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| Tea Lovers' Forum
Posted: 12/14/2007 6:21:38 PM | I warm the pot first as many have mentioned above. I have a cupboard dedicated to different teas.
My favourite is rooibos tea…. loose, with nothing added like vanilla. I drink it a lot. Spicy Constant Comment is a real treat. After this, I enjoy Earl Grey, camomile, mint, jasmine and any of the black teas (Golden Yunnan, Ceylon, etc).
I grow herbs on my front porch and often make teas with them. And, I’ll exchange my herbs for other home grown teas from friends.. such as raspberry leaf, rose and red clover.
Among my friends, there has been some discussion as to whether anything not coming from an actual tea plant is tea, but rather an infusion.
When I visit relatives on Cape Cod I always stop in at the Atlantic Spice Company in Truro. It is an amazing warehouse. The aroma of all the spices and teas as you walk in the door is intoxicating. They sell everything there, it’s amazing… and I think you can find them online.
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| Tea Lovers' Forum
Posted: 12/15/2007 5:41:26 AM | | I prefer real leaves over dust in a bag.... but bags'll work in a pinch... | |
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Posted: 12/15/2007 6:06:13 AM | Ah tea. I am not sure if anyone has posted this fact that has recently come to light in recent studies but teas have health benefits (this is not disputed) but if you add milk it significantly dimishes them, if not destroying them completely. I've also heard the same applies to coffee but this is not a coffee forum. Don't argue it with me because I don't know. I think it is worth investigating though.
If you are in North America and don't have access to a shop to buy loose tea you can purchase from http://www.adagio.com/ . I have had a few of their selections and they are quite good.
Loose over bags? Loose is the only way to drink tea unless you are in a pinch so it is imperative that everyone finds a good supplier so you can avoid one of those..."Oh my God I can't find anymore tea...this isn't happening!" moments.
Green tea is all that I know about so I'll leave a couple of things that I have heard and noticed. Chinese teas, in general, have a smokey taste to them that is quite pleasant and endearing. Japanese greens, in general, have a more distinctive green tea taste that can turn bitter quckly if not brewed properly. White tea is a suprise all of you need to experience...if brewed properly (teaspoon a cup) three minute infusion time, the first few sips should be almost like warm water then as you progress through the cup, a warm sweet sensation should grow in the back of the throat and should last for a while after the bottom of the cup has been reached. Oh I'll have to write more later, I've just worked myself into a tea frenzy. | |
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Posted: 12/18/2007 3:59:29 PM | | I saw one poster list rooibos tea and I found some today--vanilla and pear--yum! Thanks for the suggestion. | |
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| Tea Lovers' Forum
Posted: 12/18/2007 5:35:26 PM | | Yeah, I just picked up some orange spice rooibos tea after hearing about it here. And what's the deal with yerba mate? Ran across a lot of that. Is that something a tea drinker might like? Which would be a good one to try? | |
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| Tea Lovers' Forum
Posted: 12/18/2007 6:51:17 PM | | i had some lipton herbal cinnamon apple tea today...realllly good... | |
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Posted: 12/18/2007 7:27:51 PM | I drink tea every day.
I really like 'Typhoo' - it's from Scotland, brews strong without getting bitter. Slightly sweet, full taste. It's in a red box.
But I like loose leaves as well, using an organic one right now, can't remember the name. Many health food shops will have black tea in bulk. I would recommend you try an organic one.
Yes, heat the pot first with boiling water.
I will sometimes even warm the milk up, at least to room temp.
If using milk, put it in first, pour hot tea over it.
Roobios is a nice tea. Try the plain unflavoured if you're just trying it. It's a herbal tea that can take milk. A friend of mine swears it increases her dreaming activity at night, i don't know about that.
But as with all herb teas. Try to find the loose kind. The teas in bags end up being much, much more expensive. | |
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| Tea Lovers' Forum
Posted: 12/18/2007 8:57:40 PM | I have been drinking Green Tea since the 1990's and recently a co worker of mine told me the more foreign writing on the lable the better quality of the tea.
So she gave me a package to try and to make a long story short, she was right, the green tea was a bit strong but doesnt have that bitter or that after taste. The tea is called Japanese Green Tea SEN CHA.
Yet I have been brewing foreign tea which is to my liking but I use a tea ball infuser also where I would take the leaves out of the bag because it gives a different flavor then
the leaves in the bag.
I don't buy lipton green tea because it sucks and has a after taste.
I can take or leave Star Bucks Tea because the tea has a spirimint taste to it, not bad but not the best. | |
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| Tea Lovers' Forum
Posted: 12/18/2007 9:25:51 PM | Ah Tea....it's like a nice warm blanket!
I too have a cupboard dedicated to tea in my kitchen. I have an endless variety of teas to meet my every tea whim. Over all I prefer black tea, however I appreciate oolongs, green, and white tea and then several tisanes for non caffeine choices. I have varieties of loose, bagged and even a liquid Chai going in there at the moment.
I have three tea pots. A small white porcelain pot for just me, an enameled pot for me and a friend and a large brown betty pot for when the girls and I get together for tea. All of them pour well because I can not stand a tea pot that dribbles. I usually preheat the pots or cups I use to make tea in because I like my tea quite hot. I have an electric kettle for boiling the water, which makes it effortless.
I have a neighbourhood cafe named the Moonbean that I like to go to for tea... the coffee roaster/owner puts as much effort into sourcing out and providing organic fairly traded tea for tea drinkers as he puts into the coffee. Every jar of tea has a thorough description of where it comes from and it's delicate flavours...I could stand in front of the display for hours picking the one I'm in the mood for that day.
I was introduce many, many years ago to Rooibos tea while visiting the Netherlands and relish the fact that it is more readily available here now. | |
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| Tea Lovers' Forum
Posted: 12/19/2007 5:22:57 AM | I plead guilty of being a 'coffee' person who does enjoy a cup of tea on occasion and one who likes to have tea available for guests/friends. I kept a nice selection on hand.
When I bought my home in Nova Scotia one of my housewarming gifts was a nice tea pot so, of course, I brought up several kinds to have available. A neighbor came over for tea (almost a national drink next to Tim Horton's coffee) and she nicely took a cup without protest. On her second visit she brought over a supply of Red Rose tea bags and explained that if we were going to be good friends she would show me the proper way to make tea. Steeped, Red Rose and shared with friends!
When I saw the gal who mentioned Red Rose, I read her profile and sure enough--she was from Nova Scotia! I still keep a collection of herbals and gourmet teas--but I am converted to Red Rose myself. | |
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| Tea Lovers' Forum
Posted: 12/19/2007 12:43:30 PM | This is aimed at brewing and drinking of hot tea. While it can contribute if you have tried an infusion "cold" and liked it, there are other iced tea threads on the boards so please put your iced tea inquiries on those. There are other "green tea diet" threads but not a general Tea forum like this. Talk about the different types of tea: Assam, Oolong, Green tea, gunpowder tea, Coca Tea, herb teas, or even fruit infusions.
What about chai? It is among my favorites and it works well for dulling one's appetite. (Those looking to lose some weight could benefit from this knowledge; ergo I mention it here.)
How do you brew your tea?
In a pot if it is fresh tea. If it is store bought teabags (and yes, one must settle at times for less than ideal), then I heat water in a kettle on a stove to not quite boiling, add teabag to cup, pour water into cup (though not on the teabag), let sit for a couple minutes, steep, and add fixins if needed. (In my case, a bit of soymilk and sugarfree sweetner.)
Do you use a pot?
I can...
Have you had good or bad luck with a certain brand?
Depends on my mood.
Did you go to a restaurant that served you tea well? Poorly?
I have had tea well and poorly served at restaurants before, yes.
Talk about your habits or traditions in teamaking.
As a child my father took me to the teafields of Ceylon where we picked tea leafs and dried them for preparation into packaging in bulk form...well, not exactly. The only traditions if you will are the idea of boiling water to make tea and two schools of thought on how hot the water should be. (I tried in youthful haste to microwave water with a teabag in it but it was awful -preparation is required if you want it to come out right.)
For example, I never, ever, ever re-use tea bags or leaves. Not only is tea cheap enough to not need to do that, it loses much of its potency after the first brew.
I will sometimes reuse tea leaves but not by themselves -essentially I will throw out half the leaves and replace them with fresh tea. It makes the tea last longer.
I also use a tea ball infuser or loose leaves if I am making a pot. To me, bags were designed to be a modern convenience to make one cup of tea, and are to be used in a cup.
Agreed though if in a rush a bunch of them can be used to make a pot of tea.
And always put the bag or leaves in first THEN add boiling water. Again, you just dont get the potency if you put the water in first. This is very much a "what is your preference" thread, not a who is right and who is wrong.
You also do not want to singe the leaves so the water you use should not be boiling but a bit below a boil. (And yes, you can taste the difference if you have a cultivated enough pallet.)
Tea has been consumed for too many thousands of years by too many people to be arguing that. lol. Quotes or info from tea research is most welcome.
Well, some things about tea are simply wrong regardless of preferences. For example, anyone who would claim microwaves are a good way to heat water compared to boiling water for tea making would simply be wrong. (The taste difference is exponential.)
Have you found a Tea Room near you?
There is a place I have become partial to which serves excellent tea in an amazing variety of flavors sure.
What's your opinion of the tea at Starbucks?
I will drink their green tea iced and unsweetened from time to time. (I order it "unsweetened" and then sweeten it myself.)
The best tea I ever bought anywhere was at Dunkin Donuts (Boston) and I'd bought a large, and they even used 2 tea bags to account for the larger cup size. I even saw her blast the bags with boiling water and thought "finally, a place in the US that has a clue how to make tea" lol.
Well, with fresh tea that will singe the leaves. I learned this from someone who makes a lot of tea for a living. If it is in bags then it is not too bad as that tea is never fresh anyway. However, fresh tea should not be served with boiling water but instead with water about 190-200 F. (Boiling is 212 F.)
And it was Tetley, a name tea connoiseurs know and trust. Something else that I am not convinced on but maybe someone can scientifically explain if its the same or not, is heating tea in the microwave. That to me just screams sacriledge :o) .
The tea seeps into water at or near a rolling boil to an extent that cannot be duplicated with a microwave. There is a significant taste difference and try it if you do not believe me...you will not want to do it again!
If microwaves existed in the middle ages, those who made their tea with them would probably have been burned at the stake for heresy.
To the Europeans, yes I am American and yes I'm talking about hot tea :o) , come join in.
Well, I have European ancestry on both sides of my family so presumably that counts for something  | |
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| Tea Lovers' Forum
Posted: 12/19/2007 3:18:39 PM | | Just a note about green tea. I read if you drink green tea in bottles, hate to tell you, but all the good stuff had disappeared in the bottle. To receive the benefit of green tea, it must be freshly brewed. | |
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| Tea Lovers' Forum
Posted: 12/19/2007 3:22:43 PM | yup. same deal with white. The antioxidants are almost non existant.
Just one more reason why it's better to make things fresh yourself! | |
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| Tea Lovers' Forum
Posted: 12/23/2007 3:12:12 PM | I have been brewing my tea in a French press for YEARS. Mostly Organic ceylon for iced tea, without the boiling, and using 1/2 tsp Stevia to sweeten it.
Steep 1/4-1/3 c Ceylon leaves for 9 min in ALMOST boiling water........... (my press is the LARGE one) add 1/2 t. powdered Stevia, stir, ice it in a pitcher. Instant delicious sugar free iced tea.
I drink this all year long.................. | |
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| Tea Lovers' Forum
Posted: 12/23/2007 3:19:49 PM | I'm not picky with the kind of tea but, it cannot boil! I think it just ruins the tea. And I have to have it sugarless and milk-less!
I also usually let my tea steep the entire time I'm drinking it. | |
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| Tea Lovers' Forum
Posted: 12/23/2007 5:25:44 PM | I... brew my tea, in a little brewing device I got from Teavana (best tea place on earth). Hot water from a pot. Most tea and I are very good friends, but I am not much a fan of Celestial fruity blends. I think they taste like Kool-Aide.
We have 2 tea rooms in driving distance. Both excellent. They put Starbucks... to shame!
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| Tea Lovers' Forum
Posted: 12/31/2007 12:33:50 PM | I'm not picky with the kind of tea but, it cannot boil! I think it just ruins the tea.
Yes indeed, about ten degrees below boil is as hot as you want it (as I said before, boiling water singes tea leaves and affects the flavor).
I... brew my tea, in a little brewing device I got from Teavana (best tea place on earth).
Teavana rocks! By the way, they were the place I was referring to earlier. The only Teavana in Washington to my knowledge is at Bellevue Square for those who are interested. My usual drink there is one or a blend of two or more chais with soymilk and a shot of caramel for sweetening. It is really good for curbing the appetite for those looking for a natural appetite suppresser which has been a point of focus for me for a number of months now (and will be at least until spring of 08).  | |
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| Tea Lovers' Forum
Posted: 2/26/2008 4:16:26 PM | | :) infatuated with the Adagio diffuser, their teas are absolutely amazing too.... | |
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| Tea Lovers' Forum
Posted: 2/26/2008 5:38:49 PM | How did I ever miss this thread????
I..............am a tea freak
Tea was always a big deal in our house, the way some people elevate coffee drinking.
My children and I used to very much enjoy afternoon teas and evening teas an hour or two after dinner.
Hands down, there is only one tea that stands a mile above the rest, it is grown on the India/Pakistani border
called Barooti.
Of course, it is loose leaf, which is the only way I like tea, but of course, when making tea for one, I do use bags and I try hard to get tea that does not have bleached bags. I can definitely taste the difference. For tea making, I will only use spring, or distilled water, which is something I also do for cooking fruits, or making citrus-ades. I LOVE a copper kettle for the water and I have found that my favorite tea pots are either glass, or clay/ceramic, but I am not too picky about them as long as they aren't metal.
My favorite teas range from the individual cup tea bag types for quick cups, to the loose leaf, higher quality, purist types, for tea time. Also, I have a bit of a problem with caffeine, and I was worried about losing flavor when going to decaf, but to be honest, the bag types seem to be doing it well and I use a lot of herbal, but I stay with loose leaf full caffeine for my shared tea times. I also love a good chai with milk.
Bag types (not in order of favorites):
Earl Grey
English Breakfast
Constant Comment
Celestial Seasonings Mandarin Orange Spice
Decaf Mint/Green Tea (this raises HDL, so it is really good for you)
Loose Leaf:
Barooti
Red Raspberry Leaf (the real leaf and very tissue healing)
Mint - just plain mint leaves with dark honey
Rose petals, Bergamont, Mint, Orange Rind, a little Earl Grey (my own blend)
I use different types of sweetener, honey, turbinado/cane, date sugar, it all depends on which tea I am drinking. One sweetener tastes better than another with different teas.
For tea time, the accompaniments are usually honey sesame candies, halva, different flavors of Turkish Delight that I make homemade (rose, ginger, cardamom), lemon lavender shortbread, butter cookies, Jordan Almond stuffed Medjool Dates, fresh figs & apricots wrapped with proscutto di parma, Profiteroles stuffed with custard and a fig/anise jam, a mix of almonds pistachios dried apricots and red or golden raisins, baklava, rice or almond rose flavored puddings, or a very spicy crisp cookie that I make which is Caribbean Cocoa Spice or extra spicy ginger snaps, poppy seed Hamantashen.
I mostly use Middle Eastern tea glasses, but on occasion I will use very girly fine china cups in unusual shapes for fun. Never a mug, or a common cup.
I live in Mid Michigan where you would never expect to see a Tea House, but in Mt. Pleasant where I used to live there is a small worn-looking middle eastern decor coffee/tea house. I love this place because I have fantasized about opening a coffee/brandy/tea house with many 12 pipe hookas with specialty tobaccos and fruit tobaccos, cigars and specialty sweets; with lots of pillows, ornate chairs and low tables. | |
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| Tea Lovers' Forum
Posted: 2/26/2008 5:45:43 PM | | SmilingSalmon, I cannot email you direct as you have females blocked. Would you be willing to share your Turkish Delight recipe? To have with hot tea.............there I stayed on thread. | |
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| Tea Lovers' Forum
Posted: 2/26/2008 7:10:09 PM |
114 Darjeeling Tukdah FTGFOP1 First Flush.
If the only Darjeeling you have tried is that loose leaf at the grocery store... you are in for a big surprise.
And at $100/LB is ought to be! It probably is better than the darjeeling you can buy in the store but can it really be 20X better? It's 20X more expensive... | |
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| Tea Lovers' Forum
Posted: 2/26/2008 7:29:19 PM | | lately, i've done a 50/50 blend of mugwort with kava. it has a bitter flavor, and the kava numbs your mouth a bit, but i love the way it relaxes me. plus, i get really vivid dreams when i use it. | |
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| Tea Lovers' Forum
Posted: 2/26/2008 7:38:01 PM | I grew up drinking tea....mostly Orange Pekoe or Assam.
I drink Japanese Green Tea now...hey...they say it is healthy for you.
I take out my fine china and my silver spoon when I make my tea. Tea for one.
I start by rinsing out my teapot...and putting either very hot water or boiling water in the pot and let it sit.
I then boil water to make the tea. When it is boiling I dump out the old water from the pot and make the tea.
Loose tea is good, I use a teaball or sieve. Tea bags are fine too.
my favourtie tea room?... can't recall the name, but it is in small alleyway in Victoria, BC and they serve afternoon tea at half the cost of high tea at the Fairmont Empress Hotel a few blocks away. | |
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| Tea Lovers' Forum
Posted: 2/26/2008 8:04:10 PM | My all time favorite tea is the house blend at a store called Market Spice in the Pike Place Market of Seattle. It's a REALLY intense ( the Altoids of tea) orange/cinnamon combination that fills half the floor at work from one teabag. Unfortunately that means it also draws crowds. I usually will give up one bag to close acquaintences, after that they have to order their own, lol. For a long time I could only get this when I visited Seattle. Now, however, Market Spice sells all of the several dozen different teas they make on Amazon.com. The house blend is available loose or in bags, regular and decaf. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/104-6911083-9821527?url=search-alias%3Dgourmet&field-keywords=market+spice+tea
At home I use my Mrs. Tea. These machines are the teapot answer to Mr. Coffee and are absolutely great. Put the loose tea in a coffee filter, or teabags without one, fill with water and turn on. Perfect every time. I know Mr. Coffee discontinued them, but I've recently heard a rumor that they were making them again.
BTW, I'm not sure how accurate this is, although I think I heard it on the Food Network, but the reason you should heat water up to near boiling, but not boiling is that boiling water takes oxygen out of it, thereby changing the taste. If you've ever had to boil drinking water I'm sure you'll agree it's pretty horrible. | |
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| Tea Lovers' Forum
Posted: 2/26/2008 8:24:14 PM | | I buy tea from a restaurant called Turley's that makes their own. It is the best tea I've ever had, with orange peel, cinnamon, clove, and other spices--naturally sweetened. They also used to serve this tea at The Good Earth in California and at The Harvest restaurants in Colorado before they closed down. Between all of those places I have been drinking this tea for 25 years, and I crave it when I can't get it. It comes loose either caffeinated or decaf. I use a sink drainer (!) that is like a tiny strainer and make a small pot at a time. Every one of my friends who drinks it gets hooked on it. (Now that I think about it, I wonder if they put crack in it. lol) | |
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