When you're sick or just feeling bad, what teas are the most comforting to you?

Depends on the sick, if it is general malaise I go for an oolong or Matcha, if my stomach is being a jerk I drink mint or mild greens.

Strong blacks are good on days when I am gloomy, that extra zing of caffeine really helps pick me up.

Cheap bagged peppermint herbal if I’m sick. Anything else just tastes weird under such circumstances, so even though I might want something else, it’s generally a waste of leaf. I don’t drink peppermint herbals under any other circumstances (peppermint sometimes when blended into other things yes but not on its own), so the cheap stuff is fine. It’s all about hydration and attempting to shift the funny taste in the mouth under such circumstances.

For comfort or general stress relief I turn to the absolute favourites. Which ones exactly change. I just want something really nommy. Right now it would be something with vanilla.

If I have a cold or flu I reach for a local herbal blend I’ve been getting- It contains ginger, licorice root, echinacea, mint, and maybe some citrus peel. Very nice with honey added!

If I’m sick to my stomach I just plain don’t want any tea!

Yogi teas! I especially love the throat coat one when I have a sore throat. In other circumstances, I’d hate it. haha

It really depends on what I’ve come down with. There was a time a few years back that I had a pretty severe case of mono and I lived on a green chai tea for a number of weeks. So now anytime I’ve got a sore throat that’s what I reach for.

If it’s more of a stomach flu I grab one of my favorite herbal blends out of the cupboard; it’s a lovely calming blend that contains (among others) camomile, peppermint and lavender. Sometimes I’ll add some honey to it, too.

If we’re talking congestion/cold stuff, Stash White Christmas (white tea with peppermint and ginger) in bags has been my go-to for years because I can burn through a zillion pots a day without feeling guilty (it’s cheap and easy to get, like, 100 bags a pop), both in terms of how much I drink and how I’m probably not appreciating nuance as I can’t smell/taste as normal (the flavors are strong enough for me to taste through the congestion, but also soothing/not harsh). And the convenience of bags is good when I can barely crawl out of bed—don’t want to be fussing with washing out steepers constantly. Verdant Ginger Sage Winter Spa Blend is excellent too, but more special/pricey.

When it’s more an emotional/stress thing, I revert to the first teas I really liked back in the day—classic Earl Greys, brisk woody-astringency legacy-style stuff, darjeelings/nepali teas, and anything with lavender in it. A couple exceptions to the “go back to the past for comfort” thing are Butiki With Open Eyes (green with strawberry preserves and toffee), Joy’s Teaspoon Mahalo (green tea with lots of fruit flavors, sunny like a big bowl of fresh fruit salad), and any of my favorite Coconut Oolongs (Zen Tea, Golden Moon, American Tea Room). Something about fruity or creamy flavored greens and oolongs just makes me feel great, hugged and restored.

And when I want to clear my mind for deep contemplation/bend my experience of reality, Verdant Earl of Anxi and Mandala Loose and Luscious Lincang Shu Pu Erh are quite effective.

I drink different forms of Peppermint tea for almost all sicknesses I experience. I find a heavily leafed and steeped mug of peppermint tea can be a good ‘fix’ for almost anything (but especially uneasy stomachs or headaches, for me). The only other tea I’d drink would be for a sore throat or cold, and that’d be David’s Bravissimo just because I find the chamomile in it very calming and the licorice root soothing on a sore throat.

Peppermint. Hands down, followed by straight-up tulsi leaves.

Probably spearmint or peppermint.

Sick – ginger, chai’s, earl grey ( sometimes peppermint, but ginger works better for me)

comforting black tea of various sorts, something warming and a little sweet, or an oolong if I want something meditative.