There’s a story of how some French conglomerate went over to South Africa to try and assume ownership of the rights to the famous rooibos (“red bush”) tea, much to their justified disappointment of course. Had they succeeded in their self-serving quest it would make for a perfect example of what’s wrong with the way the world looks at TEA!

I know, I know, it’s only tea and there shouldn’t be anything overly political about it, but there are so many cultural experiences and traditions which form around a pot of tea or a shared cup of tea. Take the British for instance. Is there anything more English than an afternoon cup of tea with cucumber sandwiches or some baked goodies to make up a more extravagant “high-tea?”

Anyway, all of that was leading up to just how commercialized the world’s love for tea is and its subsequent tea consumption and it really shouldn’t be.

In some parts of the world, many of which are known for their production and love for tea it must be said, THE PEOPLE are not deprived of what Mother Nature has given them, putting it right there in their own backyards. Sri Lankans who talk fondly of their Ceylon tea know exactly what they’re talking about because they are regular consumers of this flavor of their own land, so too some of the rural villagers in some of the less-developed parts of China.

And with that we jump straight into the alternatives one has for those commercial teas which come in tea-bags. The typical cup of tea of this nature has probably had a lot of its authenticity eroded in the name of a consistent taste that comes across as being professionally produced. The best tea experiences are those which come in their most natural forms, such as simply plucking the tea leaves yourself in the morning, leaving them out in the sun to dry and then brewing yourself a fresh pot.

Do that with something like Ceylon tea and you’ll perhaps get the sense that what you’re tasting is a much stronger, more natural version of the same type of tea you buy from the store.

Unfortunately though not very many of us can simply go outside into the hills, pluck the tea leaves and brew our own cup of tea fresh from the source. In this case then you should take consolation of the fact that tea can be anything you put into your hot beverage, such as how I personally like to squeeze some pure lemon juice into a cup, add a bit of cinnamon and a teaspoon of honey to taste.

That’s one of many bagged-tea alternatives to try, but the important thing is to put together some ingredients which are mostly healthy and have some natural benefits to the functioning of your body.

It perhaps shouldn’t work on so many different levels, but just a cup of warm water with ginger counts as a nice bagged tea alternative and it’s great for something like nausea and aiding in digestion as well.