Welcome To The Wonderful World Of Tea

Welcome to my blog. You may wonder what can be said about tea. It's just a drink, right? Plop the teabag in the cup, add water and your good to go. Four years ago, I would of said the same, but a decision to join Weight Watchers, and the limitations that come along with it, opened my eyes to the varied world of tea.

In 2010, I decided that I needed to loose weight, so I joined Weight Watchers. My tipple of choice, was full sugar, full fat coke. Not the normal coke though, but the calorific Cherry Coke. I am embarrassed to even think about how much of the stuff I drank. In fact, I'm surprised that I have any teeth left! So when I joined WW, it became evident, through their plan, that cherry coke was out. Cherry coke, "red top" coke, Dr Pepper, Lilt, Fanta - all the drinks that I liked were not really suitable for the plan, no matter how flexible it was. And to be honest, the diet variations were not to my taste at all. So, I tried water. Fine in the summer, but in the winter it was unappealing. Diluted fruit juices were also out. Everything was cut out (and remains cut out to this day).

I am not a coffee lover. Hate the smell of it. So that left me with tea. I used to dabble with tea, in fits and starts but nothing serious. So, deciding to give it a go, I stood in Tesco's with my basket and felt overwhelmed at the vast selection. Earl Grey, what was that? Chai? Green tea? But it was a packet of Twining's Mulled Spice that caught my eye. It's beautiful box, that featured a woman in a ballgown looked so different that I picked up a packet, and brought some.

I followed the instructions on the packet. A tiny bit of sugar, (I used sweetner),a splash of milk, and hot water. I sat down, gingerly sipped it and .... WOW! Tea surely couldn't taste this good. Surely, this wonderful blend was a one off. And it wasn't. And so my journey started.

What I love about tea is you can take a trip around the world and not leave your house. Africa has it's Rooibos (red bush as it's known in the UK)tea, there are fantastic blends from China and India. The world is your oyster.

So, what is my favourite tea? If you had asked me three months ago it would be Lady Grey. At Christmas it was her cousin, Earl Grey. Today, as I sit here and write this, it's Orange Blossom Earl Grey. It changes from week to week, if not day to day. That is why it's vital to have a good selection of many different teas to choose from.

Are there any teas I don't like? Certainly. I cannot tolerate Lapsang Souchong. It reminds me of my holiday to the Isle of Man when all I could smell were the smoked kippers. I have tried - and failed - miserably to get along with Camomile. And I was put off green tea, though I'm open to trying it again one day.

In my heart of hearts, I'm a Twining's girl. I'm not a tea snob (I won't reject a cup of PG Tips or Tetley), but I know quality when I see it. From the quality of their tea, their stylish packaging and friendly customer service, it's a little bit of luxury that I can afford. Their tea's are a joy and a pleasure to drink. And I not ashamed to admit that I'm proud of the collection of tea's and caddies that I display on the kitchen counter. For me, there is no other tea to have in my house, but I like to try others, too.

Like most people, my boyfriend and I have busy lives, so there is nothing like a Sunday morning, with a pot of tea, drunk from a bone china cup. A bit of tranquility within the madness of our lives.

Why have I created this blog? Well, I have realised that there are an awful lot of tea drinkers out there. I plan to write about all the tea I can so that people could be inspired to try blends they had not thought about trying before. I hope you enjoy reading!