Tea vs. Coffee — The Great Debate!

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Do we need to choose?

There’s no denying we’re avid tea lovers here at Rujani! But is it possible to enjoy both tea and coffee equally, or must we choose one over the other?

Both tea and coffee are recognised for their wide-ranging benefits, including health and wellbeing (as we’ve discovered with tea in our previous blogs), as well as physical and social benefits.

Whether you’re a tea or coffee lover, you’re likely to staunchly defend your chosen beverage! In my humble opinion, one cannot replace the other, and both can be equally enjoyed.

Tea and coffee are the world’s most popular hot drinks — according to National Geographic, the most consumed beverage overall after water is TEA! It’s even ahead of beer!

It’s no surprise that at Rujani we’re going to back tea all the way! As well as its calming properties and general deliciousness, we’ve learned of some other perks of tea over coffee:

• Tea is packed with many more antioxidants and is considered healthier than most beverages.
• Tea has been around for a whopping 3,000 years longer than coffee!
• Tea is generally less expensive than other beverages, as you can re-steep loose leaf tea multiple times!
• Loose-leaf tea is very much a part of the slow food movement and the claiming effects of tea are enhanced with the time taken in the steeping process.

This lockdown has shows us the benefits of general slowing down of things in this hectic world, a positive we hope to continue after all this is over as the new normal.

Socially, tea and coffee both contribute — friends and family often come together at a café, restaurant or home over a delicious tea or coffee. Where tea has a well-earned reputation as a soothing, relaxing drink — great to unwind after a hard day’s work — coffee is often associated as a ‘pick me up’ in the mornings and to help you recharge and get through that hard day’s work!

Both tea and coffee can help to increase energy levels, but coffee has earned a reputation as giving an ‘instant kick’ compared to tea’s more gradual and long-lasting boost.

White tea, such as Rujani Signature White, Bai Mu Dan Bliss, and Silky Silver Needle, is particularly high in beneficial antioxidants and calming properties of white tea also helps make it one of our favourite teas.

So, why not enjoy the benefits of both?

For most of us, it’s simply a matter of taste. Coffee’s alluring aroma has been known to entice even the most avid tea lover! To be honest, personally, I start my day with a cup of joe, with my partner. Through the rest of the day, I drink a lot of loose-leaf steeped tea, as I find tea has a more prolonged soothing yet energising effect on me.

After brewing, coffee contains more caffeine than tea — as a rule of thumb, about double the amount of caffeine. Caffeine is known for both its beneficial and adverse health effects as a powerful stimulant. While it has been linked with having protective effects against some chronic diseases, excess caffeine can result in reduced concentration, amongst other setbacks such as high blood pressure and increased heart rate.

The great news is — much of the recent science on both tea and coffee are generally positive. Tea does provide many health benefits we all know of. Either drink in moderation is generally considered beneficial.

At Rujani, we think it’s okay to be both a tea and coffee lover. Of course, you can decide for yourself. We’d love to hear your thoughts and for you to give our single-origin, award-winning teas a try!