
I shifted from morning tea to morning coffee about three years ago. It was a sad acquiescence to a societal norm, but life is guaranteed to chip away at our purities.

ersatz
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
adjective: Being a usually inferior imitation or substitute; artificial.
adjective: Not genuine; fake.
Grocery store brand products have a bad reputation. Off-brand ketchup and mustard are acceptable. Bargain-brand mayo and (lately in my experience) toilet paper are dubious.

Assumedly named after the merry old soul of the familiar nursery rhyme, King Cole Orage Pekoe tea hails from Atlantic Canada. Unlike most Canadian tea brands (such as Red Rose and Salada), this one hasn’t changed ownership since its inception over 100 years ago.