Coffee or tea?

During a school ice breaker, we played a bingo game that revealed specific personality traits. I must admit it was an interesting one because I learned I had some quirks.

There's the usual "are you a dog or cat person?" But a few popped out that I didn't realize were personally traits, like are you a coffee or tea person and do you pour milk before or after cereal? Now I get the coffee thing but who pours milk before cereal? The cereal is the foundation and when they float, you know there's enough milk.

I also noticed I'm a tea person, I wasn't in the majority there but turns out tea is the most popular drink in the world. I go for coffee only when the tea options are slim. They essentially serve the same purpose but with tea I get more variety and It's great knowing I have options when getting my caffeine.

Types of tea

There's actually only one kind of tea. What are considered true teas all come from one plant, Camellia Sinensis. From there we get black, white and green teas. These teas vary in amounts of caffeine, taste and aroma. Having the right tea can really round out the mood. Especially when it comes to being productive.

Traditional vs herbal teas

So if there's true tea then what's fake tea? Well some of our most popular teas aren't technically tea. Jasmine, chamomile and peppermint tea fall under the category of herbal tea. Most likely you have one of these lying around at home but since they're not from the Camellia plant they aren't technically tea. Camellia varieties all share catechins, which may carry health benefits.

Caffeinated vs Decaffeinated

Unlike coffee which can never be without caffeine, tea comes in fully caffeine free options. This is because of herbal teas, the camellia plant has naturally occurring caffeine where other plants don't. It doesn't stop them from having their own advantages. Chamomile is good for sleep, peppermint is good for digestion and hibiscus just tastes amazing.

Tea Snob habits

If you've seen traditional matcha preparation clips then you know how that some people take their tea very seriously. I believed I was one of those people after rationalizing a $60 Teavana purchase while thinking $40 on shoes was a bit much. My priorities may not be straight but they are mine.

Thankfully I don't go as far as buying specialty gear for matcha, maté or even a French press. Although I stopped buying cheap tea. But that I mean the powdery kind that comes the yellow box. I'm mindful of certain brands and how they treat their crops. I also go for full leaf teas most of the time. I'm not a tea aficionado but these little upgrades have changed how I view the beverage.

Microwave vs boiling water

Another non-issue issue that people point out in the tea world is that stove top tea is better than microwaved tea