tea at those place

Mr Scruff's great music is here

No But Yeah But No But Yeah...

There was a time when I used to collect mugs. Well... You know how it works... You travel, you buy one mug from somewhere as a souvenir and then another one and then again and before you know it you end up with dozens of them. That time has long gone but I still enjoy drinking my tea in a nice cup. Or not necessarily nice - as in beautiful - but something different or something of significance. And I do not like them too thick or too bland. I do not usually enjoy the funny shapes though except from my Little Britain cup. Ah Vicky!

Yixing clay teapots (宜興紫砂壺)

When I arrived in Asia I was quite interested in trying the different teas on offer. Oolong, red, yellow, white, flower, etc… I was looking everywhere for a big tea pot to brew my English tea but could only see tiny things that looked like kids toys. I only understood after some months why these pots were so small after I participated to a local tea ceremony. Nevertheless, all those Chinese teapots are nice and some can fetch up whopping prices (above 10,000 Eur) depending on their history that can be very rich as the tradition dates back to the Song dynasty (960 – 1279 CE). The real ones can only come from one place called Yixing in the Jiangsu province of China. Its clay is very unique and does not exist anywhere else in the world.

Chinese Tea Culture

At the doorstep of Chinatown there is this incredible tea shop that also doubles as a fantastic tea house. Tea Chapter was founded by 13 friends in 1989 and is the finest tea house in Singapore. Tea culture in this part of the world differs considerably in method and equipment from the one we know in England or even in Japan. Tea Chapter is a great place to be explained the whole process. You will understand easily the importance of the colour, smell and taste as well as the differences between black, green, white, red, oolong or pu-erh teas. A fantastic experience. And if you do not already own the whole set you will be tempted to buy those traditional purple clay tea pots from Yixing or white porcelain cups.