“There is no trouble
so great or grave
that cannot be diminished
by a nice cup of tea.” 
Bernard Paul Heroux

I grew up in a tea family. The rich smell of coffee brewing in the morning permeated our home only when my paternal grandmother stayed with us after a number of hospital visits. For this reason, perhaps, while I find the taste of coffee repugnant, the aroma calls up wonderful memories from my childhood.

Tea was the drink of choice of my parents. I can easily recall the day I attempted to surprise my mother by making tea for her. I was in second grade. I’d seen her make tea many times, so I did my best to replicate her actions. I filled the stainless steel teapot with water and put it on the stove. When the teapot began to whistle, I turned off the gas and poured the contents of the teapot into Mom’s favorite cup. I was surprised to see that it was still clear. It wasn’t tea at all. It was just a cup of hot water. That’s when Mom introduced me to the magic of Lipton tea bags!

Throughout most of my life, my go-to hot beverage of choice was hot chocolate. It’s only in recent years that I’ve transitioned to tea. I began with Lipton, of course, but as time went on, I was introduced to flavored tea by Bigelow (Lemon Lift, Earl Grey, English TeaTime, Orange & Spice, and Perfect Peach), and Celestial Seasonings (Peppermint, Country Peach, Cinnamon Apple SpIce, and Black Cherry Berry.) 

In my teaching years, I relied on Throat Coat tea to get me through the first week of school each year. After a summer of casual conversations, each new academic year required that I project my voice to the back of a classroom for five periods per day. The annual strain on the vocal cords was soothed by the medicinal tea.

In the fall of 2017, after publishing my first book, A Moment’s Pause for Gratitude, I was invited to participate in a video interview on the topic of gratitude at Santa Clara University’s Markkula Center for Applied Ethics. The morning of the interview, I woke up with a persistent cough. On my way to the interview, I stopped at Starbucks and asked if they had anything which might soothe a sore throat and minimize my cough. The barista immediately responded, “Yes. Sick tea.” On the Starbucks menu, it’s actually called Honey Citrus Mint Tea, but whenever I order sick tea, they know exactly what I want. (In Seattle, they call it Medicine Ball!)

Yesterday, in a conversation with my dental hygienist after a routine cleaning, we shared our mutual enjoyment of the Orchard Valley Coffee Shop in downtown Campbell. Daniela asked if I had ever tried their Masala Chai Latte. I had to admit that I’d never had any type of latte. I thought anything called latte was a coffee drink. Masala Chai Latte is black tea infused with fragrant spices such as cinnamon, clove, ginger, cardamom, and black pepper. The beverage, which originated in India, has gained popularity throughout South Asia and, more recently, in the United States. In addition to its unique flavors, Masala Chai Latte is said to have numerous health benefits, including reducing one’s stress and anxiety levels. 

I enjoyed my first Masala Chai Latte this morning. The fragrance was delightful and the taste was pleasant, with a bit of a bite to it due to the spices. It paired nicely with the cinnamon almond croissant I ordered. 

I may be getting older, but life continues to surprise me with new experiences.