I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. As we’re getting in to the colder season, I have been thinking a lot about tea lately. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias and its client.
As a self-proclaimed adventurer, I like to try new things—including different kinds of tea. I happen to have travelled to 3 of the top tea-drinking countries in the world: India, China and England. Does this make me a tea expert? No, but it does mean I’ve picked up a few things about the fine art of tea selecting and drinking.
Tea should be enjoyed. I like to take the time to sip my tea. I usually do this in the afternoon (I only have 1 cup of coffee a day) to perk myself up, but also to calm myself down for some relaxing time. A cup or pot of tea symbolizes relaxation to me, and I often make myself some tea in the evening.
I found myself at my local Loblaw store this weekend, doing a bit of shopping for the week, and in front of a familiar section: the tea and coffee aisle. Partly, I’m indecisive, partly I like to try new tea flavours and brands—but I did end up spending at least 20 minutes picking up boxes of tea and reading the backs of them. Naturally, being in this aisle made me think a lot about tea that I’ve had over the years, what brands and flavours I most enjoy, and about getting home to relax and enjoy some.
Here is one way that I enjoy drinking tea—in one of my favourite mug, I like to use a cute loose tea holder and sit on my favourite comfy chair. Here, I’ll be updating on social media on my iPad or watching something on TV. Sometimes, I like to bring a cup of tea in to the bathroom to sip while I have a bath. This just adds to the relaxing atmosphere, don’t you think?
While looking through the many boxes of tea within the tea aisle at Loblaw, I picked up this tea:
Mighty Leap appealed to me because of the packaging. I like how I can see exactly the kinds of ingredients that go in to the tea bags. This really helps to solidify the message and visual connection.
There’s tea from all over the world at this store. Many of the boxes have some information that will help you decide which one will work best for you. Nighty Night or Chamomile? I would know right away that those were meant for evening drinking. I have a few favourite varieties that I tend to stick with, so I usually look for varieties of black tea, Assam and Darjeeling, and also fruit tea.
LOTS of tea! Do you know how to select tea when there is so much? Loblaw has their selection categorized by brand and then also by variety of tea—like the British brands and tea types are all together, and so are all of the different kinds of Chai. All the giant boxes of tea are at the bottom.
Can you only drink English Breakfast in the morning? Of course not, but you might feel silly ordering it at any other time of the day. Similarly, I feel strange ordering iced tea while I’m out and about, during winter. See below for my recommendations for the right time to drink different varieties of tea:
If you’re a Star Trek: The Next Generation fan, like me, you likely decided that you like Earl Grey tea, served hot—because Jean Luc Picard ordered it that way. Personally, I like my tea warm. How about you? The delicious bergamot in Earl Grey tea can make it taste too bitter if the tea is over-steeped. Best time to drink Earl Grey: In the afternoon or early evening. I find the bergamot relaxing, despite the caffeine in the tea.
Best tea to drink with Chinese food: either jasmine or green tea. I prefer jasmine tea – how about you? Jasmine tea is good for digestion, so it’s great to drink (from a tea pot so you can) while you’re eating.
The best tea for iced tea: any, actually. I prefer fruit tea for my iced tea, but you can use any black tea, too. Do you like having your iced tea sweetened? I do, but don’t mind so much if fruit tea is left unsweetened.
I won’t go in to the details here about the correct time to steep each kind of tea, along with the correct temperatures, but those are two other things to think about when making tea.
I’d love to hear your thoughts – what is your favourite tea to enjoy, and where do you like to enjoy it?
I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. I was able to check out the tea selection as part of this shop. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias and its client.
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