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I’ve always wondered what’s it like for those who can stomach different kinds of tea on any given day. Note that certain tea types are friendlier to the tummy compared to other types. Of course, there are other points to factor in. As part of my research on the tea culture in Malaysia, I spoke to someone who is a tea lover.

For Chong Ai Rene (pictured), there’s always time for another cuppa. She highlighted, “Recently, I’ve become more interested in the history and politics of tea. If you think about it, it was tea that sort of led to the opium war.”  She continued, “I usually get tea leaves and drink tea every day!”  She opined, “It’s better to brew tea leaves than a teabag so that the leaves can expand fully and not be confined by the available space in the teabag.” She told me, “In the morning I’ll either have pu erh or green tea (after food) to boost my metabolism.” She noted, “For green tea, I usually get it in powder form because the taste is good (whether hot or cold) and it’s also convenient to make.”

On whether she has anything in the afternoon, she said, “Haha! I try not to drink anything caffeinated after 3 pm, if not I won’t be able to sleep at night.”

Hoping to be a tea connoisseur one day, Chong revealed her night-time ritual, “As it helps me sleep better, I drink either chamomile or lavender, which is a form of tisane rather than tea.” She expanded by saying that all tea types come from the same camellia sinesis plant, while tisanes are not tea since they come from flowers, fruits or herbs.

On how often she gets her tea supplies, she said, “I usually get them whenever I run out of tea or when I find something that’s uncommon and interesting.” For instance, for the past six months, she’s been drinking South Africa’s rooibos tea after dinner. She also shared, “If I go to China for work, that’s one way to source for varieties of tea.” She pointed out, “These teas can be pricey so I don’t buy them in bulk.”

Chong admitted, “My mum scolds me all the time for buying tea.” Despite it all, Chong said, “Each type of tea (I buy) is for a different reason and has different properties.” At the same time, she said, “It’s not easy to finish up tea, as each time you’ll use around 2-3 grams only.”

On whether she adds sugar or milk into her tea, Chong said, “Haha! I don’t like milk in my tea, and I usually don’t drink with sugar unless it’s ginger tea.” She added, “Some of them come pre-packed with brown sugar.”

When asked whether she receives tea-related gifts from friends, she disclosed, “A few different friends travelled to Sri Lanka and Taiwan late last year, so they got me white and Alishan teas.”

Commenting on the tea workshops that she sometimes attends, “So far, they have been held in Singapore. Maybe someday they will be conducted in Malaysia?”