Coffee vs Tea - News

Why I converted to tea as a coffee junkie: Confessions of an 'addict' who loves/d both sides.

A tea manufactory makes a tea-coffee comparison? All right, thinks the reader. First, the facts about tea and coffee. And secondly, the writer could also write texts for coffee, but has opted for tea. Admittedly not immediately, but rather an odyssey through countries and time.

Having grown up in the Viennese coffee culture, I loved to sit in the traditional, somewhat overcrowded Viennese coffee houses. A melange, the famous water glass and a spoon on top.

Or the Italian espresso bar: caffe´ doppio, per favore. The elixir machine was thrown on, knocked, steamed and hissed. And the barista was the personified good taste. At home the espresso maker whistled. In the office, the coffee machine clattered. I enjoyed the absolute all-round supply of coffee.
The change from coffee to tea did not happen overnight. First I left the sugar out. Two months later the coffee and discovered tea.

Coffee or tea? The aroma comparison

Coffee has about 600 different aromas. Coffee is never completely natural and left in its natural state. Coffee must always be roasted! Only the Maillard reaction gives the coffee its typical taste, which I loved.

The more tea I tried, the more taste I discovered. Tea can taste very fine as well as finely spicy of fresh herbs and seduce with tender, floral accents. Also vegetable notes among other green beans, spinach and fennel unfold again and again in the tea.
Some teas are reminiscent of white wine - peppery, nutty and citrus fruits, white elderberry blossoms, honeydew melons and apricots. Tea can also impress with flavours that everyone associates more with red wine. The round dance begins with tangy fruit, berries, opulent fruit-sweet-acid play up to an exotic flair.
In addition, tea can advance into the fifth dimension of taste: umami. A hearty, spicy, fleshy taste that is becoming more and more popular alongside the well-known sweet, sour, salty and bitter.
And probably the most unbelievable kind: tea can fascinate like ancient whiskey or cognac with woody, warm earthy to peaty and even smoky aromas.

Tea offers a total of 3,000 different tea varieties. The natural aromas that go with it are innumerable - especially the combinations. All in all, one can say that tea offers almost all tastes of this earth.

15 hours of meditation: tea gives serenity and energy.

A question of energy: tea or coffee?

If you drink a cup of coffee, the energy curve rises steeply. Coffee kicks. After the high, however, the energy level drops again more quickly. In my time as a coffee drinker, this down effect was initially only absorbed by more coffee. Then only more coffee plus extra sugar helped. With the consequence of an upset stomach, a nervous restlessness and a few extra kilos that didn't have to be.
The caffeine from tea (called teein) develops a little slower and lasts much longer. The effect of tea remains constant for a long time and does not drop off abruptly, but sneaks out pleasantly - without further side effects. You can enjoy invigorating tea all day long. You remain stimulated 'and' relaxed, concentrated and confident at the same time.
No wonder that Buddhist monks during their days and weeks long meditations Drinking tea - and no coffee. From a mental point of view:
Coffee behaves to tea like the 100-meter sprinter to marathon runner.

Tea or coffee: the medicine check

Tea in general as well as green tea and Matcha are rich in health-promoting ingredients.
Green tea supports brain performance, promotes fat burning and generally boosts metabolism and overall performance. Antioxidants are believed to have a positive effect on cardiovascular disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes, strokes and Alzheimer's disease. Dentists and oral surgeons also appreciate tea: tea promotes a healthy oral flora, protects the gums and prevents tooth decay.
And scientific research suggests that green tea generally prolongs life. The long-term studies are still going on here, they will take a little longer.
Coffee is also said to have one or the other health-promoting effect. Meaningful studies with particularly health-promoting properties are not available for coffee, however.

Tea or coffee? The diagnosis is clear: Tea is the winner.

Is coffee more exclusive than tea?

With over 3000 different types of tea, everyone will find their favourite tea. Passionate tea lovers respect and appreciate similar criteria as wine lovers.

The location of the tea garden characterizes the taste. The tea is influenced by the (micro-) climate, the terroir and hours of sunshine or shade. Picking, processing, maturing and storage as well as thousands of years of old knowledge and experience create uniquely refined delicacies from the individual tea varieties.
Pu Erh, for example, is like Champagne, a globally protected region name around the city Chinese city Pu Erh. Some tea trees there are over a thousand years old. The Pu Erh teas themselves sometimes mature over decades and are highly traded. 9.000,- Euro/kg are not uncommon.

The world's most exclusive type of coffee, the 'Kopi Luwak - Cat Coffee', at a price of around 1,000 euros per kg, on the other hand, could be described as a bargain.

On the free market, where supply and demand decide, tea is traded many times over.

Pleasure in everyday life

The kick for breakfast. Or for in between - Now I need a cup of coffee -, symbolizes that coffee is rather enjoyed at the moment and is something for the short moment.
Tea, on the other hand, is a pleasure for the whole day. The brewing or infusion time allows each tea to be 'modulated' in taste and effect cup by cup. A bowl with the right tea can influence - almost control - the stimulation, calming, sleep aid and also the digestionThis makes tea the ideal companion throughout the day, ensuring well-being in every situation and providing the desired stimulant (soothing or stimulating).

Black tea, green tea and especially white tea can be more than recommended for people who drink coffee mainly because of the kick and the caffeine content. These teas have at least the same caffeine content as coffee - some teas even offer more than twice as much caffeine.

Caffeine content in numbers*:

Coffee Robusta

1,5 – 3,0 %

Coffee Arabica

1,2 – 1,5 %

Black Tea

1,3 – 4,0 %

Green Tea

0,1 – 5,9 %

Matcha (green tea powder)

1,7 – 3,9 %

White Tea Silverneedle

5,2 – 6,2 %

(*Data Caffeine content in % dry matter)

From coffee to tea. From habits to preferences.

If you are now curious and would like to try the effect of tea, Assam teas, such as the East Frisian tea blends (Assam broken) are recommended. These teas have a very invigorating effect when infused at 100 degrees and brewed for 3 to 4 minutes. (From the 5th minute the calming effect starts.)

The red-golden to gold-brown teas spoil with malty, bitter sweet to honey-like aromas. Every single sip caresses the palate. Strong harmonies and soft, full-bodied fullness unite to a rich elegance. Everybody can keep his coffee-typical habits.
This tea harmonise exceptionally well with milk, milk foam, sugar or honey. Depending on your personal lifestyle and preference, Assam tea with cow's milk, rice milk, oat milk, almond milk and soy milk can be turned into latte, macchiato, galão or thé au lait. In addition, Assam tea is often drunk with lemon or cream. Tea thus reveals itself to be much more versatile and combinable than coffee.

Tea or coffee - the final conclusion:

Good taste is not something to argue about, they say. My coffee and tea odyssey is over.
On the other hand, my journey into tea and through tea varieties has only just begun: there's still a lot to discover, to taste, to enjoy ... so it's always worth stopping by.