Herbal teas

Image source: Twinings.co.uk

You can't beat a herbal tea for being a sly, deceptive creation. In the supermarket you examine the shelves looking at all the tempting flavours and hoping that your eyes will land on the one that may actually taste good. You take it home, boil the kettle and enjoy the aroma that fills the room as it brews. Three long minutes whilst the infusion sits steeping. Finally the bag is removed and you lift the drink to your lips. The aroma swims about your head, making sweet, sweet promises. Finally you take a sip, hoping that this time it really will taste as good as it smells.

It doesn't.

I cannot be the only person to have tread on the road of herbal disappointment. I'll be honest and admit that I have pretty much given up on these drinks. But my partner is now steering his own way down this path and it is fun to watch his take on these many promising flavours.

I don't drink tea. I enjoy coffee but the caffeine hits me hard thanks to years of letting it drift from my diet. The only time I fancy coffee is in the evenings and this does not mix well with sleep. The only hot drinks I have now are the occasional hot chocolate or even rarer cup-a-soup. I have tried many, many herbal teas but they just don't hit the mark. Some are okay with a drop of lemon, some are palatable with lashings of sugar. But the only one that I return to, albeit rarely, is ginger.

In recent years I have started enjoying cordials hot but again not too often thanks to the high sugar content. Hot apple juice with spice is delicious but yet another treat.

So I drink water. Cold water. Perhaps this is why I feel so grumpy over winter!

I've just realised that I've published two posts about drink and that the last three have involved shopping. Sorry! Hopefully back to normal soon... if I ever find my camera again.