Since tea was introduced to America, it’s largely played second fiddle to coffee.
The reasons behind this aren’t particularly clear – although they do seem to relate to the historical event that was the Boston Tea party, during which 40 tonnes of the stuff was thrown into the sea in Boston Harbor.
However, this has not stopped modern tea blends like coconut vanilla tea from becoming popular in the US.
Offering delicious tastes that include creamy chicory, and coconut flavors and sweetened with South African rooibos, this tea blend is completely free of caffeine (meaning no mid-afternoon jitters, no matter how many cups you drink) and comes in at just 3 calories a cup.
Where Does Coconut Vanilla Tea Come From?
The blend is a relatively new one created by major American tea companies, however, the beverage still has its roots in South Africa, as one of the main ingredients, Rooibos – (a broom-like plant from the Southern part of the African continent) is native to the nation.
That said, there are a number of other tasty ingredients at work in this drink. They include:
- Carob (an ornamental plant from the Middle East)
- Chickory (a ‘forced’ plant that’s grown in total darkness)
- Barley (a popular cereal grain)
All these wonderful organic ingredients go into making the increasingly popular tea. The question that perhaps drew you to read our blog is one we answer now – “how do you make a cup of coconut vanilla tea for the first time?”. So, let’s get to it!
Step #1 – Pop the Kettle On!
You’re not going to get very far without hot water, so the first simple step is to put the kettle in and wait for it to boil. You’ll obviously need at least a cup full, plus your vanilla tea bag, but we wouldn’t recommend using boiling hot water straight from the kettle.
Instead, you should leave it just a minute until it’s just very hot – rather than boiling. Boiling water can burn the leaves and alter the flavor, so just wait a minute or so after the kettle boils and then pour it into the cup so that the tea can steep.
Step #2 – Steep For 5-7 Minutes
Step two just involves waiting. Around 5-7 minutes is usually enough for the flavors to properly diffuse from the tea bag into the hot water. You can either time it with your phone or simply wait for the water to go a nice dark brown color.
The longer you leave it in there, the stronger the flavor will be.
Step #3 – Strain & Enjoy!!
After squeezing out the coconut vanilla tea bag once or twice with a spoon and throwing it in the bin, you should be ready to enjoy your tasty beverage. It really is that simple to get all the taste and health benefits that tea offers, so there’s nothing stopping you.
In Conclusion…
Now that you’ve seen just how easy it is to enjoy tea – maybe it’s time to think about having some in your kitchen cupboard. This is just one blend of thousands to try. Some have caffeine- some don’t. Some are sweet.
Some are not. The truth is, there’s a world of possibilities for you to try.
No one is saying you have to give up your coffee. This is not an either/or thing. You can enjoy both as part of your daily routine. It’s something many people do across the world every day.