My Cup of Tea

Although I do drink coffee from time to time, I consider myself a tea drinker.  There are about twenty different types of tea in my cupboard, some loose some in bags.  I prefer loose tea, but it has become increasingly hard to find outside of specialty shops.  I guess most people prefer the convenience of tea bags. What I like about tea bags is that they’re portable, so when I travel or have a long meeting to go to I can bring my own tea.  That way I know I will have tea I like.

I am pretty picky when it come to tea; much more picky than I am about most things.  I mainly drink herbal tea, though I do like green tea, and the occasional cup of black tea. What is a challenge however, is that I can’t stand either rose hips or chamomile both of which are in most herbal teas.  I prefer mint or licorice root which really limits my options, and keeps me on the lookout.

When you are out and order tea, it’s almost always terrible.  Generally restaurants now offer a wide selection of tea, which is really nice, and then they bring you a cup of tepid water, and anyone who is a tea drinker knows that you need boiling, or at least simmering water to make tea, and just hot-ish water won’t really cut it.  I always feel like Sally from “When Harry Met Sally” because I quiz my server before I order my tea; is the water hot or boiling, does it come from the cappuccino machine?  If it does, that’s a good thing, because those machines keep the water piping hot!  Way hotter than the glass carafe sitting on a warmer that is set to keep coffee from boiling, so clearly not boiling my tea water…

The exceptions to this boiling water technique are green and white teas.  They are best steeped in cooler water, around 150-160° because boiling water can make them taste bitter.  Your tea will likely come with directions for the optimal brewing temperature, and when was the last time you checked the brewing instructions on your tea bag/box or can?  You may find that your tea will taste even better if you follow them.

My absolute favorite beverage isn’t beer, or wine or even vodka.. but iced tea.  From May to early October I always have a pitcher of iced tea in my fridge.  Some people say you shouldn’t refrigerate iced tea because it get cloudy, but I haven’t found that, and I don’t really care.  I like my iced tea super cold with tons of ice, which is odd because I like my water at room temperature—people are so funny aren’t they?  I make a mixture of peach and green teas, and if I can get some fresh mint that goes in too.  It is crisp and refreshing and doesn’t need any sweetening or lemon.  I never sweeten my tea, so I could never could understand why people put lemon in their tea until I spent a few weeks in Atlanta and the only iced tea you could get was sweet tea, and then I got it!  Sweet tea with lemon is pretty great!  Enough for me to indulge every once in a while.

Now though it’s cold and iced tea season is over.  I’m back to my favorite warm up teas.  My favorites are Aveda Comforting Tea (it is so yummy and comes loose and in bags), green tea with jasmine, and a really interesting blend I got at Zabars Coconut Macaroon Green Roobios, which I just realized has sugar in it, though it is quite wonderful.  If I need a little jolt of caffeine in the afternoon I’ll have some Bigelow’s Constant Comment, a tea I associate with my childhood, or Earl Grey, with it perfume-y bergamot.  I hope this post warms you, like a good cup of tea.  Where I am we’re getting ready for our first nor’easter of the season!