Sip a brew you never knew
Growing up with parents from Bangladesh, good tea is something I'm familiar with, or so I thought. The tea I knew as a young girl was always made the same way: boiled water, a Lipton's tea bag, a little milk, and a lot of sugar. Like most people I know, probably the most exotic tea I've ever tried is green tea. To become a tea connoisseur, however, exploring beyond Lipton's territory is a must. But who goes exploring without a map? Here is a breakdown of the different types of teas, from the most well-known kinds you sip in coffee shops, to stranger varieties, which require chewing as well as sipping.
By Maha Masud, Jayplay writer
A casual stroll down the tea aisle in any grocery store will probably greet you with
a panoply of colorful boxes and words such as English Breakfast, Ceylon and Darjeeling, making you wonder what country you are actually in. Grocery stores tend to carry teas that are most familiar to people, such as black, green and herbal tea. The most commonly consumed is black tea, which is completely oxidized, and includes Earl Grey, English Breakfast, orange peeko, Darjeeling among others. Green tea is the kind often consumed for the health benefits of its antioxidants. Usually on a shelf close to the green teas are the herbal teas, such as chamomile, which are usually infused with herbs and fruit extracts. Another popular category of tea is chai and it's found in many coffee shops. It is usually
made with black tea, milk and spices including black pepper, cloves and cardamom. My friend Surabhi Drona, who also grew up drinking tea, and describes herself as a "tea-aholic," says the term "chai tea" is a bit of a misnomer. The Dubai, United Emirates senior, says the word chai actually means "tea," so saying "chai tea" is redundant. Going a day without drinking at least a cup of tea is usually not an option for Drona, who enjoys anything from Earl Grey to ginger tea. She prides herself on exploring beyond grocery store and coffee shop teas and recommends trying more exotic varieties such as oolong and bubble tea.
For centuries, oolong tea has bee grown mainly in China and Japan, and is