Connecting Senses and Memories
How tea pairings guide my days
You’re reading The Tea Library, a newsletter dedicated to savoring community and romanticising life and the world around us. Not every post here is about tea…but this one is.
For a long time, I hated the smell of lilies. The scent would take me back to being 16 years old in my mom’s hospital room as she recovered from a mastectomy surrounded by her favorite flowers. After several years and many clear mammograms, I grew to love the sweet scent of stargazers filling a room. My mindset shifted over time to realize the great power of being surrounded by nature's beauty sent by the people who love you most. Now, that healing scent nearly brings me to tears with gratitude each time I encounter it, knowing that she’s still here to enjoy this life together.
Just as people like to associate specific scents with memories or places, I’ve grown to love the practice of enjoying a specific tea for different things. Soaking in the scent when opening the canister and slowly savoring the taste when it hits my tongue are non-negotiable parts of my tea ritual, even if I look ridiculous while doing it.
Over time, I’ve started to associate teas to certain parts of my life—first by accident and then with intention. I’ve found that it brings more awareness to my life and what I’m experiencing—something I strive for all the time. Here are some of the pairings that I love.
Tea Pairings
Weekday Tea
Dragonwell1 is my workhorse tea. With its slightly toasted notes, it feels special everyday, and it’s easily accessible and refillable—not something the tea shop is going to run out of. This tea is what powers me through long writing sessions, daily chores, afternoon reading (if I’m lucky), and playing interior designer while we continue to renovate our house.
Weekend Tea
I work from home and for myself (this is new and amazing…pinch me!), so sometimes the days can start to blend together if I’m not doing something to draw a line between a Friday and a Saturday. When Saturday rolls around, I want to mark the occasion with something I choose not to drink on a daily basis (read: it’s pricier). Jade Oolong from Taiwan is my go-to weekend drink. I love that I can steep the leaves over and over and over again.
Evening Tea
I’m a sucker for a feel-good, evening ritual. I flutter around the house at dusk turning on lamps and outdoor lights to set the mood for each evening. After dinner, I love to shower, put on pajamas, make a spearmint and lavender blended herbal tea, and settle in with a book or show. I try to do this before 8pm, but I usually fail and end up regretting my life choices when I’m up for bathroom breaks 12 times a night. But I really love my nightly tea, so….can’t stop won’t stop.
Precipitation Day Tea
Stick with me here, because this is where you might start to think I’m nuts (you can join my husband in this sentiment). Think of the days when it’s rainy or snowing. You want to snuggle up, stay inside, and warm your insides with something cozy and fragrant. This obviously needs its own dedicated tea. On days like this, I always reach for Yin Hao Jasmine. I can feel the scent through my whole body. Someone tell me I’m not the only one who has a “precipitation day tea?”
Sentimental Teas
Even though my parents only live 3 hours away, I still find myself missing them from time to time. My mom is an Earl Grey drinker, but black tea has never been my thing. I meet her in the middle with bergamot-scented Earl Green, a tea that always transports me to sitting at my parents’ kitchen counter with my feet up while we read together and she questions everything I say (love you, Mom).
No Tea Required
Maybe tea isn’t your thing, but I’m willing to bet you’re already doing this in your life, perhaps without even realizing it. The warm smell of coffee waking you each morning, the sparkling feel of champagne in your mouth as you celebrate an achievement, or the burst of coconut and pineapple in a piña colada to take you back to your Caribbean vacation—our brains remember and associate these flavors with the memories we’ve created with them. Consider taking it one step further by intentionally curating these pairings, and then notice how they make you feel.
I’d love to hear if this plays a role in your life. Let me know in the comments what you tend to pair together.
If you enjoyed this post, I invite you to give it a heart or restack and check out The Tea Library’s previous posts:
These are links to teas I buy from my favorite shop (they ship!). Rest assured that none of this is sponsored. Maybe someday I’ll be paid to promote tea, but today is not that day.
This makes me think about how strong our sense memory of smell is and how to use that to create little rituals. I think Gretchen Rubin talked about using different scents as a treat (and of course adding in the taste of tea adds even more to that!). I love the idea of creating weekly rituals around particular scents and tastes - this makes me want to be more mindful of it :)
Kelly! I love the way you write about tea - there's something so comforting about it. And I love the idea of pairing moments with a special beverage to mark it and savor it. ❤️