Tea
For many years I was a hard core coffee drinker. For a time I even considered buying a commercial roaster so I could buy, mix and roast my own blends.
Somewhere, somehow, about 2 years ago, I randomly decided to have a cup of tea instead. While I enjoy the flavors of the different coffees, something about tea piqued my interest like it never had before. And down the rabbit hole I went.
First I had to find a supplier of “good” tea. I knew from the beginning boxed bags of tea that had sat on a shelf for who knows how long wasn’t going to cut it. An author friend (Nathan Lowell, some of the best books I’ve ever read came from his mind) pointed me to Adagio.
I knew that if I was going to replace coffee, I was going to need an alternative caffeine fix. I generally prefer black teas, though I do enjoy green as well. Rooibos and Pu erh ….. well, let’s just say I’m still trying to find one I like. Matcha, well, I want to like it.. I love the idea.. I keep buying it, but so far I keep dumping it.
So, what’s in my tea cabinet? A lot. Lol. If you like a good camp fire, I highly recommend Lapsang Souchong. It’s my go to and the tea I’ve probably drank the most of. I also have an apricot/ginger black tea blend that I picked up at a spice store in San Antonio that I’ve really been enjoying. It’s in my mug today.
I’d always loved the smell of earl gray, but something about the bergamot always upset my stomach. Again, I found (for me) it was all about the quality. A good loose leaf earl gray is amazing and I drink a lot of Adagio’s Bella Luna (yes, its a gimmick, but its a great tea) that is only sold on the day of the fool moon.
I also have a good apple blend black tea that reminds of me of apples and oats. It’s lovely.
Lastly, I’d be sadly lacking if I didn’t have a good jasmine tea. It’s my favorite of the greens. If you’ve never tried jasmine iced, I’d highly recommend it.
Finally, if I’m on the road (which work requires) and looking for a short cut to taking my own infusers or bags I fill myself, I usually take some sachets of Harney & Sons that I’ve picked up from one of the stores in the area. Target usually has my favorite (Hot Cinnamon Sunset) in stock. This is an amazing tea, especially since it’s a mass produced tea. Naturally sweet, and very, very full of cinnamon. It is my favorite tea to turn into a latte.
Do you have a favorite tea? How did your tea journey begin?
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