Tepidophobia is the fear of a badly-made cup of tea. Yes, the feeling has a literal word now. It is when someone makes a generous offer of treating you to some freshly -brewed, homemade tea and you feel those butterflies in your stomach, petrified about the consistency, the flavour and even the colour.
While a lot of individuals feel that this is not a good reason to say no to a warm cup of tea, some staunchly believe that it boils down to “my way or the highway”. It bothers you that even though tea is a common beverage, second to only water, very few have mastered the art of making the perfect brew.
What could cause Tepidophobia? If you love the ghar ka chai, or the masala chai from your favourite tea place after a soporific university class or during an office break, trying tea from a new place or even experimenting with unique tea blends can be out of your comfort zone. On the other hand, if you are staunch about your preferred liquid - milk / water, a change in that might make you cringe.
Here are a few signs that you have Tepidophobia:
- You hesitate to buy tea from a new café unless a close friend has convinced you that it is the bestseller of the place.
- You like a uniform shade of tea wherever you go.
- Plain tea without any hint of spice is a big no for you.
- Sometimes, it’s hard to trust yourself with making tea – what if it tastes mediocre?
- Tea is the litmus test of how the rest of your day turns out
It is one of the strangest kinds of phobias identified in recent times. Having Tepidophobia constantly motivates you to prepare a wonderful cup of tea for yourself and your close ones.