If you don’t think you could ever make the switch, these tips will help you learn to love tea- and you might even love it more!
Tea is officially more popular than coffee, with 9.3 gallons consumed of tea (per capita) compared to around 5.6 gallons of coffee per year. Having said that, who said you had to decide between #TeamCoffee or #TeamTea?
Both these beverages have a bevy of appealing aromas, beautiful rich hues, and distinctive flavors (depending on one’s variety of choice). If you wouldn’t dream of waking up without a cup of your favorite Java but the thought of a midday or afternoon cup of tea appeals, the following can serve as your introductory guide to tea.
Best Types Of Tea For Beginners
There is an impressive array of tea types, though they can be divided basically into the following types of tea:
- white tea (made from the buds of the tea plant)
- black tea (which is oxidized)
- oolong tea (which is partially oxidized)
- pu-erh tea (which is either raw and green or cooked, fermented, and black)
- green tea (which is only slightly heated to stop the oxidation process).
Coffee drinkers are usually attracted to more intense varieties from the oolong and pu-erh group though your choice ultimately depends on your taste, the activity you are carrying out and the time of day.
A strong black tea may appeal mid-morning as a pick-me-up, for instance, while an iced green tea may hit the spot after a workout. You can buy wholesale iced tea so you can save time and money.
Each tea requires a different temperature of water and steep time. For instance, pu-erh tea can require between two and five minutes to reveal its full flavor and it favors hot water (up to 212ºF). Green tea, meanwhile, is perfect after one-and-a-half or so minutes at just 155º-80ºF).
Trying International Teas
If you want to try more than one of the above-mentioned teas, as well as renowned blends, then delving into international tea types is a fabulous way to make new discoveries. You can sign up for a tea of the month club, receiving a set number of teas at regular intervals so you can travel the world through your palate.
Just a few tea types that taste like coffee (some of which are herbal rather than ‘real’ teas) include roasted dandelion root, roasted almond, yerba mate, carob, and Assam black tea (which has a rich, malty flavor and a high caffeine quotient).
Embracing the Benefits of Tea
If health benefits guide your choice of beverage, then take note of just a few recent findings into the benefits of specific tea types. Black tea, for instance, may promote weight loss by promoting the growth of healthy gut bacteria. Black tea can also help fight cavities by interfering with harmful plaque bacteria in the mouth that causes caries and gum disease.
Yet other studies have shown that green and black tea can reduce the risk of stroke, that green tea has powerful hypertensive properties, and that black tea can help soothe stress, fight diabetes, and even improve memory.
If you are a loyal coffee fan, you may enjoy a cup or two of tea a day to add a little variety to your life. Try the different main tea groups and of course, expand your palate by trying interesting teas from across the globe. Finally, research into the respective benefits of different tea types, sipping on a cup of black tea while you learn more about tea can help make you healthier and happier.
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