The Best Gifts To Give A Tea Lover This Holiday Season

The holidays are soon approaching and no matter what holiday you celebrate there’s a tea lover to please!

The holiday season’s best gifts for a tea lover are personal and memorable. Teas that please the palate and tea wares that please the eye. No matter what you chose this is the best way to start. Pick the perfect gift for your tea-loving friend. Then, maybe they will share some tea with you.

Why Give Tea?

Tea is Healthy

The gift of tea is saying health. The Chinese have been drinking tea for its health benefits for centuries. In fact, tea was first considered an exotic medicinal drink. There is study after study indicating the good news of tea and its health benefits. Every new study keeps giving us more and more reasons about the health benefits of tea. Tea is healthy! Not some tea, but all teas, each tea has a miraculous DNA of benefits. 

Giving the gift of tea is saying you are giving health and life!

Tea is calming and meditative

The secret power of tea. Meditation by Buddhist monks proved the calming effects while drinking tea. White tea has caffeine, it also contains L-Theanine an amino acid. Together these two ingredients work to help calm us and allow us to stay focused. 

Commune around the teacup

There is something to be said for a cup of tea and conversation. Grabbing a cup of tea and some tea desserts and a good friend. Let the conversations begin. Who needs a special occasion? Some hot water, a teacup, and some tea are all you need. When you drink your tea always consider the journey it took: from the tea field to your cup. The journey is incredible.

Travel the world

Tea is produced all over the world and in 60 countries. What country will you choose? Give a gift that not only shares the tea but a little history of where that tea came from. 

Perhaps not literally but the teas you choose could be from anywhere in the world.

The holidays are soon approaching and no matter what holiday you celebrate: 

• Chanukah – an eight-day Jewish celebration that commemorates the re-dedication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem following the Maccabean attack

• Christmas – In the Christian faith, Christmas is the historical celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ

• Kwanzaa – The name Kwanzaa comes from the phrase “matunda ya kwanza” which means “first fruits” in Swahili

• Ōmisoka – the second-most important day in Japanese tradition as it is the final day of the old year and the eve of New Year’s Day

And one you may not even know of: 

• Boxing Day – the day when the alms box, collection boxes for the poor often kept in churches, were opened and their content distributed

How To Choose 

If you are not a tea drinker you most likely have no idea what to choose. You may think the choice will be easy. I mean, it’s tea. But tea is a bit more complicated and complex than you would think.

In the early years of tea, tea was precious and expensive. Sometimes reaching as high as a hundred dollars per pound. Tea can be confusing if you don’t know what you are looking for. Here are a few ideas and suggestions for your journey into tea gift-giving. 

Loose leaf or Tea Bag

In the tea-drinking world, there is a great controversy over the correct way to drink tea. Should it be loose-leaf or bagged tea? Bagged means tea that has been placed inside a single-serve “bag”. The bag could be made out of a few different things. The concern is also with how the edges of the bag are sealed. There is a lot of good to be said for bagged tea: convenience.

Giving a gift of loose-leaf tea is a premium offering. Don’t be afraid to give a loose-leaf tea to a tea bag lover or vice versa. You may be opening up the next journey of tea-loving for your friend. If you want to make sure, sneak around her kitchen and see what teas she has in her cabinet or drawers. Pay attention to what she orders when you are out together and then make the very best decision.

Single Origin, Blended or Herbal (Tisane) 

After you have done some undercover sueth work you can get to work on finding the teas you want. More choices, right? Right. There are a couple of choices of tea.

Single Origin – are teas that come from a “single” area and are harvested. They do not contain any added flavors or ingredients.

Blended teas – a lot of your teas are blended. These included your Earl Greys, Jasmine, and Chai teas. There are many more but the teas are “blended” with other teas.

Herbal (Tisane) – While not really from the tea family herbal teas still carry their weight in the tea world. Herbal teas are simply, herbs and or spices. These teas can be Mint, Turmeric, or Chamomile.

Tea Accessories

This can be a big category as there are many accessories for your tea lover. However, it might be easier than snooping around their kitchen to figure out the best tea to buy. Tea Accessories can be any of the following. You can also create a basket including some of the items listed below. Either way, I’ll leave you with a few of my suggestions for tea gifts for your tea lover. Happy Shopping! 

Tea Kettle – My favorite tea kettle is a variable temperature kettle. Variable temperatures are essential to tea lovers. Different teas need different temperatures. We can then brew the perfect cups of tea.

Tea Cup – You can have a lot of fun here. There are lots of choices from classic to comical. Teacups remind me of a tea party or having tea with the queen.

Tea Mug – There are a lot of choices out there for tea mugs. You can find tea mugs at a local dollar store all the way up to a spectacular tea shop. The choice is yours, make it personal. 

Tea Journal – Most tea lovers like to compare their teas. They also like to remember the teas they enjoyed. When I travel my tea journal is very important to me. 

Look for this coming from My Tea Vault Soon

Tea infuser – Any loose-leaf tea lover will need a tea infuser. These can be plain stainless with tiny little holes or fun silicon figures in fun colors. 

Tea Bag holder – These are fun, and needed. A lazy suzan design to hold your tea bags. . 

Tea Towel – Maybe not a need but what a great gift. There are some fun tea towels out there.

Tea Cannister – The best place to place your teas (loose leaf or bagged).  Plus it looks great on your counter.

Tea Cozy – Keep those tea kettles warm while sitting on the table after brewing your favorite pot of tea.

Tea Warmer Trivet – One tea light candle can warm your tea for hours over the soft, flickering glow of candlelight.

Tea Book – Grow in the learning and love of tea. The history of tea is a great way to start.

Tea Art – Tea art has increased in the last few years. Not only is there artwork for your walls but there are tea coloring books as well as tea mandala books. 

Tea Apparel – I’ve seen the tea shirts, have you? If not be aware that there are tea socks, tea hats, and more.

Tea Mug Tree – Someplace to hang and show off all those tea mugs

Tea Spoon – A teaspoon can be used for stirring your tea. Also, use it like I do to measure my tea into my infuser for my cups of loose-leaf tea.

Tea Plant – Every tea lover I have met has always wanted to grow their own tea plant. Make sure to check the growing zones to make sure you are in the best zones for growing tea.

Conclusion

The tea world is growing by leaps and bounds.  There are so many choices and I wanted to give you a few suggestions to surprise your tea lover with.  Just remember to:

• Be observant
• Ask questions
• Snoop around the tea cabinet
• Enjoy the journey

Lost?  Pick something from the suggestions above.  I’ve suggested some of the unique most loved gifts available.  Let me know what you have chosen and how it went.  Your tea-loving friend is lucky to have you!

Happy Shoppping.