Making the Call on Tea vs Coffee
For millennia men and women from all across the globe have savored tea both for its healthful benefits and for its unique taste properties. Tea has been a mainstay in the dietary regime of many countries in the Eastern world as well as in countries of the west, such as Great Britain. It continues to be a mainstay in the diets of many Americans today, in part due to its great versatility.
Some teas are treasured because they provide the perfect accompaniment to petit fours and finger sandwiches at a traditional afternoon tea party, while others are enjoyed for the calming and rejuvenation properties they confer after a long workout routine. Some people enjoy a mild cup of Chamomile Tea as part of their relaxing nightly routine, while others savor a good strong cup of Black Tea in the morning as part of a wake up routine.
Tea comes in a variety of all-natural, herbal blends, many of which have been shown to possess great health properties. For example, many teas are rich in antioxidants, which help the body defend itself against free radicals in the atmosphere and against the potential onset of many forms of cancer. Green tea in particular is often cited as one of the single healthiest, most anti-oxidant rich natural products in the world. Many scientists cite its pervasive presence in the Japanese dietary regime as a major source of their population’s lower rates of cancer and better overall health.
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.
For decades coffee drinks have been enjoyed both for their potent caffeine properties and for the unique, bold flavour of the black coffee bean. Many people enjoy sharing a good cup of cappuccino with an old group of friends, while others savor their daily break from work with a cup of dark, bold espresso. Thus whether it is enjoyed for its delicious, smooth flavor or for the rejuvenation it provides, coffee is beloved by thousands of Americans.
Just as tea comes in a vast array of herbal blends, coffee drinks come in a variety of flavors. And although coffee and tea share many properties and characteristics, coffee is unique in that the taste that is derived from coffee beans will always reflect the soil properties and climate of where they were grown. A coffee brewed from a bean that is grown in one part of the world will have a very different flavor from one brewed from the same bean, grown elsewhere in the world.
Another main difference between coffee and tea is that tea is more often enjoyed alone or with minimal condiments. Coffee lovers enjoy a vast array of types of coffee drinks, with every type of syrup, milk, sugar, and other additive imaginable. Thus the way that coffee is often served can contribute to certain drinks, containing sugars or fats, being less healthy than a simple cup of tea.
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 his quick morning fix. When he has people over for dinner though, his 8 cup coffee maker comes in real handy.