In college, coffee is as common as laptops or slices of pizza. It’s ingested as a necessity: a means to finish that midterm study guide or to provide enough motivation to attend your 9:00 AM class Monday morning after fun, but not-so-productive weekend. I fall victim to the convenient beverage just as often as anyone else. Late night in the library? Middle Ground. Morning presentation? You better believe coffee from the Rat is gracing my travel mug. If I ever drive past a Starbucks, I’m a goner.
Yet, under all that foam and caramel sauce, there’s something so…harsh about coffee. It seems industrial, frantic, urban – consumed by busy men rushing to important meetings to make important deals in their freshly pressed suits and pocket squares. Everyone secretly knows it’s not good for your health. Everyone knows all too well the price is not good for your wallet. And everyone who sits next to you after your finish your Venti with an extra shot knows it is very clearly not good for your breath.
However, if the very thought of cutting the coffee from your daily routine makes your hands begin to tremble, and if soda is not your thing; fear not. There is tea.
Now when most people hear tea, they think one of three things: 1) You must be British! 2) You must be a hippie! or 3) You must be my grandmother! Over the years, tea has gotten a bad rap, either labeled wimpy by the hardcore espresso-addicts, or disgusting for those who favor high-sugar, high-fizz, high-excitement soda pop. Yet, what many people don’t realize is the prevalence of tea. After water, it is the single most consumed beverage worldwide. And for good reason! Compared to coffee, tea is healthy, cheap, and just as customizable.
Trust me, I was dubious at first too. Yet, after weeks of research, and quite a few trips to the bathroom, I’ve come to the following conclusions: Tea is cool, tea is effective, tea is efficient, and tea can totally be badass. (Well, maybe that last one is a stretch, but I’ll let you decide.)
Whether you’re a tea-novice or have been brewing your own blends for years, here is some basic info, facts, tips and ideas to make your tea drinking experience a little bit more exciting. (As if it wasn’t exciting enough already!)
1. Add citrus
The merits of green tea have been praised for thousands of years. (Literally, thousands.) But if even the thought of so many antioxidants in one beverage makes you crinkle your nose, hold that thought. With a little extra twist, this drink can be doable. You just need to add something a little special, a little different, a little…sour? Yep, you heard me right. Sour. A bit of citrus in a piping cup of green tea gives it just enough kick to overpower the slightly-grassy natural undertones of the drink. If you can, a few slices of lemon or a quarter of orange work fabulously. If you’re stuck in a dorm room, a dash of lemonade or orange juice will do just fine (what were you really going to do with those leftover mixers anyways?). You can drink it hot, or pour it over ice for a refreshing alternative to sweet tea or lemonade. Suddenly your drink has turned from hippy to hip, delicious, and invigorating.
2. Mix flavors
When you think of a tea party, you think elegant, refined, posh, well-mannered (maybe stuffed animals). It’s not a time to be adventurous, or bold, but rather exhibit the utmost self-control. Now, throw that image out the window, because this tea is about to party…in your mug. Rather than sticking with the strict preconception that one cup of tea is made with 8 oz of water and 1 tea bag, mix it up with even more flavor. Steep a orange flavored tea bag with a raspberry flavored tea bag for a fruity surprise. Or add a lemon flavored tea bag to earl gray to freshen up the floral with a bit of citrus. Even a breakfast tea gains depth when brewed with a chai tea bag, adding a subtle, spicy undertone. The combinations are endless, and the experimentation is half the fun. A new, random combination can lead to a new favorite.
3. Do it up like coffee
Now, for those of you who are rolling your eyes, thinking to yourself “If this girl thinks some juice or another bag of tea is going to tear me away from my soy-white-chocolate-mocha-with-caramel-and-extra-whip, she’s crazy!” then I have news for you: you can have your extras, and drink it too. If you start with a basic brew, such as an English Breakfast (or any sort of black tea), it can be adapted similarly to coffee. You can add creamer or even Coffeemate to make it smoother or soy milk, if you want, to make it healthier. Honey serves as a great sweetener, but so does sugar, Splenda, or even melted chocolate. With something as basic as a black tea, whipped cream on top is only slightly excessive. To really take it to the next level, you can trade in your latte for a tea latte. Instead of brewing your tea with boiling water, you do it with boiling milk. Add sweetener to taste, and mix to foam. Viola, a latte tea-ified.
4. Go decaffeinated
One of the greatest benefits of tea is that you can go decaffeinated without sacrificing much of the flavor. So, for those of you who can’t decide if it’s the caffeine, or simply the comfort of a hot beverage that you crave in the morning, try decaffeinated tea and find out. For those trying to cut the caffeine addiction, give tea a try too. Give fruity teas, such as orange, raspberry, blueberry, or strawberry a chance. What they lack in caffeine, they make up in flavor. If classic black tea, is your preference, head towards high quality teas for a decaffeinated version. Private and Twinings offer a much better blend than the generic Kroger or Lipton brand. Whole Foods also carries a variety of organic, local blends that are delicious – especially the brand My Cup of Tea, which is made right here in Memphis!
5. Try gourmet
Last but certainly not least, I would like to introduce you to the Starbucks of the tea world: Teavana. While the closest location to Rhodes is at Wolf Chase mall, it’s well worth the trip. The employees – tea aficionados – welcome you at the door with two free samples of tea, and after that, I’m normally sold. However, if you’re a little more picky than I am when it comes to freebies, just step inside. In addition to tea cups, pots, and other accessories Teavana caries an incredible selection of loose leaf teas. Instead of buying little, deceptive tea bags where you don’t know what you’re getting, you actually get to see what you’re steeping here. The employees are more than happy to help you view, smell, even taste the tea before you buy it and will help you with the decision process along the way. They have flavors like “Strawberry Misaki Blooming Tea” or “Cocoa Praline Tart Roobois”, and the taste is just as exotic as the name. While the price is a bit steeper than the Kroger aisle, the incredibly robust and unique flavors are worth the occasional splurge.
For this semester, I’m on Team Tea. I’m going to cut the coffee, cut my costs, and cut out the extra calories and bad breath. As Arthur W. Pinero said, “Where there’s tea, there’s hope.”