tea kettle

A Hand blown glass teapot is a unique and affordable present choice for housewarming, anniversaries, Mother's Day, wedding presents, or christmas. Every tea kettle is meticulously hand finished by experienced glass crafters.

Hand made Euro teapot. Teapots have a real artistic, historical and cultural value all over the world. Teapots have become great gift items. The 1st tea kettle was developed in China in the sixteenth Century. The Japanese drank assorted teas, including green tea. By the eighteenth Century the teapots made at Yixing, China, were being made in forms which had symbolic meanings, for example, peach shape for extended life and good fortune, pomegranate for numerous, healthy children.

Early teapots, when imported to Europe, inspired potters to develop new variations of teapot culture. England, being more keen on tea drinking than the remainder of Europe, made the tea kettle their own specialization.

Now, tea drinking is making a resurgence in the U.S.A.. Some say Americans are switching from "happy hour" to "tea time." Excessive social drinking is increasingly frowned upon and, with executives facing shrinking expense accounts, the "power lunch" is being replaced by the "power tea." Herbal teas popularized during the sixties are also earning acceptance as other folks try to avoid caffeine.

Today we love an assortment of gourmet teas. Many specialized "healthy" teas are now available. Many of these are decaffeinated and organic versions of the different tea types. A choice of tea varieties is ideal for afternoon tea or a simple tea party.

Studies with green tea in animals has shown it can reduce arthritis. Green tea, already lauded for its cancer fighting ability, may also protect against certain autoimmune disorders, new research implies. Green teas suppress the expression of antigens made by the body, substances that can touch off an immune response. EGCG, a substance found in green tea is known to suppress inflammation.
See more healthy eating, gourmet food items.

Browse our unique glass-within-glass oil and vinegar cruet decanters.

• See our selection of elegant kitchen gourmet cruets.
• Great for a birthday gift, mothers day gift, wedding present, crystal gifts,
• Christmas, housewarming and/or romantic gifts.

Chi Ka Yan

Last week I visited Chi Ka Yan, which has just opened in Bushey Heath, Hertfordshire. My Time Out review is now online.

Dim sum: dish up a dinner with a difference

'Small and intricate, dim sum may be fiddly to make, but with a little practice you'll soon be dazzling guests, says Bill Knott.' I'm not so sure. The recipes in this feature, from London's Shanghai Blues restaurant, are seriously cheffy, requiring ingredients such as roast duck and jellied chicken stock. One of the recipes also fails to advise readers to wear gloves when slicing taro, a problem when the majority of the population will get itchy hands without.

Fuchsia Dunlop on how to eat like Chairman Mao

More from Observer Food Monthly: Fuchsia Dunlop on how to eat like Chairman Mao. There's a recipe for Chairmain Mao's red-braised pork in this excerpt from her new book on Hunan cooking, The Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook. I guess this means I can talk about the book now - Fuchsia asked me to hold off until the Observer published.