Worth the Wait…Pekoe Tea

I understand that three minutes doesn’t sound like a particularly noteworthy time to wait, but rarely do I feel more conscious of the passage of time than when watching the sands of time slip through an hourglass.

On a recent visit, to Pekoe Tea, in Tollcross, I sampled sencha green tea. Having been presented with this magical Japanese leaf, verdant like new-mown grass, in a clear glass teapot, I was confronted with a little hourglass, and instructed to wait for three minutes before pouring.

The careful observance of the sands, each grain playing its appointed role in the accurate measurement of brew-time perfection, was mesmerising and all consuming, like the licking flames of a warming winter fire.

The background music to this contemplation was Handel’s Water Music. The splendid pageantry of this most triumphal orchestral suite reached the height of a vertiginous crescendo as the last few grains of sand tinkled their way to their destination, signalling that the tea was ready to drink.

And it was completely wonderful, with each glorious sip signalling renewal, replenishment, refreshment, and redoubled rejoicing.

Three minutes. Well worth the wait.

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