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I'm derailing another thread a little talking about tea, me being a leader, and other fun topics. This is me attempting to be a good forum member by bringing a new thread up for the subject .
Right now I'm enjoying a peppermint herbal tea with a blend of stevia and sugar, having just finished a plain black with the same. Work is in the morning, or I'd probably have some more of the caffeinated stuff.
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Not the hugest fan of caffeinated teas, mostly because caffeine puts me to sleep pretty quickly.
Like I said in the other thread, I love the Twining's Irish Breakfast tea, and Lapsang Suchong. The smell of the latter is kinda offputting the first couple of times (the leaves are smoked, so it smells kinda like smoked cheddar or something), but the taste is delicious.
My brother swears by the Bigelow Earl Grey. He drinks that stuff like it's going out of style.
Also I don't think Lipton is bad, you just have to know its place (making big ol' pitchers of sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet iced tea). it's not for single cup servings.
Not the hugest fan of caffeinated teas, mostly because caffeine puts me to sleep pretty quickly.
Like I said in the other thread, I love the Twining's Irish Breakfast tea, and Lapsang Suchong. The smell of the latter is kinda offputting the first couple of times (the leaves are smoked, so it smells kinda like smoked cheddar or something), but the taste is delicious.
My brother swears by the Bigelow Earl Grey. He drinks that stuff like it's going out of style.
Also I don't think Lipton is bad, you just have to know its place (making big ol' pitchers of sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet iced tea). it's not for single cup servings.
I'm going to have to try that Lapsang Suchong stuff. It sounds good. I have had the Irish Breakfast tea from Twinnings, and I agree, it's delicious. It's distinctly better than the English equivalent, and a definite favorite of mine.
I used to dislike Earl Grey, but it grew on me over time. It's not a favorite, but I'll take it when offered.
Lipton is, from what I have read, made from the discarded leaving when plants are harvested for higher quality teas. So I give them props for not wasting product, but it really is the blandest tea in existence - and I'm including store brands I've had. If you're making Southern style sweet tea, you really don't care too much about the flavor of the tea, because you're absolutely assaulting your senses with pure sugar.
Southern sweet tea is a step up from instant, but...my tea snobbery won't let me really give it more than that.
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Red Lipton Sweet Teeeeeeaaaaaaaaa~! Mmmmmmmmmmmm...
(The way I was raised... ^-^)
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Eh. I grew up on it (I live in Florida), so I guess I'm just acclimated to it. Not saying it's great, but it's not bad to me.
Red Lipton Sweet Teeeeeeaaaaaaaaa~! Mmmmmmmmmmmm...
(The way I was raised... ^-^)
Have you actually had other brands?
Eh. I grew up on it (I live in Florida), so I guess I'm just acclimated to it. Not saying it's great, but it's not bad to me.
Been in Florida since I was four. Still am. Florida isn't really culturally the South, unless you're in Tallahassee or Jacksonville, which aren't really Florida, but South Georgia. From Orlando down is pretty much North Cuba and New York retirees amalgamated into a humid, yet wondrous in the winter, conglomeration.
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I prefer an Irish Breakfast over an English Breakfast tea in the morning, Orange Pekoe during the day and an Australian Afternoon tea in the late afternoon.
I love Masala Chai done properly, I work with a lot of People from all over India an I have had some interesting variations.
On a hot summers day ice cold Turkish Apple tea is wonderful.
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And don't get me wrong, I'm not saying southern sweet tea in general is bad, I'm saying its emphasis is primarily on the sweet over the tea.
Eh. I grew up on it (I live in Florida), so I guess I'm just acclimated to it. Not saying it's great, but it's not bad to me.Been in Florida since I was four. Still am. Florida isn't really culturally the South, unless you're in Tallahassee or Jacksonville, which aren't really Florida, but South Georgia. From Orlando down is pretty much North Cuba and New York retirees amalgamated into a humid, yet wondrous in the winter, conglomeration.
I was born in Panama City, and lived in Vernon until I was 10 or 11 (if you've never heard of it, you're not missing much besides the densest collection of rednecks in Florida. It's near Bonifay and Chipley), and moved to Tallahassee, where I lived until two years ago. I lived in Maryland from December (moved in on Christmas Eve) of 2013 to this January, when I moved to Leesburg, which is just as you have described the area around Orlando.
Plug for my favourite tea shop T2.
The History of China podcast did a series on Tea.
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I prefer an Irish Breakfast over an English Breakfast tea in the morning, Orange Pekoe during the day and an Australian Afternoon tea in the late afternoon.
I love Masala Chai done properly, I work with a lot of People from all over India an I have had some interesting variations.
On a hot summers day ice cold Turkish Apple tea is wonderful.
Orange Pekoe is my 5/10 tea. It's my yardstick by which I measure other teas. If you can't beat OP, you aren't worth my money.
Chai is so hard to get a good one. I've had phenomenal chais and some bland mediocre ones (I'm looking at you Celestial Seasonings).
Turkish Apple is new to me. Who makes a good blend of it? Same for Australian afternoon?
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They call me Mr. Tea!!!
Is there a good teahouse where you live? I have the good fortune to live within driving distance of a stellar British high tea establishment. I go at least once a month.
Sadly, no. Though I am in a major city, it is not exactly a cultural landscape. The only place to get some high quality stuff is Teavana, and they're kinda the Starbucks of tea shops; good, consistent quality, but ridiculously overpriced and there is much better out there. I wish I could find the Dunkin Donuts of tea. (Reasonable prices, better quality, and no frills)
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Homemade recipe link.....
I buy it by the kilo from T2 here in Australia.
Australian afternoon as a blend of Irish breakfast and Russian Caravan, it's a Twinings product.
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Have you actually had other brands?Red Lipton Sweet Teeeeeeaaaaaaaaa~! Mmmmmmmmmmmm...
(The way I was raised... ^-^)
Yes. <~ my "Lipton" face XD
(I do not currently drink Lipton very often. The only reason for this present state, however, is that their pre-made tea and instant tea is rubbish, we have water hard enough to make tea opaque down here, using Zephyr Hills is just too expensive, and Arizona is just plain ubiquitous and quite good. Also Coke.)
In any event, other brands are just fine. As I told Ashiel, I'm aware that some of my preferences are "sub-par" for the community at large. That does nothing to diminish my passion and enthusiasm for them.
(I still prefer burned bacon, much to my mother's chagrin, as just one example.)
It's a thing.
:D
I love Tea. Will go over tea varieties when at home.
I haven't done a high tea sadly.... It's considered slightly "unmanly" or a female bonding activity, from male friends who have gone to high tea they said they felt under dressed out of place and unwelcome. That combined with high tea being a fashionable place to kick off a hens night then I haven't felt the urge.
It's usually brewery tours for me.
Do you have iced tea shops like:
Gong Cha,
Chatime
or
Easy Way in the U.S.
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I posted this in the other thread, but it's relevant here. It's a list of commands for my followers. So far I have only one, theblackteagamer, but he's been loyal, and true for the hour or so since he's pledged to my service.
"Thou shalt not drinkith the Lipton, for it is vile, and verily shall it make you regret having wasted the holy plant.
Thou mayest drinketh hot, and thou mayest drinketh iced, but yay, if the drink is tepid, the sorrow will falleth upon ye.
Removeth thine bag before the tannins spread, and the bitterness is come to fruition.
Thou shalt not puncture thine bag, unless ye enjoy the finely powder ground Japanese style, and verily, pride doth thou have, for thegreenteagamer can only drinketh thine style in shots and not cups.
Thou mayest drinketh the coffee, for yay she is our ally, but always remember the superiority of the tea. (Unless it is Lipton, for the first commandment was not a joke, though thegreenteagamer doth joketh far too much to know when he is serious.)
Thou shalt only present the instant tea with lots of sugar already mixed in to the youth, as a way for training them for the holy drink. Remember though that it is only for the child, for verily it be damnnear Kool Aid in presentation and flavor.
Thou shalt not hold thy leader up to expectations of ten commandments. Verily, for though he is creative, he is also lazy. Yay and verily. This cannot be emphasized enough. Let us throw another verily in there for good measure.
Be fruitful, but remember, if thou art too fruitful, thou art herbal, and not of the holy plant. Unless thou art, ye know, black or green tea with thine fruit added, which be quite delicious, and verily as I writeth this, I wishith I had a bag or two of pomegranate green, but nay, mine cabinet hath only vanilla flavored black at the moment and blueberry, for mine wife drinketh all the good stuff, and yay, she can do that, for she controlleth mine source of happiness, if thou knoweth what I'm getting at."
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So many to respond to. I'll hit them all up real quick, and probably be back for one more rounds before bed. Work in the morning :-/
8th Dwarf - That looks delicious, and being as I have an accumulation of honey and cinnamon, and apples are on sale at the store this week, I will be trying that most likely this weekend.
TL - I understand, but still disagree with your enthusiasm for Lipton. Nostalgia can go a long way with flavor. I will destroy cheap mac n cheese for that reason, even though my mother in law makes a pot with so much cheese per square inch it has a Wisconsin embassy within the bowl (best ever!) Have you tried buying a Brita or Pur filter, either in pitcher or tap form? The difference in flavor for the cheap price is astounding. Good water goes a long way in tea quality.
Arizona and Sobe green teas are pretty tasty for bottled stuff. They are mostly sugar water though, like most bottled teas. You will find with a high quality leaf and good water, the amount of sugar necessary is negligible. A good tea only needs just enough sugar to cancel out the bitterness, and has a sweetness of itit's own...provided you remove the bag in time to prevent the tannins from leaking out. Quality tea can be a great replacement for people who want to kick soda and it's sugar content, but don't like the flavor of water.
Mine - Gold leaf falls into the same category or Sobe and Arizona for me. I'll buy it if I'my out and need a drink right now.
Dwarf (again) - I am not a beer or really any alcohol drinker, so a brewery wouldn't be of interest to me personally...but a coffee roaster or farm would be cool. Or tea farm, obviously. I don't have a lot of time to check those locations out right now, but I will see if they're here later.
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Sadly due to an illness and a very long hospital stay alcohol and fizzy drinks are strongly not recommended, so brewery and wine tours are out. I have lost my taste for coffee and chocolate (I tried so hard over Easter to regain my taste for chocolates but nada)... Tea has been my saviour.
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I haven't done a high tea sadly.... It's considered slightly "unmanly" or a female bonding activity, from male friends who have gone to high tea they said they felt under dressed out of place and unwelcome. That combined with high tea being a fashionable place to kick off a hens night then I haven't felt the urge.
To paraphrase the offensive T-shirt: Gender roles are stupid, throw rocks at them . :)
@Thegreenteagamer: What about Honest Tea?
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I might get my mates to give it a try, my wife has been to a few (mostly as the start of hens nights), I have always been jealous of her descriptions of the goodies on offer.
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@Thegreenteagamer: What about Honest Tea?
I have had a couple of Honest Teas. It was not unpleasant. Definitely tasted a lot less like sugar water than most brands. I'm actually suprised it has lasted in America as long as it has, considering that. Most drinks that aren't sugar water don't tend to make it.
Don't get me wrong, I have a fondness for soda and sweet drinks too, but as I'm firmly entrenched in my 30s now, I can't chug it like I could as a kid. Well...I mean, I can, but my stomach hates me after if I do. I had three cans of various soda and some Doritos about a week ago and I felt like crap for hours until I ate some real food and drank about a quart or two of water.
Tea has been my go to since trying to kick the soda habit for years (and failing repeatedly until ultimately settling on cutting back by a huge percentage), but nutritionally speaking, if you don't make it yourself it's almost the same thing as soda with most major brands. So I'm actually pretty glad to see Honest Teas making a name for itself. Many other companies have tried the same path and failed.
Which reminds me - If Big Lots is near you, it's a great place to get high quality teas for dirt cheap. Brands fail all the time, or get over stocked, or out of season, or whatnot, and BL usually carries all of those categories. I once bought a 200+ bags box of some crazy good green tea from a brand I'd never heard of (and can't remember right now) for like two bucks there. Even crappy tea at a penny a bag is a good deal, but this was actually some pretty good stuff. I've also gotten quite a few failed can and bottle brands there, many of which I was sad to learn of their demise upon purchase.
Oh, and Steaz makes a phenomenal green tea based cola soda, or at least they used to; I haven't been able to find Steaz non-diet sodas for a few years. Their plain canned tea is mediocre.
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Fun fact - My RPG box where I keep my minis is a box for a Japanese tea ceremony kit which I received as a gift many a year ago. I have since lost the little clay cup, drank the Heck out of the tea itself (can't remember the name of that style, but the mega potent finely ground powder stuff with a mule's kick worth of caffeine in it), and ruined the little stirrer in the dishwasher. The accompanying book is on my bookshelf somewhere, and the box is probably equal parts duct tape and original material by now, due to miniatures and dice being considerably heavier than the original contents. I will have to replace it soon.
I also have an elegantly carved wooden case with red velvet lining that originally held a huge variety of super potent flavored teas within which I keep letters from my wife. The best part? Years later you can still smell the strong scents of the teas that permeated into the velvet and now encase my letters.
(When people find out you like tea they all start telling one another, and every Christmas I end up with enough to last half the year. I'm not complaining!)
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Twinings isnt bad for baggie tea but I usually keep a lot of quality loose leaf on hand. Right now I have two kinds of earl grey, peach-ginger black, machu pichu white, and some type of Darjeeling. This is my local shop.
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Tea bags are weird. You can find good tea in bags, especially when you're on the British Isles, but it's pretty rare in continental Europe. The tea in most of them leaves a dry feeling in my throat.
I prefer loose tea and it has to be strong. Assam and Ceylon mostly, although my store offers a strong Kenian sort and a delicious Java OP Superior. My everyday tea is "Ostfriesentee" (East Frisian Tea), which is a very strong blend of a minimum of 10 different sorts.
I also like flavoured sorts of the non-fruit variety (except for orange flavour); my favourite being Earl Grey.
As for brands, Lipton and Tetley's are obviously crap and I feel that Twinnings is only acceptable when you can get the non-export stuff. Bünting produces quite a few decent to very good teas, as do Lyons and Bewleys.
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Loose tea is definitely better. No question about that.
I am also a confirmed Lapsang fan - that's probably my favourite, but I also very much enjoy Russian Caravan (that I buy from a Russian shop, not that that makes it taste any different) and various oolongs, which are a nice halfway house between green & black tea, with a distinctive flavour of their own. I bought Lapsang Oolong once, which was a tannin-rich dream come true.
For teabags, Yorkshire tea or nothing.
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I have found yunnans to be my favoite variety recently. A lot less bitter than dark blends the English and Irish teas tend to be. I also love herbal spiced teas, typically orange, clove, ginger types. There are a couple great loose leaf places around here, so I mostly drink that, but in a pinch Biggalow, Twinings, and Celestial Seasonings are not bad.
As for Lipton, they do not waste tea. They buy the waste that higher quality brands don't want, and the things that fall through the filters. They basically get the powders that fall off the good leaves.
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I am also a fan of loose tea. I have a steel mesh ball and chain that doesn't get nearly enough use.
Part of the problem is my perception of the price. I know it is not more expensive by weight than bagged stuff is without the bag factored in, but when you throw down twenty dollars and end up with a handful of product it's considerably demotivating. The fact that such a handful can be distributed into a huge amount of cups is not really at the front of your mind when you visually assess your purchase.
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Your name isn't Greatgreengamer, wow! I was way off:-)
More a Coffee person myself, still good stuff :-)
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Lapsang Suchong is amazing stuff, like campfire turned into tea!
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I am also a fan of loose tea. I have a steel mesh ball and chain that doesn't get nearly enough use.
Part of the problem is my perception of the price. I know it is not more expensive by weight than bagged stuff is without the bag factored in, but when you throw down twenty dollars and end up with a handful of product it's considerably demotivating. The fact that such a handful can be distributed into a huge amount of cups is not really at the front of your mind when you visually assess your purchase.
I can walk to a place that sells it in 2oz quantities for as little as $4, depending on variety. Depending on type, it can make anywhere from 10 to 30 cups. The other place near me only sells it in 1/2 lb bags, so I don't buy nearly as much from them since that can be 15-20.
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I like jasmine green tea. Great hot tea.
Though Chai with milk...hard to beat.
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I appreciate the low or no sugar in Honest Tea, it is a commercial favorite of mine as I am an American. But when it comes down to it, I prefer making my own tea, as I am about as anti-sugar as a person can get. Unless it comes pre-mixed and beyond my control, I use no sugar in any tea I make, and of course, I am a black coffee (never flavored coffee) person as well.
I like jasmine green tea. Great hot tea.
Though Chai with milk...hard to beat.
Jasmine is too bitter for my taste, but to each their own.
The first loose leaf I ever had was jasmine, and as a result I was not convinced of the quality of loose leaf over bagged for quite a while...
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Your name isn't Greatgreengamer, wow! I was way off:-)
More a Coffee person myself, still good stuff :-)
I am a coffee fan as well (if you couldn't tell by my commands). I prefer a light roast. I have about a third of a bag of Jamaican Blue Mountain left, my second favorite. I prefer Hawaiian Kona, but Colombian is probably the best easy to find stuff IMO. I'll drink almost any origin or blend, though.
As for to-go stuff, I am convinced of the superiority of Dunkin Donuts over Starbucks by both flavor and price. Nearly half the cost for a cup twice as big with much better flavor.
I have only recently learned to appreciate a darker roast. I think it's easier to make a good light roast taste good than a dark roast? I used to think dark roasts were too bitter, until I had some organic free trade one...can't remember the name.
.Raven something...it was at a local competitor of Whole Foods. Great stuff. This local competitor is great, because unlike Whole Foods, you can get some stuff at regular grocery store prices...and they have a coffee shop inside with cups for only a dollar! (50c if you bring your own cup.) Sadly it only has two locations, neither one anywhere near me, so I rarely get to go there.
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Dunkin' Donuts coffee tastes pretty bad to me. I prefer Joe Muggs (the Books a Million brand) over both.
Circle K coffee is actually surprisingly good, and they have like 79 cent refills on the really big ones.
I drink coffee mostly for the flavor of the stuff IN it, so this is from the perspective of someone whose "black coffee"is nearly syrup, and who orders only stuff like "Dark Chocolate Raspberry latte" or "Mudslide Mocha".
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Dunkin' Donuts coffee tastes pretty bad to me. I prefer Joe Muggs (the Books a Million brand) over both.
Circle K coffee is actually surprisingly good, and they have like 79 cent refills on the really big ones.
I drink coffee mostly for the flavor of the stuff IN it, so this is from the perspective of someone whose "black coffee"is nearly syrup, and who orders only stuff like "Dark Chocolate Raspberry latte" or "Mudslide Mocha".
I started on the syrup side of things. Eventually I developed a taste for the coffee itself as I got used to it. Cheap coffee I need to drown in cream, flavor and sugar. I have had a few cups I can drink with no cream or flavor and only a spoonful of sugar to cut the bitterness, but that stuff is pretty dang pricy - beyond what I'm willing to pay to keep around the house.
Dunkin uses excellent product, but given they're a fast food company that doesn't pay it's employees too well, their employees don't usually care as much as, say, Starbucks, (known for above average pay and exceptional benefits for part time) so they can end up burning the beans, or making it too strong, or otherwise attributing user error. A poorly made cup of coffee can ruin even the best products. I'm fortunate the Dunkin by my house does a great job, but the one by my work is just plain awful.
Last time I got coffee at BAM I enjoyed it. I don't really hit bookstores enough to frequent it, though. Good library system in town.
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I end up purchasing a new book every week or so, or stocking up on 4-5 books once a month, depending on the distance to the store.
As for coffee, the higher quality blends I can drink without too much sweetening (Gevalia and Starbucks brand ground coffee, for example) so I keep a small bag of Columbian or something in my cabinet to drink every now and then. I make a pot every few weekends, especially if coffee drinking friends are coming over.
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I am also a fan of loose tea. I have a steel mesh ball and chain that doesn't get nearly enough use.
Part of the problem is my perception of the price. I know it is not more expensive by weight than bagged stuff is without the bag factored in, but when you throw down twenty dollars and end up with a handful of product it's considerably demotivating. The fact that such a handful can be distributed into a huge amount of cups is not really at the front of your mind when you visually assess your purchase.
Ah yeah Ive had several of these conversations before. I remember when I was a smoker and would take breaks at night. Some folks would run over to the market to buy a single pack nearly nightly. I asked why they didnt buy by the carton? "Too expensive; cant afford it" was always the reply.
A friend lived in the same apartment building for a few years back in college. We would grill on Sunday nights. He always got the biggest cheapest steak he could get. He would laugh at my puny steak next to his. I gave him a taste once and he couldn't believe how much better a NY strip was compared to a .50 cent a pound butt steak.
Basically two things, quality stuff cost more but its always better. Also, when you can buy in bulk you will be better off. Most folks need to get out of the "more is better" and "bulk is too much money at once" mindset. Sure you can get a box of Twinnings for like $2.50 which is fine, but I'd rather have a loose leaf earl grey that might cost me 5 bucks for two ounces, but tastes just so damn much better. YMMV
-cheers
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You're 100% correct Pan. I know the difference, even if at the time I don't pay attention. There are two other factors at play as well. 1. Most of the tea I have comes as gifts, as I explained earlier, and 2. When I buy my own tea I would rather walk across the street to the grocery store than drive across town to the specialty shop. (I'm not big on driving.) So again, bags end up what is available...although maybe I should take up ordering online, as was earlier suggested.
Dreaming of the day that I can again find the amazing Kalahari red tea I had bout 5 years back, only ever found one box, and it is long gone.
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Celestial Seasonings has a decent Kalahari red for a very affordable price. They have a blend with honey and vanilla that's quite smooth.
And that little bit of threadsurrection may be the first necromancy spell that ever used rooibos as a spell component.
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Bro! I'm... I'm so jacked up right now! Man! Bro! Dude we should totally get some Gyros and totally hit on some chicks!! F@&~ing A man!!!
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Mostly drink Chinese tea or green tea here, I take english teas without milk or sugar. Coffee is blasphemous and should be avoided like plague!
Most people find jasmine tea and green teas easier on their palates then tie guan ying / pu erh, though I like them all.