The Tea Thread

[Ghoulish Delight]

Blast and tarnation! The wonderful little British tea shop near work I had previously purchased tea from is no more :( Peet's will be an adequate substitute, but I rather liked that shop. Guess I should have shopped there more.

[Strangler Lewis]

Blast and tarnation! The wonderful little British tea shop near work I had previously purchased tea from is no more :( Peet's will be an adequate substitute . . . .

A more than adequate substitute. (http://www.mariagefreres.com/)

Worth the shipping if you can't find a place in OC that carries it.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Oh, if I'm going to bother paying shipping for anything, it will be for Fortnum & Mason.

[Morrigoon]

There's always Chado Tea (http://www.chadotea.com/)

[Strangler Lewis]

Oh, if I'm going to bother paying shipping for anything, it will be for Fortnum & Mason.

Well then, dude, don't be a p***y. Ship your ass some tea.

[Ghoulish Delight]

But I want my tea nooooow. Now now nooooooow.

[Strangler Lewis]

I'm having tea right now.

[Chernabog]

Peet's will be an adequate substitute, but I rather liked that shop.

Peets is awesome!!! For herbal tea you can't beat Xiao's Blend. For iced tea, the Black Currant is great. For black tea, the Masala Chai and Earl Grey with Lavender are nummy.

... of course, I am a little biased towards Peets. :D

[Morrigoon]

I'm still a big fan of the Jasmine Fancy

[Ghoulish Delight]

Peet's is good. The English store was better. Fortnum & Mason is even better, but out of my budget for every day drinking.

I stopped at a Peet's this evening and picked up some Assam Golden and Jasmine Pearl.

[Morrigoon]

Ooh, I've been wanting to try the Jasmine Pearl, lemme know how you like it!

[Betty]

I don't get the tea thing. Just not my cup of tea I guess. :rolleyes:

[blueerica]

Peets is awesome!!! For herbal tea you can't beat Xiao's Blend. For iced tea, the Black Currant is great. For black tea, the Masala Chai and Earl Grey with Lavender are nummy.

... of course, I am a little biased towards Peets. :D

Xiao's is also good for when you're not feeling well, or if you're just hoping for a little extra boost. It's made with chamomile, peppermint, and rose hips. Since rose hips are also a decent source of vitamin C, I like to drink it when I'm sick and tired of drinking citrus-y stuff. Try brewing it double-strength and pouring it over ice. Yumma-licious cool summer beverage, IMO.

Peet's is good. The English store was better. Fortnum & Mason is even better, but out of my budget for every day drinking.

I stopped at a Peet's this evening and picked up some Assam Golden and Jasmine Pearl.

Ooh, I've been wanting to try the Jasmine Pearl, lemme know how you like it!

Jasmine Downy Pearls is a great tea, in my opinion. I find it to pack an olifactory punch, while keeping a smooth taste and silky mouth-feel with the silty little bits of "down". It's a tea I like to brew a couple of times before dumping the pearls. I also recommend brewing in a clear vessel - as it's pretty to watch, too.

I really like all of the greens at Peet's - they do an exceptional job, IMO. Two of my other faves are the Yin Hao Jasmine, which is scented a bit more and comes off a bit more toasty to me, and Lungching Dragonwell - which just warms me to the core.

Mmmm tea...

[blueerica]

Oooh, and pick up some Osmanthus Fancy (black tea). That is some good stuff. Not sure if it's in the stores yet, or if it will be at all this year, but I caught it online and I'm thinking of picking it up. Again, another one I really have enjoyed.

[Stan4dSteph]

Peet's is good. The English store was better. Fortnum & Mason is even better, but out of my budget for every day drinking.
I have a dear friend who keeps me in supply of F&M tea. I don't like the box redesign though. I preferred the traditional green tins.

[Ghoulish Delight]

I have a dear friend who keeps me in supply of F&M tea. I don't like the box redesign though. I preferred the traditional green tins.
Having seen the new box in the context of the F&M store, I actually like it. The color is tied in to a recent 300 year anniversary refurb, and on display the boxes are pretty striking.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3092/2891480204_81e2e94774.jpg?v=0

Wish I'd taken a wider shot.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Deebs - I'm with you, Vicodin seriously nauseates me.

Now, soma on the otherhand....

[Ghoulish Delight]

I mean, damn those Limey bastards for not making me a proper cup of tea!

Is that "venti" enough? :evil:
Actually as a rule, Brits like their tea weaker than Americans.

[Betty]

You are tea bagging this thread to death.

[Not Afraid]

Gathered from around the board (actually the vent thread).

[Snowflake]

I do pay to ship, even in SF. Freeds (http://www.freedscoffeetea.com/shop/) because Freeds closed their Polk Street location. Damn good coffee and teas and they will do special blends for you and kepe them on file and you can order them anytime.

[alphabassettgrrl]

I love tea! All kinds but mostly herbal and green tea. Trying to get back to drinking it unsweetened.

[Chernabog]

I'm not so much into the greens. I like herbal and black.

Heh... teabagging.

Has anyone been to Teavana?

[Snowflake]

Has anyone been to Teavana?

Keemun is a fav of mine. I do not have a Teavana close by any more. Not to mention, they are kind of on the expensive side $64 a lb :(

[Kevy Baby]

I saw this thread and thought about the Sam Kinison routine: "More T, More T!!!!"

[Prudence]

I like Teavana!

[Morrigoon]

There's a Teavana in MV. I found it to be terribly overpriced.

[blueerica]

I think I need to locate some new tea around here. I usually reserve getting teas for when I'm in Cali (and because my go-to tea is at Peet's and I have friends that still work there, so...)

[Motorboat Cruiser]

I've been really enjoying this year's anniversary blend of Peet's tea. It It has a slightly sweet taste on its own, and doesn't really need to have anything added to it. The anniversary coffee this year is also quite good, btw.

Of course, I tend to gravitate towards the black teas. Two of my favorites are Scottish Breakfast and Russian Caravan. I've found them to be a nice occasional substitute for coffee, which I admittedly drink too much of.

[blueerica]

Ugh, they're both 2nd and 3rd to last on my list, respectively. They have Lapsang Souchong in it, which is dead-last on my choice of teas list. I feel like I'm sipping on burnt wood! :)

But I know a LOT of people that like it. If those happen to be your favorite, MBC, I would highly recommend picking up some Lapsang, if you see it. I think you'll really enjoy it.

[Motorboat Cruiser]

I know the flavor you speak of, and I do like it. :) Having said that, and just for clarification though, the anniversary blend doesn't have that flavor, so if anyone was considering it, don't shy from it based on my other preferences. It's very pleasant and no hickory smoked flavor. ;)

[Prudence]

I'm not really a fan of "real" tea, but I love rooibos and herbal teas.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Hmm, not a fan of the Assam. Definitely a burnt-ish flavor to it. And it's touchy, if I'm not uber careful with proportion and steeping time, it crosses into undrinkable very quickly.

[blueerica]

Assam is definitely a milk tea, and I don't dig milk in my tea...

[Snowflake]

Assam is definitely a milk tea, and I don't dig milk in my tea...

There ya go, I am a milk in my tea person. I like Assam and Ceylon, both. I also enjoy teas without milk, green teas and herbal and flower/fruit blends. I like tea best with sandwiches and other yummy afternoon tea treats.

[blueerica]

Mmmm finger sandwiches = awesome.

[Morrigoon]

Love milk in tea. And sugar. Lots of sugar.

I have to admit that I'm quite fond of cucumber sandwiches.

[Not Afraid]

I'm a honey and cream in tea person. Earl Grey with Lavender with Honey and Cream is almost orgasmic.

[Snowflake]

Current favorite tea sandwiches:

egg & onion (with capers)
pear and stilton
cucumber and cream cheese
(or watercress or radish - the french long radishes are yummers and not at all sharp or peppery)
roast beef with horseradish

[Ghoulish Delight]

Assam is definitely a milk tea, and I don't dig milk in my tea...
Yeah, I put some in and it helped, but it's not my preference. I rarely even take sugar. Honey sometimes, but just like coffee, if I don't like it unaltered, than I'd rather not drink it.

[Chernabog]

I just spent like $200 at Teavana lol... I like the fruity teas. (insert joke here)

Of course a lot of that was for my mother's day gift. I got her those flowering teas where they turn into a flower under water, and the clear glass so you could watch your tea get pretty.

[Ghoulish Delight]

The jasmine pearl, by contrast, is just divine and a breeze to make with the press pot.

[Tref]

I am a Royal Tea man.

http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z1/Tref_foto/tea.jpg

Add milk and honey ...

[lashbear]

You are tea bagging this thread to death.
Hehehehehehehehehe You Said "Teabagging" :evil:

I mostly get my tea from The Tea Centre (http://www.theteacentre.com.au/)in the Westfield up the road.

My two faves:
Monk (http://www.theteacentre.com.au/products/Monk.html) - Black Tea with Bergamot & Pear
Japanese Lime (http://www.theteacentre.com.au/products/Japanese-Lime.html) - Green Tea with Lime, Lemon Pieces and Daisy Flowers

At Christmas, I like their Christmas Tea (http://www.theteacentre.com.au/products/Christmas-Tea.html)- Black Tea with Almond, Orange Peel, Apple, Cornflowers, Cinnamon & Cloves :coffee:

[DisneyDaniel]

A strong cup of tea is a satisfying cup of tea! Recently, I've been combining tea leaves of jasmine, oolong, and green into the same pot for an Asian blend of teas. :coffee:

[JWBear]

There are days, like today, when I look forward to coming home and making a nice soothing cup of hot tea... And then hurling it furiously at the wall.

[Deebs]

In my cabinet I have several different things and I enjoy them all when I am in different moods. Unless I go to Cost Plus (World Market) it is difficult to find teas marked as Fair Trade. I will always buy it if I can find it though. From Trader Joe's I have Organic Black and Green Tea, and Oregon Chai Tea Latte Concentrate. There are two Bigelow teas I've always liked: Constant Comment and Mint Medley.

I don't add milk, cream, honey, or real sugar. I only add Sweet & Low or Splenda, and only to the black varieties or Constant Comment. The rest I drink straight up, but through a straw because I am a little weird about brown drinks staining my teeth.


http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z1/Tref_foto/tea.jpg


I had a hard time finding the above pictured Royal Tea, but I finally found it at a family owned grocery store, Podesto's. (http://www.yelp.com/biz/podestos-market-and-deli-stockton) I can't afford to buy anything else there, but I'm told they have a yummy deli.

Finally, here is my delicious tea from the Japanese tea garden, shared while in the delightful company of Snowflake, Gracie and the LashPair. See my fortune on Gracie's book? It said "Your emotional nature is sensitive and strong."

http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o218/disneyballerina/Lash%20Stoat%20Snowflake%20SF/April2009029.jpg

[second class citizen]

A more than adequate substitute. (http://www.mariagefreres.com/)

Worth the shipping if you can't find a place in OC that carries it.

Sounds like a drag queen name. http://www.mariagefreres.com/Vitrine/DARJNV2009.gif

[alphabassettgrrl]

Cherny, I've seen those. They look gorgeous! Have to let us know how they taste. And you got a pretty glass!

I like milk if I'm drinking black tea. Milk helps keep it from getting too tannic, since I tend to let it steep longer than maybe I should.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Monk (http://www.theteacentre.com.au/products/Monk.html) - Black Tea with Bergamot & PearOoooh, that sounds good.

And now I'm kicking myself for not thinking to share a cuppa with you when you were over. Would have brought out the Fortnum & Mason Yunnan Golden Needle. Mmmmmmmm.

[blueerica]

Mmmm....

Monk sounds fantastic.

Also, I love Yunnan. Don't know if I've had one called Golden Needle, but I do recall a Golden Tips. Mmm..

[CoasterMatt]

There are days, like today, when I look forward to coming home and making a nice soothing cup of hot tea... And then hurling it furiously at the wall.
Video please :)

[Ghoulish Delight]

It's a rare tea, you're lucky if you pay <$60 100 grams. And it's beautiful.

http://www.andaotea.com/images/news/yungold.jpg

[Strangler Lewis]

My tea landed in Philly this morning. It left Louisville a little while ago.

Fly, little tea tins, fly!

[second class citizen]

After seeing Jesse James at lunch and Nancy-All-Grown-Up whilte at Ralph's (see "Soooo" thread), John spied a colorful sun tea jar which got me all excited; so we bought said sun tea jar and have returned home. I can't wait til tomorrow to start making a new batch.

Anyone know how many hours of sunlight it usually takes to make a jar full?

[Deebs]

Anyone know how many hours of sunlight it usually takes to make a jar full?

We used to leave the jar in the sun for 2-4 hours for sun tea. I haven't made any in years.

Yesterday I forgot Good Earth Sweet & Spicy in my list of teas I enjoy.

And if I have fresh lemons in the house, I will add lemon to my Royal Tea.

[lashbear]

Ooooh, that sounds good.

And now I'm kicking myself for not thinking to share a cuppa with you when you were over. Would have brought out the Fortnum & Mason Yunnan Golden Needle. Mmmmmmmm.
I guess this means we have to come back again !!

Anyone know how many hours of sunlight it usually takes to make a jar full?
You can save a lot of time if you put it out overnight.

[alphabassettgrrl]

Sun tea- we've usually left it out most of the day but I expect a few hours would do it. Just needs to get warm enough to brew it, and stay there for a bit.

I love the Good Earth tea!!! Yum. Especially with a touch of honey...

[lashbear]

All Sun Tea lovers should read this first (http://www.snopes.com/food/prepare/suntea.asp).

My USA ex-patriot vegetarian friend makes the Refrigerator Tea version, using a blend of fruity / herbal teas, which is incredibly delicious. He leaves it overnight in the fridge and it gets plenty of flavour. Hence my overnight remark (I should have explained more clearly)

[second class citizen]

All Sun Tea lovers should read this first (http://www.snopes.com/food/prepare/suntea.asp).

My USA ex-patriot vegetarian friend makes the Refrigerator Tea version, using a blend of fruity / herbal teas, which is incredibly delicious. He leaves it overnight in the fridge and it gets plenty of flavour. Hence my overnight remark (I should have explained more clearly)

Thanks for that warning. Swine flu, sun tea bacteria! :( Geez! What's a mother to do?!

So I think I will brew it the regualr way to keep on the safe side, then use the container which has a nice spigot to store it in once the tea's been refrigerated. The jar also has a refreezable plug which I could use in it to keep the refrigerated tea cooler should we use it on the patio for our barbeques in the summer.

[blueerica]

SUN TEA BACTERIA??!!??!!?!?! Oh, how did I live that long?

That said, I'm a fan of "microbrewing" my tea - double strength over ice. The flavor has been quite good, and I get when I want about three minutes after I want it, and when I change my mind after my drink and go for an iced green or herbal... well, then, I get that too... goddamn it.

[Deebs]

My neighbor gifted me with a box of TAZO Calm, which I just tried.

The ingredients are: chamomile, hibiscus flowers, spearmint, lemon grass, rose petals, blackberry leaves, safflowers, peppermint, sarsaparilla, lemon balm, licorice root.

Mostly it tasted like chamomile -- GD, you'd love it. ;) My neighbor doesn't drink tea, and someone gave it to her. It was nice of her to think of me and pass the box along. I won't go out of my way to buy it in the future. I think it smells better than it tastes. I couldn't detect the licorice root at all, good thing. No likey.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Mostly it tasted like chamomile -- GD, you'd love it. ;) My neighbor doesn't drink tea, and someone gave it to her. It was nice of her to think of me and pass the box along. I won't go out of my way to buy it in the future. I think it smells better than it tastes. I couldn't detect the licorice root at all, good thing. No likey.
I'm sorry, this is the tea thread. Please move discussion of boiled lawn clippings elsewhere.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Oh, I made a dumb dumb dumb mistake last night.

I made a cup of jasmine for CP who's been feeling under the weather (that wasn't the mistake). Several hours later, getting ready for bed, I grabbed the little pot I'd brewed it in so as to dump the tea leaves. I noticed there was a sip or two of tea left in there so I thought I'd have a taste. What I failed to take into account was the fact that it had been sitting there with the leaves for several hours.

I iz not smart when it's time for sleep.

[blueerica]

Oh, and BLAH BITTER!

Time for jasmine tea. I have one more little pouch here. *sniffle*

[Ghoulish Delight]

Oh, and BLAH BITTER!"Bitter" doesn't even begin to describe it. "Weapons-grade" gets close.

[blueerica]

Definitely worse than day-old coffee... blech!!fjka;

I'm getting the heebie jeebies just thinking about it!

[blueerica]

Which reminds me - the other day, I went for an absent-minded sip of coffee when I first got into work. Yeah, day-old and GRINDY!!

WTF?!?

Ugh, I've been better about washing my mug the last few days, thankyouverymuch.

[Deebs]

I went for an absent-minded sip of coffee when I first got into work. Yeah, day-old and GRINDY!!


Oh, that is gross gross gross! I don't drink coffee anyway, but the thought of grindy old swill is making my tummy flip. Poor you!

[Ghoulish Delight]

Blargh!!

One of the side benefits of using the press pot is that I won't leave it sitting unwashed, which means I don't leave my cup sitting unwashed either.

[alphabassettgrrl]

Deebs, licorice root is in a lot of things. I like it a lot- it doesn't taste *at all* like licorice candy. It's good for rebuilding your adrenal system but it'll make you retain water.

[Deebs]

Deebs, licorice root is in a lot of things. I like it a lot- it doesn't taste *at all* like licorice candy. It's good for rebuilding your adrenal system but it'll make you retain water.

Really, abg? Thanks for that info, and now I know that I can still say I don't like it because I have no need to retain water. Heh.

Have you tried Throat Coat tea? I hate it almost as much as straight medicine, it tastes so much like licorice to me. But it does help a sore throat.

[Morrigoon]

Blargh!!

One of the side benefits of using the press pot is that I won't leave it sitting unwashed, which means I don't leave my cup sitting unwashed either.

Did you see this when I twittered it? http://bkite.com/07fkc

[blueerica]

Haha! I have one of those. It's pretty good for tea, but I still feel like there's over-steeping by a tiny bit with it, unless it gets poured into a different vessel for drinking.

[Morrigoon]

Oh, I made a dumb dumb dumb mistake last night.

I made a cup of jasmine for CP who's been feeling under the weather (that wasn't the mistake). Several hours later, getting ready for bed, I grabbed the little pot I'd brewed it in so as to dump the tea leaves. I noticed there was a sip or two of tea left in there so I thought I'd have a taste. What I failed to take into account was the fact that it had been sitting there with the leaves for several hours.

I iz not smart when it's time for sleep.

I use a tea ball when brewing now so that I pull the leaves out at (sometimes) the right time. Once the leaves are removed, the tea will keep for a day or two. It'll get darker, but the flavor seems to hold.

[Ghoulish Delight]

I use a tea ball when brewing now so that I pull the leaves out at (sometimes) the right time. Once the leaves are removed, the tea will keep for a day or two. It'll get darker, but the flavor seems to hold.
I pour the tea out after it's brewing. What was in there was never intended to be drunk, it was just the little bit of liquid left over at the bottom of the pot after pouring.

[Stan4dSteph]

If you have roses, save the spent leaves and put them on the soil where your roses are growing.

[Deebs]

I went to Peet's and tried the Jasmine Downy Pearls. Lovely!

[Ghoulish Delight]

I've grown into the Assam. Now that I've got the steeping time down to a science and found a good milk/sugar ratio it's bringing back memories of the little Iranian-run breakfast place we ate at every morning in London. That was a good cup of tea they made.

I need to buy less coffee at a time. I meant to only buy a half pound each of the French Roast and the Sumatra, but at the market I poured too many beans into the bag for the French, and at Peet's someone handed me a "buy a half pound, get a half pound free" coupon. It's going to take me a long time to get through all of this coffee.

[Motorboat Cruiser]

It's going to take me a long time to get through all of this coffee.

There are worse problems to have than being stuck with a bunch of great coffee. :)

[Morrigoon]

Well the problem is that it's at its best fresh. So to make it worthwhile, he has to not only drink it, but do so with all haste.

Or cook with it ;)

[lashbear]

I thought freezing it helped prolong shelf life ?

[sleepyjeff]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnhB1Ih7VtA&NR=1

[Ghoulish Delight]

I'm hating myself right now.

I just brewed my last pot of the jasmine pearl...only to get absorbed into my work and forget about it for 20 minutes. Unsalvageable. My cheese is depressed :(

[lashbear]

Next time, you need to set a timer. (Foresight in retrospect is a wonderful thing, isn't it?)

[Ghoulish Delight]

Mmm, Yunan Fancy.

[blueerica]

Fancy, indeed!