Tea-totally!

Dear All,

I used to be a passionate coffee drinker, never leaving my quarters without a beer-mug full of home churned cold coffee. As the morning would turn to afternoon and then evening, I would rarely shy away from cups of machine-spewed latte or a cafe's hot cappuccino. And any coffee with a hint of Irish Cream -- oh heaven! Big on regular coffee and bigger on the exotic kind (Read: Ethiopian Yergacheffe), I shared a special, warming-the-very-cockles-of-my-heart (literally!) relationship with this dark berry native to the African continent, through Summer, Winter et al. There was a time, two years ago, that I became such a coffee fanatic that I even stored a few beans in my drawer at work!

But then the earth twisted, and since every twist comes with its own set of turns that can be somewhat life changing, I found my turn: My mother FORCED me to try her latest find - the Organics Tulsi Tea. I mocked her, and I made faces. I laughed and I sipped, and by Jove, I took to it like a fish to water, and every night, like a healthy child, I began to partake of a cup just before sleeping. Stress relieving and slimming? Hell yea!

A few months into drinking this potent tulsi leaf concoction, and I already had a few more friends hooked -- I was literally Brand Ambassador, Organics Tea, India! And then this te'a'-amore became more serious and passionate, thanks to my colleague Tanya, who turned out to be a herbal tea zealot and who made me more than a slave to this green and healthy beverage, for we would now begin each morning at work not with the traditional cappuccino, but with a cup of steaming hot lemon tea!

As this relationship progressed beyond a few months, I took THE PLUNGE and got more daring with my new found love, while Coffee ji, oh he, he was as forgotten as can be, for the jasmines, lavenders, the licorice, the chamomile, peppermint and Earl Gray, ginger and masala, put together were too much for even Yerga boy to handle! From great sleep to heightened digestion and even improved skin, these various herbal permutations & combinations were working wonders on my system and how! And what fanfare surrounding the service of any of these great teas -- fancy crockery, fancier strainers and even pretty looking rock sugar sticks!! If this isn't pure luxury, then what is!?

Dear all, you must be wondering -- "What the #$%@$*# hell is the point of writing this post!? Is there nothing more she can cook now!? Is she feeling imperialist with this new British love or is the Tea Board of India paying her for this mini promotion (probably not, considering Orange Zest is almost a forgotten entity these days!)" No point, really, except that GO AHEAD, break out of the rut of things, try something new, savor life and LIVE!!! And you may just discover something that has you tea-totally addicted, whether for a while or for life!

My only clarification -- I do not, nor intend to in the future, ever EVER drink/ fall in love with the great Indian suuurrr surrrr chai...

But then again, never say never!!!