Written By Sara Lilkas, Marketing Intern
One of my favorite rainy day activities is to curl up on the couch with a cup of tea and a really good book. Even though I am now an avid coffee consumer, I grew up drinking tea and it is my go to drink when I want to feel comforted and relaxed. Tea has many soothing qualities and even though there are plenty of caffeinated varieties, as a general rule I do not drink it in the morning. I prefer to drink tea throughout the day or at night before I go to bed.
Growing up I used to drink tea when I was not feeling well or I used it as a way to stay up later and talk to the adults. Since I was a child I used to dump what now seems like pounds of honey or sugar into the tea, so I really missed out on appreciating the different layers of flavor that can be found in a cup of tea. There are so many different varieties that I will probably never be able to try them all in my lifetime. Now that I am old enough to know that not everything needs to be coated in sugar to be considered tasty, I can actually appreciate a lot of the flavors.
Now the large variety of tea is not only limited to flavors. Tea is made with a wide array of ingredients that have many different properties. There are teas that help with relaxation, your metabolism, and one’s that can help soothe your stomach and more. I however don’t usually pick a tea for those reasons, I am strictly a flavor girl.
I am a sucker for a steaming cup of English Breakfast or Earl Grey Tea. However my all-time favorite is a spiced chai. Not only are chai teas delicious, but they also smell amazing. As a general rule I prefer black teas (like the English Breakfast and Earl Grey), but every once in a while I will choose to go with a green tea. When drinking green tea I usually choose a variety with fruit infused flavors, such as blueberry and acai (my personal favorite when it comes to green tea at least). I always try to keep my tea cabinet well stocked, so I almost always have what I am in the mood for available.
When drinking tea it is important to remember that contents are VERY HOT. I really do not know how I forget this, especially when going through the motions of boiling the water and steeping the tea etc. But I have burned my tongue and the bridge of my mouth one too many times and I want to save you some pain. (Even though I will probably not follow my own advice and end up burning myself again since I lack patience.) Patience is a virtue when it comes to tea. One must wait the proper amount of time for the tea to steep (usually included in the directions on the box) and then one must wait again so it is cool enough to drink.
Now if you are not sure which teas you enjoy and you reside within the Capital Region the Bigelow mobile tea bar will be visiting Market 32 in Clifton Park on October 22, 2015 and Market 32 in Wilton on October 23, 2015. At both locations the mobile tea bar will be brewing from 11am to 6pm with personalized tasting opportunities as they debut some new flavors.