I adore tea. I’ve never drank wine but tea is my closest relation to enjoying the variations and smells and subtle flavors of a drink. 

Tea became a daily drink in China around 300AD

The word “tea” was derived from ancient Chinese dialects. Such words as “Tchai,” “”Cha,” and “Tay” were used to describe the tea leaf as well as the beverage. The tea plant’s scientific name is Camellia sinensis (which is from the The aceae family of the Theales order), and it is indigenous to China and parts of India. The tea plant is an evergreen shrub that develops fragrant white, five-petaled flowers, and; it is related to the magnolia. Tea is made from young leaves and leaf buds from the tea tree. Two main varieties are cultivated: C. sinensis sinensis, a Chinese plant with small leaves, and C. sinensis assamica, an Indian plant with large leaves. Hybrids of these two varieties are also cultivated. What we call “herbal tea” is technically not tea because it does not come from the tea plant but consists a mixture of flowers, fruit, herbs or spices from other plants.

Ref: www.chcp.org/tea.html

Interesting huh? Herbal teas and African Rooibos are not from the Tea tree. And the word “chai” tea is really just a redundancy, for us in the know that is! 😉

Here are my favorites… Chai tea with milk and honey makes for a pretty satiating dessert substitute. You might be thinking, “I am trying to lower calories, so I shouldn’t use milk or honey.” However, have no fear. It’s so nominal compared to breaking down and having a dessert you will regret.

Green tea; Like “drinking water” you’ve heard it time and time again the potential benefits of green tea. I’ve been drinking it for 21 years and I brew it, I ice it, I take it with me in the car, I have it with me at my computer. I pour loose tea in a French press coffee maker and have my hot tea that way. If there is any left over, I put it in the fridge and ice it for later.

I always make sure to have plenty of to-go cups from Costco or Smart & Final, or recycled from Starbucks. I like the clear plastics cups with lids and straws. It makes me happy and satisfied to see the color of my brewed ice tea. And I feel like Ive gone to a café and bought a 4 dollar beverage and it only cost me about 30 cents.

Check out my video with an enthusiastic stranger who saw my Teavana bag and expressed her thoughts on the virtues of tea and it’s sliming effects 🙂