November 22, 2006
Lisa: go on and teas me
I think non-tea-drinkers who are considering becoming tea-drinkers need a guide to help them through the process. I know I could have benefited from such a guide.
Why you want to drink tea:
Hot drinks keep your hands and your belly warm on a cold day.
Unlike coffee, hot tea is calming and can help you relax or fall asleep.
Many teas purportedly have medicinal properties; for example, certain teas might soothe a sore throat (especially with the addition of honey and lemon).
Lots of varieties of caffiene-free herbal teas are available that are perfectly acceptable for even the most religiously conservative.
Tea is delicious.
Why you don't want to drink tea:
Tea is disgusting.
What you can do:
Don't bother with apple-flavored teas. You'll just find yourself thinking, "this cider is really watery." Ditto for other fruit flavors--tea is not Kool-Aid and it will never taste like Kool-Aid.
Don't put milk in your tea. It's disgusting, and if you want a milk-based drink you should just go for hot chocolate. On second thought, if you are forced to drink a fruit tea, you could try to make it palatable by adding a ton of creamer and sugar. But...then it's not tea anymore, it's Strawberry Qwik.
Try an herbal tea that is made from an HERB. Specifically, an herb that is grown solely for use in tea. I recommend rooibos or honeybush. They sound freaky, but take my word for it, they're good. If your hotel room, buffet table, or break room only offers Lipton or Celestial Seasonings, the chamomile is a relatively safe bet.
Drink it plain or add honey and lemon to taste. You will probably add honey and lemon at first and then start liking the tea more and more on its own.
Buy a teapot. Everyone wants a teapot, right? Now you have a reason to buy one. Make it a cute little one that holds enough water for two regular mugs or one big travel mug. Teapots are handy for making the boiling water for instant oatmeal, too.
Buy a travel mug that seals well. Not only does that mean it won't slosh onto your hand or into the cup holder of your car, but your tea will stay hot for a suprisingly long time. Don't burn yourself.
Beware the blood orange tea at Cup of Joe. It is incredibly delicious, but you will be asleep on the table while your chai-swilling friends are still snapping enthusiastically at the beat poets.
Happy drinking!
Posted by lisa at November 22, 2006 01:57 AM
Your title? Awesome. References to Strawberry Qwik? Awesome. Falling asleep at Cup of Joe? Slightly less awesome.
Yum. Tea. I think I will go make some right now.
I believe that a blood orange tea drinker goes well with the chai-swilling friend. That way one can be bouncing off the wall while the other one is calm... They balance each other out perhaps?
I am confused at the blood orange tea sleeping phenomenon. Enlighten me please?
"Blood orange tea drinker" and "chai-swiller" are the new yin and yang.
Jeff, I do not know the cause of this phenomenon, just that when I drink blood orange tea at Cup of Joe, I immediately fall asleep.
