Crumbs to Crunch

Books and tea are a winning combination. Our latest find is London Review Cake Shop , a tiny café part of the London Review Bookshop. It is just a stone's throw from the British Museum and is the perfect spot for a cuppa and a browse after visiting the museum.  This chic café takes tea ever so seriously and offers an extensive selection. I ordered the white peony tea with rose buds served on a gong fu tea set. I have to admit that I am not familiar with gong fu but from what I gather, gong fu is a Chinese tea ceremony which translates as 'the art of doing something well'. This means that the tea making process cannot be rushed in order to brew the perfect tea.  The tea set was a thing of beauty - a glass teapot, jug and cup served on a bamboo box. There were quite a few steps to follow, firstly I poured hot water into the teapot with the tea leaves and waited for the tea to infuse. The scent of the rose buds was divine. I then poured the tea into the glass jug ...

When I think of castles, I usually think of stone turrets. portcullis and battlements so I was quite surprised when I saw a white wooden castle looming in the distance. Of course Japanese castles would look different from British ones, I just had never thought about it before.   I visited Tsurugajo Castle in Aizu Wakamatsu which was once a stronghold for Samauri. Built in 1384, the castle was home to the feudal lords who ruled the area.  However, it was destroyed in 1868 during a rebellion that marked the end of the feudal era. The castle that stands today is actually a 1960s replica but is impressive nonetheless. I climbed to the top of the castle and got a feel for how the feudal lords felt surveying their kingdom.  In the castle grounds there is the adorable Rinkaku tea cottage which was built by Sen no Shoan specifically for tea ceremonies. In fact, his father invented the ritual that we know today as the tea ceremony.    Nowadays they...

This is a Crumbs to Crunch first, today we are going to talk about poetry. Recently, I came across a little booklet called Ten Poems about Tea that explores how a simple brew can affect our lives such as inspiring love, memory and comfort. The collection begins with Carol Ann Duffy's poem Tea where Duffy makes tea for her lover. I particularly liked this line: I like the questions - sugar? milk?- This seemingly simple question creates a certain amount of intimacy as she learns something personal about her partner. Making tea becomes a gesture of her love and devotion and she is willing to do this 'any time of day'. In Thomas Hardy's At Tea love plays a different role. A married couple invite a lady for tea. Over a steaming cup of tea, the husband reflects on how their guest was the one that got away. The guest sits smiling and sips her tea, And he throws a stray glance yearningly. Instead of tea creating intimacy, in this scene, tea ...

One of my pet hates about Britain is that tea rooms close so early. Many a time have I been turned away at 4pm, gasping for a cup of tea! Spain is the perfect antidote to this as their whole day starts hours after ours. So you can imagine my delight when I stumbled across Tekoe , a tea bar in Madrid.  Hooray! I can finally have a late night cuppa if I wish! Tekoe is ultra modern yet cosy. They boast shelves upon shelves of loose leaf teas in bright green tins. I ordered an Evening Chai, an orange chamomile and mint concoction. It was a very light and soothing tea which was also a naturally sweet. For the real tea addicts, they also offer Earl Grey cake which is a lovely sponge with just hints of Earl Grey and a drizzle of icing. If you fancy going out one evening but don't fancy drinking then Tekoe is the perfect place for a chill evening with friends. 

It's no secret that here at Crumbs to Crunch, we love our ice cream . As summer draws to a close, we are very sad to see the beginning of the end of the ice cream season. However, as the Japanese summer lasts that little bit longer, I've been lucky enough to find the time to try a new ice cream flavour. Japanese is well known for it's love of green tea. As it's so hot at the moment, many people are serving cold green tea with ice cubes in it. However, some go the extra mile and turn their tea into ice cream. I was passing a speciality tea shop and noticed that they were serving soft serve ice cream. Although this is fairly standard ice cream fare (I've never met anyone who doesn't love a 99 flake), this ice cream has the edge with its unique flavour. Although undoubtedly sweet, the bitterness of the tea added a pleasing and unsual undertone. And for just 280 yen (about £1.40), who can say no? And if you're not a fan of green tea, why not try the brown...

Our new series "My favourite things" is all about our love of everything to do with afternoon tea. We thought the most obvious place to start is with a guide of our favourite teas. Read this if you're bored of Earl Grey and are looking for something new. You could even buy one of these teas for Mothers' Day. Happy tea drinking! 1. Warming Camomile and Spiced Apple This is the tea equivalent of comfort food. It tastes a lot like apple crumble. Need I say more? Time to drink this tea if... you're cooped up at home on a rainy day. 2. Cape Malay Chai Organic Spiced Rooibos My two favourite teas are Rooibos and Chai so this is a match made in heaven. The Chai spices add an amazing kick whereas the Rooibos is soothing.  Rooibos is caffeine free and is full of antioxidants so you can feel healthier while drinking this tea! Time to drink this tea if... you're looking for a fun organic tea. 3. Lapsang Suchong This is the Marmite of tea world. The tea...