Tea’s taking over in the US, as yerba matte’ forces coffee to edge aside and as more consumers become convinced of the health benefits of herbal teas.
To get the most out of your leafy-drinks, it’s important to distinguish between the two types of tea. In my case, when I say “tea” I mean “black tea.” The stuff that Boston had that party over. The stuff that ran big business in India and China. That stuff Giles is always having when Buffy is in trouble.
When I say “herbal tea” I really mean “a decoction of herbs called tea for lack of a better shorthand.”
Both can be tasty.
Both are acquired tastes.
For a yummy black tea, try it UK style: make it strong, as strong as coffee. To do this, you let it soak in boiling water for about 10-15 minutes. Add milk or cream – enough that the tea is no longer translucent. Add sugar to taste. This tea is nothing like that stuff your mom gave you for colds (or sobering up) when you were younger.
For herbal tea, it’s trickier: different herbs have different flavors. Some are incredibly bitter unattended, but blend well with other flavors. If you’re just starting out, I recommend you begin with these flavorful herbal teas and then move towards the savory, bitter and medicinal-tasting:
Mints (peppermint, spearmint, catmint)
Florals (chamomile, lavender, rose, carnation, rosehips)
Spices (sage, cardamom, anise, fennel)
Once you’ve gotten used to a seven-minute decoction of those, brave the waters by adding a pinch of stevia leaf (not that processed stevia that comes in the little packets – actual stevia leaf) to your herb decoctions and move forward from there.
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