A tea lover whose gift results from your ideas will thank you

Sip it with gusto, gently. Tea is a treat, any way it?s served?hot, creamed, sugared?or black and bare of all but its pure tea taste. All tea lovers need do to elicit shivers of anticipation is lift a tea cup to the lips and feel the wafting swirl of steam that delivers an aroma redolent with the scent of exotic lands. Tea gift ideas are as numerous as the types of teas available and the types of people who with little urging quickly nominate tea as their favorite beverage. In today?s hustle-bustle world, there even exists for folks on the go a portable tea setup?a self-contained tea kit featuring all the essentials?a wonderful pair of insulated stainless-steel tea cups, a sleek vacuum flask that holds enough for a double serving of tea?or coffee?and handy little containers for sugar and cream, all nestled into an attractive backpack. Tea gift ideas may be plentiful but a cheer goes out to the inventor of the tea-to-go backpack. It?s ultimately the choice for many grappling with tea gift ideas, for the backpack kit is fun, unusual and sure to please any tea aficionado.

Tea for make believe

Delicate matrons depicted in movies where the lampshades drip fringe and the living room couch is festooned with doilies always seem to have the teapot at the ready for friends arriving to visit. Tea gift ideas for these gentle ladies might include hand-crocheted tea cozies or tins of scones filled with strawberry jam. A few sips and the distinguished companions are off to a concert or the lecture at the horticultural society.

Similar scenarios are reenacted today with the same formality?by children whose idea of playtime is arranging for a make-believe tea party. Never mind that Barbie sits at the tea-party table, along with a teddy bear as her guest. When kids get together for make-believe, all that?s needed is lots of imagination and a beautiful little set of tea ware. Child-sized tea sets usually a service for four and the exquisitely decorated cups and saucers rival the beauty of mom?s porcelain tea set. Tea gift ideas may pay off in lots of hugs when one considers children?s tea sets as delightful presents for good little girls?and boys with a culinary flair.

Tea with a purpose

Few who try to come up with even a handful of tea gift ideas soon realize that tea?and tea parties?appeal to many populations. Those on the go appreciate tea for its zip and orchestral flavors. For them, tea might be served in the board room or the teachers lounge. Elsewhere, people with holistic inclinations might favor teas with herbal properties said to address any number of health issues ranging from weight control to the strengthening of the immune system.

Tea gift ideas can lead to tasty affairs with one or more of the 200 or so species of plants that are members of the caffeine-rich tea family. One need not venture to Japan, Taiwan, India or even the southern U.S. to access the best products. Today, thanks to the Internet and online shopping, one can have the most exotic of teas dispatched to one?s home and served with cookies, cranberry bread or the golden aftermath of an afternoon kitchen klatch?homemade candy recipes offering the perfect touch of sweetness.

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Tea facts fascinate

Those who grow to appreciate the intricacies of tea flavors tend to find out a bit about the growing process. Tea gift ideas frequently lead to the purchase of books or CDs about the topic. Not many consumers know that the typical genus of the tea family?Thea?is grown as a hedge in the American South. In nature, the evergreen can spring up to about 30 feet. Tea gift ideas well may lead to purchases of tea plants for anyone with a green thumb. Tea plants, easily grown from seed, have robust white flowers but take three years to produce leaves suitable for brewing a home-grown cup of tea.

The most familiar of the teas known to the consumer market are black tea, green tea and oolong tea?names reflective of processing methods rather than botanical names. The tea-making process is one that?s labor intensive and dependent in most cases upon hand picking. It?s one reason the lucky recipient of one?s tea gift ideas?whether the resulting gift is a tin of tea or a tin of tea biscuits?should be a very special person and amenable to making a get-together tea for two.