I would like to put a question to the tea community. We all know that tea is becoming very popular, which is a good thing. Here is an article titled Why Tea is the New Coffee. I’d like you to read this article, which is very representative of what is happening throughout the U.S. in terms of the growing popularity of tea. My question to you is; is this really tea, or is it flavoring? What are people really drinking here? I know that the U.S. has a major sweet tooth and retailers feel they need to meet that national craving. I also know that C. sinensis is the base for these flavored teas (some of the time, the rest are herbal tisanes), but what is the quality of these teas and what are people actually tasting? Do they get to really enjoy the taste of real tea and do they get enough to provide them with true health benefits which may be one of the main reasons they have started drinking it?
Or, is the trend toward tea drinking simply an economic decision?
Despite the fact that we are seeing a wonderful trend toward increased popularity and consumption of tea, I am concerned that in this country we will just turn it into more of the same. To me it looks like the rise of consumption of hot tea is looking more and more like an attempt to recreate bottled tea into a hot beverage.
I believe that, in this country at least, we have buried our ability to taste and enjoy the subtle natural flavors of our foods and beverages. There are so many lovely nuanced flavors in our foods that few of us give ourselves a chance to taste any more. Processed foods come pre-flavored and heavily salted, which we have become so used to that even when presented with unadulterated food choices, we smother them with sweeteners or other flavorings that hide the natural flavors. Even quality black teas, which have a natural sweetness, historically have always been masked by milk and sugar or lemon.
Please let me hear from you about this issue. I am very interested in what you think about this trend.
First published on the blog on January 17, 2007 as Is Tea the New Coffee? Almost eight years later . . . the answer is yes.
As this was written 7 years ago originally, I think that the quality of flavored teas has greatly improved. At that time, I thought flavoring tea was a way to disguise the poor taste of low quality tea. Today, high quality flavored teas are being made with high quality tea.
I must admit that I too am concerned about the American palate. We are still used to sugary drinks and foods. We tend to salt everything and don’t often consume pure foods and drinks. I have learned to love the sweet and subtle taste of orthodox teas. I see it as a process of development of a tea drinker. First they may begin with a flavored tea – as I did. Then they eventually get turned on to orthodox teas and the ritual of tea. Then they’re hooked. It becomes a life long love affair for many of us.
We had a family Christmas yesterday of three generations. There was coffee and we brought Coconut Oolong and a Rooibos with lime and ginger. I believe as many chose tea as coffee. The thing about the flavored teas and herbals to me is…is it done well, do you still taste the teas and/or herbals, is it quality. A great steak can be even better with the right seasonings. I’d rather have a beautiful loose tea or herbal with natural fruits or spices than a CTC black or green tea of an inferior grade. My favorites are still the Golden Yunnan, Bao Zhongs, etc., but I also, with a palate that has been separating tea wheat from chaff for over a decade, enjoy the blends that are done by a master tea blender.
Does putting a better quality wine into your wine cooler some how make it better. Seems a little absurd doesn’t it? The quality of tea in America if it is better, has moved from bad, to mediocre. There is still only a very small fraction of Americans that have had an opportunity to experience quality tea. Why one could imagine that drinking wine coolers would somehow prepare you for being attracted to drinking better wine, except perhaps developing a revolution to wine coolers.
I think it absolutely makes anything better when you use great quality ingredients. The chefs have been saying that for years. Is the butter any better because you put it in the sauce..no Is the cream any better because you put it in the sauce…no. Are the mushrooms any better…no..and so on and so on. The difference is, you can make the same recipe with inferior butter, cream and mushrooms…and the end result is not as good. I agree with Austin about most tea Americans have tasted isn’t great quality, but I see nothing wrong with blends that have great quality ingredients. It’s easy to taste the difference between a blend that is done with a master hand and the best ingredients from one that has been sprayed with oil and thrown together by a production blending process.
What I love about this post is that Sandy’s original title, “Is Tea the New Coffee?” was proven almost eight years later with a new article, “Why Tea is the New Coffee.” The first article was too old to link, and when I found the new one PROVING Sandy’s original point, I was thrilled. His original point is also overwhelmingly true: flavors are added (sprayed, for the most part) masking the real tea flavor. Generally speaking, when the demand for a commodity rises, charlatans enter in great numbers to meet the demand. While the interest is a good thing, the array of choices is not good because it is mostly lousy stuff.