MINT, CHAMOMILE, PEPPERMINT AND ROOIBOS! #BLOGCHATTERA2ZCHALLENGE

 

When I was in college, I was an avid coffee drinker. I could have six cups of strong coffee and survive. In fact, I would end my day with coffee, being young enough to handle the caffeine. 

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When I got married, my better half was a tea aficionado. Slowly I started drinking tea instead of coffee as it was too much work to make both.

Making tea is the ultimate art. Tea comes in umpteen avatars. I recall cups of tea at railway stations in tiny kulhads, (mud pots) boiled with milk and sugar, till it turned into a concentrated brown liquid with a distinct aroma.

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In the Army, tea would be made with loads of aromatic masalas being put in - ginger, cardamom, and even pepper. Masala chai was supposed to be lip-smacking, though I never did acquire a taste for it.

The tastiest form of tea I ever had was kahwa in Srinagar, a wonderful blend of tea with almonds, saffron, cinnamon, cardamom and dried fruits which not only tasted delicious, but kept us warm in the harsh winters. While teaching in school, we would all wait for eleven in the morning when hot cups of kahwa would be served, and boy, was it a treat, indeed!

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Teapot tea was a whole new experience. I remember going to stay with a stylish cousin who taught me how to use a teapot. She had these colourful tea cosies which kept the tea hot. There was no boiling involved, just steeping, and the colour of the tea was a beautiful golden, especially when poured into bone china cups. The whole experience was delightful – tea being allowed to steep in the tea pot, then a dash of milk poured daintily from a matching milk jug and finally spoons of sugar from the sugar pot. All very la-di- dah!

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In the heat of summer, we would opt for Lipton iced tea, which kept us cool and hydrated. It was a regular treat till I realised how much sugar went into it.

I have no idea when I graduated to green tea mint. I had always loved mint - mint chutney, mint chocolate and regular mints. Suddenly, one day I started drinking Lipton mint tea and I haven't stopped since.

The first time we came to Johannesburg, I was introduced to a new flavour of tea - Rooibos, which translates to ‘red bush’ in Afrikaans and is a plant that grows in South Africa. The leaves are used to make a caffeine-free herbal tea, pinkish red in colour and soothing, especially when one is fed up to the gills after a good meal.

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 We would go out and order Rooibos which would come in a glass carafe which held three cups which we would savour, one after the other.

However, my first preference is still green tea mint. What is strange is that the same mint tea tastes different in different countries. I remember not being happy with the Lipton mint tea in Johannesburg, and I bought a whole packet of the same with me from India. This time round, I have been experimenting with various varieties of mint tea here, including Tetley mint, Laager Rooibos and Chamomile mint, and Woolworth’s mint green. I also did pick up Three Roses pure peppermint tea. Every day, I dunk a different tea bag into boiling water, and hope that I can discover the ideal mint tea that I crave for.

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                                                                                                  Joekels Tea Shop

Till then, I will continue to scour the markets with my fingers crossed!

I am participating in the #BlogchatterA2ZChallenge2025.

https://deepties.blogspot.com/2025/04/mint-chamomile-peppermint-and-rooibos.html