Tea

When I was in middle school my mom would serve me a hot drink with breakfast every morning. She would oscillate between hot chocolate and hot tea. But not just any tea. It was almost always Earl Grey tea with milk and sugar. Little did she know this would lead to me becoming a tea snob. Yes, I admit it – I am a total tea snob!

So what makes someone a snob when it comes to a particular food or drink? I think some traits are:

1. Being loyal to a particular brand, preferably one that is expensive or hard to come by – Check!

I have a preferred brand and variety of tea – Whittard of Chelsea Afternoon Early Grey – that I have to import from the UK, thanks to my dear friend Anne. I fear that one day they decide to stop making it or I’ll have no way of getting it.

Whittard Earl Grey directly from England, complete with its travel LEGO box. Probably a first for Whittard!

2. Look down on other brands as just not being good enough – check!

I continually search for a good replacement tea brand that I can purchase locally, but I have yet to find a worthy tea. So the search continues.

3. Have a specific routine associated with said brand – check!

I have a specific amount of time that I steep the tea and a special spoon with which to measure out my sugar. It’s all a very exact science. All this makes it very difficult for me to purchase tea while out and about, hence me being a total tea snob. And it’s not just Earl Grey. I have very specific routine when it comes to other types of teas as well.

Oh, I do love a cup of green tea. Especially if it’s good quality tea and hasn’t been steeped for more than 2.5 minutes.

4. Finally, judge others – check, well, kind of.

This is probably pillar of snobbiness. In fact, one of the definitions of a snob, according to the internet, is “a person who believes that their tastes in a particular area are superior to those of other people.” Yup, that’s me. To be fair, although I judge other people, I also try to “educate”/convert them. I’m willing to make most people what I consider to be a good cup of tea. It started long ago in college and continues today with my husband and friends. I think I’m making progress too!

OK, I think it’s time to go make myself a cup of tea! While I do that you can let me know what other characteristics of a food/drink snob I’ve forgotten.