Can I turn myself into a regular tea drinker? Time to give it a go

I have an ambivalent relationship with tea. On the one hand, I’m fascinated by the world’s countless tea varieties and the numerous ways they benefit our health. I also enjoy that lovely sense of cosiness and relaxation that quietly enjoying a cup of tea provides. On the other hand, I rarely drink tea. I couldn’t tell you precisely why.

Maybe it’s down to a combination of pragmatism and impatience – after all, making tea involves boiling water, infusing it with tea and letting it all brew. Or maybe my love of coffee is to blame for relegating tea to second place in my personal hot drink stakes. Perhaps it’s simply force of habit. I never did get into the habit of drinking tea regularly.

A pot of tea every day

This week, that habit’s about to change. Come what may, I’ll be drinking (at least) one pot of tea every day for a week. Either I’ll get sick of the stuff and never drink it again, or I’ll finally manage to establish a tea-drinking routine I can stick to in the future. Or hey, maybe the result will be something in between.

I was doing well at drinking water, until ...

This time last year, I made sure I was drinking enough water every day for a week. I’d resolved to drink 2-3 litres per day, which I managed quite easily. I was pleased with the results. After that, I settled on a slightly lower but sufficient daily amount to carry on drinking in the long term. Months later, with my focus pulled in another direction, my delightful new habit slowly disappeared.

All the more reason to start topping up my missing fluids with tea. To stop things from getting too samey, I’ll be switching varieties each day in a bid to find a favourite I can later enjoy daily.

Day 1: kicking things off with black tea as a coffee alternative

It doesn’t take me long to pick out a tea variety for day one: black tea. Why? Because I’m clean out of coffee and I need something to get my head in gear in the mornings. Besides, I’m generally a fan of black tea anyway. As well as drinking it as a welcome coffee substitute, I often «misappropriate» it as a miracle cure for skin issues. I’d highly recommend it for dry, sore or irritated skin.

Today, however, I’ll be drinking the tea, not plastering it on my face. First thing in the morning, I make myself a pot of Darjeeling and sip away at it over the next hour and a half. Giving each cup a little upgrade in the form of a dash of oat milk, I really don’t miss having coffee. It’s not even noon and I’ve already hit my self-imposed tea quota.

Day 2: fennel-aniseed-caraway – always a good shout

On day two, I go back to my usual morning coffee, not picking up the teapot until later in the afternoon. Even so, my tea experiment’s still going strong. On today’s menu is one of my favourite tea blends: fennel, aniseed and caraway. They make a mighty trio, great for stomach and intestinal complaints.

What I really like, however, is the taste. The blend is easy on the stomach, so I can drink it in large quantities without issue. That’s something I do anyway if I’m feeling unwell. Though I’m perfectly fine today, I get through a whole pot without as much as a twinge in my stomach. I need to remind myself to keep drinking on two or three occasions, but the pot’s finished soon enough. Easy-peasy.

Day 3: plucking rose hips from the snow for my cuppa

Despite the frosty winter temperatures, I manage to harvest the ingredients for today’s tea: rose hips from my garden. Rose hip tea is my favourite fruit tea, especially when it’s prepared fresh. Not only do these little, red fruits taste lovely, they’re also full of healthy ingredients and strengthen the immune system.

Today’s tea is a little more time-consuming than going for a pre-made variety. Before I can brew the tea, I’ve got to pick and chop up the fruit. However, once that’s out of the way, I can relax and savour it. Like most teas, I enjoy drinking rose hip tea cold. For a bit of variety, I give it a boost by squeezing an orange into the cup, creating a delicious, fruity tea packed with vitamins. I don’t have any trouble polishing off the pot.

Day 4: going green

Although I’m convinced of the health benefits of green tea, I have to admit that I very rarely drink it. On the one hand, I don’t particularly like the taste. On the other, I generally pay very little attention to brewing times and water temperature, which are apparently especially important when making green tea. Today, however, I’ll be doing just that. It’s time to give green tea another chance.

I dig out some green tea (ginger and lemon flavour) from the back corner of my kitchen cupboard, this time making sure I get the brewing time (two minutes) and water temperature (about 80 degrees) right. The taste test that follows proves better than expected. Even so, I’m unlikely to convert to green tea in the long term.

Tea

Alnatura Organic Green Tea Jasmine 20ST 30g

30 g

6

Tea

Alnatura Organic Green Tea Jasmine 20ST 30g

30 g

6

Day 5: a summery mint tea

Today, I’ll be drinking one of my wall decorations. Yep, a while back, I bought some fresh mint, fully intent on cooking it. By the time I got round to using it, however, it was already too dry. I opted to hang it up and let it dry out completely, so it’s ended up as a kind of kitchen wall decoration. But before the leaves start gathering dust, I’m going to douse them in hot water and make day five of my tea experiment a minty one.

However, as is the case with chamomile tea, I always associate mint tea with being ill as a kid. It’s fine once in a while, but the hot version doesn’t exactly blow me away. Even if it’s not the time of year for it, I prefer using chilled mint tea to make iced tea.

Once I throw in a couple of ice cubes, add a squeeze of lemon and some honey, it’s really tasty. Mind you, the drink doesn’t really mesh well with the view of my wintry garden.

Tea

Sirocco Grand Selection

90 g

336

Tea

Sonnentor Kamillen Tee

50 g

26

Tea

Sonnentor Pfefferminztee

50 g

13

Tea

Sirocco Grand Selection

90 g

336

Tea

Sonnentor Kamillen Tee

50 g

26

Tea

Sonnentor Pfefferminztee

50 g

13

Day 6: chamomile’s my favourite alternative to water

Today, it’s the turn of «sickness tea» number two: chamomile tea. Yet another classic served up to unwell children. Rightly so, of course – the chamomile plant’s little, round flowers are packed with healthy substances. And unlike peppermint tea, chamomile tea doesn’t automatically conjure up the sensation of being ill when I smell it. I like its mild taste and love it as an alternative to water, even in large quantities. I end up drinking two pots over the course of the day, most of it chilled.

Now on the second-last day of my tea-drinking experiment, I’ve noticed I’m drinking more fluid over the course of the day than usual – just like what happened during my water-themed «I did it!» week. I need to go to the loo more often, but I generally feel refreshed too. I’m more energetic, more alert. Naturally, I can’t say for sure whether this is down to the extra liquid, the healthy contents of the tea or my own expectations. Still, I’m pleased all the same, and I appreciate my teas more and more every day.

Day 7: rounding things off with rooibos – a novelty for me

I overlooked rooibos tea for a long time, simply because it was unfamiliar to me. I’ve since brushed up on my rooibos knowledge. It’s made from the leaves of the Aspalathus linearis plant, which grows exclusively in the Cederberg Mountains of South Africa.

It’s a pretty powerful plant, too. The tea is rich in antioxidants, but doesn’t contain oxalic acid. As a result, people with kidney stones are still able to digest it. What’s more, it doesn’t contain theine, so it’s suitable for children. Another positive aspect is its calming effect on the nervous system. Drinking it regularly is said to reduce stress and improve sleep quality. The flavonoids it contains are also said to have a positive effect in regulating the release of stress hormones. More than enough reason to grab myself a cup. Again, I opt to enjoy my last pot of tea of the week in the morning. I’ll certainly go for rooibos more often in the future. Not only are there plenty of health-related reasons to drink it, the red tea also tastes really good.

Verdict: I’ll be upping my tea consumption, but it won’t replace water in the long run

With seven tea-fuelled days under my belt, I’ve come to a positive verdict. I liked the daily variety of drinks and was able to get something out of each of the teas. That being said, it’s unlikely I’ll become a daily tea drinker in this lifetime. When all’s said and done, my go-to drink is always going to be water: always available, right out of the tap, neutral in taste, uncomplicated and more refreshing than anything else. Still, there are certain occasions when only tea will do. Having a cold or an upset stomach, warming up, cooling down or relaxing, to name a few. And I’ve also made a new tea discovery in the form of rooibos. I’ll certainly be drinking it more often in the future.