Teach me about Tea!

[donn_]

My wife is a life-long tea drinker, and she's gotten me drinking it over the past few weeks. I know very little about it, but am enjoying it, and want to learn more.

Her standard fare is Red Rose, in bags, and that's what I started on. Our local grocery had a sale on Twinings bags recently, and we bought a box of Irish Breakfast and Lapsong Souchong. I love Irish Breakfast, and like LS, although the smoky flavor is taking some getting used to.

Questions:

Is loose tea worth it?

Is Twinings a good brand?

Is Tea from online shops like Stash and Adagio worth trying?

What else do I need to know?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Norm]

Is loose tea worth it? Yes but probably inconvenient for every day use.

Is Twinings a good brand? A very good brand.

Is Tea from online shops like Stash and Adagio worth trying? Don't know the store.

What else do I need to know? Lapsong Souchong is an acquired taste, not for me.

How are you drinking your tea? black, milk, sugar?
Norm

 

[jeffb]

Hi donn,

I like and drink Tea (usually iced, but also "hot tea").

The Republic of Tea
Web site click here

has quality tea, IMO

I brew iced in a pitcher that they sell with this tea

Republic Darjeeling Full Leaf (3.5 oz)
The Champagne of Teas --This Darjeeling tea blend has the smooth character of second flush leaves with the deep qualities of third flush leaves, resulting in a full, round cup.

Using loose tea seems easy to me with the right accessories.

brew baskets and pitchers
here

Have also ordered from Special Teas and their Tea is very good.
here

Interestingly to me, the tea in bags from Republic is in a round bag.

jeffb

 

[shakeylegs]

Hi donn,
The brand of tea is very important as tea quality can vary tremendously. The following sources provide high quality teas and lots of information. I've just purchased from mighty leaf and special teas. Prompt and professional both. Harney and Ahmad I purchase locally so have no experience with the sites but the teas are very good. I'd recommend bulk as price per pound goes way down and you generally get whole leaf as opposed to powder (found in many bagged products). You can find do-it-yourself tea bags or simply get a metal tea ball to use with bulk tea. I generally buy about a pound at a time and it lasts all year. To get started, try to arrange a sampler that will expose you to a number of different teas. Once you find the ones you like, buy in quantity.

http://www.specialteas.com/
http://www.mightyleaf.com/
http://www.harney.com/
http://www.ahmadtea.com/

Earl Grey is one of my all time favorites. Orange Dulce from Mightyleaf is my latest craze. For bagged tea I enjoy Red Rose if it is the imported box. Ahmad's bagged teas are also fine. Read up a bit, then order a variety of basic teas and create your own blend. Yunnan, Assam, and Keemum with some Darjeeling comprise my own favorite house blend. I'm partial to black teas and occasionally appreciate the more delicate white teas. The semi fermented oolongs are also a nice treat.

If you don't have a decent teapot, invest in one. We often leave a full teapot to warm gently over a very low burner - after a few hours of infusing, you have a very strong essence which you use sparingly with the addition of more hot water in your cup. The flavor is remarkably rich and you can serve several people at a time.

 

[Norm]

I found this link and it is the way I make tea.
http://www.veg-world.com/articles/make-tea.htm

 

[baterija]

What else do I need to know?

Things I learned from my great grandmother who came over from England when my grandmother was 5, and lived till I was in HS:
- pour water onto the tea leaves, don't add the tea to hot water
- remove the tea leaves when it's properly steeped...leaving them sit to long increases bitterness (Steeping time depends on the tea and coarseness of the leaves. Finer cuts need less time.) I've seen and experienced different practices from different cultures, including loose green tea right in the pot. This was her rule though. I think the biggest lesson is different steeping times can change flavor not just strength.
- warm the pot or cup initially with some hot water that you swirl around and discard (I don't do this. Frankly I think it has more to do with disinfecting/cleaning from before sanitary practices were what they are today.)

 

[donn_]

Thanks for the replies and links! :twothumbs

I had a feeling flashoholics would be as discerning about tea as flashlights.

I spent a couple of hours with Google and the Web, and am amazed at the amount of information available online. It seems tea is like wine in diversity and opinions.

I'll keep studying, and look toward building my own blends from loose tea.

Shaky..I like the idea of tea concentrate! I'm home all day, and it sounds like a good way to have a fresh hot cuppa whenever I like. It might be a good application for a small crockpot. Just ladle out a little concentrate, and fill with hot water.

 

[9volt]

I'm no expert but I've had good luck with the igenuitea thing from Adagio. It makes using loose tea easy.

 

[Saaby]

I only drink herbals (Rooibos, Honeysickle, and a variety of other Herbals)...that said...

Loose teas are wonderful. The people at Adagio say that bagged teas use what is essentially tea-dust. That might be marketing speak, but that's what they say.

I love the Adagio loose teas enough, in fact, that for Christmas I gave all the family some herbals and a french press.


Adagio charges like $3 for shipping if your order is under a certain amount, so their shipping isn't bad, and their prices seem really reasonable I think. I started with one of their Samplers, and just recently ordered a tin and a bag. I ordered a tin of Spearmint and I'm very pleased with the tin. It's got a pretty clear lid so you can see your tea, and the lid says it's UV-proof so light won't degrade your teas. I wish I would have been able to order 2 tins, but with Christmas they were out of the tin for one of my teas and I had to order a bag instead.


I don't mean to sound like a walking talking advertisement for Adagio, but if you decide you want to try and order from Adagio, drop me a line via email and I can send you a $5-off coupon.

The $5 off coupon is a promo, I can send one to anybody that asks.


(In the spirit of full transparency, I think if 5 or 6 people that I send coupons to actually place an order, I get a $5 off or something, but



They have single sampler-tins for $2-$3 or sampler sets for ~$10-$13, so for $1 and change you can get a single sampler tin or for $4 or $5 you can get several flavors to try.

Also if you are a member of FatWallet you can get like 5 or 6% off at Adagio.

 

[Saaby]

Seeing somebody mention blends...

Sorry, last thing about Adagio I swear!

If you like to make your own blends, they have a feature on their site that you can make your own blend of any combination of teas on the site, so that's fun and cool too.

 

[Robocop]

My g/f is a routine tea drinker and says to try teadog.com for a few ideas. She is a fan of a brand known as Lyons Gold Blend and drinks it with a little milk and splenda sweetener.

Harney and PG Tips are also two other brands however all of these are best drank as hot tea.....Being from the south sweet iced tea is my favorite and Lipton or Tetley is good when cold. I also like Hill and Brooks however can not find it local anymore.

 

[shakeylegs]

I also like Hill and Brooks however can not find it local anymore.

Robocop,
Here's their link:
http://www.coffeehouse.com/coffeehouses/Pooler_GA_31322/Hill+and+Brooks+Coffee+Co_10757.htm

Here's their "where to find" link
http://www.coffeehouse.com/store/shopdisplaycategories.asp?id=18&cat=Tea

Looks like you can order right off the website.


PS A list of Birmingham coffee houses that are supposed to sell their products.
http://www.coffeehouse.com/coffeehouses/Birmingham_AL.htm

 

[Robocop]

Shakylegs thanks for the links however I have tried to find various dealers and several on that list all claim to believe Hill & Brooks is no longer making tea.

I found some information online that showed one of the original partners had died and his family was involved in a lawsuit against the other business partner. I always thought this was one reason for their products being no longer available. It has been several years since I have been able to find any of their products however in my opinion their tea was some of the best I have had.

 

[Nyctophiliac]

- warm the pot or cup initially with some hot water that you swirl around and discard (I don't do this. Frankly I think it has more to do with disinfecting/cleaning from before sanitary practices were what they are today.)

Also to do with the lack of decent heat resistant glaze in the early days of hot drinks! That's also why you should pour the milk into the cup before the tea, stops poor glaze from cracking and staining the cup permanently.

Incidentally, my Gran used to make tea in such strength that you could stand a spoon upright in it. Your tongue was dry after drinking it, completely evaporates your mouth!!


I can't have caffeine these days (Diabetic!!) so there are limited varieties of decaff available where I am. But I love redbush, spearmint, camomile, mint, and fennel teas (do not drink more than one cup of fennel tea a day unless you want to spend the day in the toilet!!).


Be lucky...

 

[Phaserburn]

Not sure of where they sit in the world of tea quality hierarchy, but I enjoy these guys very much.

http://www.republicoftea.com/

Their black and green tea blends with fruit, spices, etc are especially good. They also make a great Earl Grey. I think their marketing is a hoot.

 

[baterija]

Also to do with the lack of decent heat resistant glaze in the early days of hot drinks! That's also why you should pour the milk into the cup before the tea, stops poor glaze from cracking and staining the cup permanently.

I completely forgot her milk first rule...which I never follow. Combined it makes a lot of sense to accomplish both purposes.

 

[NeonLights]

I started drinking hot tea about ten years ago. To keep things simple I usually just stick with Twinings, sometimes I buy from local grocery stores when they have what I want/need, but I often just buy direct from Twinings. My personal favorites are Earl Gray and Irish Breakfast, but we usually have at least 8-10 different varieties on hand.

 

[waddup]

after 3 decades of tea drinking i can tell you its all downhill from here,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pu-erh_tea

speak to dave,

831-423-4200

http://www.yelp.com/biz/chaikhana-tea-culture-santa-cruz

yes its expensive compared to the 'floor sweepings' everyone else is drinking.

but stock maglights are what ordinary people use.

and we know lights can be better then that,

right?

 

[Mike Painter]

I only drink herbals (Rooibos, Honeysickle, and a variety of other Herbals)...that said...

Loose teas are wonderful. The people at Adagio say that bagged teas use what is essentially tea-dust. That might be marketing speak, but that's what they say.

Coffee is made from coffee beans. If you make it from lima beans it is not coffee.
Tea is made from tea leaves, anything else is not tea.

Dust tea is a low-quality grade of fine grained black tea.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dust_(tea)

 

[Haz]

Loose tea is good, generally you can find higher quality tea in loose tea. However you require more cleaning, because you normally need a teapot or strainer.

Tea bags are convenient, but I tend to find lower quality tea in them. The great thing about them is the convenience of easy to make tea.

Your taste in tea will change over time as you try different leaves. It's like drinking wine, your taste bud gets better and you are able to differentiate the good from the bad!.