>Tea: A holiday gift that warms you all winter

>One of the best holiday gifts is tea. It’s healthy, it tastes good, it has a long shelf life, and it comes in elegant containers.

I favor black teas, and this season I’ve gotten two fabulous ones.

Peet’s Holiday Breakfast Blend is part of Peet’s Signature Blends. Like most breakfast blends, it has quite a bit of Assam, but it avoids any bitterness. It’s an extremely complex tea. My only problem with it is that it won’t be available for very long; the “Holiday Breakfast Blend” is a different blend every yet. Rush out and get more of the 2008!

Morning Glory Chai, which is served at many of Seattle’s independent coffee houses, is also available in brew-it-yourself packages from stores including The Ballard Market and Tenzing Momo at Pike Place Market. Each package contains spices (add to boiling water and simmer) and tea & herb mix (steep in the hot, spiced water). With sweetener (honey or brown sugar) and steamed/heated milk, it’s as robust as a latte.