Tea is already part of many people’s daily regime, but in the cold winter months, there’s even more reason to cuddle up with a warm cup of tea!
The month of January is National Hot Tea Month in Canada and the U.S., which gives us a good reason to brew up our favorite blend and start sipping! We’ve compiled a list of 10 lovely ways to sip your favorite brew in celebration of Hot Tea Month…
1. Try a New Brew
Be adventurous with your pot and go searching for a reputed healthy brew that you haven’t sipped yet.
Think recent healthy teas that are all the buzz right now—such as white teas, rooibos, pu-erh (a Chinese fermented tea named after Pu’er City, in China), and of course, kombucha!
2. Sample Exotic Teas
Can’t sneak away for an exotic vacation in January or February? You can still sip your way to exotic locations by sampling popular teas from around the globe.
Open your senses to the bold, earthy flavors of Matcha or Sencha—Japanese green teas known for their bold flavors and antioxidant benefits. Or taste a spicy yet soothing brew from India, like Darjeeling tea or Masala Chai.
3. Brew for Health
For the health conscious, mention of green brews like Gyokuro, Matcha, and Sencha may have piqued your interest due to their reputed antioxidant and vitamin C prowess.
If you like lattes, look no further than rooibos tea, a South African blend that’s also rich in antioxidants yet naturally sweet because it’s often blended with spices like vanilla, as well as caramel, and chocolate.
4. Winter Spice Teas
Part of drinking in season teas is focusing on spices and produce that’s bountiful in the month of January. Consider spicing up your brew by selecting winter-specific spices.
Warm, comforting, delicious pots can be brewed by infusion teas with ginger, cinnamon, cardamon, and vanilla spices. Don’t forget to wrap up in a cozy blanket first.
5. Winter Citrus Blends
Another way to sip in season is to infuse your tea pot with bold citrus flavors that are plentiful during the cold, winter months.
For instance, zesty citrus teas can be had in lemon-ginger, orange-spice, and mandarine with cinnamon. I’m cozy just thinking about it.
6. Brew Nostalgic
Memories, flood the corners of your mug…when you sip from a brew from times gone by. Pick a tea reminiscent of your childhood or select a brew from your Nana’s cupboard.
You can revisit classic brews in a bag of chamomile, Earl Grey, or my personal favorite (because it reminds me of my Grandma Marie), peppermint, because my Gran was one bold, cool, refreshing lady.
7. Tea and Hibernate
During the colder months I’ve adapted my “Neflix and Chill” to include “tea and hibernate (usually with a cozy blanket and my cat, Gus).
I’ve found there’s no better way to hibernate and tea then with the tea that is quintessentially and boldly winter—peppermint. Or you can enjoy the slightly more subtle yet sweeter choice in spearmint. Tea connoisseurs will tell you that spearmint is the more subtle brew because the leaves grow bigger and appear lighter in color compared to peppermint tea leaves.
8. Good Morning!
Not everyone is crazy about coffee. In fact, many of us still prefer a cuppa tea to greet the day.
And many reach for a bold, black brew when steeping their morning carry-out mug. Reach for a bold breakfast black tea like Assam (from India) or Ceylon (from Sri Lanka).
9. Cook with Tea
You don’t have to just sip tea during the month of January, you can also cook with your favorite brews.
For instance, green teas make an excellent soup and stir fry sauce base, as well as a gentle meat marinade. In fact, Bonappetit.com has some great ideas for cooking everything from pudding to infusing milk for baking with tea leaves.
10. Detoxify with Tea
Many of us consider January a month to get back on track, which is why so many of us join gyms, start eating better, and some even try a detox using tea. Detoxifying teas are herbal blends that are often used as part of Ayurveda, India teachings that aim to attain good health through the balance of mind, body, and spirit.
Detoxifying teas are often used to achieve weight loss or by cleansing the liver of toxins using herbal brews such as turmeric, ginger, red clover, milk thistle, cayenne, garlic, chicory, or dandelion tea.
