Why do so many friggin’ people love tea?
Reasons to love tea + easy recipes!
What about tea is so alluring to people worldwide?
It’s a staple for the cold mornings and chilly nights in Jos, its brewing and art has been culturally preserved in many parts of Asia, and the Queen of England is a huge fan of it (from what I’ve heard anyway, I have not personally confirmed this with her).
Tea in Nigeria is considered anything from chocolate beverages such as Bournvita or Milo or tea leaves encased in bags such as Lipton or Top Tea. In this case, however, I am talking specifically about tea leaves in bags or as is.
As a personal lover of almost all kinds of tea, it is not strange to me that tea is a multimillion-dollar business. Yes, you heard right! People all over the world are purchasing heaps and heaps of tea every day. Why are so many people interested in hot leaf water? That’s a great question.
Because tea is amazing! More specifically, the benefits of drinking tea are amazing. Drinking good tea regularly has the following health benefits:
Antioxidants
This is a word that gets thrown around a lot. But what does it really mean? Antioxidants are substances typically found in plants that help prevent or minimize cell damage and the oxidative stress of free radicals (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, 2013). Simply put, antioxidants help eliminate some of the causes of many diseases, and as we all know, prevention is better than cure!
Flavonoids and focus
Flavonoids found in your tea and other fruits and vegetables actively promote a healthy heart! Tea contains caffeine which aids in focus. Additionally, it has L-theanine which is an enzyme that helps improve alertness and ironically enough, relaxation as well (Enloe, 2018).
Preventive care
Many teas can help reduce the risk of stroke, cancer, high blood pressure, high blood sugar levels, and high cholesterol. It also promotes the production of healthy bacteria which improves stomach health (Enloe, 2018).
Asides from these invigorating health benefits, tea is also popular because of its versatility in serving style. Think about it, there are very few events where serving a cup of tea is inappropriate. Breakfast? Lunch? Dinner? Have your meals with a cup of tea! Do you have a meeting and don’t want to fuss about food? Serve some tea! Cold at home with nowhere to go? Get yourself a cup of tea to warm you right up! Dealing with demon-like cramps? Sis, grab yourself a cup of tea!
Tea is particularly enjoyable in a place like Jos where the weather begs for you to keep warm! Do you wake up on foggy, dewy mornings yearning to stay in blankets but are unable to because of work, children or other daily activities? A cup of tea will most likely get your gears running and ready for the day. Funny enough, while certain teas help to kickstart your day, other types of teas can help ease you into a restful night.
While many people opt for coffee in the morning, here’s why you should pick tea instead:
Both tea and coffee contain caffeine which acts as a stimulant and serves to give the “buzz” that both beverages are known for. The difference, however, is that tea contains less caffeine than coffee. “ A strong cup of coffee can provide 100–300 mg of caffeine, while a cup of tea may provide 20–60 mg” (Gunnars, 2018). Because of this, tea is less likely to come with the symptoms of excessive stimulation such as feeling frenetic or extremely tired after the initial energy boost.
Lastly, another reason so many people love tea is because you can make tea with almost anything! Or at the very least, many plants are suitable for making tea. That means that even if you can’t afford to buy processed tea, you can simply pick up things from your garden or freely growing fields or buy them at affordable prices from your local market.
With that said, different types of tea have specific properties and uses. When picking what tea to consume, keep these properties in mind so that you can reap the full benefits of your tea drinking experience.
Teas are generally classified in three ways. It can be categorized either by the way the tea is processed for manufacturing, or where the tea originates from and lastly by the size of the processed leaves. For this post, I will be referring to the teas according to their manufacturing process.
Green tea
This tea is unfermented and as such usually retains its green colour, just like the name says! When steeped, green tea is usually a mild green or yellow colour; it is treated with heat either by steaming, roasting or pan-firing. Amongst all the teas, green tea has the least amount of caffeine and has a fresh, light flavour.
Black tea
This tea seems to be the most common as it can usually be found in any shop or market. Its leaves are fully oxidized and fermented, producing the dark brown or black colour it is aptly named after. Black tea has a stronger, richer flavour than green tea, with a slightly bitter taste and higher caffeine content.
Oolong tea
The theme of teas named after colours, unfortunately, ends here.
This tea is partially oxidized, meaning that it is not quite as fermented as black tea, but also not as fresh as green tea. It’s usually similar in colour to green tea but has a characteristic smoky and slightly earthy flavour.
Herbal tea
This category is by far my favourite! Herbal teas are usually not referred to as true teas because they are not made from the same Camellia sinensis plant which green, black and oolong tea is made from. This group of tea is made from various herbs or flowers and as such has a wide range of flavours, characteristics and benefits.
Understanding the different types of tea and their benefits will allow you to make the right choice for you and upgrade your tea drinking to a healthy and heavenly experience! Tea is one of those things that are so easy to make, literally anyone can make it! Why don’t you try out these four simple and healthy herbal tea recipes at home?
Keep in mind that adding sugar, honey or stevia shouldn’t be overdone. Adding heaps and heaps of any sweetener will destroy the benefits that make the tea good for our bodies!
Tea is dynamic and you should have fun with it! Feel free to explore the different kind of teas you can make yourself at home and make your own recipes to share with friends and family. Anything tastes better when you share it with someone you love. I wish you happy tea-ing!
Bibliography
Enloe, A. (2018, May 16). Healthline. Retrieved from Healthline Web site: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/black-tea-benefits
Gunnars, K. (2018, April 18). Healthline. Retrieved from Healthline Web site: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/stimulants-in-tea
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. (2013, November). Retrieved from National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health Web site: https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/antioxidants-in-depth
