Happy December! I can’t believe the last month of 2008 is here. It doesn’t seem possible. I am glad to see it though. December is always filled with so much excitement for the holidays and thoughtful reflection regarding the past year.
I will start this post by saying I am coffee-crazy. I love coffee of all kinds. As you can imagine this interest has grown even more with moving to Brazil. Now I can purchase coffee that is grown right outside of the town we live in. It is so cool to buy local with coffee. Something I could never do in the US for sure.
But let me get to my point. This post is about tea this time around, not coffee.
Aside from growing up on sweet tea I’ve never been a regular tea drinker, although, my interest in hot tea has grown in recent years. In grad school I did a research review of green tea. The health benefits are quite amazing. However, I will say I was a bit discouraged to learn that these major benefits come from amounts that would be equivalent to about 12 cups of tea a day.
Of course, this is the reason that they decided to conveniently put the extract into a capsule. As you probably know by now, I am not in favor of getting from a pill what I can get from food and drink whether it is in higher doses or not.
My thinking is even if you don’t consume the amounts which research indicates is necessary, habitually taking in something that is good for us will add up over time. This is how I feel about tea.
My husband went to Beijing for work a few years ago and found their green tea to be amazing. The variety he brought back with him is definitely the best I have had. Now I find myself exploring the tea aisle for different varieties of both green and black tea.
Tea is one of those – “Well duh,” – drinks for me. You know, the kind of food or drink that has been used in cultures throughout history with proven health benefits. Then the rest of us finally catch on that it might be a healthy thing to incorporate into our diets.
Thanks to the catechin polyphenols in green tea, specifically the unpronounceable epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), tea gives us antioxidants that are thought to have the power to kill cancer cells. It is also quite handy for decreasing cholesterol and reducing risk of heart attack.
I enjoy green tea, but I like black tea too. I’m glad that more research is going into black tea. So far we know it has many of the same benefits as green tea, it just has a slightly lower antioxidant level. So don’t be concerned if black tea is your drink of choice.
So speaking of tea I wanted to tell you about this awesome variety I found at my grocery store since I’ve been back in the US. Celestial Seasonings Sweet Coconut Thai Chai. Have you seen it or tried it?
I couldn’t pass it up simply due to the name and I wasn’t disappointed. As the hot water combines with the tea you can smell the sweet aroma of coconut. I loved the spicy aftertaste of black pepper too. It is such a unique combination.
So now I’m a coffee drinker in the morning and a tea drinker at night.
How about you are you a coffee drinker, a tea drinker or both like me?
I am typically more of a coffee drinker – either black or sometimes with a little soy mixed in.
This tea you found sounds amazing! I hope I can find it at my local grocery store! Thanks for the post:)
Lori,
We are heavy coffee drinkers in New England in general.
We also drink teas at night, we actually drink anything hot we can put our hands on…
I particularly love “Cha de Erva Doce” which is somewhat easy to find around here because of the large Brazilian immigrant population that lives in this area.
But you can find it anywhere in Brazil, “Erva Doce” is the best tea in my opinion, it is very calming, it makes me sleepy so I only drink it at night.
I am both like you! I especially love gingerbread tea right now! I am also loving the Winter Blend coffee from Einstein’s.
I’ve never tried that type, but I’ll have to look out for it. I’m intrigued.
I’m a weekday tea drinker and weekend coffee drinker. The best of both worlds!
Just coffee…I just can’t get on the tea boat! So jealous that you’ve had such fresh coffee!
Happy December to you too!!
No coffee or tea for me.
I am a sweet iced tea drinker through and through, but I also love a good cup of chai. I have never developed a taste for coffee, though I love the way it smells.
When we lived in Boulder, CO, we lived in a condo complex across the street from the Celestial Seasonings plant. We were just close enough to Greeley to occasionally get a whiff of the stockyard smell when the wind was blowing just wrong. Celestial Seasonings would vent when that happened and the sweet smells of flavored tea would almost overpower the the stockyard smell. But, I digress…
At least when I lived there, Celestial Seasonings was a really nice addition to the community. I’ll have to look for this chai mix – it really does sound good!
I am a tea drinker by way of heredity 🙂 I agree with cathy, I once got to visit the Celestial Seasonings plant and, at least at that time, it was truly a fun and lovely place, the kind you’d want to support with your tea dollars.
I’ve actually seen that tea in the store, but was a bit skeptical. Glad to hear the great review, I will remember to pick it up next time.
Candice – Coffee usually wins out for me too. Definitely try it if you can find it. With a little honey it could pass as dessert. 🙂
Ray – I haven’t tried erva doce yet, but I see it as a body product sent all the time. I’ll have to try the tea when I get back to Brazil.
Meg – I’ve got to try that gingerbread flavor!
Jenn – I’m definitely learning it is the best of both worlds. I use my coffee for a wake me up and tea to calm me.
Erica – I am definitely lucky to get such great coffee. I will miss it when we leave there.
VeggieGirl – Oh, I don’t know if I could do without them, but maybe as long as I had something warm I’d be okay. Cider maybe? 😉
cathy – My mother is the same way about coffee. My dad drinks it with me, but my mom just likes the smell. My husband converted when we moved to Brazil.
How interesting about the plant. Glad to hear it was a positive fore the community. It is always better if you are supporting a good company.
laura – That is so good to know. I’d love to visit it someday.
graduatemeghann – Definitely give it a try. I don’t think you’ll be disappoint. 🙂
Thanks for befriending me on Foodbuzz!
I’m definitely a tea drinker…I love exploring tea shops and tea stalls in markets. My current favorite is Christmas tea…a blend of black tea, dried citrus peel, cinnamon, cloves, and anise. Mmmm…
And I know a couple of people who picked up a really great Advent Tea from Sonnentor (an organic tea company based in Austria)…a different tea bag for each day of Advent. I’m trying to get my hands on some–their reports on the teas is making me so jealous!
Mindy – Thanks for your comment. I am loving your blog. That Advent tea sounds so cool!
I’ve tried that tea too, it’s REALLY good! I also love it with a little bit of vanilla soy milk.
Diana – Vanilla soy milk. What a great idea! I’ll have to try it. I’m sure it adds to the flavor making it even better.