Over Afternoon Tea

Tea is not only a drink but a ritual over which people have been relaxing, talking, and catching up on each other's lives for centuries. This blog is intended to serve as a virtual cup of tea, helping me keep in touch with friends and family in my physical absence.

It's All Psychological

Example 1:
Last week at the soup kitchen, one of the volunteers approached Will (who pretty much runs the thing) to ask if we had any decaf tea or coffee. Al, one of our regulars, was apparently concerned about sleeping that night. While I sympathized with Al (a fan of tea myself, I nevertheless have to watch it in the evening hours), Will confirmed that there wasn't much we could do. We had no more decaf tea and had never carried decaf coffee. But a stroke of brilliance struck me.

"Tell him that tea you've got in your hand has about the same amount of caffeine as a decaf cup of coffee."

The volunteer returned to the table and, while I couldn't hear their conversation, I saw Al shrug with a "why not?" expression and take the tea. I laughed. Most people don't know that 'decaf' coffee has that much caffeine in it.

Example 2:
Maggie (otherwise known as Dr. Margaret Schatkin, professor at Boston College) is one of the few people around here who seems to share my love of tea. (Boston is a barbarian city; they rejected tea long ago.) In the middle of our weekly class, we stop for a tea break every time. Consequently, I was determined that she share my joy in finding this white tea. I had told her all about it, and last Friday I brought some to class.

Sometime this semester, Maggie's doctor warned her that her caffeine consumption was bad for her heart. Since then she drinks only decaf, usually decaf green (which is her favorite anyway). White tea doesn't come in decaf--it's like trying to make lowfat creme broulee. Not so much impossible as an insult. This had caused Maggie to regretfully turn down my last offer of gourmet green tea, so this time I came armed with the stats. Black tea averages 40 mgs of caffeine per cup; so does decaf coffee. Green tea, 20. White tea, 15. Decaf tea, from about 2 to 5. It was low enough that I was hoping. I explained the situation and she said she'd think about it.

Then my husband had a stroke of brilliance. "Do you ever drink decaf coffee?"

"Yes," said Maggie.

"Oh, it's fine then," I said gleefully. "WAY less caffeine than decaf coffee."

Maggie loved the tea.