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National Hot Tea Day

Drink · January 12

A day for hot tea in all its forms, from black and green leaves to herbal blends, and the simple ritual of brewing a cup.

National Hot Tea Day falls on Tuesday, January 12, 2027. That is 77 days away.

Hot tea starts with leaves from the tea plant, Camellia sinensis, steeped in water just off the boil. Black, green, white and oolong teas all come from that same plant. The difference is in how the leaves are handled after picking, especially how much they are allowed to oxidize.

Then there are herbal infusions like peppermint, chamomile and rooibos. Strictly speaking they are not tea at all, but nobody holding a warm mug tends to argue the point.

Making a cup is mostly about water and time. Green and white teas prefer water a little cooler and a shorter steep, or they turn bitter. Black tea can take hotter water and a few minutes longer. Loose leaves need room to unfurl, which is why a roomy infuser or a pot often gives a better cup than a cramped tea ball.

People take it in very different ways. Some add milk and sugar, some a slice of lemon or a spoon of honey, and some want nothing between them and the leaf. In many American homes the kettle is simply the thing that goes on first in the morning.

The nicest part may be the waiting. A few minutes of steeping is long enough to watch the color spread through the water, slowly, from the bottom up.

Ways to celebrate

• Brew a tea you have never tried, like oolong or white tea.
• Try steeping green tea in slightly cooler water and taste the difference.
• Share a pot of tea with a friend or neighbor.
• Compare the same tea with milk, lemon and nothing added.

Things for the day

• Tea kettles
• Tea infusers

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Dates

All national days on January 12

Also on January 12

• National Curried Chicken Day
• National Marzipan Day

Categories: Drink days