TEA PICNIC
Reconnecting With Nature – Why Every Tea Lover Should Experience and Outdoor Tea Session
If you are reading this post, we have no doubt in our minds that you are a lover of speciality tea and with that comes the desire to drink tea no matter where you are in the world. Sure, we all love to sip on it in the comfort of our homes and in tea rooms, but when the weather is warm the last thing you want to be is cooped up indoors. You want to be out there enjoying the fresh air and basking in the sunlight, connecting with nature… So why not take your tea session to the next level and take it outdoors? There are many reasons why we feel like every single person who enjoys specialty tea should experience an outdoor tea session, be it in your own garden or somewhere further afield.
By taking your tea out into nature, you are in a way taking the tea back to its roots. Many of us will never get the opportunity to drink the teas we love within their natural environment where arguably they will taste the best, however the next best thing we can do is sip them somewhere outdoors. Brewing outdoors becomes something much more special than your usual session at home. It becomes an all encompassing experience, factoring in every single one of your senses.
Drinking your tea outdoors can change the way that the tea tastes, and can even make it taste better than it might taste when you sip on it indoors. There are a few contributing factors that cause this to happen, the first of those being temperature. The temperature outdoors, no matter where you are, can affect the temperature of your tea which impacts how it tastes. Humidity also plays a huge part, with the level of the humidity in the air affecting the taste of your tea by altering the way the flavors are perceived within your mouth. If the air is very dry, for example, it could cause your tea to taste stronger and more bitter.
The quality of the air outside can impact how your tea tastes, so it’s important that you conduct your outdoor tea sessions somewhere away from heavy traffic and pollution. The surroundings in which you choose to drink your tea can also have a big impact on how the tea tastes. Being outside may play a part in your overall perception of taste due to the different sensory inputs that surround you while sipping your tea.
Not only is the overall experience of an outdoor tea session a treat for all of your senses, it can also help exponentially with physical health, mental health and cognitive function. Several studies have shown that extended periods of time spent out in nature can help to reduce anxiety, reduce feelings of stress and anger, aid those with depression and help to calm an overactive or overstimulated mind amongst many other things. It can also generate many positive emotions, such as calmness and joy, which can help to facilitate better concentration. So by adding tea into the mix, which on its own already evokes all of those feelings whilst also tasting delicious, it becomes truly the most magical combination.
Many people look at outdoor tea sessions as a small escape from the world and all of its stimulants, stressors and responsibilities. It's truly where they find themselves most at peace, which we feel is something each and every person should get to experience at least once in their life. Though we know that once you experience it for the first time, you’ll be planning more before you have even left. It is also where a lot of people find themselves to be at their most focused and creatively inspired. So if you are currently feeling creatively burned out or have artist / writer's block, consider giving outdoor tea a go and you may end up finding the focus and inspiration you need to break out of it.
If you have no idea where to start an outdoor tea session here are a few tips start you off on the right foot:
Tip No.1 - Match the tea you want to drink to your surroundings. This just adds that extra level of immersion to your session. If you’re somewhere like a forest, pick a woodsy black tea or a roasted oolong. If you are somewhere coastal or even on the beach, pick a tea that has notes of seaweed and marine undertones.
Tip No.2 - Bring a flat surface / something to rest your tea on. When out in nature, unless you happen to stumble upon a picnic bench or you're somewhere incredibly flat, it will be near enough impossible to find a flat surface that you can .
Tip No.3 - Don't take anything more than is necessary and be mindful of the fragility of your teaware. If you’re planning on sipping solo, take a gaiwan, a fair cup and a single small cup. If you are planning on serving anyone else the only thing you should add into that is an additional cup for each person. Tea pets, while cute, are not really needed. Unless you have a bag with enough padding you’ll want to avoid taking anything with a spout because they have fragile points and if there is even the slightest chance they might bang against other teaware during travel, they will likely break and we all love our teaware too much to chance that happening.
Pre measuring the teas you have decided to take also avoids you having to take scales along with you. One thing you may not feel is necessary but you will need more than you think is a sealable bag like a ziplock to put your leaves into. There probably won't be a bin nearby to discard your leaves into and sometimes you will have to bring them home with you, so that ziplock comes in really handy. While tea leaves are natural and probably are going to ruin the environment you are in, leaving the space cluttered and messy is something you want to avoid.
Tip No.4 - Invest in a thermos. Ideally you will want one that holds at least a litre so you can make the most of your session. A thermos will help to keep your water warmer for longer, especially if you pre-warm it before putting boiled water in. It’s essential that you factor in travel time when thinking about what temperature you should heat your water to. You may be wanting to prepare a green tea which needs a lower temp but if you heat it to 60, it's not only going to cool between being poured from the kettle to the flask but also cool over the time it takes you to travel to your location and set up.
If you’re going somewhere closer to home we suggest adding on 10-20 more degrees than you would normally for a tea that you wouldn’t use boiled water for (so an oolong, a green tea, a white tea etc). If you are planning to travel further afield we recommend boiling your water a minute before you leave the house, and taking teas you know perform well at less than boiling and don’t need an incredibly specific steeped temperature.
Another thing you could do once you know that outdoor sessions are for you is invest in a camping stove to heat your water. Will it be as exact as your kettle? No, but it will enable you to enjoy tea outdoors further away from home, it also stops you from having a limited choice of tea as you’ll be able to prepare even those that require water boiled.
Tip No.5 - Pick a spot to sip in that is comfortable. You’ll be there for a prolonged period of time so comfort is incredibly important. Take a blanket that has some padding to it, and if possible invest in some outdoor cushions and something to help support your back a little bit, as sitting without back support for extended periods of time can put a strain on your back.
Tip No.6 - Take your time! This is not something you want to rush, so set aside as much time as possible for it and slow everything down. If you feel like you don’t have the time or you’ll have to rush you will not get as much as you want to get out of it. The entire premise revolves around enjoying your tea, reconnecting with nature, escaping from the stresses and responsibilities of everyday life and providing yourself with moments of peace. You can’t do any of that while rushing equate your mind will be too distracted.
We hope this post both helps and inspires everyone that reads it to make it their aim to try and have at least one outdoor tea session before the year is over. If you do, be sure to tag us on instagram in the photos you post, as we would love to see what you get up to on your tea fueled adventures.