Best Tea for . . . Fixing Everything
by Christine Shultz
Tea – black tea, you understand, and simple, none of this venti-green-tea-blackberry-frappuccino business, just an ordinary cup of good black tea – is the secret to fixing everything.
Or so it seems when one lives in Scotland, which is where I learned the art of brewing a good cuppa.
It has a power to soothe and heal almost anything. When I had my handbag stolen — the second time that year — I was offered nearly a half-dozen cups by well-meaning friends and coworkers.
“Sit right down and I’ll make you a cup of tea,” they’d say, directly upon hearing of my plight, as if that would help when I’d just lost my journal, my house keys, and all my cash.
But the thing is … it did help.
It gave my sympathetic friends something to do, a tangible way to reach out and say, “I’m sorry. I care,” while at the same time providing an excuse to be out of the way if I needed to cry for a bit.
And it gave me something to concentrate on besides my woes. How much milk do I take? Strong or weak? Any sugar? Simple questions. Simple answers. And then a warm mug to cradle and the familiar, steaming liquid to sip. Before I’d finished, the worst of the shock had passed, and things began to look more hopeful.
This remedy-for-all-ills is, happily, available in both looseleaf and teabag packs at most grocery stores. I recommend Twining’s English Breakfast Tea, but in a pinch any good quality black tea will do.
Cheers!
Tea Info:
Twinings English Breakfast Tea
Can Be Purchased: any grocery store
Website: www.twinings.com
Price: $4.39 for a box of 20 teabags (cheaper online)
RedFence Rating: 9 (out of 10)
