Did you know that there are over 1500 types of tea in the world? Did you also know, that after water, tea is the second most widely consumed drink in the world? Whether hot or cold, green or black, people have been sitting down to a nice cup of tea for centuries. And why wouldn’t they? It truly is a wonderful thing.
As an enthusiastic tea drinker myself, I jumped at the opportunity to do a bit of research and find out why such a simple thing is so universally popular! My first stop was Whittard, in Durham town centre.
Whittard is a wonderful company who have been making high quality tea and coffee since 1886. I decided to pop in one rainy day to find out what one of the tea-lovers in there had to say about ‘the cuppa’:
So what’s your favourite type of tea?
My favourite tea is a special one that Whittard do- it’s called ‘Regal Blend’. I just love the vanilla flavour it has!
When’s your favourite time to drink tea?
Any time. Tea can be drunk any time of day, not just in the mornings, so whenever I’m in the mood really!
And what’s your favourite thing about drinking tea?
The fact that it’s warm. I know that’s quite a typical answer but there’s something about a hot drink that really makes you feel good.
And now for the all-important question: loose-leaf of tea bag?
Loose leaf, every time.
Why?
It’s a little more effort, but it’s so worth it. Loose leaf hasn’t been refined and squashed into a bleached tea bag, it’s better for the environment, and quite often you can get more than one use out of your tea leaves, so it lasts longer as well!
So have you got any expert tea tips for us?
Only that you should try something new whenever you can. I had no idea before I started working at Whittard just how many options there were. It’s so much fun trying new flavours, and finding the perfect tea for you!
And she’s right- it is fun trying them all out. I never used to be a tea-drinker, because I always thought your classic English breakfast tea was where it ends (unless you want to drink weird green stuff that people probably only pretend to like). And how wrong I was! I first started to drink jasmine tea because I found it so relaxing, and it smelt beautiful. Ever since I haven’t stopped exploring. At the moment my favourite is rose petal earl grey, but I know by next month it will be something else!
I like to have a different tea each time (as anyone who has seen my extensive tea collection may have guessed), but finding just one that you really like is worthwhile, simply because of all the benefits tea can have on our health and wellbeing!
Tea is provides us with lots of anti-oxidants (great for anti-ageing!), and can help strengthen our immune system. It is also believed that regular tea drinkers may be less likely to suffer from heart attacks, strokes, and even certain forms of cancer! It also contains a more manageable amount of caffeine than coffee, and has been proven to improve our intellectual performance by creating a calm focus (rather than a jittery burst of energy like coffee), making it an ideal start to a productive day! Finally, no one can deny the blissful feeling of sitting down to a nice hot cup of tea- It’s not your imagination: tea really does have magical powers.
So embrace the world of tea! Try something new, ditch the milk and sugar once in a while and swap your PG Tips for a fragrant earl grey, or refreshing white peach. It doesn’t have to be hot either- home brewed iced tea is one of the best discoveries I ever made.
And finally, never underestimate the sheer delight of going out for an afternoon tea. Have fun making an occasion of your cuppa! (Top tip: tea tastes even better if you drink it from a pretty tea cup.)
Happy sipping!