Selecting a tea to drink can be as arbitrary as a mood, the season of the year or the activity of the day. There are days when the scientific questions (i.e. caffeinated, light taste, strong aroma) are secondary to what I am in the mood to drink. Today is the quintessential fall day. It is Thanksgiving Day. Colored leaves are on the trees, a brisk temperature is in the air, and there is plenty of sunshine to make everything bright and the colors dazzle in the sunshine. I am in the mood for a pumpkin spice black tea. The smooth taste of buttery squash with a hint of cinnamon will help to get me into the mood for Fall and Thanksgiving.
Today will be filled with rituals; albeit to a much smaller scale than in previous years. I am in the mood for a specific tea cup and saucer that was given to me as a gift last year at this time. There is something ritualistic about having tea with this cup and saucer. I take a moment to enjoy the tea. I enjoy the smooth, creamy, not harsh taste of the pumpkin spice tea. The pumpkin aroma fills me with a comforting feeling of eating pumpkin pie, watching football games, and family. I then take a moment to reflect on the giver of the cup and saucer. I am thankful for their love, for their being a part of my life, and for their health.
I have paired my tea with memories and with a cup and saucer. Selecting a tea can be very subjective. Sometimes drinking tea is as much about the ritual, memories and personal history as it is about the antioxidants, or the caffeine content.
During this crazy and unpredictable year that 2020 has become; I am determined to remain thankful!
Happy Thanksgiving.
About The Author
Leslie Sundberg is a World Tea Academy Certified Tea Specialist, a World Tea Academy Apprentice Tea Sommelier, a Specialty Tea Institute Level IV trained Tea Specialist, and a Tea and Business Etiquette Specialist. On any given day, Leslie can be found teaching, speaking or sharing in the joys of a cup of tea. No matter what Leslie is doing or where she is, one thing remains constant: 4:00 in the afternoon is tea time!
