For The Love Of Tea

I attended the first day of the 6th Annual Coffee & Tea Festival in New York City this weekend. To be honest, I did not realize there were five previous festivals in the past five years, and I knew nothing about them until this year. I love tea of all kinds, and I had a free afternoon, so I went. I told several friends about the event, but they were unable to attend for various reasons. I was not deterred; nothing was going to stop me from attending a celebration of coffee, tea, and everything that goes with it.

It turned out to be a good thing that I went alone, because the venue was packed. It was so easy to lose people in the crowds that surrounded the many booths giving away information and samples of so many different types of tea, coffee, chocolate, cheese, and other goodies. I had no expectations, but I should have known that there would be many people clamoring to attend the Coffee & Tea Festival in New York City, of all places. I was also intrigued by the lectures and demonstrations about coffee and tea that ran throughout the day. How to serve the proper afternoon tea in the British and European styles, how to properly brew coffee, and why herbal tea really is not tea were just a few of the many discussions held by the experts, and the people who attended the lectures with me were all enraptured. While there were a few coffee and tea growers in the audiences, most of my fellow attendees were novices just like me. We just love the magic that turns coffee beans and tea leaves into our favorite hot and cold beverages.

What I love about events like the 6th Annual Coffee & Tea Festival is that they make me think about something I can take for granted. I drink herbal and green teas daily, so learning about them is weekend made me feel good, especially since they have health benefits.

Are you a coffee or tea devotee?