Why I Drink 2: Flavor

The flavor of tea is obviously a huge factor in why anyone drinks, or doesn't drink, a specific tea but with such a wide swath of teas to choose from there is a flavor for nearly every pallet. Even without herbal teas we can find a huge variety within the true tea family, especially if we include flavored teas.

Black tea: dark and full bodied, black tea is an excellent breakfast drink. It tends to go nicely with eggs, bacon, and toast. A particularly popular version of this tea is Earl Grey which is black tea leaves and bergamot root. Black teas tend to go well with sugar and milk, but my personal favorite additions to a good black tea are lemon and honey.

Green tea: tends to be more bitter then black tea, and slightly lighter in flavor. A really good unflavored green tea should be drunk by itself, but depending on the addition flavors honey or sugar can make a good addition. Flavored green teas tend to reduce the bitterness of the tea by adding dried fruits and flowers and encouraging the addition of sugar or honey.

White tea: much lighter then either green or black tea, these teas are very often flavored because of how light the flavor of the tea is. These whimsical teas are usually excellent by themselves, and light enough not to need sugar or honey, because the flavor of the other ingredients shines through. A white Earl Grey might contain bergamot as well as vanilla to complement the light flavor.

Herbals: this category encompasses way too much to generalize about the flavors. From chamomile to peppermint, pine to citrus to African Rooibos. Just find one that smells appealing, and odds are it will taste just as appealing.

Cheers-
Teb