“There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.” Henry James

Tea has always held a special place in the popular imagination. The humble brew stands as a buffer against the trials of life, dissolving worries in troubled times but tea can be a joyful drink too, our most everyday form of communion, it’s the liquid backdrop to many an impromptu party – the stuff of biscuit-tin raids, baby dandling, gossip and gateaux!

I recently went to the book launch of the book, THE MAGIC OF TEA (see link below to Amazon), written by a dear friend, Alice Parsons, who, whilst English by birth, lives most of the year in Australia but comes ‘home’ for at least four months every summer. Her book is magical and it takes us on a tour of the history of tea, its mythology, usage and customs whilst it also draws on a range of recipes that connect Alice with her family and friends.

There are some tantalising recipes such as Tea-smoked chicken – all with little tips from the author. Chapters on Beguiling brews and infusions and even a chapter on An American take on tea!

I have this little book in my kitchen and am constantly picking it up to read a little more on the history of tea, or to try one of the recipes, most recently Alice’s Gooey Lemon syrup cake which certainly lived up to its description!

Alice has kindly given us a copy of her book to give away on Twitter tomorrow, Friday 9th August so look out for the competition we will be running and if you miss out then click below to buy your own copy.