Enjoying Tea and Coffee without cow’s milk.

TheFortField

I’ve been following a plant based diet for almost 17 months. I thought giving up cheese, chocolate and eggs would be tough but they were surprisingly easy to eliminate from my diet.

Over the last year I’ve given up purchasing processed foods (with the exception of the odd packet of vegan cheese). Every meal I eat is now cooked from scratch using fresh (mostly) local ingredients or home grown fruit/vegetables.

However, I’m failing miserably in one area. As a non drinker I love a decent cup of coffee (and tea occasionally). No matter how I try I can’t drink black coffee and I hate the taste of alternative milks in my coffee. I use almond milk in cereals but I’m not a fan of it in coffee.

Has anyone else experienced this issue? Any advice or recommendations would be great.

silent_spark

Have you tried oat milk? It tastes great in coffee in particular, and you can make it at home easily enough.

TheFortField

Thanks for the reply silent spark, unfortunately oat milk is out as I have an intolerance to gluten.

silent_spark

TheFortField wrote: »

Thanks for the reply silent spark, unfortunately oat milk is out as I have an intolerance to gluten.

I’m not knowledgeable in the area, but I’ve seen ‘gluten free oats’ in shops. Might be worth a try?

sparkledrum

I use hemp milk or coconut milk. I prefer the former but it's more difficult to get.

_Brian

Just keep reducing the amount of milk steadily over a few weeks.

I’ve only ever taken very small amount of milk on tea and now can take it black if I need to, i being nosebag every day and sometimes forget the milk 🙄

One thing I find is the make it not just as strong.

Coffee I can’t manage black, if I take it without milk I get heartburn.

Tea-a-Maria

I have found pea milk to be quite similar yo cow's milk in tea. You can get one called Mighty Society in Holland & Barrett.

Worztron

I love unsweetened soymilk with my black tea (Barrys).

Tar.Aldarion

soy, cashew, pea are good alternatives. Love oat the most but you can't have that. Don't forget the brand matters too! So if you don't like one, you may like another. For instance not much of a fan of almond milk but Califia farms one from Dunnes is amazing.

Lesalare

I use unsweetened almond milk in tea and coffee, although I rarely drink either.

I don't really notice any mad difference to normal milk but I don't use a lot of normal milk anyway. It's a tad sweeter.

Markcheese

I've tried almond and oat milk in both tea and coffee.... Nah.. Didn't do it for me.... I like my coffee milky... I'd just stick to herbal tea if no milk...

65535

As an aside - Lyons Tea are now making a tea 'for non-dairy'

Tar.Aldarion

Saw those and even the little cappuccino/latte kind of coffee pouches have non-dairy versions now.

Man Vs ManUre

I stopped drinking milk in both tea and coffee about 15 years ago. Now I can still have it if I want, and do like the odd latte, but mostly find the idea of mixing any kind of mild drink with coffee/tea to be odd now.
If you go to countries steeped in coffee/tea culture, eg Colombia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Turkey they mostly no not pollute their tea/coffee with milk or sugar. That is just a western/1st world invention that should be undone.

davidjtaylor

Man Vs ManUre wrote: »

I stopped drinking milk in both tea and coffee about 15 years ago. Now I can still have it if I want, and do like the odd latte, but mostly find the idea of mixing any kind of mild drink with coffee/tea to be odd now.
If you go to countries steeped in coffee/tea culture, eg Colombia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Turkey they mostly no not pollute their tea/coffee with milk or sugar. That is just a western/1st world invention that should be undone.

Thoroughly agree. Dr Gregor does an interesting presentation on various health issues surrounding milk added to tea.

And coffee! It's a travesty to add anything to well-made coffee. Perhaps most coffee is not well-made and needs, ermm, "improving"?

gozunda

Man Vs ManUre wrote: »

I stopped drinking milk in both tea and coffee about 15 years ago. Now I can still have it if I want, and do like the odd latte, but mostly find the idea of mixing any kind of mild drink with coffee/tea to be odd now.
If you go to countries steeped in coffee/tea culture, eg Colombia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Turkey they mostly no not pollute their tea/coffee with milk or sugar. That is just a western/1st world invention that should be undone.

Not so. For example in India and Mongolia Tea with Yak butter (churned milk) is a popular and everyday drink.

There are many regions in the world where milk tea is the default type of tea. This is most apparent in certain parts of India where 'tea' usually refers to milk tea. To ask for tea without milk, request a 'black tea' or simply 'tea without.'

Milk tea is also commonly consumed in England, Ireland, Scotland, Canada, Sri Lanka, and Hong Kong.

More here.

https://www.thespruceeats.com/what-is-milk-tea-765143

Man Vs ManUre

Yes I have been to India and enjoyed their chai, especially the chai masala. But it’s not tea. It’s not Assam or Darjeeling tea. I wouldn’t use milk in those teas, but I would drink chai from a street seller or shop/restaurant.

Man Vs ManUre

I’ve never been to Mongolia, but from what I’ve seen on tv, the food and even more so the milk and blood based drinks from there look absolutely gross.

gozunda

Man Vs ManUre wrote: »

I’ve never been to Mongolia, but from what I’ve seen on tv, the food and even more so the milk and blood based drinks from there look absolutely gross.

Hmmm. What may be culturally different or odd to anyone else - is perfectly normal for others. The Mongolian people live in an environment where the nutrients provided by adding butter to tea and other foods are an essential and favoured part of their diet. Blood based foods are not an unusual food source. In the past transhumance practices involved using blood from animals. We still eat black (blood) pudding here. Some may believe them "gross" - does not mean others share the same opinions.

Man Vs ManUre

Am not a fan of the black puddings. It tastes fine, even good. But in my youth I spent my summers working in beef and lamb factories. I always ask for 2 white puddings when I get a full Irish.
For similar reasons I would never eat offal, brains food or lamb testicles. Those testicles used to get shipped to France as far as I remember.
You know, the nicest smelling of all the meats raw is liver.

jmreire

Man Vs ManUre wrote: »

I stopped drinking milk in both tea and coffee about 15 years ago. Now I can still have it if I want, and do like the odd latte, but mostly find the idea of mixing any kind of mild drink with coffee/tea to be odd now.
If you go to countries steeped in coffee/tea culture, eg Colombia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Turkey they mostly no not pollute their tea/coffee with milk or sugar. That is just a western/1st world invention that should be undone.

Same here, worked abroad and it changed my attitude completely to Tea and Coffee. Now, Tea means Tea 100%, and Coffee mean's Coffee 100%..no additives of any description, and when you get used to it ( can take awhile ) it's far better. Now I can distinguish the different taste of the Tea's ( and Coffee's ) Saw the Grandfather giving the Grandson ( 18 mths old ) cup of tea awhile back.....inch of tea in the cup, followed by inch and half of milk, and a big spoon of sugar.....and that unfortunately, is where the Irish develop their love of the " Cuppa Tae". In Kenya, they make the tea with milk..primarily because the water may not be safe. Different Country's have different practices....In Afghanistan, as in customary,I offered tea to two visitors, and then asked how many sugars ( they were the little square cube's ) but to my surprise, they refused ( milk was never on offer, except to European visitors ) Then they proceeded to take one sugar cube at a time, and swallow some tea, and repeat the process until the Tea was drank...different strokes for different folk's..;)

gozunda

Man Vs ManUre wrote: »

Am not a fan of the black puddings. It tastes fine, even good. But in my youth I spent my summers working in beef and lamb factories. I always ask for 2 white puddings when I get a full Irish.
For similar reasons I would never eat offal, brains food or lamb testicles. Those testicles used to get shipped to France as far as I remember.
You know, the nicest smelling of all the meats raw is liver.

I have from time to time made my own black pudding and also source it from a local producer who I know well. I can relate it tastes very good. But personally not a huge fan of offal. Funny old world eh?

Man Vs ManUre

In Ethiopia they take their coffee so seriously that they kicked Starbucks out of the country.
I haven’t been to Colombia so Ethiopia is the best coffee I have ever tasted. People there do a lot of fasting for religious reasons, but they still partake in their daily coffee rituals.

gozunda

Man Vs ManUre wrote: »

In Ethiopia they take their coffee so seriously that they kicked Starbucks out of the country.
I haven’t been to Colombia so Ethiopia is the best coffee I have ever tasted. People there do a lot of fasting for religious reasons, but they still partake in their daily coffee rituals.

I would beg to differ. The best coffee in the world is served in Italy - in variations with milk and without. I'll quite happily move their tomorrow just for that

Man Vs ManUre

There’s are many many things that Italy do better than Ethiopia, and not so many that are better in Ethiopia, but coffee is definitely one of those that Ethiopia do better. It’s one of their national treasures.
I think only Colombia may do better coffee than Ethiopia??

gozunda

Man Vs ManUre wrote: »

There’s are many many things that Italy do better than Ethiopia, and not so many that are better in Ethiopia, but coffee is definitely one of those that Ethiopia do better. It’s one of their national treasures.
I think only Colombia may do better coffee than Ethiopia??

We will have to disagree on where we like our coffee so

For me caffè italiano è bellissimo

jmreire

Have to side with Man Vs ManUre on this..worked with an Ethiopian Lady for awhile, and her Coffee was the best I have tasted, bar none. Different strokes for different folk's, I guess.

CosmicFool

What coffee do you drink? I'd recommend giving really good filtered coffee a go or maybe a French press coffee. There's threads on boards that will point you in the right direction if what coffee to get without using Milk. I drink coffee without any milk or sugar. Mostly Light or medium coffee.

davidjtaylor

Man Vs ManUre wrote: »

There’s are many many things that Italy do better than Ethiopia, and not so many that are better in Ethiopia, but coffee is definitely one of those that Ethiopia do better. It’s one of their national treasures.
I think only Colombia may do better coffee than Ethiopia??

Didn't coffee actually originate there? Could be wrong.

Anyways, Grumpy Mule Ethiopian Yirgacheffe coffee is my favourite coffee ever.

jmreire

davidjtaylor wrote: »

Didn't coffee actually originate there? Could be wrong.

Anyways, Grumpy Mule Ethiopian Yirgacheffe coffee is my favourite coffee ever.

Yes, the story goes that Monks in a Christian Monastery noticed that their goats became much more active after eating the leaf's of certain bushes, and decided to try it themselves....and so we have Coffee.
For myself presently, after a recent trip to Belgrade,I'm drinking Serbian coffee ( ex Ottoman Empire )just like the Serb's do..... strong, and stronger ( actually...ALL of the Balkan states are coffee drinkers..)

ksceniaonegina

Ever tried condensed milk? Vegan condensed milk of course!

jmreire

ksceniaonegina wrote: »

Ever tried condensed milk? Vegan condensed milk of course!

No, since I stopped the milk and sugar regime, the only additive that I have used, and that was in coffee, was Cardamon. That puts a nice flavor in it.

ksceniaonegina

Never knew you could put cardamon!

jmreire

ksceniaonegina wrote: »

Never knew you could put cardamon!

In the middle east especially, in the shop's which sell coffee bean's, you select your bean's, and if you want they will grind them for you, and ask if you want Cardamon added during the grinding process. In the Cafe's also, its common practice for the waiter to ask if you want cardamon or not, and you will be charged a little bit extra for this if you want it... price depending on how much cardamon you want.
Some people like it, and some do not, but I found that I liked it. Give it a try sometime !!!

davidjtaylor

Cardamon has the effect of taking the jitter out of coffee. Personally I find the flavour too strong.

Depending on mood, I'd sometimes add a tip of a teaspoon of ground ginger.

jmreire

davidjtaylor wrote: »

Cardamon has the effect of taking the jitter out of coffee. Personally I find the flavour too strong.

Depending on mood, I'd sometimes add a tip of a teaspoon of ground ginger.

Yes, It's a personal choice. Sometimes I use it, sometimes not, but did use it a lot when abroad..I must try the ground ginger though, that's new to me, but I don't mind experimenting. Sometimes you can be pleasantly surprised. Anyone else tried adding something ( other than sugar and milk) to their favorite brew? :o:o

davidjtaylor

jmreire wrote: »

Yes, It's a personal choice. Sometimes I use it, sometimes not, but did use it a lot when abroad..I must try the ground ginger though, that's new to me, but I don't mind experimenting. Sometimes you can be pleasantly surprised. Anyone else tried adding something ( other than sugar and milk) to their favorite brew? :o:o

The ginger is almost unnoticeable (not quite, it's there but). It's literally just the tip of a teaspoon, like the white on a very neat fingernail! Since starting to add it about a year ago (max. two cups of coffee a day, sometimes only one) I've felt less 'achy'. I'm convinced it's this small change that's done it.

You could try a pinch of turmeric and black pepper. Said to be very good. I knew a guy who carried his own black pepper grinder around with him and loved a sprinkle of it on his black coffee.

jmreire

davidjtaylor wrote: »

The ginger is almost unnoticeable (not quite, it's there but). It's literally just the tip of a teaspoon, like the white on a very neat fingernail! Since starting to add it about a year ago (max. two cups of coffee a day, sometimes only one) I've felt less 'achy'. I'm convinced it's this small change that's done it.

You could try a pinch of turmeric and black pepper. Said to be very good. I knew a guy who carried his own black pepper grinder around with him and loved a sprinkle of it on his black coffee.

That's an idea all right...I already have the Tumeric "In Stock" as I use it with Cumin and Cinnamon in the porridge every morning, just a sprinkle of each. Make's the porridge more palatable and tasty, in my view.

Man Vs ManUre

I bought a few of the Beanies flavoured coffees in one of the supermarkets here. Have only tried the cinnamon flavor but the taste isn’t good. It seems to leave a metallic type taste and is very sharp.
Has anyone tried these?? Are they just cheapo gimmicky coffees?? Are any of them nice??
It was first time I saw them when I bought, and just got taken in by the idea they might be like the expensive flavoured coffee u get in a cafe.