whistling tea kettle

A Hand blown glass tea kettle is a unique and cost effective present selection for housewarming, anniversaries, Mother's Day, wedding presents, or christmas. Every tea kettle is carefully hand finished by experienced glass crafters.

Hand blown European tea kettle. Teapots have a real artistic, historical and cultural value throughout the world. Teapots have become great gift items. The 1st teapot originated 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 produced in shapes which had symbolic significations, for example, peach shape for extended life and good luck, pomegranate for numerous, healthy children.

Early teapots, when imported to Europe, prompted potters to produce new variations of teapot culture. Great Britain, being more keen on tea drinking than the remainder of Europe, made the tea pot their own specialism.

Presently, tea drinking is making a resurgence in the United States. Some say Americans are switching over 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 realising adoption as additional people try to keep away from caffeine.

Today we love an potpourri of herbal healthy teas. Many specialized "healthy" teas are now available. Many of these are decaffeinated and organic variations of the respective tea types. A choice of tea varieties is perfect for tea time or a simple tea party.

Research with green tea in animals has shown it can subdue arthritis. Green tea, already extolled for its cancer fighting ability, may also protect against certain autoimmune disorders, new research implies. Green teas inhibit the expression of antigens made by the body, substances that can set 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.