Tea Flowers

Traveling Teatime

Large colorful petals are lovingly gathered, each one the size of a fist and fragrant, ready to hold the mixture of herbs and other dried ingredients that will eventually make a luxurious cup of tea. Each one is laid out flat, bundled between damp towels to hold its shape until it is time to begin the process of wrapping and twisting, making small bundles that will easily fit within a pocket. The towels are constantly changed, never allowing the petals to dry fully until everything is in place, and a line of Mauskin begins creating their most famous creation.
Tea making and drinking are not just simply a part of the day for these furry folk. Each part of the process, from drying the herbs and fruit to creating the bundles known as Tea Flowers, and eventually brewing the tea in their flowered pots with the cleanest water, is one piece of a larger art form. For the Mauskin, tea is a hobby, a way of life, and the colorful bundles of dried tea that they carry in their pockets just allow them to take that hobby with them, no matter where they go.
While such a simple invention, Tea Flowers means taking a part of the Little Greenwood along when leaving their verdant home. These bundles of tea are more than a refreshment, but are hope, love, and so much more. It is hope to return to the Mauskin home, love for the freshness and fertility that abounds in the Little Greenwood, a cure for loneliness when the road is long. Much more than a simple drink, the Tea Flowers are a piece of home when the world is just a bit too big.

Significance

Tea is the most common drink consumed by the Mauskin, at home in the Little Greenwood and on the road. While they prefer to make tea with the freshest ingredients possible, this is not always something that can be done. To make tea accessible while traveling, Mauskin pick and dry the choicest fruit and herbs to then eventually make the Tea Flowers by pairing the dry mix with a certain colorful flower petal to make a specific taste profile.
Much like Dewdrop Tea, Tea Flowers are seen as a specialty of the Mauskin, as some of the flavors and ingredients used are difficult for others to gather, especially those items related to the Giant Camellias. People from other places have attempted to recreate the Tea Flowers using localized ingredients, but it is commonly agreed upon that only the Mauskin can create the varied taste profiles that the Tea Flowers are known for.

Tea Flowers Recipe by Edronheem Script Font by ChildofGod, Recipe by RiverFang

Tea Flowers

Dried Petals by montatip lilitsanong on Unsplash

Tea Flowers were a creation of the Mauskin as they were something small that could be easily carried in a pocket. Other races have invested in trade for these items or have attempted to create their own with little success.

Item type

Consumable, Food / Drink

Current Location

Little Greenwood

Related ethnicities

• Mauskin Culture

Rarity

Common anywhere the Mauskin go

Raw materials & Components

Tea flowers vary greatly depending on what fruits and other plants are used to create these balls of dried tea. So far, there have been no poor tasting combinations when using fruit and plants from the Little Greenwood.