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What’s Your Cup Of Tea? 

You know the saying: There’s an App for that? Well, we are upgrading it to: There’s a tea for that! 

• Can’t sleep? Stressed? Try camomile. 
• Need a burst of energy? Peppermint! 
• Feeling poorly? Ginger will work wonders for anything from a stuffy nose to an upset tummy. 

What Else Is Out There? 

We are spoilt for choice with everything from strawberry flavoured kiddies’ rooibos to hibiscus blends and even, (Oh the horror!) Chocolate orange flavour! 

If those work for you – great.  

Let’s Put The Kettle On 

For the more classically minded among us, we thought we would take the time to test (and taste) which easily available brand of wins out in the three traditional varieties we are used to:

First up is the classic “Ceylon tea” or even just “black tea”  

Basically, what we all grew up drinking with aunties and grannies alike. Produced in the highlands of Sri Lanka, Ceylon is made from the dried processed leaves of the Camellia Sinesis plant. 

We have multiple brands on South African supermarket shelves, but as with most products, we like buying local as far as possible.  

Luckily for you, the very Ceylon brand, trusted by generations of moms all over the country, just happens to be the Five Roses Ceylon Blend that can be found literally everywhere in South Africa.  

We don’t know if it’s just because it brings back memories of childhood, smells like your gogo’s kitchen, or that the iconic red and silver package makes us feel at home. This brand, above all other fancy imported Ceylon blends just hits the mark one cup at a time.  

Aromatic, strong and exceptionally difficult to get wrong, this tea is our go-to for when we need a mild shot of caffeine and a wild sip of nostalgia. 

Let’s make tea fancy! 

By far one of the most recognizable flavoured teas is Earl Grey tea.  

This quintessentially British tea is just a basic blend of black tea, infused with bergamot oil. If you like Earl Grey, you LOVE it. If not…well, sorry for you.  

You are missing out. This regal tea shows up in many imported varieties on our shelves, but one rules over all of them. Twining’s Earl Grey is by far the superior locally available offering. With a strong black tea base, a fast, strong brew, a lovely deep colour and a pure bergamot aroma hitting the nose with each sip, this tea is a feast for all your senses. Other varieties of Earl Grey are available, but after a lifetime of drinking Earl Grey, this writer can confirm that Tetley’s is bland, Lipton is bitter, and the Woolies Earl Grey takes ages to brew into a pale imitation of the Twining’s dark magic.  

If you can get your hands on Twining’s loose-leaf Earl Grey and take the time to steep yourself a whole pot of this lovely tea, you might just catch a glimpse of paradise.

However you drink your tea (Milk, no milk, sugar, honey or lemon) doesn’t matter. What matters is that you take a moment out of each day to do something just for yourself. Whether it’s first thing in the morning or just before bed, and even if it’s not a whole pot but a simple tea bag in a mug of boiled water, sit down and sip away the worries.  

“There is something in the nature of tea that leads us into a world of quiet contemplation of life.” – Lin Yutang 

Opinions expressed in this article are solely those of a die-hard tea fan and meant to inspire others to give each tea a try, and not boost the sales of any one brand in particular.

But you can help settle the debate!

Why not let your voice be heard here:

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