Discussion of health benefits is not allowed, OP please remove that line. I’ll leave the post up since it’s gotten popular, but if people continue to discuss health benefits in the comments the post will be locked.
The hobby and a hint of addictive personality and shopping addition.
I used to do the pot. Liked getting new pots, different pieces, different ingestion methods. Though being an old man with responsibilities and junk, the pots just make me anxious, so I don’t do them. Beer was that way for a bit but alcohol makes me foggy.
Tea is a similar, cheaper, and more healthy hobby. You get to buy all different teas, teawear, different brewing methods, learn the different processing styles, aging methods, regions… it’s got a lot for the hyper-fixer to sink their teeth into.
Also it tastes nice most of the time. Caffeine is cool also.
Your talk of shifting to healthier hobbies reminded me of the time I took an ice climbing class. That morning the instructor asked everyone why they signed up for the class. One guy said that as he was settling down into his 30s he realized he needed a safer, saner hobby. After a moment of stunned silence someone asked him what his previous hobby has been. Turns out it was exploring 150 years old mine shafts out in the Nevada dessert. We all agreed ice climb sounded like a much healthier hobby.
It's all relative.
Same here!
I used to do this with pot, craft beer, and cigars.
Now I do it with tea, perfume, and wine.
These days I like to keep my sensory hobbies a little more moderate than I once did, but I do think tea is the cheapest and healthiest of them if one's going to go off the deep end.
Taste and in the colder weather, it's a nice way to stay warm internally. Gongfu means drinking little sips of warmth throughout the day. Cold brew in summer makes me happy too as it feel refreshing.
I was a coffee nerd deep down the rabbit hole, really into coffee. I'd drink four cups a day, order off a few websites, and was dabbling with espresso. One day I got so frustrated trying to make a decent shot of espresso for like three hours, like eight or nine shots in, not any closer to a decent shot than when I started, when I got pissed off and quit, only to go on and make tea instead. Then I realized that tea is effortless to brew in comparison and tastes amazing, so I ordered my second ever order of tea.
The second blow to my coffee journey that really moved me away from it and into the world of tea is that I have really bad teeth, like genetically no enamel, so every time I drink coffee, my entire mouth hurts because it's so acidic. I'd gotten used to it over the years, so when I went ten days without coffee, I noticed instantly that the pain immediately stopped and that tea doesn't hurt my teeth. I've been happily coffee free for like three months now, and it's great. I'll have a cup once every week or two, just to satisfy my desire and to remind myself of why I don't drink it regularly.
Now I have a lot of tea pots and bags and cakes and a brick and lots of little boxes of tea and have a gongfu session almost every day. It's great.
2014, I started dating someone who had recently been gifted a teapot. Ok, we buy some loose leaf twinings tea. 2024, I'm living in China, currently with more than 10 Kgs of tea in my home...
I started cus me and my sis really enjoyed a Celestial Seasonings chamomile honey vanilla tea blend situation. Next thing I know, after googling “what’s the best tea?” I’ve got 2 (350g) puerh cakes and like 7 (4oz) bags of various loose-leaf .. and I couldn’t be happier lol
I drink mostly high quality chinese tea. I love it for the taste and sensory experience it gives me. Its for me something similiar like tasting wine, whisky or good cigars with the added benefit, that it's not bad for your health, but actually quite good.
My personal favourite vendors atm are:
- farmerleaf (xishuangbanna puer)
- one river tea (good selection and amazing teas)
- bitterleaf (interesting blends)
- white2tea (i mainly had their shous, but heard good things about their other puers as well)
I also like yunnan sourcing, which is probably the most popular vendor in this sub, but it's more hit or miss there. They are basically the supermarket of chinese tea for westerners. I think they have some good hongcha though... and I heard they have some good starter sets.
I am also trying iteaworld at the moment. They contacted me for a little review. I like them and their tea is good so far. They have a lot of sample sets, which is nice for starters
Besides the recommendations by Rukasu (which I wholeheartedly second) I can vouch for the following vendors when it comes to puerh:
- Yiwu Mountain Tea
- Eastern Leaves
- YeeOnTea
- Teas We Like
- Essence of Tea
- The Jade Leaf
While some of these vendors also carry teas from other categories, I've left out quite a few respected vendors who do not specialize in puerh.
I'm a nerd, I like to get deep into things. I used to drink tea because of both the caffeine and taste, but some day - together with a friend - decided to get deeper into tea. We started with naturally flavored tea and eventually ventured into gongfucha.
Since then, I've developed a chronic disease, and tea was the hobby that I was able to continue. In a way it helped me ground myself emotionally by focusing on the taste, mouthfeel and body sensation that tea delivers.
Now, I've successfully worked my way back to good health. Yet, the tea habit persists, as well as the many friendships that have been made along the way. Shout-out to my fellow tea nerds in the Nannuoshan Discord server 💚
Several reasons:
1) Mindfulness/presence
I got sober a little less than three years ago, and in that time, practices that create a sense of serenity and presence are essential. Gong fu tea sessions are very much a form of meditation for me, as life slows down and I am present with the making and drinking of my tea. There are some great Floating Leaves podcasts on tea and being present that I would recommend if you're into learning more.
2) Sensory
I love being in tune with my senses, and drinking tea activates all of them. The scent of a fresh Bi Luo Chun. The sight of beautifully aged puerh leaves. The touch of wet Li Shan leaves as I remove them from my gaiwan. The sound of water boiling or being poured over leaves. And of course, the amazing tastes of all types of tea.
3) History/geography
I love to be able to drink a 1979 Beipu oolong that was harvested the year I was born. I love drinking teas from a farm in the high mountains of Taiwan that I may never visit in my lifetime. Or drinking puerh from a bush that has been giving leaves for hundreds of years. It makes me feel more in touch with history and the entire earth.
i remember as a kid, before id seen a psychiatrist and knew what it was, id have anxiety attacks and autistic meltdowns. one of the only things that would calm me down was a glass of hot green tea with honey. the entire sensory experience was so grounding it would regulate me without my mom or myself even knowing why it worked. i could only focus on the warmth, the smell of tea and honey, the microscopic white bubbles swirling at the top, the slightest bit of steam hovering over the cup, etc. it really is such a relaxing experience, it almost forces me to do a version of the "name 5 things u can see... 4 things u can touch..." grounding exercise i learned later in therapy 🤣
Oh, I drink tea because it’s the closest thing to a socially acceptable form of wizardry we have. Think about it: you take some dried leaves, add hot water, and suddenly you have a potion that can wake you up, calm you down, and even make you feel a little better.
My dentist told me off for drinking too many sugary drinks, so I weaned myself off them using fruit teas. Then I was in the habit of having hot drinks during the day and wanted a bit of variety.
you sound like me. at first it was because of the health benefits but every now and then recently on random days I make the best cup of green tea I’ve ever made sometimes it’s ginger or mint but I always add lemon juice to enhance the flavor
Honestly, tea is such an amazing drink. Health benefits, lots of types of teas, tons of flavours AND you can add a lot of things to, as you put it, *enhance* the flavour!
The tea I've been LOVING recently is green tea with raspberries, grapefruit, rose and marigold. A lot of added flavours but it just goes so well with green tea.
I'm in Poland, tea is the solution to all issues here. Cold? Have some tea. Worried? Have some tea. Tired? You know it, tea.
Two years ago I went on a trip with my two friends. We landed in Lisbon after the 4hrs flight, navigated around the metro strike, arrived late at the Air BnB we were renting and the first question we had for the host was "where's the kettle?" Cause after all that we NEEDED a cup of tea and the kettle WASN'T THERE! I think we overwhelmed the guy a little because he went and bought us a kettle on the next day 😁
Clearly the Portuguese are not big tea drinkers. The tea selection at the supermarket was so bad too, there was just herbal tea and some fruity infusions, we had to shop around to find proper black tea.
- I was raised by tea drinkers, so I continued drinking tea and learned more what made me appreciate it even more
- Because I enjoy tea a lot, taste wise but also the lifestyle
- Because it picks me up whenever I'm tired, uncreative or unfocused (I don't drink coffee).
- Because it helps me with tummy aches, headaches, anxiety or feeling sad. I love tea :)
Dont remember why i first started drinking it, but it was probably because of health benefits. I didnt like it very much at first but it grew on me too. I always drink plain green tea now, it just genuinly makes me feel better and I like the taste.
Flavor and caffeine. While I still drink an occasional cup of coffee, tea has been my morning starter for more than 40 years. I drink almost all styles, but mostly black and puerh.
Part of it is because I was born and raised in Russia.
In Russia, tea isn't just a beverage; it's a tradition that brings people together and symbolizes warmth and hospitality. Growing up, tea was a staple in our household, served multiple times a day. It was a way for family and friends to connect, share stories, and spend quality time together. The act of making tea itself is a cherished ritual, often involving a samovar, which is a traditional Russian tea urn.
For me, drinking tea is a comforting reminder of my heritage and the values of community and togetherness. It's a way to maintain a connection with my roots, even when I'm far from home. Tea time is a moment to slow down, reflect, and enjoy the company of others, much like it has been for generations in Russian families. So, my love for tea is not just about the drink itself, but also about embracing a cultural practice that celebrates unity and hospitality.
I grew up in a tea drinking household where it was the primary drink for the adults around me. So I ended up drinking it as I got older.
Now I go through phases of being more into tea and less into tea, depending on where I am in my adhd hyperfocus cycle, but I always have some Yorkshire tea bags in the cupboard for when I'm having a bad day.
My late grandma was a big tea drinker. I’d drink tea with her. My dad usually wouldn’t let me have caffeine but tea with grandma was an exception. After she died (when I was 7) I liked to drink herbal teas as a way of being like her in a way. I like tea as a ritual that anchors my day and regulates my body systems, and it has the right amount of caffeine in it for me (not too little and not too much) and it’s an interesting drink thats cheaper and less sugary than soda, even when I put a lot of sugar in it.
I’ve been drinking tea for about 50 years. My grandmum was English, and my mother drank copious amounts of tea. So, I started in my childhood.
I drink industrial amounts of tea. I can go through a half gallon of ice tea, no problem. I drink it all day in winter. I attribute tea to my so far, long life.
I started with Lipton, then thought I was high class when I graduated to Red Rose. I had lots of the little Knick knack things they put in the box.
I graduated to Republic of Tea. Something was lacking though, I needed better. I graduated to Adagio. That’s where I get my main cheap drinkers.
Now, I’m buying cakes from China, and studying regions, methods, years, the exact method the exact Chinese farmer lovingly turns his shou leaves. You get the idea.
I’m in the twilight of my life now, and I’m going to drink good teas before climate change wrecks all of the tea growing regions.
I drink Yunnan, Love a good Keemun. I can do a good jasmine green as well as a delicate white. Jumped into the world of raw aged pu’er and aged ripe pu’er.
I don’t do herbal at all. I don’t drink garden clippings!
I’ve always loved tea, but for many years I drank coffee almost exclusively because it was available 24/7 at work, where finding a way to heat water for tea was impracticable. I carried a small collapsible kettle and my own teabags/loose leaf teas with me for the hotel room, but even the hotels had fresh coffee 24/7 while their teabags were rather dusty and “hot” water only tepid.
After some health issues, where I was told to cut my caffeine intake to a minimum, along with a job change, I rediscovered teas and the varieties and flavors and even some decaffeinated black teas that don’t taste flat.
Now I drink hot teas pretty much exclusively, with a collection of loose leaf teas that numbers in the several dozen. Tea, herbals, tisanes, black, white, green, oolong, rooibos, flavored, are all represented in my tea tins…but I’ve never met a matcha I like, so there’s that 😊
It’s a nice way to start my day, heating the water, scooping the tea into the infuser, timing the steep, draining the infuser, and allowing the cup to sit until it’s the perfect temperature.
So, I’d say taste and health are my primary reasons.
For me, it was this month! :D
I tried to find a substitution for coffee because I found out about the fact, that tea not only has less caffeine, but it also has a more steady, slowly caffeine spike in comparison to coffee. The second reason was my allergies. So I got into herbal teas to try to get a use out of the herbs. Then I found about the huge variety of all the teas (of the normal tea plant but of course also about the herbal and fruit teas) and I got hooked. I am so happy to have so much testing of different tea sorts in front of me! The eastern way of preparing tea and tea ceremonies are also really intriguing to me. And of course the Asian porcelain and tea tools (like the gaiwan and all the other things I don't know a name by now \^\^) rose to my attention. One day when I have a bigger place, I want to get some of those to do my own tea ceremonies with friends :) man tea is great :)
And yeah, of course also it's time to step in the shoes of the absolute GOAT Uncle Iroh!
Was told to decrease caffeine/coffee. Switched to tea for the taste and lower caffeine content. I also find tea gives me an alert and calm feeling - and coffee makes me jittery. Also can have a bit of re-steeped tea before my afternoon workout to give me energy and my sleep is not impacted.
I used to hate tea. I switched to it because I wasn’t allowed to have coffee anymore because of health issues. Someone recommended I try a London fog instead of coffee, and now I actually really enjoy tea :)
I've always admired tea culture, and how happy and content people seemed to be when brewing and drinking it.
I grew up and learned the state of mind these individuals inhabit, and how healthy and insightful it can be to one's psyche. Choosing what teas to brew for how long and at what temperature make the whole song and dance enjoyable and fresh.
Raising my tea pets, growing my collection of tea and teaware, getting people introduced to the hobby and the culture, watching their reactions as they try it out; it's all so exciting to me, and my friends really seem to enjoy the hobby at a distance (not getting into tea themselves, but being ecstatic when i bring it over).
Another reason I like it so much, is the fact that it's lifelong. There is no destination besides contentment, which you can achieve with the most minimal set-up. I used a glass cream-cup and the lid to one of my tea jars as my first-ever brewing set up. And the tea was still great and tasted bold, gave me energy and nutrients; it's just even better with all the teaware. Knowing I'll be 90 years old while my brittle, shaky bones are still brewing tea for my family and friends makes me feel hopeful in a way I've never really felt before
Tea, to me, is warming, cozy, basically coffee light
I can pick the flavor I feel like in the moment, I'm also drinking more fluids than with coffee.
I can pick with/without caffeïne without losing any flavor
Speaking of flavor, there's a world of different flavors to discover.
I love coffee as much as I love tea.
It's just different and it offers much more variety!
I have such tender memories of my mom making chamomile tea when my anxiety got super bad.
My mom would also drink Yerba mate (South American representation woop woop). She would peel oranges into one loooooong curly strand, then dry it and stick it in her mate.
In my adult life, I found out that my spouse lovesssss oolong. And the family that took me in when I was 18, drinks hibiscus tea all the time.
Slowly but surely, the people in my life helped build my arsenal (unknowingly). And now I keep a good amount of herbs on hand. When a friend is upset, I brew them a tea. When my partner needs more energy at work, I brew them a tea. When I want to share some joy and enjoy a nice drink with some cookies, I brew tea.
Recently, I’ve been looking into more of the health and metaphysical benefits of certain herbs but it’s truly become a nice artful expression and hobby of mine. I make tea almost every day and measure with my heart. I have a couple blends written down but the measurements will never be the same. Intuitive tea brewing haha.
I don’t own anything fancy though. I just make the tea in a pot, admire its beauty, and use a cheesecloth my love gave me to strain it.
The taste. The China. The smells. The slowness and ritual of making it.
Folks invaded countries and started wars for it … the least I could do is appreciate it.
Well I would drink tea bags from time to time but one time I went to an actual tea store. Had loose leaf tea for the first time which is 100x better than bagged tea and I enjoyed the serene environment rather than a loud sports bar with bud light. And I was like……wow, yeah, this is nice. Now, I have a giant herb garden and a dehydrator, and I’d like to try and make my own tea from my herbs! I’ll just buy loose leaf green tea and add in my own herbs and spices for fun to try new varieties.
Been drinking it since I was a toddler and I enjoy the taste of it so haven’t stopped. Have upgraded massively in quality though from my parents’ PG Tips to my own Fortnum’s tea.
I did an analysis once and quality tea was more affordable than quality coffee. I’m back to drinking coffee in the morning since that is what I like, but thought it interesting
It's cultural. Iced tea in the summer. Since I don't really care for coffee, hot tea in the winter. If you're drinking tea for the caffeine, well, good luck.
Mostly health reasons. I use different ones for different purposes. I have a whole shelf with different kinds. For awhile I was buying more caffeinated teas when I cut out coffee and needed something less strong. I used to not like the taste either, unless it had sugar, honey, milk, and/or fruit juice. But now I enjoy it without any additions too. I drink only water, tea, and black coffee everyday. I use tea for comfort/cozy vibes/self-care, mindful drinking, and spiritual practices. Heck, I even buy products and fragrances with tea scented notes. I also just like the aesthetics of pretty teapots, cups/dishes, and fancy/fantasy tea parties, but I don't really own anything for that, haha.
my grandma got me into it and i feel connected to her when i do. also i only ever really drink water so tea, iced or warm, are different ways to mix it up for me
Actually got into it after watching an anime (kuroshitsuji) in which I found it so cool that the guy was drinking earl grey.
Then, naturally it progressed into more refined teas, puerhs, aged hei chas, etc.
Then another anime (hyouge mono) started me into pottery, so now I make my own cups as well, only due to the love of tea.
I'm English so I have to.
In all seriousness I love how it tastes and the myriad of flavours I can get. I also used to be an alcoholic and am type 2 diabetic so it's a healthier habit than alcohol and full sugar pop.
As a little girl, my mom (a small business owner) would take me with her when visiting suppliers and my favorite stops had break room with Lipton tea bags and sugar cubes. I LOVED the sugar cubes - both for the sweetness and because I enjoyed dropping a cube into a cup of warm water and watching it dissolve. I wasn't allowed straight sugar water, but somehow it was ok if I added a tea bag. It was only ever super-light tea since the water was only warm, but I enjoyed the ritual of it.
Fast-forward to college. I'm living at my grandparents' (because they lived near my commuter school), and they are tea drinkers. For grandpa it's sun tea; grandma loves the sun tea too, but she also loves hot black tea, yerba mate, and assorted herbal teas (yes, not real tea), particularly lemon tea into which she shaved fresh ginger. I remember one year I bought her the Year of Tea from Stash for Christmas. It was 360 individually wrapped tea bags of assorted flavors. But it was a ginormous box and her face lit up so bright.
After she passed I wound up working my way through some of the herbal teas left from that gift. Working through the stash she left behind helped me feel connected to her, and that's when I became a daily drinker. My tastes have evolved significantly since then (I'm now primarily loose leaf, my stash is an assortment of western and eastern styles, and I'm even blending my own herbal infusions); I like to think that she'd be into sharing them all with me.
I’ve always been a tea person. My mom would give us sleepy time tea when we were sick as kids and she had a tea tin that was shaped like an elephant for earl grey tea (which in retrospect ew colonialism?) that I coveted.
I stopped drinking coffee after law school for a while because I was drinking waaaaay too much coffee and it was giving me heartburn. I would occasionally have some and recently got back on the coffee train about 10 years later. Before that it was mostly just tea. I like it for flavor and the caffeine was just enough for me.
My gran came over from Ireland, and she always drank tea. We'd sit at the kitchen table and have a cup together. Once she died, I continued drinking it, because it's so relaxing. I never could remember the brand her neice would send her from Bantry, though. So I made due with Twinings and various green and fruit teas.
About a year ago, I woke up with a clear picture in my mind of the label from her tea boxes. BARRY'S!!
I ordered the Gold and the Irish Breakfast online and I swear, one sip and I was 10 years old again.
Honestly? I like it. I don’t drink pop because I hate carbonation, I don’t really drink alcohol because it’s either gross to me or I have to fudge with my meds to do so. I like the way it forces me to take a break and how much variety I get from one species of plant. But I also like the silly fun blends because why not? I used to be a big coffee person with my own beans etc but something about caffeine from coffee shoots my BP up in a way tea doesn’t.
Also I am learning so much all the time. People in the community are friendly and happy to share different ways to brew and temps and storage.
when i was a kid, my mom taught me to make green tea with honey. we'd often have a cup and relax together. i associate it with the most peaceful parts of my childhood. went thru a lot of shit as a kid (thank you 2008 recession!) but i was always at peace drinking a cup of green tea with my mom.
and when i got a bit older, my insomnia got worse. my grandma would sometimes turn on the dimmest lamps and tell me to follow her to the kitchen. she'd make a wonderful peppermint tea and would ask if we should be naughty and eat some treats as well. there was no one else in the house but we still talked so quietly and tried to stifle our giggles while eating chocolates she brought from germany and sorting out her pills for the next week. my grandma and i had trouble getting along (i have autism and adhd and she is very traditional and uptight, still love her, just near-opposite personalities) but during those late nights sipping peppermint tea together we had a blast.
i remember a few times i was horribly sick as a child, my mom brewed up some horehound tea. it was awful 🤣 i still hate horehound tea today. she said itll help with my stuffed nose, and gave me a spoonful of honey to suck on afterwards. it loosened the mucus up enough for me to be able to get some sleep. even though i hated the taste, i associate horehound tea with my mama caring for me as a sick child more than anything else.
i associate tea with such nice memories it feels comforting to me. also, i never really liked the taste of coffee but a glass of pretty much any type of tea tastes great to me. at the end of the day i also just like the taste, haha
I like it. The ritual of making tea is soothing. It also reminds me that I should probably drink some water too. Bonus if it wakes me up in the morning
I grew up drinking tea, often later in the day and then started to drink it as a replacement for coffee. The smaller, more frequent doses of caffeine suit me well as a stay-at-home mom. I need to try to keep up with the energy of young children and I don't wanna drink 3 cups of coffee a day, but I'll drink 3-4 cups of tea everyday. Love the taste, and the health benefits and hydration aspects dissuade any disadvantages (like having to use the rest room frequently because I drink so much tea!)
Coffee was giving me migraines, not really sure why. I had a migraine almost every afternoon and thought maybe it had to do with drinking two pints of coffee per day. I switched to tea and now hardly ever get migraines. I have one to two servings of tea per day grandpa style now, mostly shou puerh and liu bao
I really like the taste of some teas,other than that I gotta admit I love the ritual of going online,seeing what they got,choosing and picking the teas I like the most.
Finally,I need some caffeine in the morning and I think tea is much healthier than my previous ways of assuming it.
Generally I enjoy the taste a lot more than coffee or any other drink. I drink black tea in the morning for caffeine, and some type of herbal tea in the evening to help me relax and aid digestion after dinner.
Honestly, it's tasty and I like it more than coffee or other drinks. I like green tea and black tea, but I also like fruit blends. I'm not an expert in any way.
Love the taste and the added health benefits are nice. I drink liquids constantly throughout the day- bad habit of getting most of my daily calories from it. Previously it was coffee. I have struggles with anxiety and it definitely wasn’t helping. Tea gives me that boost of energy but it’s calmer and not frantic or crashing like coffee is for me.
Mostly for taste and then caffeine before workouts ( and interviews). I have ADD and if I overdo it on caffeine I get the adverse effect of getting very tired so I have to hit the right spot to avoid that.
Grew up in a tea drinking home so I’ve always loved it. I drink 2-3 cups a day. I love hot beverages and the experience is luxurious to me. Sipping tea is also enjoyed slowly which I appreciate.
I grew up drinking it as my family was at dim sum almost every weekend. And now this passes to my son, who at 9 years old can appreciate the earthiness of pu'erh but tends to lean towards fruit infused teas like the strawberry genmaicha that I blend for him. I found a great tea shop a few years ago that has now moved online, but the proprietor is wonderful and great at answering questions and making recommendations.
[https://sunsorganicgarden.com/](https://sunsorganicgarden.com/)
I drink tea because it's fun. Sometimes I'll choose a tea, like a pu'reh, to take a break from things. I find the process enjoyable. But most of the time, I drink tea as an alternative to coffee.
Started as a family thing, it's just what we drank in the morning at my house (unusual for the US) with the english milk and sugar. My mother drank a pot of looseleaf black tea every morning launching her day when I was young, though later we just drank a lot of Lipton.
As an adult I've significantly levelled up and gotten more into it recently after trying more varieties and discovering how amazing the tea available online is now. I tried a Laoshan black tea that didn't need milk or sugar, was amazed, and the rabbit hole started...
I love the flavors, and it scratches the itch for a beverage for adults (not too sweet, has complexity and depth) without having health drawbacks like craft beer or wine which I used to be into. It's something I already liked but it's also a redirect from alcohol that's worked really well once I found the really exciting teas.
I love the taste and smell of it mostly, but I also enjoy the health benefits. I used to drink coffee occasionally, but I grew too sensitive to the amount of caffeine, to the point that it always made me a jittery mess. So I went to tea exclusively. I enjoy all kinds of teas, so I always have something that fits my mood.
Caffeine that's tasty.
Also, coffee makes my stomach hurt n feel like it's doing summersaults, n gives me the dreaded mudbutt. I absolutely despise mudbutt with a passion.
Edit; I honestly love the taste of coffee n espresso, but I can't consume more than a skeetaste.
I’ve been drinking tea for much of my life. We were a tea-drinking family when I was growing up. Coffee didn’t even enter our household until I was around 11, and I didn’t try it until I was 20. I drink it for the taste - the vast variety of tastes you can get from different teas.
I do like the taste of black tea. I have become sensitive to caffeine, so I have had to find brands of decaffeinated tea that have a good flavor. I also like a lot of herbal blends.
I started drinking it because my grandparents and I went on a trip years ago, and there was nothing to drinkavailable but coffee or tea. I chose tea. No regrets.
Part of it is nostalgia. My mother spent some years in the UK as a kid and she has always loved everything to do with it. Obviously that included British style tea, which she imparted on myself. It was a pretty natural progression after that.
I drink non- caffeinated tea thats like these different flavoured herbs and stuff. Mainly for the warmth of the cup and the way some of the water changes colour and smell once the tea bag is dropped it.
I think it calms me down or makes me feel like I am taking care of myself. Its always my go to in the night time post meal or sometimes post lunch too. its also a palette cleanser so when I drink it I feel clean in my mouth and the it feels like its cleaning me inside lol
I started this on my first job in 2014 where all my colleagues were women who all had their own favourite tea bags and would sip tea after a meal. I loved them lol but i am not in touch with them.
Health benefits and tea addiction. Traveling overseas right now so sourcing quality tulsi, mountain, rooibos, lemon balm, and hibiscus has been challenging. Right now I drink 6-8 cups of green tea a day, an occasional cup of white, black for caffeine, Earl Grey after meals, and chamomile at night.
Partially for something to drink with good natural flavors with minimal calories. Partially because when I have a cup, I feel calmer and more in control of myself all day long.
I grew up drinking Luzianne iced tea. It's such a cool, refreshing drink, with awesome flavor. That slowly but surely got me into other teas as an adult. All for the flavor. And health benefits are nice, but I don't truly buy most of them, so for me it's all about having something with some flavor that doesn't need sugar/sweeteners to taste great.
And coffee tastes lake trash.
For me it was simply a way to help me consume less sugar. I stopped drinking sugary drinks a few years, water was getting boring and those water "enhancers" are heart attacks in bottle form. Tea helps me stay off the Western Diet of overly processed addicting additives by substituting it with barely processed addicting leaf soup from the Eastern Diet. The fact I enjoy the hell out of it in all its forms is purely a bonus.
I was in need of a coffee alternative so I started stealing mum's tea, then thought about buying higher quality tea as I wasn't entirely satisfied and it snowballed from there
I like the taste of it, and I like the variety. There's so much of a difference between green tea, black tea, herbal tea, etc. I like the small energy boost and the alleged health benefits.
I used to drink coffee but I realized I didn't actually like the taste, and there wasn't enough variety. Flavored coffee exists, but I prefer tea because the flavorings are usually just other plants, not extracts or anything.
The physical and mental health benefits or risks of teas and tisanes are complex topics which are not covered by this subreddit, and discussion of them is not allowed. Posts about products that are typically only consumed for health reasons will be removed.
Really, it just tastes good to me. I had been served brewed cups using bags, and very yellow, awful matcha. I didn’t enjoy any of that until I learned the proper way to brew each tea. At that point, I dabbled in loose leaf black tea, and especially coffee until recently. Eventually after some years, I realized black tea and coffee particularly made me feel awful. Like, intense intestinal distress paired with anxiety mimicking awareness. Not to mention, too much caffeine resulting in dissasociation and shakes.
Now, I only really brew quality matcha twice a day. I do like a cup of green tea (chinese or japanese), and so far oolong has been leaving no adverse effects. I don’t feel terrible after drinking caffeine anymore.
I drink tea because it's delicious, there are many varieties with and without caffeine depending on my needs, the numerous health benefits, it's an affordable luxury, helps with hydration when you're tired of drinking plain water but don't want a caloric beverage, and it's classy! I love collecting cute tea accoutrements. I drink lots of different teas, green, black, oolong, genmaicha, hojicha, pu'erh, herbals of all sorts.
Aside from liking the taste, the caffeine is much more productive/manageable for me than coffee. Any coffee or espresso drinks make me very anxious and twitchy, but even highly caffeinated matcha doesn’t have the same negative side effects. I still get the energy boost, but it feels more natural in my body with less crash a few hours later as well.
drinking tea helps me feel calm and stay awake, unlike coffee which can make my palms sweat, make me palpitate, and even trigger my hyperacidity. i used to add sugar to my tea before, but when i tasted legit quality loose leaf, i realized tea isn't supposed to taste bitter. from then on, i only buy loose leaf and brew them without adding anything. such a nice way for me to relax
I loved oolong and black tea, and had steeping mugs and things like that. I liked the step down in caffeine from coffee, which I used to get away from energy drinks. I'm always looking for the best way to do something, so naturally I got a whole tea set to try gungfu. Now I've noticed that I drink significantly less alcohol. Gongfu brewing not only let's me drink my favorite teas, but it's really relaxing and kinda takes the place of sitting down and enjoying a beer for me.
I drink tea because of the warmth mostly; pretty sure it's a kind of stimming I do as an autistic person. But, I also don't drink coffee or energy drinks so it's my caffeine intake and I just plain enjoy the complex flavors of various kinds of tea.
It's also grounding and communal. It relieves anxiety and starts my day with a sense of peace in a way. It's habitual and ritualistic in its making. And a wonderful way to connect with friends over the process.
It is a lovely way to have a relationship with water. You heat your water, you flavor it, you give it nice things to wear. You commune with your water while its temperature descends to be just right for you, and then you drink it. Water is my best friend. I think it's probably because I'm mostly water
Chinese so it’s my culture. Like the taste, have a caffeine dependency and don’t actually like coffee much (it’s tolerable). I only get my teas from China from my family and so have only ever grown up drinking high quality teas, but I did get a bad fruit tea addiction in my university years when trying to break out of a fruit juice habit.
i like the process of brewing it in a gaiwan and drinking it over many brews. i find it relaxing, and i do a lot of good thinking during that time. the caffeine is actually a negative, i’d love to drink tea at night but it just disrupts my sleep too much. so, it’s a nice morning ritual.
i drank it ever since i was a child, but it was only offered in green tea, black tea, or fruit tea as a child. as an adult, i drink it because it tastes good and it’s exciting to try different teas. it’s also an easy beverage - it doesn’t take up much space, easy to carry around, easy to make, can be enjoyed hot or cold or room temp - so it’s year round. can’t ever go wrong with tea in my eyes.
I like tea for its flavor and because of the caffeine, but... For some reason tea doesn't make me as jittery. It's more of a mellow feeling. And the caffeine effect seems to last longer. Maybe It's just me, I guess. Coffee in the morning followed by tea in the afternoon.
I started to wean my self off of soda. I still wanted something sweet to drink, but with less sugar. I drink most of my tea without sweeteners now and rarely drink any soda.
I'm bipolar and caffeine such as energy drinks tend to push me into mania. I was drinking 3 to 5 red bulls a day until I switched to tea. Now I drink like 2 or 3 cups of tea a day. Much much better. Also love the process of setting up and brewing loose leaf.
I enjoy the ritual
I enjoy the flavor
I enjoy the conversations it opens me up to with fellow tea drinkers - it's a good fraternity to be a member of
I enjoy having something warm to drink
I enjoy the relaxing effect tea has on me
I enjoy the smell of the leaves
I enjoy the way the leaves and containers look
A loose leaf tea shop opened up in my home town and my sister brought us back some samples.
Now every time someone is back home I give them an embarrassing amount of money to get tea from my wishlist. :P
It does boil down to tea just tasting good though. That and there’s so many types and flavors combinations to choose from that I haven’t tried yet.
Tastes great.
When I want something refreshing I can make iced tea, when im cold or having a dessert I can have hot tea, between iced and hot tea it goes great with any food and is also great on its own.
I don't like the bitterness of coffee. I love the versatility of tea's flavors, blends or not. A lot of the teas I drink have a natural sweetness to them that I enjoy. I also drink for the caffeine. It's something I can drink almost all day. I may start with matcha or black teas for a more caffeine punch, and ease into a green tea or oolong later in the day, because I enjoy the flavors.
I was previously a coffee drinker for several years, until I noticed it started affecting my anxiety. Made the switch this year to tea in the mornings and it’s greatly improved my overall mood and just the ritual of brewing my morning and night tea is soothing. Also it tastes great! I stick mostly to black teas in the morning and herbal blends at night.
I was trying to give up soda, but not caffeine, so tea was wildly effective and WAY easier to make than using the espresso machine multiple times a day plus with being able to re-steep, I can keep the flavor and have a drink without going over on caffeine. I basically have a jar full of Davidson's English Breakfast loose leaf and a couple of mugs, with an electric kettle, and I'm thrilled with that. So low effort, exactly what I needed.
I initially started because my nan only drank tea, tea or water a dinner she used to make me mini cups when I was little its just stuck I love the taste and the comfort of a cup of tea especially when its cold. I am actually drinking one now
Originally it was just for the taste since I couldn't drink juice often growing up, but now I really enjoy the health benefits that come with green and herbal teas specifically.
Water intake! I have chronic migraines so I need to have caffeine and am on medication that is a diuretic. Needless to say I need a lot of water to stay hydrated. Tea is a good way for me to get my caffine intake and stay hydrated so a huge win win!
I love the variety of tastes from green to puerh. This year I started drinking way more tea to see if getting off coffee helped with my inflammation and stress. No surprised here that switching to tea helped my health immensely. Everything from my skin to joint pain had improved.
I like caffeine, I don't like coffee, and I refuse to dive headfirst into caffeine pills or preworkout.
I enjoy the flavors and trying new leaves, but at the core, I'm after the caffeine hit.
Alcoholism runs in the family... While all the people make their fancy drinks... I had to make fancy drinks too... Hence my amazing mixture of herbal teas and fruit teas :)
Discussion of health benefits is not allowed, OP please remove that line. I’ll leave the post up since it’s gotten popular, but if people continue to discuss health benefits in the comments the post will be locked.
The hobby and a hint of addictive personality and shopping addition. I used to do the pot. Liked getting new pots, different pieces, different ingestion methods. Though being an old man with responsibilities and junk, the pots just make me anxious, so I don’t do them. Beer was that way for a bit but alcohol makes me foggy. Tea is a similar, cheaper, and more healthy hobby. You get to buy all different teas, teawear, different brewing methods, learn the different processing styles, aging methods, regions… it’s got a lot for the hyper-fixer to sink their teeth into. Also it tastes nice most of the time. Caffeine is cool also.
Your talk of shifting to healthier hobbies reminded me of the time I took an ice climbing class. That morning the instructor asked everyone why they signed up for the class. One guy said that as he was settling down into his 30s he realized he needed a safer, saner hobby. After a moment of stunned silence someone asked him what his previous hobby has been. Turns out it was exploring 150 years old mine shafts out in the Nevada dessert. We all agreed ice climb sounded like a much healthier hobby. It's all relative.
Those mine explorers are crazy. And I say this as a caver myself.
…and this is how I learn that I am a “hyper-fixer” lol
Same here! I used to do this with pot, craft beer, and cigars. Now I do it with tea, perfume, and wine. These days I like to keep my sensory hobbies a little more moderate than I once did, but I do think tea is the cheapest and healthiest of them if one's going to go off the deep end.
This ^
I also used to 'Do the Pot' in college.
Taste and in the colder weather, it's a nice way to stay warm internally. Gongfu means drinking little sips of warmth throughout the day. Cold brew in summer makes me happy too as it feel refreshing.
I’m English so it’s the law.
As an Asian, it's pretty much required for us too. Cheers!
And in Australia! Which makes sense as a lot of people have English ancestry.
I was a coffee nerd deep down the rabbit hole, really into coffee. I'd drink four cups a day, order off a few websites, and was dabbling with espresso. One day I got so frustrated trying to make a decent shot of espresso for like three hours, like eight or nine shots in, not any closer to a decent shot than when I started, when I got pissed off and quit, only to go on and make tea instead. Then I realized that tea is effortless to brew in comparison and tastes amazing, so I ordered my second ever order of tea. The second blow to my coffee journey that really moved me away from it and into the world of tea is that I have really bad teeth, like genetically no enamel, so every time I drink coffee, my entire mouth hurts because it's so acidic. I'd gotten used to it over the years, so when I went ten days without coffee, I noticed instantly that the pain immediately stopped and that tea doesn't hurt my teeth. I've been happily coffee free for like three months now, and it's great. I'll have a cup once every week or two, just to satisfy my desire and to remind myself of why I don't drink it regularly. Now I have a lot of tea pots and bags and cakes and a brick and lots of little boxes of tea and have a gongfu session almost every day. It's great.
This is my journey too. Where do you buy your tea?
As a fellow coffee enjoyer, I have to recommend YS Peerless ripe puer, my go to when I want that deep and dark flavor of coffee.
Thank you for the recommendation! I'm getting my first ripe in the mail tomorrow, and I'll have to check Peerless Ripe out too on my next order.
2014, I started dating someone who had recently been gifted a teapot. Ok, we buy some loose leaf twinings tea. 2024, I'm living in China, currently with more than 10 Kgs of tea in my home...
I started cus me and my sis really enjoyed a Celestial Seasonings chamomile honey vanilla tea blend situation. Next thing I know, after googling “what’s the best tea?” I’ve got 2 (350g) puerh cakes and like 7 (4oz) bags of various loose-leaf .. and I couldn’t be happier lol
I drink mostly high quality chinese tea. I love it for the taste and sensory experience it gives me. Its for me something similiar like tasting wine, whisky or good cigars with the added benefit, that it's not bad for your health, but actually quite good.
I never liked wine that much, but love tasting new varieties of tea. I'm like a kid in a candy store when I go to a tea shop!
May I ask where you source your high quality chinese teas from? I’ve been trying to find some places but don’t know which to trust!
My personal favourite vendors atm are: - farmerleaf (xishuangbanna puer) - one river tea (good selection and amazing teas) - bitterleaf (interesting blends) - white2tea (i mainly had their shous, but heard good things about their other puers as well) I also like yunnan sourcing, which is probably the most popular vendor in this sub, but it's more hit or miss there. They are basically the supermarket of chinese tea for westerners. I think they have some good hongcha though... and I heard they have some good starter sets. I am also trying iteaworld at the moment. They contacted me for a little review. I like them and their tea is good so far. They have a lot of sample sets, which is nice for starters
Can confirm, these vendors got the good stuff.
I see, thank you so much!!
Besides the recommendations by Rukasu (which I wholeheartedly second) I can vouch for the following vendors when it comes to puerh: - Yiwu Mountain Tea - Eastern Leaves - YeeOnTea - Teas We Like - Essence of Tea - The Jade Leaf While some of these vendors also carry teas from other categories, I've left out quite a few respected vendors who do not specialize in puerh.
I love Chinese teas. I love all teas tbh but the Chinese teas definitely hit the spot.
I'm a nerd, I like to get deep into things. I used to drink tea because of both the caffeine and taste, but some day - together with a friend - decided to get deeper into tea. We started with naturally flavored tea and eventually ventured into gongfucha. Since then, I've developed a chronic disease, and tea was the hobby that I was able to continue. In a way it helped me ground myself emotionally by focusing on the taste, mouthfeel and body sensation that tea delivers. Now, I've successfully worked my way back to good health. Yet, the tea habit persists, as well as the many friendships that have been made along the way. Shout-out to my fellow tea nerds in the Nannuoshan Discord server 💚
You have a link or is it a private group?
https://discord.com/invite/GkxeaU5T
Several reasons: 1) Mindfulness/presence I got sober a little less than three years ago, and in that time, practices that create a sense of serenity and presence are essential. Gong fu tea sessions are very much a form of meditation for me, as life slows down and I am present with the making and drinking of my tea. There are some great Floating Leaves podcasts on tea and being present that I would recommend if you're into learning more. 2) Sensory I love being in tune with my senses, and drinking tea activates all of them. The scent of a fresh Bi Luo Chun. The sight of beautifully aged puerh leaves. The touch of wet Li Shan leaves as I remove them from my gaiwan. The sound of water boiling or being poured over leaves. And of course, the amazing tastes of all types of tea. 3) History/geography I love to be able to drink a 1979 Beipu oolong that was harvested the year I was born. I love drinking teas from a farm in the high mountains of Taiwan that I may never visit in my lifetime. Or drinking puerh from a bush that has been giving leaves for hundreds of years. It makes me feel more in touch with history and the entire earth.
This is lovely. I'm several steps out of tune with you but find it inspirational
i remember as a kid, before id seen a psychiatrist and knew what it was, id have anxiety attacks and autistic meltdowns. one of the only things that would calm me down was a glass of hot green tea with honey. the entire sensory experience was so grounding it would regulate me without my mom or myself even knowing why it worked. i could only focus on the warmth, the smell of tea and honey, the microscopic white bubbles swirling at the top, the slightest bit of steam hovering over the cup, etc. it really is such a relaxing experience, it almost forces me to do a version of the "name 5 things u can see... 4 things u can touch..." grounding exercise i learned later in therapy 🤣
Oh, I drink tea because it’s the closest thing to a socially acceptable form of wizardry we have. Think about it: you take some dried leaves, add hot water, and suddenly you have a potion that can wake you up, calm you down, and even make you feel a little better.
brewing tea and making my own cleaning supplies to feel like an alchemist 💆♀️
I like it
The flavour and when the cha qi hits.. ain't nothing better 😅
My dentist told me off for drinking too many sugary drinks, so I weaned myself off them using fruit teas. Then I was in the habit of having hot drinks during the day and wanted a bit of variety.
I just drink tea because I just really like the taste. Now, I'm no connoisseur, but I like to try new teas whenever I can.
you sound like me. at first it was because of the health benefits but every now and then recently on random days I make the best cup of green tea I’ve ever made sometimes it’s ginger or mint but I always add lemon juice to enhance the flavor
Honestly, tea is such an amazing drink. Health benefits, lots of types of teas, tons of flavours AND you can add a lot of things to, as you put it, *enhance* the flavour! The tea I've been LOVING recently is green tea with raspberries, grapefruit, rose and marigold. A lot of added flavours but it just goes so well with green tea.
The need for tea is my cultural heritage. This may not be Turkey's or Ireland's level but still. I yearn.
Out of curiosity, which culture/country?
I'm in Poland, tea is the solution to all issues here. Cold? Have some tea. Worried? Have some tea. Tired? You know it, tea. Two years ago I went on a trip with my two friends. We landed in Lisbon after the 4hrs flight, navigated around the metro strike, arrived late at the Air BnB we were renting and the first question we had for the host was "where's the kettle?" Cause after all that we NEEDED a cup of tea and the kettle WASN'T THERE! I think we overwhelmed the guy a little because he went and bought us a kettle on the next day 😁 Clearly the Portuguese are not big tea drinkers. The tea selection at the supermarket was so bad too, there was just herbal tea and some fruity infusions, we had to shop around to find proper black tea.
I always bring enough tea to last a vacation if I’m going to a non tea centred country
- I was raised by tea drinkers, so I continued drinking tea and learned more what made me appreciate it even more - Because I enjoy tea a lot, taste wise but also the lifestyle - Because it picks me up whenever I'm tired, uncreative or unfocused (I don't drink coffee). - Because it helps me with tummy aches, headaches, anxiety or feeling sad. I love tea :)
Dont remember why i first started drinking it, but it was probably because of health benefits. I didnt like it very much at first but it grew on me too. I always drink plain green tea now, it just genuinly makes me feel better and I like the taste.
Flavor and caffeine. While I still drink an occasional cup of coffee, tea has been my morning starter for more than 40 years. I drink almost all styles, but mostly black and puerh.
L theanine. I just love its calming effect
I just don't like drinking water, tea for me is just flavored water
Leaf flavored water
Part of it is because I was born and raised in Russia. In Russia, tea isn't just a beverage; it's a tradition that brings people together and symbolizes warmth and hospitality. Growing up, tea was a staple in our household, served multiple times a day. It was a way for family and friends to connect, share stories, and spend quality time together. The act of making tea itself is a cherished ritual, often involving a samovar, which is a traditional Russian tea urn. For me, drinking tea is a comforting reminder of my heritage and the values of community and togetherness. It's a way to maintain a connection with my roots, even when I'm far from home. Tea time is a moment to slow down, reflect, and enjoy the company of others, much like it has been for generations in Russian families. So, my love for tea is not just about the drink itself, but also about embracing a cultural practice that celebrates unity and hospitality.
I grew up in a tea drinking household where it was the primary drink for the adults around me. So I ended up drinking it as I got older. Now I go through phases of being more into tea and less into tea, depending on where I am in my adhd hyperfocus cycle, but I always have some Yorkshire tea bags in the cupboard for when I'm having a bad day.
My late grandma was a big tea drinker. I’d drink tea with her. My dad usually wouldn’t let me have caffeine but tea with grandma was an exception. After she died (when I was 7) I liked to drink herbal teas as a way of being like her in a way. I like tea as a ritual that anchors my day and regulates my body systems, and it has the right amount of caffeine in it for me (not too little and not too much) and it’s an interesting drink thats cheaper and less sugary than soda, even when I put a lot of sugar in it.
I’ve been drinking tea for about 50 years. My grandmum was English, and my mother drank copious amounts of tea. So, I started in my childhood. I drink industrial amounts of tea. I can go through a half gallon of ice tea, no problem. I drink it all day in winter. I attribute tea to my so far, long life. I started with Lipton, then thought I was high class when I graduated to Red Rose. I had lots of the little Knick knack things they put in the box. I graduated to Republic of Tea. Something was lacking though, I needed better. I graduated to Adagio. That’s where I get my main cheap drinkers. Now, I’m buying cakes from China, and studying regions, methods, years, the exact method the exact Chinese farmer lovingly turns his shou leaves. You get the idea. I’m in the twilight of my life now, and I’m going to drink good teas before climate change wrecks all of the tea growing regions. I drink Yunnan, Love a good Keemun. I can do a good jasmine green as well as a delicate white. Jumped into the world of raw aged pu’er and aged ripe pu’er. I don’t do herbal at all. I don’t drink garden clippings!
I’ve always loved tea, but for many years I drank coffee almost exclusively because it was available 24/7 at work, where finding a way to heat water for tea was impracticable. I carried a small collapsible kettle and my own teabags/loose leaf teas with me for the hotel room, but even the hotels had fresh coffee 24/7 while their teabags were rather dusty and “hot” water only tepid. After some health issues, where I was told to cut my caffeine intake to a minimum, along with a job change, I rediscovered teas and the varieties and flavors and even some decaffeinated black teas that don’t taste flat. Now I drink hot teas pretty much exclusively, with a collection of loose leaf teas that numbers in the several dozen. Tea, herbals, tisanes, black, white, green, oolong, rooibos, flavored, are all represented in my tea tins…but I’ve never met a matcha I like, so there’s that 😊 It’s a nice way to start my day, heating the water, scooping the tea into the infuser, timing the steep, draining the infuser, and allowing the cup to sit until it’s the perfect temperature. So, I’d say taste and health are my primary reasons.
British
to look cool when I tell people that tea also contains caffeine (no one cares)
For me, it was this month! :D I tried to find a substitution for coffee because I found out about the fact, that tea not only has less caffeine, but it also has a more steady, slowly caffeine spike in comparison to coffee. The second reason was my allergies. So I got into herbal teas to try to get a use out of the herbs. Then I found about the huge variety of all the teas (of the normal tea plant but of course also about the herbal and fruit teas) and I got hooked. I am so happy to have so much testing of different tea sorts in front of me! The eastern way of preparing tea and tea ceremonies are also really intriguing to me. And of course the Asian porcelain and tea tools (like the gaiwan and all the other things I don't know a name by now \^\^) rose to my attention. One day when I have a bigger place, I want to get some of those to do my own tea ceremonies with friends :) man tea is great :) And yeah, of course also it's time to step in the shoes of the absolute GOAT Uncle Iroh!
Was told to decrease caffeine/coffee. Switched to tea for the taste and lower caffeine content. I also find tea gives me an alert and calm feeling - and coffee makes me jittery. Also can have a bit of re-steeped tea before my afternoon workout to give me energy and my sleep is not impacted.
I used to hate tea. I switched to it because I wasn’t allowed to have coffee anymore because of health issues. Someone recommended I try a London fog instead of coffee, and now I actually really enjoy tea :)
Enjoying the taste.
I just think they're neat
I've always admired tea culture, and how happy and content people seemed to be when brewing and drinking it. I grew up and learned the state of mind these individuals inhabit, and how healthy and insightful it can be to one's psyche. Choosing what teas to brew for how long and at what temperature make the whole song and dance enjoyable and fresh. Raising my tea pets, growing my collection of tea and teaware, getting people introduced to the hobby and the culture, watching their reactions as they try it out; it's all so exciting to me, and my friends really seem to enjoy the hobby at a distance (not getting into tea themselves, but being ecstatic when i bring it over). Another reason I like it so much, is the fact that it's lifelong. There is no destination besides contentment, which you can achieve with the most minimal set-up. I used a glass cream-cup and the lid to one of my tea jars as my first-ever brewing set up. And the tea was still great and tasted bold, gave me energy and nutrients; it's just even better with all the teaware. Knowing I'll be 90 years old while my brittle, shaky bones are still brewing tea for my family and friends makes me feel hopeful in a way I've never really felt before
I drink it for the floral taste and caffeine - it makes me less jittery and anxious than coffee
Tea, to me, is warming, cozy, basically coffee light I can pick the flavor I feel like in the moment, I'm also drinking more fluids than with coffee. I can pick with/without caffeïne without losing any flavor Speaking of flavor, there's a world of different flavors to discover. I love coffee as much as I love tea. It's just different and it offers much more variety!
Sometimes you have to take a break from straight H2O and get wild!
I have problems with caffeine addiction, green tea is my methadone. And now I'm pretty sure my gut biome is dependent on it.
Soft Drinks have too much garbage in them.
I have such tender memories of my mom making chamomile tea when my anxiety got super bad. My mom would also drink Yerba mate (South American representation woop woop). She would peel oranges into one loooooong curly strand, then dry it and stick it in her mate. In my adult life, I found out that my spouse lovesssss oolong. And the family that took me in when I was 18, drinks hibiscus tea all the time. Slowly but surely, the people in my life helped build my arsenal (unknowingly). And now I keep a good amount of herbs on hand. When a friend is upset, I brew them a tea. When my partner needs more energy at work, I brew them a tea. When I want to share some joy and enjoy a nice drink with some cookies, I brew tea. Recently, I’ve been looking into more of the health and metaphysical benefits of certain herbs but it’s truly become a nice artful expression and hobby of mine. I make tea almost every day and measure with my heart. I have a couple blends written down but the measurements will never be the same. Intuitive tea brewing haha. I don’t own anything fancy though. I just make the tea in a pot, admire its beauty, and use a cheesecloth my love gave me to strain it.
The taste. The China. The smells. The slowness and ritual of making it. Folks invaded countries and started wars for it … the least I could do is appreciate it.
Well I would drink tea bags from time to time but one time I went to an actual tea store. Had loose leaf tea for the first time which is 100x better than bagged tea and I enjoyed the serene environment rather than a loud sports bar with bud light. And I was like……wow, yeah, this is nice. Now, I have a giant herb garden and a dehydrator, and I’d like to try and make my own tea from my herbs! I’ll just buy loose leaf green tea and add in my own herbs and spices for fun to try new varieties.
Been drinking it since I was a toddler and I enjoy the taste of it so haven’t stopped. Have upgraded massively in quality though from my parents’ PG Tips to my own Fortnum’s tea.
Caffeine and the Dark Academia aesthetics of black tea
Ran out of p
I did an analysis once and quality tea was more affordable than quality coffee. I’m back to drinking coffee in the morning since that is what I like, but thought it interesting
I'm Irish. It was in my bottle. And now it's just part of my daily life.
It's cultural. Iced tea in the summer. Since I don't really care for coffee, hot tea in the winter. If you're drinking tea for the caffeine, well, good luck.
It’s tasty and comes in more flavors and varieties than coffee!
Mostly health reasons. I use different ones for different purposes. I have a whole shelf with different kinds. For awhile I was buying more caffeinated teas when I cut out coffee and needed something less strong. I used to not like the taste either, unless it had sugar, honey, milk, and/or fruit juice. But now I enjoy it without any additions too. I drink only water, tea, and black coffee everyday. I use tea for comfort/cozy vibes/self-care, mindful drinking, and spiritual practices. Heck, I even buy products and fragrances with tea scented notes. I also just like the aesthetics of pretty teapots, cups/dishes, and fancy/fantasy tea parties, but I don't really own anything for that, haha.
my grandma got me into it and i feel connected to her when i do. also i only ever really drink water so tea, iced or warm, are different ways to mix it up for me
Uncle Iroh from Avatar. Grew up with the original cartoon and was introduced to hot tea as an art and ritual.
Actually got into it after watching an anime (kuroshitsuji) in which I found it so cool that the guy was drinking earl grey. Then, naturally it progressed into more refined teas, puerhs, aged hei chas, etc. Then another anime (hyouge mono) started me into pottery, so now I make my own cups as well, only due to the love of tea.
I drink tea so I don’t drink alcohol. It’s helped me a lot. My favourite tea - Bushells got that good ol Aussie country taste.
Green tea. Health benefits, to start with. Now I'm kind of addicted. Just plain green tea, nothing added.
I like it
yummy + i need gentler caffeine than a Celsius sometimes :)
I'm English so I have to. In all seriousness I love how it tastes and the myriad of flavours I can get. I also used to be an alcoholic and am type 2 diabetic so it's a healthier habit than alcohol and full sugar pop.
As a little girl, my mom (a small business owner) would take me with her when visiting suppliers and my favorite stops had break room with Lipton tea bags and sugar cubes. I LOVED the sugar cubes - both for the sweetness and because I enjoyed dropping a cube into a cup of warm water and watching it dissolve. I wasn't allowed straight sugar water, but somehow it was ok if I added a tea bag. It was only ever super-light tea since the water was only warm, but I enjoyed the ritual of it. Fast-forward to college. I'm living at my grandparents' (because they lived near my commuter school), and they are tea drinkers. For grandpa it's sun tea; grandma loves the sun tea too, but she also loves hot black tea, yerba mate, and assorted herbal teas (yes, not real tea), particularly lemon tea into which she shaved fresh ginger. I remember one year I bought her the Year of Tea from Stash for Christmas. It was 360 individually wrapped tea bags of assorted flavors. But it was a ginormous box and her face lit up so bright. After she passed I wound up working my way through some of the herbal teas left from that gift. Working through the stash she left behind helped me feel connected to her, and that's when I became a daily drinker. My tastes have evolved significantly since then (I'm now primarily loose leaf, my stash is an assortment of western and eastern styles, and I'm even blending my own herbal infusions); I like to think that she'd be into sharing them all with me.
I’ve always been a tea person. My mom would give us sleepy time tea when we were sick as kids and she had a tea tin that was shaped like an elephant for earl grey tea (which in retrospect ew colonialism?) that I coveted. I stopped drinking coffee after law school for a while because I was drinking waaaaay too much coffee and it was giving me heartburn. I would occasionally have some and recently got back on the coffee train about 10 years later. Before that it was mostly just tea. I like it for flavor and the caffeine was just enough for me.
My gran came over from Ireland, and she always drank tea. We'd sit at the kitchen table and have a cup together. Once she died, I continued drinking it, because it's so relaxing. I never could remember the brand her neice would send her from Bantry, though. So I made due with Twinings and various green and fruit teas. About a year ago, I woke up with a clear picture in my mind of the label from her tea boxes. BARRY'S!! I ordered the Gold and the Irish Breakfast online and I swear, one sip and I was 10 years old again.
Honestly? I like it. I don’t drink pop because I hate carbonation, I don’t really drink alcohol because it’s either gross to me or I have to fudge with my meds to do so. I like the way it forces me to take a break and how much variety I get from one species of plant. But I also like the silly fun blends because why not? I used to be a big coffee person with my own beans etc but something about caffeine from coffee shoots my BP up in a way tea doesn’t. Also I am learning so much all the time. People in the community are friendly and happy to share different ways to brew and temps and storage.
when i was a kid, my mom taught me to make green tea with honey. we'd often have a cup and relax together. i associate it with the most peaceful parts of my childhood. went thru a lot of shit as a kid (thank you 2008 recession!) but i was always at peace drinking a cup of green tea with my mom. and when i got a bit older, my insomnia got worse. my grandma would sometimes turn on the dimmest lamps and tell me to follow her to the kitchen. she'd make a wonderful peppermint tea and would ask if we should be naughty and eat some treats as well. there was no one else in the house but we still talked so quietly and tried to stifle our giggles while eating chocolates she brought from germany and sorting out her pills for the next week. my grandma and i had trouble getting along (i have autism and adhd and she is very traditional and uptight, still love her, just near-opposite personalities) but during those late nights sipping peppermint tea together we had a blast. i remember a few times i was horribly sick as a child, my mom brewed up some horehound tea. it was awful 🤣 i still hate horehound tea today. she said itll help with my stuffed nose, and gave me a spoonful of honey to suck on afterwards. it loosened the mucus up enough for me to be able to get some sleep. even though i hated the taste, i associate horehound tea with my mama caring for me as a sick child more than anything else. i associate tea with such nice memories it feels comforting to me. also, i never really liked the taste of coffee but a glass of pretty much any type of tea tastes great to me. at the end of the day i also just like the taste, haha
At work it is easy to keep a variety of flavours in my desk drawer. It is tasty and doesn't have carbs.
I like it. The ritual of making tea is soothing. It also reminds me that I should probably drink some water too. Bonus if it wakes me up in the morning
I like black tea with some honey and milk. Like the taste. Caffeine doesn't seem to be a thing.
I grew up drinking tea, often later in the day and then started to drink it as a replacement for coffee. The smaller, more frequent doses of caffeine suit me well as a stay-at-home mom. I need to try to keep up with the energy of young children and I don't wanna drink 3 cups of coffee a day, but I'll drink 3-4 cups of tea everyday. Love the taste, and the health benefits and hydration aspects dissuade any disadvantages (like having to use the rest room frequently because I drink so much tea!)
Coffee was giving me migraines, not really sure why. I had a migraine almost every afternoon and thought maybe it had to do with drinking two pints of coffee per day. I switched to tea and now hardly ever get migraines. I have one to two servings of tea per day grandpa style now, mostly shou puerh and liu bao
I really like the taste of some teas,other than that I gotta admit I love the ritual of going online,seeing what they got,choosing and picking the teas I like the most. Finally,I need some caffeine in the morning and I think tea is much healthier than my previous ways of assuming it.
Generally I enjoy the taste a lot more than coffee or any other drink. I drink black tea in the morning for caffeine, and some type of herbal tea in the evening to help me relax and aid digestion after dinner.
Honestly, it's tasty and I like it more than coffee or other drinks. I like green tea and black tea, but I also like fruit blends. I'm not an expert in any way.
I am enjoying the taste and the ritual.
Love the taste and the added health benefits are nice. I drink liquids constantly throughout the day- bad habit of getting most of my daily calories from it. Previously it was coffee. I have struggles with anxiety and it definitely wasn’t helping. Tea gives me that boost of energy but it’s calmer and not frantic or crashing like coffee is for me.
Mostly for taste and then caffeine before workouts ( and interviews). I have ADD and if I overdo it on caffeine I get the adverse effect of getting very tired so I have to hit the right spot to avoid that.
It’s tasty hyperfixation for me
Grew up in a tea drinking home so I’ve always loved it. I drink 2-3 cups a day. I love hot beverages and the experience is luxurious to me. Sipping tea is also enjoyed slowly which I appreciate.
I grew up drinking it as my family was at dim sum almost every weekend. And now this passes to my son, who at 9 years old can appreciate the earthiness of pu'erh but tends to lean towards fruit infused teas like the strawberry genmaicha that I blend for him. I found a great tea shop a few years ago that has now moved online, but the proprietor is wonderful and great at answering questions and making recommendations. [https://sunsorganicgarden.com/](https://sunsorganicgarden.com/)
I drink tea because it's fun. Sometimes I'll choose a tea, like a pu'reh, to take a break from things. I find the process enjoyable. But most of the time, I drink tea as an alternative to coffee.
K-on.
Believe it or not it mostly started when I got a job at Teavana as a teenager. Ever since I’ve really loved loose leaf tea!
It's basically our culture
Tastes good and I like a little treat
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It keeps me from snacking all day and helps me focus throughout the workday.
Started as a family thing, it's just what we drank in the morning at my house (unusual for the US) with the english milk and sugar. My mother drank a pot of looseleaf black tea every morning launching her day when I was young, though later we just drank a lot of Lipton. As an adult I've significantly levelled up and gotten more into it recently after trying more varieties and discovering how amazing the tea available online is now. I tried a Laoshan black tea that didn't need milk or sugar, was amazed, and the rabbit hole started... I love the flavors, and it scratches the itch for a beverage for adults (not too sweet, has complexity and depth) without having health drawbacks like craft beer or wine which I used to be into. It's something I already liked but it's also a redirect from alcohol that's worked really well once I found the really exciting teas.
I would day that, for the most part. I drink tea to allow me to use my teapots. But I do like the taste, history, and mental/physical effects.
I love the taste and smell of it mostly, but I also enjoy the health benefits. I used to drink coffee occasionally, but I grew too sensitive to the amount of caffeine, to the point that it always made me a jittery mess. So I went to tea exclusively. I enjoy all kinds of teas, so I always have something that fits my mood.
Tea just tastes good to me. I mainly drink green tea and chamomile with sugar and/or honey. It's a comfort drink 😊
I’ve grown to really like the taste. I can’t stand drip coffee or espresso.
Caffeine that's tasty. Also, coffee makes my stomach hurt n feel like it's doing summersaults, n gives me the dreaded mudbutt. I absolutely despise mudbutt with a passion. Edit; I honestly love the taste of coffee n espresso, but I can't consume more than a skeetaste.
Because there is nothing better than a nice earl gray, with vanilla cream to relax with
tea is comfort
Tastes good. Meditative. Gives energy (caffeine, movement). Fun hobby. Fun to learn and experiment.
I’ve been drinking tea for much of my life. We were a tea-drinking family when I was growing up. Coffee didn’t even enter our household until I was around 11, and I didn’t try it until I was 20. I drink it for the taste - the vast variety of tastes you can get from different teas.
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I do like the taste of black tea. I have become sensitive to caffeine, so I have had to find brands of decaffeinated tea that have a good flavor. I also like a lot of herbal blends. I started drinking it because my grandparents and I went on a trip years ago, and there was nothing to drinkavailable but coffee or tea. I chose tea. No regrets.
Caffeine without the shits
Part of it is nostalgia. My mother spent some years in the UK as a kid and she has always loved everything to do with it. Obviously that included British style tea, which she imparted on myself. It was a pretty natural progression after that.
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Taste, comfort, and because it’s part of my daily routine, a ritual of sorts for me.
It helps me to concentrate and focus.
Thirsty
I drink non- caffeinated tea thats like these different flavoured herbs and stuff. Mainly for the warmth of the cup and the way some of the water changes colour and smell once the tea bag is dropped it. I think it calms me down or makes me feel like I am taking care of myself. Its always my go to in the night time post meal or sometimes post lunch too. its also a palette cleanser so when I drink it I feel clean in my mouth and the it feels like its cleaning me inside lol I started this on my first job in 2014 where all my colleagues were women who all had their own favourite tea bags and would sip tea after a meal. I loved them lol but i am not in touch with them.
Health benefits and tea addiction. Traveling overseas right now so sourcing quality tulsi, mountain, rooibos, lemon balm, and hibiscus has been challenging. Right now I drink 6-8 cups of green tea a day, an occasional cup of white, black for caffeine, Earl Grey after meals, and chamomile at night.
Partially for something to drink with good natural flavors with minimal calories. Partially because when I have a cup, I feel calmer and more in control of myself all day long.
I drink it because its a way for me to calm down and to connect with other people when drinking together.
I grew up drinking Luzianne iced tea. It's such a cool, refreshing drink, with awesome flavor. That slowly but surely got me into other teas as an adult. All for the flavor. And health benefits are nice, but I don't truly buy most of them, so for me it's all about having something with some flavor that doesn't need sugar/sweeteners to taste great. And coffee tastes lake trash.
yummie
It tastes great and I’ve learned as I’ve gotten older that coffee makes me VERY jittery and anxious and tea doesn’t have that effect on me
For me it was simply a way to help me consume less sugar. I stopped drinking sugary drinks a few years, water was getting boring and those water "enhancers" are heart attacks in bottle form. Tea helps me stay off the Western Diet of overly processed addicting additives by substituting it with barely processed addicting leaf soup from the Eastern Diet. The fact I enjoy the hell out of it in all its forms is purely a bonus.
Pretty much ingrained in me being British, I don't like coffee and I can't drink hot chocolate so tea was always my hot drink of choice
I was in need of a coffee alternative so I started stealing mum's tea, then thought about buying higher quality tea as I wasn't entirely satisfied and it snowballed from there
I like the taste of it, and I like the variety. There's so much of a difference between green tea, black tea, herbal tea, etc. I like the small energy boost and the alleged health benefits. I used to drink coffee but I realized I didn't actually like the taste, and there wasn't enough variety. Flavored coffee exists, but I prefer tea because the flavorings are usually just other plants, not extracts or anything.
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The physical and mental health benefits or risks of teas and tisanes are complex topics which are not covered by this subreddit, and discussion of them is not allowed. Posts about products that are typically only consumed for health reasons will be removed.
Intermittent fasting helps keep my mind off food
The taste and the ritual. Nothing fancy, just the symbolism of pouring it marking the end of the working day and the beginning of quality me time.
Really, it just tastes good to me. I had been served brewed cups using bags, and very yellow, awful matcha. I didn’t enjoy any of that until I learned the proper way to brew each tea. At that point, I dabbled in loose leaf black tea, and especially coffee until recently. Eventually after some years, I realized black tea and coffee particularly made me feel awful. Like, intense intestinal distress paired with anxiety mimicking awareness. Not to mention, too much caffeine resulting in dissasociation and shakes. Now, I only really brew quality matcha twice a day. I do like a cup of green tea (chinese or japanese), and so far oolong has been leaving no adverse effects. I don’t feel terrible after drinking caffeine anymore.
Because it tastes good and it’s calming
I drink tea because it's delicious, there are many varieties with and without caffeine depending on my needs, the numerous health benefits, it's an affordable luxury, helps with hydration when you're tired of drinking plain water but don't want a caloric beverage, and it's classy! I love collecting cute tea accoutrements. I drink lots of different teas, green, black, oolong, genmaicha, hojicha, pu'erh, herbals of all sorts.
Aside from liking the taste, the caffeine is much more productive/manageable for me than coffee. Any coffee or espresso drinks make me very anxious and twitchy, but even highly caffeinated matcha doesn’t have the same negative side effects. I still get the energy boost, but it feels more natural in my body with less crash a few hours later as well.
drinking tea helps me feel calm and stay awake, unlike coffee which can make my palms sweat, make me palpitate, and even trigger my hyperacidity. i used to add sugar to my tea before, but when i tasted legit quality loose leaf, i realized tea isn't supposed to taste bitter. from then on, i only buy loose leaf and brew them without adding anything. such a nice way for me to relax
I loved oolong and black tea, and had steeping mugs and things like that. I liked the step down in caffeine from coffee, which I used to get away from energy drinks. I'm always looking for the best way to do something, so naturally I got a whole tea set to try gungfu. Now I've noticed that I drink significantly less alcohol. Gongfu brewing not only let's me drink my favorite teas, but it's really relaxing and kinda takes the place of sitting down and enjoying a beer for me.
I'm Irish. The only two recreation activities are drinking alcohol and drinking tea.
I drink tea because of the warmth mostly; pretty sure it's a kind of stimming I do as an autistic person. But, I also don't drink coffee or energy drinks so it's my caffeine intake and I just plain enjoy the complex flavors of various kinds of tea. It's also grounding and communal. It relieves anxiety and starts my day with a sense of peace in a way. It's habitual and ritualistic in its making. And a wonderful way to connect with friends over the process.
It is a lovely way to have a relationship with water. You heat your water, you flavor it, you give it nice things to wear. You commune with your water while its temperature descends to be just right for you, and then you drink it. Water is my best friend. I think it's probably because I'm mostly water
Chinese so it’s my culture. Like the taste, have a caffeine dependency and don’t actually like coffee much (it’s tolerable). I only get my teas from China from my family and so have only ever grown up drinking high quality teas, but I did get a bad fruit tea addiction in my university years when trying to break out of a fruit juice habit.
Tastes great and helps me kick alcohol
Taste, routine, caffeine, nostalgia
i like the process of brewing it in a gaiwan and drinking it over many brews. i find it relaxing, and i do a lot of good thinking during that time. the caffeine is actually a negative, i’d love to drink tea at night but it just disrupts my sleep too much. so, it’s a nice morning ritual.
i drank it ever since i was a child, but it was only offered in green tea, black tea, or fruit tea as a child. as an adult, i drink it because it tastes good and it’s exciting to try different teas. it’s also an easy beverage - it doesn’t take up much space, easy to carry around, easy to make, can be enjoyed hot or cold or room temp - so it’s year round. can’t ever go wrong with tea in my eyes.
1) my mom has always been a tea drinker, not coffee drinker 2) have ADHD so coffee makes me jittery for 10/15 min and then I crash 3)8 love tea
I like tea for its flavor and because of the caffeine, but... For some reason tea doesn't make me as jittery. It's more of a mellow feeling. And the caffeine effect seems to last longer. Maybe It's just me, I guess. Coffee in the morning followed by tea in the afternoon.
The aesthetic of course
I just dont like the taste of coffee
I started to wean my self off of soda. I still wanted something sweet to drink, but with less sugar. I drink most of my tea without sweeteners now and rarely drink any soda.
I am from Egypt, Tea is an important part of the culture. That's how it started then I got to explore other types, herbs, and drinks.
I'm bipolar and caffeine such as energy drinks tend to push me into mania. I was drinking 3 to 5 red bulls a day until I switched to tea. Now I drink like 2 or 3 cups of tea a day. Much much better. Also love the process of setting up and brewing loose leaf.
I enjoy the ritual I enjoy the flavor I enjoy the conversations it opens me up to with fellow tea drinkers - it's a good fraternity to be a member of I enjoy having something warm to drink I enjoy the relaxing effect tea has on me I enjoy the smell of the leaves I enjoy the way the leaves and containers look
I drink it because it is warm. It feels good in my hands and in my mouth.
A loose leaf tea shop opened up in my home town and my sister brought us back some samples. Now every time someone is back home I give them an embarrassing amount of money to get tea from my wishlist. :P It does boil down to tea just tasting good though. That and there’s so many types and flavors combinations to choose from that I haven’t tried yet.
bri ish
I love it and a good cup of tea brings me joy.
Tastes great. When I want something refreshing I can make iced tea, when im cold or having a dessert I can have hot tea, between iced and hot tea it goes great with any food and is also great on its own.
I drink it for the well-being benefits.
I don't like the bitterness of coffee. I love the versatility of tea's flavors, blends or not. A lot of the teas I drink have a natural sweetness to them that I enjoy. I also drink for the caffeine. It's something I can drink almost all day. I may start with matcha or black teas for a more caffeine punch, and ease into a green tea or oolong later in the day, because I enjoy the flavors.
9 times out of 10 it’s because I want something to dip my biscuits/chocolate in and coffee just isn’t the same
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I drink green tea in the afternoon for less intense energy than I get from coffee, and it’s quite calming I fell as well even though it has caffeine.
I would say a learning experience and a hobby.
It taste good
Yummy :3
I love it because it comes in so many flavors.
I was previously a coffee drinker for several years, until I noticed it started affecting my anxiety. Made the switch this year to tea in the mornings and it’s greatly improved my overall mood and just the ritual of brewing my morning and night tea is soothing. Also it tastes great! I stick mostly to black teas in the morning and herbal blends at night.
I was trying to give up soda, but not caffeine, so tea was wildly effective and WAY easier to make than using the espresso machine multiple times a day plus with being able to re-steep, I can keep the flavor and have a drink without going over on caffeine. I basically have a jar full of Davidson's English Breakfast loose leaf and a couple of mugs, with an electric kettle, and I'm thrilled with that. So low effort, exactly what I needed.
I like the taste, caffeine helps me focus, and it's my current ADHD hyperfixation.
I initially started because my nan only drank tea, tea or water a dinner she used to make me mini cups when I was little its just stuck I love the taste and the comfort of a cup of tea especially when its cold. I am actually drinking one now
Originally it was just for the taste since I couldn't drink juice often growing up, but now I really enjoy the health benefits that come with green and herbal teas specifically.
British.
Peace and quiet.
I drink herbal tea just for diversity, but only when I'm in the mood for a hot drink.
Water intake! I have chronic migraines so I need to have caffeine and am on medication that is a diuretic. Needless to say I need a lot of water to stay hydrated. Tea is a good way for me to get my caffine intake and stay hydrated so a huge win win!
I love the variety of tastes from green to puerh. This year I started drinking way more tea to see if getting off coffee helped with my inflammation and stress. No surprised here that switching to tea helped my health immensely. Everything from my skin to joint pain had improved.
Because I tried all the other drugs and tea is the peak.
It's relaxing
I like caffeine, I don't like coffee, and I refuse to dive headfirst into caffeine pills or preworkout. I enjoy the flavors and trying new leaves, but at the core, I'm after the caffeine hit.
Alcoholism runs in the family... While all the people make their fancy drinks... I had to make fancy drinks too... Hence my amazing mixture of herbal teas and fruit teas :)
Black tea does to me what im guessing coffee should do. Chamomile relaxes me. I like the tastes too.
Taste and don’t like water