Coffee may have taken its foothold in the New World with the Boston Tea Party. Others might say that it was natural evolution, (think of Italy as it discovered pasta). Either way, when a particular food becomes ingrained on a culture it is usually there to stay in one form or another. You might think this is true of the individual too; especially when the individual grows older and becomes more set in his ways. I may be one of those individuals who has bucked this cultural/individual trend.

I can trace my own comfort with a fresh cup of joe to the morning smells of childhood; my mother making breakfast, the coffee maker pumping that delicious smell of Chock full o’Nuts. I’m no different from the person who loves the Ferris wheel because every autumn the family visited the county fair. Each of us can trace one of our affections to some childhood memory, but for some of us these affections change as we grow old.

I’ve started to become more of a tea drinker.

I’m one of those birds that changes its mind constantly. I like multiple things. I jump on one, make it a fad in my life, then I move to another. Nowhere is this more true in my life than the selection of foods in my diet. I can be a fickle finch.

Tea has come to play a significant role in my mornings and afternoons. I enjoy Earl Grey tea and I’ve learned quite a lot about the tea plant Camellia sinesis. For example, did you know that all tea comes from this one plant. This includes black, green, white, and oolong teas. Tea that is not from this plant is known as herbal infusions because it is made form various flowers, roots, peels, seeds, berries and spices. These infusions are typically referred to as tea but are not true teas.

Tea has brought me a lot of pleasure not only in its taste but also in the discovery of its history. It has been nice experiencing its different flavors and intricate histories. Still, I’m aware that one day my wings may spread out and take flight only to land upon a new branch of beverage. Until then, let history record that one of my childhood affections has grown up, but I still have others to hold on to. Apple pie, anyone?

Copyright © Tyler Gant 2010 for Just Moving Along .com