First MoFo post, and it's about tea

Alright, so I need to get back on track with blogging, and Vegan MoFo sounds like the perfect time to do so! I'm going to try my best to post something every weekday for the month of October.

Today's post, since I'm consuming it right now: tea! I've always liked it, and am trying to get back into it more. While I may not drink it every single day, when I do I am a total tea snob - NEVER from a bag (there's actually a good reason to avoid bags), and generally it's not something boring like Earl Grey. It's really about the same price as buying tea bags (well, tea bags of reasonable quality - Lipton will always be the cheapest but who uses that outside of iced tea?), plus the tea is fresher and you often have many more flavor options. Like right now, for instance: I love Republic of Tea's Pomegranate Green tea, but it's super fruity so I cut it with Tea Haus's China Lung Ching, or "Dragon Well." I'm trying to drink mostly green tea because 1) it contains a decent amount of caffeine 2) it has tons of antioxidants and magical powers and 3) I like its taste and can drink alot of it.

What healthy benefits does tea have exactly, you ask? Ask and you shall recieve:

Anti-cancer properties
Increases metabolic rate

Possible anti-diabetes effect

Boosts mental alertness

Boosts immune system

Lowers chances of cognitive impairment

Lowers stress hormone levels

Therapy for HIV patients

Reduce inflammation for those with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)

Inhibits growth of bacteria that cause bad breath
Helps stop excess iron damage for those with iron overload disorders

Benefits associated with caffeine

Effects on obstructive sleep apnea-related brain deficits
Helpful in treating bacterial and fungal infections

Anti-venom effects (!!!!) - can help treat snake bites!

Reduces the risk of stroke

Improves Cardiovascular health

Treatment for Anogenital warts (ew)

Now, if you drink loose tea you need to invest in a few pieces of equipment. When at home, I use my trusty Bodum Assam pot. I love it! While it may seem pricey, these thing hold up super well and do a really good job - and you can just toss everything in the dishwasher when it needs to get cleaned.

Work is a little trickier. Sometimes I bring my Bodum pot into work, if I really want alot of tea - like four cups worth. But usually, I use my fun little lollipop-like infuser and a cute vessel - like right now I have 12 oz. tumbler featuring ghosts and other Halloween ghouls. Luckily, we possess a tap that instantly produces near-boiling water, so I'm all set in that regard. Other alternatives include microwaving or getting an electric kettle, which are neat little items.

And one of the biggest benefits for me is that I save a ton of money not running through the Starbucks drive-thru!

Loose tea rocks my world!

I'd like to devote this post to the greatness that is loose tea. I really try to avoid drinking coffee, for a few reasons: 1) I don't need to get addicted to caffeine 2) if I do need caffeine, I want just a little to be effective! While green and black teas do contain caffeine, its about a quarter that of coffee, so not nearly enough to get addicted to. Well, I guess you could get addicted if you drank like three pots a day, but that's a little insane 3) I'm vain and don't want to stain my teeth. Yeah, tea stains too, but not nearly as bad. A nice cup of tea in the morning perks me up, or is a great alternative to drinking plain water all day. Plus, I don't need to tell you about all the health benefits tea has been found to possess.

Why loose tea over the standard stuff that comes in bags? I've always chosen it because it is better-tasting and it just makes me feel cool. More details can be provided here and here. It also is a great value compared to bagged teas, especially as "craft" teas become more and more prevalent. If I'm spending $5 on tea, it's not going to be for 10 bags of the shit they sell at Starbucks, that's for sure. That is way too expensive for dried leaves!

Now, the problem many of people have with loose tea is the convenience factor. I think that's a crock, because there's barely a difference. Once you spring for the brewing supplies, the process is exactly the same. I really recommend Bodum teapots - it's what I use and it rocks! There are also a ton of other options out there, like individual mugs w/ mesh cups inside for the tea, tea spoons and balls you drop into a mug, etc.

Remember that your water should be just under boiling when you add your leaves to it. Follow the instructions for seeping (generally about 3 min. for green or herbal, 5 min. for black) and make sure it doesn't seep too long - this can lead to a bitter flavor.

One easy way to be frugal with your tea, loose or otherwise, is to seep it twice. I generally reuse my leaves once, essentially doubling the amount I can make. I'm not a crazy tea snob, so I can't tell a difference between the two batches.

Happy sipping!