Tea Totaller

In the book I told you all about yesterday, Susan Branch spent about a page and a half outlining her love of tea.  I most definitely could relate to her story.  I have always preferred tea over coffee.  I actually quite like the smell of coffee - if only it tasted as good as it smelled.  But it doesn't.  That's its major issue. 

Tea on the other hand is not as bitter as coffee.  It warms you up without giving you the caffeine rush. It settles your tummy if  you're not feeling well.  It even comes in all sorts of flavors if that's your thing. Though, as a strictly black tea lover, I don't understand you people that drink the weird passion fruit or cardamom or any of the other hundreds of flavors out there.  All you need in your cup of black tea is enough milk to turn it tan.  Nothing else. It's perfect!

This has always been my preferred method of drinking it as well - milk only, no sugar.  I first started drinking tea at my grandparent's house when I was little.  It was their preferred drink of choice, so it became mine too.  We would all have a tiny - teeny-tiny - cup of tea each afternoon as we sat on the front porch. At the time, based on the size of the cups, I'd say the ratio of milk to tea was about 3:1, but I loved it.  When I got a little older I was finally allowed to try coffee and I decided that it was terrible.  I don't understand how people get addicted to that stuff, when there's perfectly good tea in the world.

So that's when it all started.  This life-long love of tea.  I've tried all sorts of teas - loose leaf, tea bags, tea sachets.  And while it may not be the most sophisticated, I much prefer the tea bags to loose leaf. The problem with the loose leaf is that strainers don't always work, and there's nothing worse than having bits of tea floating in your cup.  Tea bags are quick, easy and delicious!  Though, in England, where most of the tea in restaurants are served in tea pots with looseleaf tea - I'm quite happy with it.  Somehow, the Brits have figured out the whole straining situation, and really should we argue with the foremost tea drinkers in the world?  It's best not to.  Just drink what they give you and enjoy!