There are so many conflicting ways to make a great cup of tea. Google it. You'll be surprised at all the different and "better" ways to make tea! A lot of the tea I drink comes in bags so I find the easiest way to brew is to pour boiling water into my giant tea mug, then bounce the bag in the water, dragging it back and fourth to all sides of the mug by the string. After about 2 minutes, I remove the bag WITHOUT SQUEEZING. This is a common misconception. Do not squeeze your teabag. If you do choose to squeeze your teabag just to test me, the tea Gods will see this and punish you with bad, bitter, mean tea for all eternity. Ok, just kidding on that last part, but it will make your cup of tea bitter. So just don't squeeze the teabag, alright people?
I also quite enjoy loose-leaf tea. It has a fuller flavor (in my opinion) and there's just something fun and pretty about seeing the colorful tea leaves. If you use loose-leaf tea, you'll need some sort of way to strain the leaves out of your cup before drinking. There are several options:
Tea Ball - which I am not a fan of. Tea leaves need to swirl and move around, the tea ball is just too crowded. Besides, it's ancient and we have way cooler ways to steep tea now... Look at this midieval tea ball, it looks like something a mid-14th century knight would carry around to brew his tea. Ya know, like they carried around their own silverware and tea balls.....
tea stick - Which I find awkwardly shaped and it seems difficult to get the tea into this little thing...
And the best way.... a tea infuser... See? It even sounds modern..... Tea infusers allow the tea leaves plenty of room to stretch their little tea leaves and stems to steep you a flavorful cup of tea. Here are some of my favs:
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| Assam Teapot by Republic of Tea. $24.99 |
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| Personal Carafe - Raspberry Red, by Republic of Tea, $29.99 |
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| Trudeau Tea-Mendous 16oz Tea Tumbler - Clear, available on Amazon.com, $12.27 |
And, this one is my own personal favorite... it's yellow, which I love, and it has its own matching infuser that rests perfectly inside the top of the mug... AND every time you see it, you have a wonderful piece of motivational speaking shouting at you to be happier! Who doesn't like a little positive shouting??
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| Get Happy Mug by Republic of Tea, $12.50 |
So now that you have your super-cute ways to carry and drink your tea, what kind of tea do you drink? This, my friends, is the fun part....TASTE TESTING! You're just going to have to get out there and find out what you like. Black tea, red tea, green tea, white tea, herbal tea, there are so many!!! If you're a tea newbie, stick to white teas, which have a more mild flavor, or herbal teas, which can be fruity or customizable to whatever flavor you like... As I said earlier, I love pretty much any tea, but my go-to, personal favorites are peppermint, and plain ol' black tea. I also enjoy chocolate hazelnut if I'm having a sweet craving, peach or raspberry if I'm feeling fruity, ginger if my stomach hurts (seriously, just boil some ginger root...), and chamomile or lavender when I need to chillax.
The world of herbal teas can get quite complex... remember, before modern medicine, our ancestors used herbs for medicinal purposes.. So do your research before trying anything new. If you are pregnant, nursing, or have a serious medical condition, be especially cautious before drinking herbal teas!!! Check with your doctor first to make sure it won't cause any complications.
Places like The Republic of Tea have mixed herbal teas for practically any ailment. "Get Charged" to energize and get you moving, "Get Heart" to boost heart health, "Get Passionate" to boost your "passionate" health, "Get Smart" to boost brain health and dozens of others. They even have a "Get Maternal" tea for the pregnant and new moms. If you're really interested in getting into the whole herbal tea world, there are herbalists you can consult for a specific ailment, or do your own research and try making your own herbal concoction! Please be advised, the FDA does not recognize any health benefits of tea or statements made towards the health properties of tea. Which, to me, means it's awesome and means it's full of health benefits because the FDA doesn't really "approve" healthy things... (Velveeta anyone??? Red #5?? MSG? Hydrogenated oils??? All FDA approved....) I'd rather go the opposite way of the FDA's opinion, thankyouverymuch!
Check out some of the following herb cheat sheets and get sipping!
Check back for more info on tea.. I love tea and love sharing it's awesome health powers! Drink up, everyone!
teach me how to like tea! I think it tastes disgusting - mildly flavored water. I'd rather have just plain water - cold. really cold
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