Hey, what’s up?

Who here loves tea? Or at least pretends to when offered, just to feel fancy? This time, I’m spilling the tea (pun fully intended) on the types of tea I have in my collection. But before we dive headfirst into this aromatic world, let me share some tea facts. Don’t worry, I’m not a tea historian—I just watched a 5-minute TED-Ed video on YouTube and now feel very qualified to enlighten you (you’re welcome).

I’m sure it’s no surprise that tea originated in China. According to legend, there was once a farmer who kept getting poisoned—because apparently, food safety wasn’t a thing back then. One day, a random leaf fell into his mouth (what are the odds?) and miraculously cured him. Naturally, they started munching on tea leaves as vegetables. Fast forward a few years, someone had the genius idea to grind the leaves, boil them, and voilà—tea became a royal beverage reserved for the Chinese emperor. Fun fact: matcha tea, the hipster favorite of today, was once the emperor’s drink of choice. Talk about sipping luxury!

So, how did tea become a global sensation? The simple answer: trading. The Europeans, including the British, couldn’t resist the allure of tea and started importing it in bulk. Back then, tea was so valuable that it cost ten times more than coffee—imagine being that fancy. But here’s where things get messy: trading tea for silver coins got way too expensive, so they thought, “Hey, let’s trade opium instead!” (Spoiler: terrible idea.)

Unfortunately, this led to a devastating opium crisis in China because, well, opium isn’t exactly harmless. And as if that wasn’t enough, the British sent spies to steal tea trees from China and started cultivating them elsewhere. Sneaky, right? From that point on, tea production spread worldwide, and the rest is history. So the next time you sip your tea, just remember—it has quite the dramatic backstory.

And that’s the wild story of how tea went from being an emperor’s luxury to one of the most beloved beverages around the world. Truly, tea has had a glow-up. Now, for the next part of this blog, I’m not going to attempt to cover all the types of tea—because, let’s be honest, there are way too many. Instead, I’ll focus on something more manageable: my personal tea collection!

Whittard of Chelsea was the first tea brand I bought when I arrived in the UK—because, let’s face it, you can’t step foot in the UK and not embrace tea culture. My initial purchase? Their instant teas with fun flavors. Dreamtime was my absolute favorite, though I finished it ages ago (and I’m still dreaming about it, to be honest). Plum & Cinnamon and Lychee & Rose weren’t too shabby either!

What I love most about these teas is their powdered form. All you need to do is toss 2 to 3 spoons into hot water, give it a stir, and voilà—tea, ready to go! Feeling fancy? You can even use cold water and serve it chilled for those sweltering summer days. Super convenient, right? Plus, they’re already sweetened, which automatically earns them a top spot on my list. Sweet tea with zero effort? Count me in!

After a while, I started to worry that all the sweetness from those instant teas might fast-track me to diabetes. So, I decided to switch things up and go for tea bags instead. These aren’t sweet, but they still have unique and exciting flavors. My current pick? Mango & Bergamot. It’s a green tea infused with the tropical sweetness of mango and the citrusy kick of bergamot (which, fun fact, is a fancy type of orange).

I usually use one tea bag per cup because, let’s be real, I’m not trying to overachieve here. Occasionally, I’ll add a bit of sugar, but most of the time, I skip it. Why? Because too much sugar drowns out the delicate flavors, and all I end up tasting is sweetness. And honestly, if I wanted pure sweetness, I’d just eat dessert.

Late last year, I ventured into the world of Chai tea, thanks to a recommendation from a friend. It’s an instant tea, which means it’s ridiculously easy to make—just my kind of vibe. I like this particular brand because the blend of herbs isn’t as overpowering as the ones you get in most coffee shops. Subtle, but still flavorful.

That said, I avoid drinking it at night or before work because, for some reason, it has a sneaky way of making me feel a bit bloated. (The tea giveth, and the tea taketh away, I suppose.) But honestly, bloated or not, I can’t resist the warm, spiced goodness of a cup of Chai. It’s totally worth it!

And finally, my newest addition—just bought it last week—is a tea from Bird & Blend Tea Co. The last time I got tea from here, it was as a souvenir, so I never had the chance to try it myself. Their packaging is simple yet elegant, which makes it perfect for gifting. Plus, it’s lightweight and compact—a win for both aesthetics and practicality.

This time, I treated myself and went for the Moondrop Dreams flavor, a delightful infusion of rooibos, lavender, and lemon. It’s the kind of tea you’d sip before bed, and let me tell you, it’s pure magic. Believe it or not, it’s super soothing and actually helps me sleep better. For now, this is hands down my favorite tea!

So, there you have it—my humble collection of four teas. I hope you enjoyed reading about them, and maybe some of you are inspired to give these a try! If you have any tea suggestions, I’m all ears. Whether it’s a unique blend or a cozy tea shop recommendation, I’d love to hear about it.

Alright then, until next time—happy sipping, and see you in my next post!