Java Jim

For millennia men and women from all across the globe have savored tea both for its healthful benefits and for its unique taste properties. Tea has been a mainstay in the dietary regime of many countries in the Eastern world as well as in countries of the west, such as Great Britain. It continues to be a mainstay in the diets of many Americans today, in part due to its great versatility.

Some teas serve as the perfect accompaniment to finger sandwiches and petit fours at a proper tea party, while others provide a deep sense of calm and rejuvenation after completing a workout routine. Some people enjoy a strong cup of good tea in the morning to help wake up, while others savor a nice mild cup at night to help them relax for bed.

Tea blends can be purchased in a vast array of flavor blends, all of which are all-natural, and many of which are herbal-based. While they are often enjoyed solely for their taste and other properties, many teas are rich in antioxidants. Teas potent in these extremely important natural substances are able to help shield the body from chemical free-radicals in the atmosphere, and to help it defend itself against the potential onset of many types of cancer. Green tea has long been thought to be one of the most potent in terms of antioxidants, and as a result it has been the subject of much scientific study in recent years. Recent studies have suggested that there may even be a link between the presence of green tea in the Japanese diet and the country’s overall lower rate of cancer.

While it has never been doubted that tea has numerous potential health benefits, it has only recently been discovered that its common counterpart, coffee, may also have health properties which are beneficial for the human mind and body. In the past decade scientists have begun to analyze the chemical composition of the coffee bean, and, as a result, have found that dark coffee, like tea, is very rich in antioxidants. Due to recent studies it has been suggested that daily coffee drinking may help with memory preservation and with the prevention of certain types of common cancer.

Most Americans today enjoy coffee both for the caffeine fix it provides and for its bold, smooth flavor. Some people enjoy taking a quick vacation from a long day with a good, strong cup of black espresso, while others look forward to socializing with good friends over a warm, frothy cappuccino at the local cafe. Whether it is treasured for the morning pick-me-up it provides or for its rich, unique flavor, coffee has long been a mainstay in the western diet.

Just as tea comes in a vast array of herbal blends, coffee drinks come in a variety of flavors. And although coffee and tea share many properties and characteristics, coffee is unique in that the taste that is derived from coffee beans will always reflect the soil properties and climate of where they were grown. A coffee brewed from a bean that is grown in one part of the world will have a very different flavor from one brewed from the same bean, grown elsewhere in the world.

Another significant difference between tea and coffee is that coffee is more often enjoyed with more additives and condiments. While tea is typically savored with just a bit of sugar or milk, coffee drinks often come with a vast array of additives, such as different types of milk, sweetener, or syrup. Thus while both tea and pure coffee have many nutritional properties, many coffee drinks provide a less healthy alternative to tea because they are often in calories, fat, and sugar.

Overall coffee and tea are very similar drinks in that they both possess a variety of healthful properties. However any coffee or tea lover will tell you that the two are quite different in both their flavor and the manner that they are enjoyed.

Damian Papworth adores making coffee with one cup coffee makers for his quick morning fix. When he has dinner parties though, his 8 cup coffee maker comes in real handy.