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      Learning to love green tea

      A lot of people say that they really dislike the taste of green tea. I agree it’s not a taste that most people will instantly like – especially if you’ve never tried it before. But a bit of perseverance pays dividends here. The first cup may be horrible, the fourth just doable, the tenth nearly enjoyable and by the second week of regular drinking it should be pleasant and refreshing. I am a total convert now. If you find it truly difficult, start with two cups a day: one before or with breakfast and one mid-morning. Pour a small weak cup of tea and wait for it to cool to easy drinking temperature. Then just drink it quickly like medicine. Treat it like a necessary evil if required, and I promise you it will get easier.

      If you find the tea too ‘grassy’ tasting, then try white tea. This is a little bit more expensive but has a cleaner taste. It is still my favourite. You will also notice a difference in brands. If you don’t like one brand, try another as they are all subtly different. If you pay a bit more for a quality brand then you should get a fresher taste. There are also several flavoured green teas that might turn out to be ‘the one’: mint, lemon and jasmine are all common and there are many wonderful-sounding green fruit teas available too. All green and white teas contain the wonderful catechins.

      The tea ritual for people that hate tea rituals

      Boil the kettle and then leave for 30 seconds to a minute so that it goes ‘off the boil’. Pour over the tea leaves or tea bag. Leave to brew for 2–4 minutes, depending on the brew strength required. Start off with a short brewing time and build up gradually. Loose leaf tea is really tasty but you need a special teapot, so if you’re happy with teabags, stick to them. Also a glass or delicate china cup complements the subtle flavour.

      Recycling your teabags (twice) or tea leaves (up to four times) is positively encouraged. The second cup often tastes even nicer than the first. This is also a great way to make your tea go a lot further and be significantly cheaper per cup.

      What about my normal tea and coffee?