Coffee 2 Tea

All coffee drinkers love the rich, distinct aroma of their favorite brew.  They savor cup after cup of this hot beverage daily, most often in the morning or after meals.  Not all however, like the caffeine that comes with coffee.  Studies have shown that caffeine, when consumed, can cause wakefulness and increase heart rate, which some people look on unfavorably.

Thankfully, there is decaf coffee so no one has to give up his or her daily coffee habit.  Decaf espresso beans for example, are made from the highest quality Arabica beans, are roasted dark, and taste awesome, but contain no caffeine.  Many other gourmet coffee blends have decaf versions and have retained their appetizing aroma and flavor even without caffeine. Health-conscious individuals would appreciate receiving decaf coffee as gifts.  So give one or several bags today to people you care about. Choose from whole bean, drip grind, or French press, in half pound, one pound or five pound packs.

Tea plants have grown wild in the Assam region since antiquity, but historically, South Asians viewed tea as an herbal medicine rather than a recreational beverage. Some of the chai masala spice mixtures in current use are still derived from Ayurvedic medical texts.

In the 1830s, the British East India Company became concerned about the Chinese monopoly on tea, which constituted most of its trade and supported the enormous consumption of tea in Great Britain, approximately one pound (by weight) per person per year. British colonists had recently noticed the existence of the Assamese tea plants, and now began to cultivate tea plantations locally. Over 90% of the tea consumed in Great Britain was still of Chinese origin in 1870, but by 1900, this percentage had dropped to 10%, largely replaced by tea grown in India (50%) and Ceylon (33%).

However, consumption of tea within India remained low until an aggressive promotional campaign by the (British-owned) Indian Tea Association in the early 20th century, which encouraged factories, mines, and textile mills to provide tea breaks for their workers. It also supported many independent chai wallahs throughout the growing railway system.

The official promotion of chai tea was as served in the English mode, with small added amounts of milk and sugar. The Indian Tea Association initially disapproved of independent vendors’ tendency to add spices and greatly increase the proportions of milk and sugar, thus reducing their usage (and thus purchases) of tea leaves per liquid volume. However, masala chai in its present form has now firmly established itself as a popular beverage, not just outlasting the British Raj but spreading beyond South Asia to the rest of the world.