"Would you care for a spot of tea?"

Tea is one of my favorite things in the whole world and, of course, makes me happy.
Many people, when thinking of tea, have an image of some see-through, brown-gray beverage drunk by lil old Brits or green tea drunk by the Japanese (depending on what sort of movies you watch, I suppose).

Tea to me, is more like wine ot many others. There are so many types, flavors, etc that to taste all of them would take a lifetime. Also, like wine, there are the inexpensive types and types that would cost more than I could make in a year working over min. wage.

The basic differences in teas. First there is the obvious: bag and loose. Tea bags can sometimes contain dredges of tea leaves (also called fannings) and often loose tea's true taste (there's not much to protect the tea in putting it in a bleached bag and a cardboard box). Loose teas are usually the way to go, especially if you can find and afford to buy them at a shop specializing in organic, local, and fresh produce.

The other major difference is tea vs. tisane (aka. herbal tea).
Tea is actually only tea when it involves leaves from the Camellia sinensis plant. These are the teas sub catagorized as White, Green, Oolong, and Black. If the tea you are drinking does not have Camillia leaves, it is not a tea but a tisane.
Tisanes are made from herbs (chamomile, peppermint, rose hips, etc) and are equally yummy and good for you, just in different ways.

Best way to brew tea?
Everyone will probably differ a little bit on how to brew and drink your tea.
Me? I heat my water, usually just to the point right before boiling (its an eye thing). I then pour the hot water over the tea (if its loose, use 1 tsp. per 8 oz of water in a strainer, tea pot, or diy tea bag) and let steep. I usually do this by eye as well. When the water is thoroughly tinged with the color the tea is (golden yellow for chamomile, dark and black for black tea, etc) I take out the tea bag/remove the strainer and set the tea to the side for a second use (yes, teas can be reused, though the second time calls for a longer steep).

What sweetener I use depends on my tea. White/natural sugar is used in most of my teas but for green, white, and florals I use honey (my fiance's family has their own hives. For those of you not this lucky, use natural honey bought at the local stand in the warmer seasons).
Many teas are sweet by themselves and can be drunk without sweetener but I have a strong and demanding sweet tooth so I've yet to experience this.

Next time you want to reach for the coffee try a strong black chai (some chai teas even have vanilla or chocolate in them for a gourmet cafe flavor). Or when you want some hot cocoa to relaxe with try chamomile instead. Teas are a healthy and wonderful drink to add to your happy life.