tea

The people’s cup: How the Arcoroc mug took over New Zealand

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Summer reissue: Hard to break, cheap as chips, filled with instant coffee or weak tea – it’s the mug of the marae, the staffroom, the factory canteen, the church hall. It’s our mug, says John Summers. First published 8 May, 2019 Our son was born almost three months ago. He’s close by, fighting sleep in … Read more

The people’s cup: How the Arcoroc mug took over New Zealand

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Hard to break, cheap as chips, filled with instant coffee or weak tea – it’s the mug of the marae, the staffroom, the factory canteen, the church hall. It’s our mug, says John Summers. Our son was born almost three months ago. He’s close by, fighting sleep in his bassinet as I write this. He … Read more

Long blacks for lads, hot chocs for ladies: what’s the deal with that?

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Alex Casey conducts a highly scientific study into the gendering of your morning cuppa.  Gendering food and drink is all the rage these days, from National’s sausage sizzle innuendo to Whittaker’s new gender reveal chocolate bars. Blue for boys, pink for girls. Sausages for boys, clueless political chat for girls. It’s made some angry and … Read more

He kapu tī māu? Championing te reo through tea

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Two Auckland friends have combined their love of tea with their passion for te reo Māori – and turned it into a business. In India, chai wallahs are an institution — you’ll find one in every alleyway, on every street corner and railway platform, making and selling tea to thirsty customers. Half a world a way … Read more

How do you make the perfect cup of tea, really?

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Inspired by a weak reality TV brew and The Spinoff’s own teabag tapes, Alex Casey spills the tea on making the perfect cuppa.  First published in October 2018. Last week was a huge week for tea disasters. It began on Married at First Sight NZ, where policy analyst and gaming enthusiast Fraser Lee (nee Pearce) … Read more