Who says tea is just for the British? Wouldn’t we all love to have a cup of tea and crumpets with Sherlock? But for whatever reason, America has not yet adopted the age-old tradition of making time for tea. I guess we are too busy standing in line at Starbucks, ordering our quadruple chocomochacarmelfrappacino and instagramming it shortly thereafter.

Why make time for tea in America?

Because it’s tea time and not just tea.

There is a whole British tradition that comes with tea time. It’s about taking a moment to spend with your family and friends. It is the time to unwind and take a second to breathe. In America, we are too fast-paced and too distracted.

Here’s a possible solution to our “hustle and bustle” lifestyle: the consumption of a beverage that will provide us with a real break in the day. By adopting a tradition that has already been established, we might be able to get rid of some of our daily, American stress.

tea

Photo by Smita Jain

I can already tell that coffee fanatics are angry with me. They might be saying, “I can also drink coffee and relax with my family and friends.” Well…not really. There is an enormous amount of caffeine in coffee compared to that of tea. Thus, a cup of tea should ideally provide a more “zen-mode” experience than a cup of coffee does.

Plus, coffee has less than desirable side effects like making your body significantly more acidic. Tea is known to have antioxidants that are beneficial for your body. That’s +1 for the Tea Team!

Coffee already has a reputation of the “on the go” beverage. I think it is time for something new– for tea to make its presence known in the American world of beverages.

tea

Photo by Smita Jain

There are a lot of varieties of teas like:

1. Oolong Tea
2. Black Tea
3. Green Tea
4. White Tea
5. Herbal Tea
6. Rooibos Tea

tea

Photo by Smita Jain

But when it comes to coffee, like my friend Sierra says, “There are only two types of coffee…good and bad.”

All jokes aside, I still love to have a cup of coffee when I really need that caffeine buzz. Those white mocha’s are just too addicting sometimes.

tea

Photo by Smita Jain

All that being said, next time you are at a cafe, be sure to check out the tea choices. One of them might turn out to be tea-rrific! 🙂

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