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by Gabie

Tea vs. Coffee - Must You Really Choose?


Tea leaves and coffee seeds split half and half in a black round bowl

Do you feel compelled to choose between tea and coffee? What if I told you that you could have both! Tea and coffee are very different and there's no reason why you can't enjoy the benefits and pleasure of sipping both. Not convinced? Keep reading.

In this post, I share the reasons why I don't compare tea and coffee, why I avoid coffee at all costs, and also why there's room for both tea and coffee in your life. Make sure you subscribe to Tea End Blog so that you can be the first to see new and exciting posts about books, tea, and everything me.

 

Apples & Oranges

Tea and coffee are often compared to one another but, personally, I feel like the comparison is worthless. Apples and oranges are both fruit that produce juice, but I would never compare one to the other because they are unique and separate in a lot of ways. I've created a chart of a few facts supporting why I believe tea and coffee should not be compared. This chart should also help you visualize just how different tea is from coffee:

What's the difference? Tea & Coffee Chart
 

Why the Comparison?

If tea and coffee are so different, why do people feel the need to compare them? In fact, most Americans feel compelled, not just to compare the two beverages, but also to reject one or the other. Why such extremes?

History Tells the Tale...

Most cultural habits have deep roots in history and American tea culture is no exception. The need for Americans to choose between tea and coffee isn't solely a question of personal preference but rather a question of politics and patriotism.

The majority of Americans are familiar with the Boston Tea Party of 1773, an act of protesting the British government's tax on tea where tons of tea was thrown into the Boston Harbor. But did you know that this revolutionary act also shaped American tea culture and the way that most Americans view tea today?

Not too long after the Boston Tea Party, John Adams sent a letter to his wife stating, "Tea must be universally renounced, and I must be weaned, and the sooner the better." This sparked an unofficial boycott on tea within the British Colonies. The people united and vowed to only serve coffee in their homes. Tea shops were converted into coffee shops and coffee became associated with the Revolution while drinking tea was viewed as a betrayal to the Colonies.

The Revolutionary War ended in 1783, 10 years after the colonists' boycott on tea. This was more than enough time for the soon to be Americans to develop a taste for coffee and an antiquated view of tea. Down to this day, tea is widely viewed as a medicinal beverage sipped by old people while coffee is viewed as fresh, fun, and hip. At least, now you know why.

 
Tea in a blue gold trimmed tea cup

Why I Personally Avoid Coffee

I avoid coffee at all costs because I know what it will cost me if I don't. You see, although I love the smell of freshly brewed coffee and I don't mind the taste, my body's reaction to it is not pleasant. I find coffee to be a highly aggressive beverage that leaves me feeling like Chicken Little. All I have to do is drink half of a cup and the sky is falling! The caffeine in coffee is more than my body can handle and I don't like the jittery anxious feeling that I am left with, so I just avoid it.

And it is for this or similar reasons why you should also avoid it. If coffee perturbs your health or leaves you not feeling so well, then just stop drinking it. But if it doesn't bother you then there's no reason why you can't enjoy both tea and coffee in your life...

 
Yellow tea and tea leaves in small porcelain bowls

You Can Have Both!

I sometimes read comments and emails of individuals who love tea, who love my blog, but who are die hard coffee drinkers. Take for example a comment made by Daryl under a Tea Review post of Himalaya Mist Darjeeling Tea. He says, "...I am a stubborn die-hard coffee lover (ok addict) but the way you describe teas...will convince me to have a tea every few days..." Well, why not! Even if you love coffee, why not enjoy the beautiful beverage of tea every now and then like Daryl? If you must have your coffee in the morning, then make bedtime your tea time. I promise that if you give tea a chance you will fall in love. And don't worry, there is enough love for both tea and coffee.

 
Herbal tea with lemon slice and coffee

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When do you make time for tea?

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