Tea bags: not really an embodiment of true Sri Lankan hospitality
Controversial heading, isn’t it? Yes, because controversial headings garner readership. As a writer and marketer, I know it all too well. But in the case of this article, I feel it is justified. That’s because, I believe that the use of tea bags in certain hospitality settings is doing an injustice to this much-loved beverage. Don’t get me wrong – I’m not against tea bags. I occasionally use them at home, from sheer laziness or when I desire a cup of flavoured tea. But I don’t’ feel that a tea bag conveys that inimitable sense of Sri Lankan hospitality.
You will never find a place where tea is not served in Sri Lanka - be it in a bustling street or en route through a picturesque valley. No matter where you go - you can experience the fresh aroma of tea leaves across Sri Lanka.
Whenever you buy a good old Sri Lankan milk tea from a roadside shop or ‘kade’ (as locally referred), the tea is made from proper tea leaves. It’s brewed in a saucepan (or tea pan as many call it, because you’ve got to have a dedicated saucepan for your tea leaves – I know my mother does!) Then, it’s boiled with milk (and sugar if you wish), flamboyantly poured through a fine-mesh sieve, and served to you, piping hot. Sometimes the tea will be poured between two cups, similar to how they do it in India. Now that’s theatre and it’s no longer just a cup of tea. It’s a heart-warming vehicle that conveys Sri Lankan hospitality. And all that for a small amount, (less than US - /50 cents).
Recently, my wife and I went to an upscale coffee shop in a mall. I ordered a cappuccino; my wife ordered a tea. My coffee was prepared to perfection, with a pleasing pattern drawn in the milk froth that topped it. In comparison the tea served simply wasn’t up to scratch – a tea bag anchored in boiling water, with milk and sugar served on the side. Imagine my annoyance, when in this seemingly posh place, they were charging several hundred rupees for a cup of tea from a bag filled probably with fannings - which is the lowest and cheapest grade of tea leaves. Sadly, they are getting away with charging those prices because people don’t know...or care about the true value and quality of what they were paying for.
I’ve encountered this in many five-star hotels too, which is why I rarely, if ever, order tea after a meal. I don’t want to pay a princely sum, only to receive a tea bag in a cup. I’d rather go to a roadside shop and buy a properly made milk tea. How often have you stayed in a hotel room where the sheets are made of fine Egyptian cotton, the entertainment system is straight out of science fiction, but the tea caddy above the mini bar is filled with ordinary tea bags? Why do many upscale and midrange establishments do this tea bag rubbish? It’s the kind of let-down that can downgrade what would otherwise have been a perfect experience. Where is the love?’ Where is the hospitality?
Should we treat our de facto national beverage with such disdain? I think not. After all, tea is an embodiment of Sri Lankan hospitality. It is a steaming cup of culture, showcasing our excellence in the tea industry, as well as the dedication of the person who prepared it for you. In short, it is Sri Lanka in a cup.
That’s why I’d like to appeal to all hotels, restaurants and coffee shops to start making the humble cup of tea the way it deserves to be made - from scratch with tea leaves. And brewed in a pot of boiling water, the way it’s meant to be. Only then is it worthy to be handed over to someone, as an embodiment of Sri Lankan hospitality and culture.
Ashraaq Wahab – Director of Marketing/Sales and Technical - Hospitality Sri Lanka, Automotive Journalist, Marketer, Photographer and Writer, who enjoys penning his thoughts, insights and ideas on a variety of topics.
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