A Flask of Woodland Tea

I saved the orange peel from breakfast.

It still smelled bright when I picked it up from the board, and throwing it away seemed unnecessarily final.

So I trimmed away most of the white pith and dropped the peel into a small saucepan with two cups of water.

A whole clove went in beside it.

One.

Cloves are small, but they have very firm opinions.

While the water warmed, I went looking for my flask. I checked the shelf, then by the door, then discovered it beneath my walking scarf on the kitchen table.

The flask had apparently prepared for the walk before I had.

By then, the kitchen smelled of warm orange. The clove sat underneath it, woody and quiet, keeping the whole thing from becoming too cheerful before morning had properly settled in.

I let the peel and clove simmer for a few minutes, then took the saucepan off the heat and added the black tea.

While it steeped, I filled the flask with hot water to warm it.

Tea behaves better in a warm flask.

Possibly everyone does.

After four minutes, I strained the tea and poured out the warming water. The orange peel had softened and curled in on itself. The clove looked exactly as it had before, having contributed a surprising amount while appearing to do very little.

An admirable system.

The finished tea was strong and dark, with the orange arriving first and the clove lingering quietly behind it. Enough brightness for the morning. Enough warmth for the woods.

I poured it into the flask and sealed the lid.

There was nothing ceremonial about it. I simply like having something hot to drink when I stop walking.

The scarf was waiting on the table.

The flask was warm beside it.

That seemed like a good beginning.

Woodland Orange Black Tea

Makes two servings

Ingredients

• 2 cups water
• 2 teaspoons loose-leaf black tea, or 2 black tea bags
• 3–4 strips fresh orange peel, with most of the white pith removed
• 1 whole clove
• 1–2 teaspoons honey, optional

Method

Wash the orange thoroughly and remove three or four strips of peel, avoiding most of the bitter white pith.

Place the water, orange peel, and clove in a small saucepan.

Bring to a gentle simmer and let it cook for 3–4 minutes.

Remove the saucepan from the heat. Add the black tea and steep for another 3–4 minutes, depending on how strong you like it.

Strain out the tea, orange peel, and clove.

Add honey if desired.

Pour into a preheated insulated flask and seal well.

One clove is quite enough. More will begin making decisions on behalf of the orange.

Remove the tea leaves before filling the flask, or they will continue steeping during the walk and become rather severe.