At the very least, tea is a flavourful way of getting more liquid into your body.
Statistics suggest that after water, tea (in the most general sense) is by far the most consumed liquid in the world.
At the very most, however... it can be the most aromatic, heavenly experience.
Nutritionists recommend a cup a day of any sort of tea can help improve
the digestive and immune systems. However, some even go as far as to claim it can have a calming effect
on the body's parasympathetic nervous system. As well as it's medicinal benefits, there is evidence to suggest
it's positive impact on mental health; reducing anxiety and depression in those susceptible to it
and suffering from it; whereby holding a warm cup of tea triggers the same bodily response as receiving a loving hug.
Tea comes from the evergreen shrub called Camellia sinensis. There are two varietals: Camellia sinensis var. sinensis (Chinese tea) and Camellia sinensis var. assamica (Assam or Indian tea). All tea comes from this plant.
Find out more about tea here
"Varie-tea is the spice of life!"
Before we start exploring the world of tea varieties, we need to understand the main categories of tea: black, oolong, green, white, yellow, and fermented/pu'erh.
"Sweet dreams are made of tea."
Run the tap a little so the water's nicely aerated, and only boil it once to keep the oxygen level up because oxygen in water helps flavour.
Pop a tea bag into your mug (always a big mug)
Pour the hot water over the tea bag and stir briefly.
Tea needs time to unlock all its flavour, so give it 3-4 minutes to do its thing. This is a perfect time to grab a sneaky cookie or daydream about vacations.
Before removing the tea bag, gently squish it with a spoon against the side of the mug - but not too much or you'll make it bitter.
If you want, throw in some milk, sugar or honey to sweeten or nothing at all if you prefer it simple.
