crash and it’s also less hard on your stomach. PLUS you get all those oh-so-good-for-you-antioxidants.
Newcomers to tea might enjoy Oregon brand Not-So-Sweet Chai. Heat it up 50-50 with milk or soy milk. Yum! Wild Oats, Whole Foods, and many conventional supermarkets have it (it’s liquid, ready to use, sold in a box). If you want more caffeine, steep a tea bag (a plain one, like English Breakfast, or any Ceylon tea) in the milk/chai as it heats.
Eventually you may wind up, at least occasionally, actually brewing a pot (yes, you have to get a tea pot; I actually find them among the most satisfyingly shaped objects, plumply inviting). Yeah, it takes longer, but the tea is SO much better (like real Melitta dripped coffee as opposed to sanka or instant). Even the ritual of the brewing is soothing, and a nice gifdt to yourself or a friend. * I have cut-and-pasted a how to brew tea description below, in case you get inspired.
While on the subject of tea: the recording *The Art of Tea, by Michael Franks, is _wonderful and not as well known as it should be. Witty lyrics, semi-jazz; I think Franks the Cole Porter of ou/ my generation. _
How to Brew Tea from one of countless tea websites, and, I so apologize to them whoever they may be, to which I have lost the link and name… sigh.
- For best results, plan on heating the water in
a stovetop ready teapot or kettle and have a
separate teapot for brewing and serving.
- Use either bottled or filtered water for best results. If you must use tap water, be sure to run the tap at least a minute or so for clarity.
- Put loose tea either directly into the teapot, or into an infuser, tea ball or filter. A general rule is to use 1 rounded teaspoon per cup of tea. Adjust according to tea type and taste.
- Boiling the water . . . While boiled water is perfect for many tea types (black & oolong), other tea types such as green tea and some white teas are best with hot, but not boiling water (remove prior to reaching boiling).
- Once the water is heated, pour just a small amount into the teapot, swirl to cover bottom & sides, and then discard. This will create a warming effect, to help tea stay warm longer.
Pour the hot water into the teapot, recap & let brew for 3 to 5 minutes, or an appropriate time best for the individual tea type. Leaving an infuser, teaball or filter in longer may result in a stronger and perhaps bitter tasting tea.
