Quotes about tea

„The British have an umbilical cord which has never been cut and through which tea flows constantly. It is curious to watch them in times of sudden horror, tragedy or disaster. The pulse stops apparently, and nothing can be done, and not one move made, until a “nice cup of tea” is quickly made. There is no question that it brings solace and does steady the mind. What a pity all countries are not.“

—  Marlene Dietrich German-American actress and singer 1901 - 1992

„There are those who love to get dirty and fix things. They drink coffee at dawn, beer after work. And those who stay clean, just appreciate things. At breakfast they have milk and juice at night. There are those who do both, they drink tea.“

—  Gary Snyder American poet 1930

„Any musician who says he is playing better either on tea, the needle, or when he is juiced, is a plain, straight liar. When I get too much to drink, I can't even finger well, let alone play decent ideas. … You can miss the most important years of your life, the years of possible creation.“

—  Charlie Parker American jazz saxophonist and composer 1920 - 1955

As quoted in Hear Me Talkin' to Ya: The Story of Jazz As Told by the Men Who Made It (1955) edited by by Nat Shapiro and Nat Hentoff, p. 379

„I don't drink coffee I take tea my dear
I like my toast done on one side…"

()“

—  Sting English musician 1951

Source: Nothing Like the Sun

„The telling of a story, like virtually everything in this life, was always made all the easier by a cup of tea.“

—  Alexander McCall Smith, book The Miracle at Speedy Motors

Source: The Miracle at Speedy Motors

„Tea, though ridiculed by those who are naturally coarse in their nervous sensibilities … will always be the favourite beverage of the intellectual.“

—  Thomas De Quincey, book Confessions of an English Opium-Eater

Confessions of an English Opium-Eater (1822-1856)

„There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.“

—  Henry James, book The Portrait of a Lady

Source: The Portrait of a Lady

„If you are cold, tea will warm you;
if you are too heated, it will cool you;
If you are depressed, it will cheer you;
If you are excited, it will calm you.“

—  William Ewart Gladstone British Liberal politician and prime minister of the United Kingdom 1809 - 1898

„Women are like tea bags. You never know how strong they are until you put them in hot water.“

—  Eleanor Roosevelt American politician, diplomat, and activist, and First Lady of the United States 1884 - 1962

Another quote often attributed to her without an original source in her writings, as in The Wit and Wisdom of Eleanor Roosevelt (1996), p. 199. But once again archivists have not been able to find the quote in any of her writings, see the comment from Ralph Keyes in The Quote Verifier above.
A very similar remark was attributed to Nancy Reagan, in The Observer (29 March 1981): "A woman is like a teabag — only in hot water do you realize how strong she is."
Variants:
A woman is like a teabag. You never know how strong she is until she gets into hot water.
A woman is like a tea bag, you can not tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water.
A woman is like a tea bag; you can't tell how strong she is and how much to trust her until you put her in hot water.
Disputed

„You can't get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.“

—  Clive Staples Lewis Christian apologist, novelist, and Medievalist 1898 - 1963

As quoted in Of This and Other Worlds (1982) by Walter Hooper, Preface, p. 9

„Usually she ordered a cup of coffee and a cup of tea, as well as a brownie, propping up her sadness with chocolate and caffeine so that it became an anxiety.“

—  Lorrie Moore American writer 1957

Source: Like Life

„Unfortunately, we're all out of bitter revenge at the moment, so it's either tea or nothing.“

—  Cassandra Clare, book City of Bones

Hodge and Clary, pg. 75
Source: The Mortal Instruments, City of Bones (2007)
Context: "Is there anything I could get for you?" he asked. "Something to drink? Some tea?"
"I don't want tea," said Clary, with a muffled force. "I want to find my mother. And then I want to find out who took her in the first place, and I want to kill them."
"Unfortunately," said Hodge, "we're all out of bitter revenge at the moment, so it's either tea or nothing."

„I'm so glad you're here," Aphrodite said. "War is coming. Bloodshed is inevitable. So there's really only one thing to do."
"Uh… and that is?" Annabeth ventured.
"Why, have tea and chat, obviously“

—  Rick Riordan, The Mark of Athena

Source: The Mark of Athena

„The assaying of tea is an art and not a science. It is the man, and not his instruments, which is the most important.“

—  Timothy Mo Novelist 1950

„A quarter past three," she exclaimed, catching sight of the bedside clock. "What a time to be drinking tea!"
"Anytime," Harold told her, "is time to be drinking tea.“

—  Miss Read English novelist 1913 - 2012

„Tea! Bless ordinary everyday afternoon tea!“

—  Agatha Christie English mystery and detective writer 1890 - 1976

„Loneliness is black coffee and late-night television; solitude is herb tea and soft music. Solitude, quality solitude, is an assertion of self-worth, because only in the stillness can we hear the truth of our own unique voices.“

—  Pearl Cleage American novelist 1948

Source: Deals with the Devil, and Other Reasons to Riot

„Tea's proper use is to amuse the idle, and relax the studious, and dilute the full meals of those who cannot use exercise, and will not use abstinence."

(, 1757.)“

—  Samuel Johnson English writer 1709 - 1784

Source: Works of Samuel Johnson

„Disciples and devotees…what are most of them doing? Worshipping the teapot instead of drinking the tea!“

—  Wei Wu Wei writer 1895 - 1986