Tuesday TeaDay 3/30/10 Substitution principle?

[Chip]

I am planning on drinking massive quatities today! How about you? So, welcome to TeaDay! We want each of you to share what is in your cup today...and do it often. If you must reflect back on your TeaDay, please do.

Also, make sure you see what everybody else is sipping, that is after all half the fun. It is amazing how many different teas are being consumed and disclosed on TeaDay.

Yesterday we discussed TeaVacations. You can still vote and discuss yesterday's topic.

Today's TeaPoll and discussion topic...many of us came to tea as a form of substituting something we perceived as "bad," and replacing it with something much better, TEA. Augie suggested today's poll subject. I know I fall into at least one of these categories, how about you??? Oh, please share with us your response if you would like!

I am looking forward to seeing everyone on TeaDay. Cheers.

[Seeker]

Had to go with 'other' because for me it was really a combination.
I had been discovering tea (thanks to Peets coffee carrying some decent teas). I had also been turned on to Samovar Tea Lounge in San Francisco, and had the pleasure of tasting even better teas.
Finally, I happened upon Teance in Berkeley, and was introduced to truly top notch teas, and was quite taken by my experience.
Then, it came to be that I needed to leave coffee behind due to the distress it was causing my digestive system.
Finally, all along, it has been true of me that I am fascinated and drawn to more esoteric forms of healing-- herbal, alternative, natural, and I was really curious about the healing and healthful qualities of tea.

Just finishing some jasmine silver needle.

[laura99]

I would occasionally drink bagged tea in the afternoon at work. After seeming some posts on a board I frequent I decided to try loose leaf tea. Still an afternoon drink - coffee in the morning.

Within two months switched over to tea completely and very happy with that. I think back on all the ways I tried to get that 'perfect' cup of coffee - and seems like all I needed was to just ditch it completely!

Starting this morning with a cup of Black Dragon Pearls.

[dooble]

Partly because of a diet, I drove the hunger away with tea. But mostly it was because I was a eager practicer of zen at that time. And to some part I guess I still am.

Green Pine Needle... It just keeps revealing more layers each time I brew it!

[Herb_Master]

I wandered into a tea shop in Kuala Lumpur

The following week I went back

The next day I was there too

I began to replace my excessive consumption of alcohol with tea, but I did not get a good night's sleep for 6 weeks.

Now I cut out tea at 10pm and restrict myself to one bottle of wine with my supper as a nightcap, I am sleeping well again.

Son of a gun -

The yixing tea pots, kung fu cha, ceremony, ritual etc were the first draw.

[LauraW]

I had to go with other. I started drinking tea when I was about 12, occasionally, and from bags. Got to college and began to really appreciate the looseleaf teas I tried from various tea shops. Bought tea to start making at home. Around December '09, realized that I'd gained about 10 lbs in 6 months, and vowed to lose some weight, and starting drinking more tea and less soda - figuring that saving 150-300 calories a day (plus starting to watch what I eat more) would definitely help. Not eliminating soda, but I'm down to about 1 every couple weeks, instead of 1-2 a day. So far, I'm 12 weeks in and down about 8 lbs. Slow and steady.... slow and steady. But that's a good thing - I'm trying to make small lifestyle changes, not a diet where I'll gain it back as soon as I stop paying attention.

No tea yet, headed out the door for work. Gunpowder, I think, once I get there.

[Victoria]

No substitution - I had been drinking it occasionally, but when I discovered whole leaf and oolong - that's when it happened.

Darjeeling oolong in my cup this morning.

Have a nice day everyone!

[JBaymore]

Just discovered tea.

best,

.............john

[bsteele]

Other, combo... though I probably could have selected 'healthier lifestyle' and whatnot.

I THINK I started drinking tea as an alternative to coffee and because it's better for you... and because all the cool kidz are doing it, duh.

Adagio's Yunnan Gold in my cup.

[msurads06]

I cant drink coffee, so for years, i would turn to sodas whenever i needed a caffeine pic me up. No matter how hard i tried to cut out soda, i would always go back when i needed caffeine. I tried bagged tea a few times, and it was ok, but it wasnt until I found loose tea that i really started cutting out the soda. I now usually only have 1-2/week, sometimes less. Unexpectedly, the more tea i drink, the less junk food i eat, so it has had the unexpected result of replacing alot of my snack food.

Starting out with alishan oolong this morning.

[artmom]

Other.

Tea drinker from childhood--loose leaf as a child; bags from grocery store as a teen + 20 something; then more expensive bags; then back to loose leaf -- all black until last year, except for an oolong thrown in here and there and green when gifted with it.

No tea yet this morning; however, I'll be organizing my tea better today. I purchased some storage items to make room for my growing hoard!

[Skippyandjif]

I also started drinking tea as a little kid, and got really serious about it in high school. Starting in middle school, coincidentally, circumstances have led to me leading a healthier lifestyle-- I stopped drinking soda for two weeks and completely lost my taste for it permanently, became vegetarian, and discovered soccer, field hockey, ballet, and yoga as alternatives to sitting on my bum. (I also discovered coffee, which I love, but the coffee at my college is so abysmal that I only indulge when I'm home for vacations. )

Looseleaf pu-erh right now, to be followed with some sencha and ginger tea later.

[leiche2]

I've had bagged tea since I was a kid, so really all I did was switch to loose leaf. The switch had an unintended, but nice, side effect--I have less of a taste for soda and sweets. I still have 1-2 sodas per week (I like the flavor and heavy carbonation), but now I nurse them for hours and often can't finish them because they're too sweet.

Assam Hazelbank this morning.

[Crafty_Mom]

I'm one of those "it just happened" people. Teapot was a gift from the hubby, and that's how I got here. I do, however, not drink coffee so much any more. I'm not anti-coffee, and in fact have some whole beans right now, but tea has definitely become my daily beverage.

Some English Breakfast with breakfast. Then some vanilla green blend just a bit ago. I like it better today. Turns out I like my green tea to have a lighter flavor, so only did a 2 minute steep. Muuuuuch better.

[Mrs. Chip]

I grew up on Lipton Tea Bags mixed with a wonderful concoction of freshly picked Kentucky Blue peppermint, fresh lemons and oranges and lots and lots of sugar.

My grandmother affectionately known as 'MommaJo', kept all her grandchildren hyped up on this every summer. The tea was brewed very strong, but the additives made it refreshingly delish!!! I still like a nice tisane of mint and water, with very little or no honey at all.

From there, moved on to flavored ROT and now I do not like flavored teas at all, funny how we evolve in our 'TeaTaste Preferences'.

All loose leaf here now, with my pref being SENCHAS!!!! Well, do you think I really had a choice in the matter?

Currently drinking a 3rd infusion of a nice, mellow oolong ...
Have a TEArrific TeaDay everyone, it's raining here ... again.