word·nerd·dot·net

today's word: tea

Since giving up my daily Coca-Cola last year, I've become quite enamored of that other popular caffeine delivery system, tea.

Tea (Latin: Camellia sinensis) originated in the Yunnan region of China in 2737 BCE, when some leaves blew into the water an emperor was boiling and he exclaimed, "Dang, that's tasty!"

So here's the thing about Chinese, if Bill Bryson is to be believed (and who am I to say he is not?) -- written Chinese is exactly the same everywhere, although pronunciations vary widely from dialect to dialect. Two Chinese speakers from opposite ends of the country would not be able to understand each other at all, but if they were to pass each other notes in gym, they'd get along just fine. Anyway, the Cantonese pronunciation ch'a became, among other things, the Japanese word cha (as in the Japanese tea blends sencha, bancha and genmaicha), the Greek tsai and the Hindi chai (if you order a "chai tea latte" in Bombay, people will look askance at you. So don't. It's just chai, OK?). The Amoy dialect's pronunciation t'e, helped along by seafaring Dutch traders, became our word tea (as well as the German Tee, the French thé, etc.).

A history of tea.

More fun tea facts.

Also, there really was an Earl Grey.

Comments:

This is a true story: I went to dinner in a highly recommended upscale Indian restaurant in Portland, OR. I asked if I could have some masala tea. The waiter looked bewildered and said he didn't think they had that. "How about some chai, then?" I said. "Sure!" he said. It cost $4 and came out of a box. Later that week, I asked the Indian food vendor at the Portland bus mall (who works out of a hazardous little trailer)for masala tea and got a 12 ounce styrofoam cup of Brook Bond's best, full of real fresh spices and brewed till it tanned my esophagus brown, with milk, for a buck.

-- elavil, 01/03/2003

I asked for a chai once at a tea house and I was told that they banned importing anything Russian because of civil rights issues. Yeesh!

But, I love that there was an Earl Grey. I only wish I'd discovered it first.

I'm so loving this site.

-- Cinnamon, 01/03/2003

apparently in the new Martha Stewart (I know, I know)cookbook there is a recipe for Earl Grey Ice Cream.
yum yum in my tum tum

BTW, loving the new site!

-- the other amy, 01/03/2003

Thanks for the nice words, y'all!

Cinnamon -- there was also, according to the Twining's variety pack, a Lady Grey. Her signature blend is flavored with orange and lemon oil instead of bergamot. It's great iced.

Ice cream flavored with either of the Greys' fruity oils would be lovely.

-- amyc, 01/03/2003

Oh! And the Russian word for "tea" is in fact "chai."

-- amyc, 01/03/2003