Life Sucks, But At Least There’s Tea
The perfect cup that gets me out of bed in the morning
Like many people, I suffer from clinical depression and anxiety, both of which have worsened during the pandemic. I struggle to find the motivation to get through each day. But one thing that makes me look forward to getting up each morning is a perfect cup of tea.
Unlike most US-Americans, I never developed a taste for coffee. Until my mid-30s, I didn’t particularly care for tea either. But that changed when I discovered the delight of steeping tea from high-quality loose leaves rather than cheap tea bags.
I’ve tried many tea varieties and blends, but the favorite I always come back to is Irish Breakfast. The variety I drink is a blend of Assam and Ceylon black teas. I order it in one-pound bags from a company that gets their tea directly from growers. (My spouse prefers Earl Grey, which I can’t stand; he feels the same about my blend. Somehow, we still get along.)
Proper preparation of this tea is critical to my enjoyment. Put an infuser into a mug (we use good-sized mugs, not dainty cups, in my household), and add one heaping teaspoon of tea leaves. Bring filtered water to a boil, and pour the still-boiling water over the leaves. Steep for exactly five minutes, then remove the infuser.
