One of the reasons tea is so great is that it comes in a myriad of flavors. But if you’re like me and suffer from chronic indecision (the doctor said it’s not life-threatening), what tea to try next can be an overwhelming decision.
Instead of haphazardly grabbing the most intriguing looking varieties at your local grocery or tea store (guilty), try strategically pairing them with meals throughout the day. Here’s a day’s worth of options.
Breakfast
Photo by Florence Ma
Oolong is a Chinese tea that is available in plenty of variations. Darker varietals, such as the popular Ti Kuan Yin tea, have a more prominent flavor and usually go well with sweeter foods, such as pancakes with maple syrup or yogurt and fruit. Treat yo’ self with this pairing on a lazy Sunday morning.
Lunch
Photo by Florence Ma
Green tea has a subtle, vegetative flavor, so it goes better with milder, lighter foods. Sip on this at lunch with a dainty sandwich or a salad with fresh berries. This strawberry salad has enough protein to be a full meal, and pairs well with Dragonwell tea, which, unfortunately, has nothing to do with dragons.
Afternoon snack
Photo by Florence Ma
A great and healthy afternoon snack is a small portion of raw vegetables, such as my favorite, carrots. White tea goes best with something like this; the tea is so subtle that any more flavorful food may overpower the sweet tea flavors. I have a tropical white tea that I really enjoy.
Dinner
Photo by Florence Ma
Since dinner is usually the heaviest meal of the day, it goes well with a richer tea. Black tea may be an obvious choice, but beware the high caffeine content late at night.
Instead, throw together some vegetables for a stir-fry and combine it with a Puh-erh tea. This earthy brew has some really great digestive benefits that will work wonders after a big meal.
Dessert
If you’re trying to maintain that beach bod for the summer, forego the processed sugar and dive into a refreshing fruit medley of mango, pineapple and papaya, which pairs nicely with Mango Sunny Passion green tea. Green teas come in lots of fruity varieties, so you can match the flavor profiles of your drink and dessert.
If fruit’s just not cutting it for you, then go ahead and indulge in some chocolatey goodness, but do so with a heavier-bodied varietal of black tea. Try it with either milk or a squirt of lemon and call it your daily serving of fruit.
For some more thoughts on tea, check out these links: