For hundreds of years people from countries all across the world have savored it both for its health properties and for its unique flavor. Tea has been a main part of people’s diets in the eastern world as well as of places in the west, like Great Britain. Today it remains a main staple in the modern American diet, at least in part due to the versatility of its flavor properties.
Some teas serve as the perfect accompaniment to finger sandwiches and petit fours at a proper tea party, while others provide a deep sense of calm and rejuvenation after completing a workout routine. Some people enjoy a strong cup of good tea in the morning to help wake up, while others savor a nice mild cup at night to help them relax for bed.
Tea blends come in a variety of all-natural, herbal flavors. And many blends of tea have been scientifically shown to offer strong health properties. Many teas are rich in antioxidants, which are known to greatly help the human body to defend itself against the onset of many kinds of cancer as well as to shield it from chemical free radicals in the environment. More recently green tea has become the subject of much scientific study, as it has been found to possess very potent anti-oxidant properties. Many scientists believe that the presence of green tea in the daily Japanese diet may be, at least in part, responsible for the country’s lower cancer rate.
As scientists continue to discover more of the potential health benefits of drinking tea, they are also beginning to uncover many of the previously unknown health properties of tea’s common competitor, coffee. Recently scientists have found that like many teas, coffee is extremely rich in antioxidants. Studies conducted in the past decade have, moreover, linked daily coffee drinking to a vast array of health benefits, including cancer prevention and memory preservation.
Most Americans today enjoy coffee both for the caffeine fix it provides and for its bold, smooth flavor. Some people enjoy taking a quick vacation from a long day with a good, strong cup of black espresso, while others look forward to socializing with good friends over a warm, frothy cappuccino at the local cafe. Whether it is treasured for the morning pick-me-up it provides or for its rich, unique flavor, coffee has long been a mainstay in the western diet.
Coffee drinks, like tea, come in a vast array of blends and flavors. And while the two drinks certainly possess many similarities, coffee is unique in that the beans used to brew it will reflect the climate and soil properties of their origins. The same type of coffee bean grown in one particular climate and soil will have a very different taste than that same bean grown somewhere on the other side of the globe.
Another significant difference between tea and coffee is that coffee is more often enjoyed with more additives and condiments. While tea is typically savored with just a bit of sugar or milk, coffee drinks often come with a vast array of additives, such as different types of milk, sweetener, or syrup. Thus while both tea and pure coffee have many nutritional properties, many coffee drinks provide a less healthy alternative to tea because they are often in calories, fat, and sugar.
Overall coffee and tea are very similar drinks in that they both possess a variety of healthful properties. However any coffee or tea lover will tell you that the two are quite different in both their flavor and the manner that they are enjoyed.
Damian Papworth loves making coffee with one cup coffee makers for a quick morning beverage. When he has people over for dinner though, his 8 cup coffee maker comes in real handy.