Coffee, Tea and Me

A couple of months – maybe a couple more – back tea was one drink that I never drank. For reasons unknown I would not even choose to taste it. Coffee was the drink of my choice. It was something I craved day in and day out. Black coffee sans sugar.

Many of family and friends would look at me as if I was some alien. The only question they had, was, “How could you even drink it?” It was almost always followed by, “It will be so biter!”

As if I did not know that already.

I would look at them as if they were children who needed to be explained everything very simply and tell them, “Coffee is supposed to be bitter. If I wanted to drink something sweet, I would have had a glass of sharbat*.”

Time passed and I started working. Now at office I do not get coffee. At least not everyday.

Still, I could not bring myself to drink tea but I had no other option. I decided that I’d drink it without milk. Of course sans sugar.

Surprise, surprise!

What do I find out? I actually like tea. Not only that, I am drinking three cups of it on average daily.

Firm conviction about stuff can be shaken. Now can’t they?

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Sharbat

The word Sharbat is from Persian “شربت” “sharbat”, and Sherbet is from Turkish “şerbet” “sherbet”, both of which in turn come from Arabic شربة “sharba” a drink, from شرب “shariba” to drink. Also called “sorbet”, which comes from French “sorbet”, from Italian “sorbetto”, and in turn from Turkish “şerbet”. The word is cognate to syrup in British and American English. Historically it was a cool effervescent or iced fruit soft drink. The meaning, spelling, and pronunciation have fractured between different countries.