Put the kettle on love! Growing up in England, I often heard that expression in our house. But I didn’t appreciate the true value of that cuppa until I was an adult. There are many things I love about tea, including surprising health benefits. For today, I’ll stick to sharing my top 12 list.

This post was originally published in August 2020 and updated in May 2023.

I have lived in Canada most of my life, but I never lost the love of tea from my British heritage. It’s still my favourite drink. I enjoy wine and cider but if I had to choose just one drink, it would have to be tea.

The origins of tea

Let’s have a look at the different kinds of tea.

Black tea, green tea, white tea, oolong or pu-ehr. These all originate from the same plant camellia sinensis, native to India and China. The difference between the varieties comes down to how long the tea is processed after it’s harvested.

Rooibos tea, sometimes referred to as red tea, is different. It comes from a plant called Aspalathus linearis, usually grown on the western coast of South Africa. It is actually an herbal tea and isn’t related to other teas.

Did you know that herbal teas, sometimes called tisanes, aren’t really tea? They are made up of different fruits, flowers, spices and herbs.

The world loves tea

I’m not alone in my love of tea. Tea consumption worldwide in 2021 was 297 billion litres, making tea the second most popular beverage, surpassed only by water. (Source: Coffee Affection) I was surprised to learn that Turkey is the country that drinks the most tea per capita, followed by Ireland and then the United Kingdom. In the list I saw, Canada sits in 20th place.

12 things I love about tea

Has the kettle boiled yet? Now that you’ve got your cuppa in hand, here are 12 things I love about tea.

Versatility

Tea is a drink that fits any occasion. You can drink it any time of the day, any day of the year. It’s also one of the few drinks that you can enjoy hot or cold.

The perfect summer drink

I had never heard of iced tea until I moved to Canada. Now I am hooked. It is the perfect drink on a hot summer day!

In Canada, I rarely order iced tea in a restaurant because it’s always that syrupy sweet stuff. But when I travel in the United States, especially in the south, it’s my go-to beverage in restaurants because they serve it unsweetened.

Iced tea is the best way to quench your thirst on a hot day. At home, I brew my own which lets me control the sugar content.

It’s easy to do eco-friendly tea

Tea is an excellent choice for someone living a low-waste lifestyle. Normally, I buy loose leaf tea in bulk to reduce waste. I brew it using tea balls or metal tea filters and dispose of the tea leaves in my green bin.

If you buy tea bags on a regular basis, you should know that many tea brands use a small amount of plastic to seal the bag together.

In our region, regular tea bags are accepted in the green bin program. But those fancy nylon mesh tea bags go in the regular garbage so I avoid them at all costs!

If you buy tea bags, check with your local waste management authority to find out what’s what.

No better way to start the day

I have been drinking one or two large cups of hot, black tea every morning for years. I look forward to that morning cuppa, even in hot summer weather.

Iced tea is everywhere in the southern United States. When I visited New Orleans a few years ago, I learned it’s not easy to find hot tea. On my first morning in NOLA, I had an early meeting and the hotel served hot tea. The next day, I went on a mission. I walked for close to half an hour in the early morning heat to the nearest McDonald’s, thinking they would for sure have hot tea. When I asked for hot tea, the young lady behind the counter gave me a very strange look and then told me “We don’t do that here ma’am.” I sadly left without any tea.

So many flavour options

Although plain black tea is my preference for hot tea, I love that there are so many different flavours of herbal tea, black tea, white tea, green tea and rooibos. When it comes to iced tea, I find the fruit-flavoured herbals to be tasty and refreshing.

I used to love David’s Tea and was sad when it closed. These days, I refill my flavoured tea cannisters at Bulk Barn. Here’s a picture of my tea drawer. It’s bordering on addiction!

Less caffeine than coffee

Black tea has about 50% less caffeine than regular coffee, meaning I can drink it in the evening without disrupting my sleep. Black tea has the highest caffeine content, followed by oolong, green and white tea.

As an added bonus, herbal teas and rooibos are caffeine free.

Reduced risk of breast cancer

In my post Foods that fight cancer, I wrote about how green tea contains large amounts of catechins, compounds that boost many anti-cancer properties. Rates of breast cancer are significantly lower in countries with high green-tea consumption. If you’re looking to reduce your risk, look for Japanese green teas. They are richer in anti-cancer compounds than Chinese teas.

I’m not a fan of the taste of hot green tea. I make sure I get the health benefits by putting a teaspoon of matcha powder in my morning breakfast smoothie.

No calories

There are very few things that have no calories, that we actually enjoy. For the weight conscious, plain tea is a no-calorie treat.

I drink my tea with just a splash of milk and no sugar so each cup has 20-30 calories. 

Other health benefits

Unlike many of the other things we enjoy in life, there have been no downside health risks associated with drinking tea. In fact, studies have shown a possible link to reduced risk of other cancers, heart disease and diabetes.

What is it about tea that makes it healthy? It’s a great source of antioxidants and the flavonoids promote heart health.

Cute teapots

This might seem frivolous but there are so many cute and whimsical teapots. I have a few in different sizes. I made this “tea for one” pot years ago when I was doing ceramics.

The social aspect

When I first started dating my husband, his mother was very interested to find out I was British. The two questions she asked were “Do you like the royal family?” And “Do you drink tea?” I answered yes to both, which seemed to meet with her approval. I think she liked the idea of having someone to drink tea with.

Tea is very much a social thing. When my daughters were small, we used to regularly dress up and have tea parties. My daughter had this cute ceramic play tea set. It’s adorable and I’m so glad she kept it.

There’s something about tea that goes naturally with conversation. There’s no problem so big that it can’t be solved over a pot of tea.

It’s delicious!

Last but not least, tea is delicious. I’m not a fan of rooibos but I enjoy every other kind of tea. I love to try different flavours. Some are better than others!

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What do you love about tea?

So, there you have it. My list of 12 things to love about tea. Put the kettle on, brew yourself a cuppa, and tell me your favourite thing about drinking tea below.