Food and Drink Tea drinkers... chime in - Page 3

Stewie · 10-25-2014, 03:35 PM

I used to drink a lot of tea while working on the farm when I was younger (1970s-80s). It was probably a lower quality tea since we were out in the middle of nowhere and you get what you get.

I recently asked for tea as my beverage at a decent restaurant. Wow! It was really good! I asked about it and the waitress said it was a black/green tea mix steeped in boiling water.

My question is: Is it the tea or the preparation... or both? Are there any brands that are better than others? Lipton seems to dominate the market, but as in all things "food related" the biggest seller isn't always the best thing.

Chime in please.

**Saulbadguy** · 10-25-2014, 05:05 PM

One of the few food/beverages I really dislike. It just tastes like tainted water to me. I really enjoy coffee, though.

**Donger** · 10-25-2014, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vailpass

Jesus. That would put me back to bed and I wouldn't eat again for a day...

That's not a normal amount, at least for my family. It was toast, baked beans, bacon, sausage and egg. And, fried tomatoes, which I didn't eat. We also didn't have lunch that day.

It was a treat, really.

BucEyedPea · 10-25-2014, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stewie

I used to drink a lot of tea while working on the farm when I was younger (1970s-80s). It was probably a lower quality tea since we were out in the middle of nowhere and you get what you get.

I recently asked for tea as my beverage at a decent restaurant. Wow! It was really good! I asked about it and the waitress said it was a black/green tea mix steeped in boiling water.

My question is: Is it the tea or the preparation... or both? Are there any brands that are better than others? Lipton seems to dominate the market, but as in all things "food related" the biggest seller isn't always the best thing.

Chime in please.

Well, I like Lipton for daily use such as a big pot of iced-tea in summer. No, it's not the best.

The best tea I've ever had was always in England and it wasn't that so-called "English Breakfast Tea" which I find foul-tasting. I think it's part the type of tea and how they brew it by having it sit in a ceramic pot on the table. I've never been able to replicate it though. Same with their wonderful dairy and cream. Maybe it's the difference in the water?

Closest I could come to it is another wonderful tea called Darjeeling. That's because I enjoy a light-bodied floral tea. It's wonderful. This thread reminds me to buy it again. I've not had it in years.

Chia tea is another but I can't find the original one I ever had, nor can I remember the brand but none taste the same. Chai tea, for some reason, tastes best with soy milk. Don't know why. It must be because the first cup I ever had used it. It was served to me by my Sikh chiropractor's office which was in Cambridge. It was wonderful.

**Donger** · 10-25-2014, 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cosmo20002

I nailed that one.

No offense, but that's like predicting that I'll show up in a crude oil thread.

BucEyedPea · 10-25-2014, 05:35 PM

I am not crazy about green tea tho' and I have a ton of it from Costco still sittin' in the cupboard or garage maybe. Never had it mixed with black though and it did taste better with lemon. I wouldn't think to ever put milk or cream in green tea tho.'

BucEyedPea · 10-25-2014, 05:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donger

It was toast, baked beans, bacon, sausage and egg. And, fried tomatoes, which I didn't eat. We also didn't have lunch that day.

It was a treat, really.

A very English breakfast with the beans and fried tomato in there. When I saw that on my plate in England, those two baffled me.

BucEyedPea · 10-25-2014, 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fire Me Boy!

Wrong thread?

Tea came with it tho.' It's on the table but missed the viewfinder.

Lonewolf Ed · 10-25-2014, 05:42 PM

Unless I am sick, I only drink hot tea in autumn and winter. I like Twining's English breakfast and Earl Grey, both with honey and lemon juice. When I am sick, I have green tea. At Christmas, I like some of the Christmas teas with ginger and cloves.

BucEyedPea · 10-25-2014, 05:49 PM

If you really want to try other teas, might as well try Darjeeling, Stewie.

Here's a good write-up on it's magnificence.

What's the deal with Darjeeling, and why is it so highly prized? It's a Chinese tea that grows in India with flavors of French grapes and Himalayan mountain air. It can taste more like wine than other tea. Even if you're not a tea drinker, good Darjeeling is so interesting that it's really worth a try. If your only Darjeeling experiences have been with blended teas, added flavors, or the dark bitterness of over-brewing, there's a lot more to it that's worth sipping.

Darjeeling is frequently called the "Champagne of teas," with musky-sweet tasting notes similar to muscat wine. But it can also have delicate vegetal, mossy, fruity, and citrus flavors. Though Darjeeling is an Indian-grown tea (from, you got it, Darjeeling), the leaves are actually Chinese. "Most tea plants in Darjeeling are of the smaller leaf Camellia sinensis var. sinensis, rather than the larger leaf var. assamica, more commonly grown throughout the rest of India," explains Jim Schreiber, a tea and beverage operations manager.

"While classified as a black tea, Darjeeling teas are almost always less oxidized than a typical black tea," says Schreiber. The unique flavor of Darjeeling comes from Chinese tea genetics mixing with Indian terroir—plus the intricacies of harvesting and processing. It's lighter and less astringent than most black tea, but more layered and complex than most greens.

The same Darjeeling tea from the same plantation will taste different depending on when it's harvested. These periodic harvests, called flushes, span the tea growing season, punctuated by the regular high mountain rains. From the first to the last harvest, the general flavor trend is light and delicate to robust and full-bodied. The second flush from the more mature plant is where the big wine-like flavors come out, but the highly prized first flush, which uses the very youngest leaves, is where you can find some really interesting, delicate, and smooth arboreal-minty-fresh mountain air flavors.

http://drinks.seriouseats.com/2012/0...rst-flush.html

listopencil · 10-25-2014, 09:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donger

Tea? Earl Grey, hot.

Yes.

listopencil · 10-25-2014, 09:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donger

Oh God...

Would plow.

ChiefsLV · 10-25-2014, 10:01 PM

Earl Grey hot with milk and sugar is my go-to when I don't want the heavy coffee jolt. Also do various chai teas, pu-erh, and blooming teas

Pitt Gorilla · 10-25-2014, 10:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stewie

I used to drink a lot of tea while working on the farm when I was younger (1970s-80s). It was probably a lower quality tea since we were out in the middle of nowhere and you get what you get.

I recently asked for tea as my beverage at a decent restaurant. Wow! It was really good! I asked about it and the waitress said it was a black/green tea mix steeped in boiling water.

My question is: Is it the tea or the preparation... or both? Are there any brands that are better than others? Lipton seems to dominate the market, but as in all things "food related" the biggest seller isn't always the best thing.

Chime in please.

It's both, but preparation is key.

Just Passin' By · 10-25-2014, 11:30 PM

There is a wide variety of tea available. I use loose leaf tea, rather than tea bags. A company like Teavana

http://www.teavana.com/

can get you started, both with basic teas and a variety of flavored teas chai/rooibos/herbal teas. I've usually got between 6 and 12 different teas on hand at any one time, since I don't drink coffee and tea is my hot beverage of choice.

Preparation is important, but there's no sense in you going crazy about it unless you find you really like teas.

The general temperatures are:

175 degrees for White Tea
175 degrees for Green Tea
195 degrees for Oolong Tea
195 degrees for Black Tea
208 degrees for Herbal Tea
208 degrees for Rooibos Tea
208 degrees for Mate Tea

How to brew loose leaf tea

Cornstock · 10-26-2014, 12:08 AM

Jasmine tea is amazing. You can buy it at hyvee in bulk like you do coffee. It's expensive, but if you get a dimwit to ring it up as coffee you can get $10 worth of tea for 84 cents

10-25-2014, 03:35 PM
Stewie MVP Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: West of the Equator Casino cash: $-1880099	Tea drinkers... chime in I used to drink a lot of tea while working on the farm when I was younger (1970s-80s). It was probably a lower quality tea since we were out in the middle of nowhere and you get what you get. I recently asked for tea as my beverage at a decent restaurant. Wow! It was really good! I asked about it and the waitress said it was a black/green tea mix steeped in boiling water. My question is: Is it the tea or the preparation... or both? Are there any brands that are better than others? Lipton seems to dominate the market, but as in all things "food related" the biggest seller isn't always the best thing. Chime in please.
Posts: 13,888

10-25-2014, 05:05 PM	#31
Saulbadguy When a nightmare becomes real Join Date: Nov 2003 Casino cash: $736966	One of the few food/beverages I really dislike. It just tastes like tainted water to me. I really enjoy coffee, though. __________________ http://www.goemaw.com
Posts: 47,020

10-25-2014, 05:35 PM	#35
BucEyedPea Here comes Peter Cottontail! Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: None of your business Casino cash: $-350037	I am not crazy about green tea tho' and I have a ton of it from Costco still sittin' in the cupboard or garage maybe. Never had it mixed with black though and it did taste better with lemon. I wouldn't think to ever put milk or cream in green tea tho.' __________________ Hello, Bearcat. Two Questions: Are you Malcor? Because call-out threads don't get moved to the Romper Room, but asking who Malcor is, as in being mult was moved there. Only a mod can do that. Why is DC getting over-moderated these days?
Posts: 168,548

10-25-2014, 05:42 PM	#38
Lonewolf Ed Veteran Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Olathe, KS Casino cash: $10606233	Unless I am sick, I only drink hot tea in autumn and winter. I like Twining's English breakfast and Earl Grey, both with honey and lemon juice. When I am sick, I have green tea. At Christmas, I like some of the Christmas teas with ginger and cloves.
Posts: 3,774

10-25-2014, 05:49 PM	#39
BucEyedPea Here comes Peter Cottontail! Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: None of your business Casino cash: $-350037	If you really want to try other teas, might as well try Darjeeling, Stewie. Here's a good write-up on it's magnificence. What's the deal with Darjeeling, and why is it so highly prized? It's a Chinese tea that grows in India with flavors of French grapes and Himalayan mountain air. It can taste more like wine than other tea. Even if you're not a tea drinker, good Darjeeling is so interesting that it's really worth a try. If your only Darjeeling experiences have been with blended teas, added flavors, or the dark bitterness of over-brewing, there's a lot more to it that's worth sipping. Darjeeling is frequently called the "Champagne of teas," with musky-sweet tasting notes similar to muscat wine. But it can also have delicate vegetal, mossy, fruity, and citrus flavors. Though Darjeeling is an Indian-grown tea (from, you got it, Darjeeling), the leaves are actually Chinese. "Most tea plants in Darjeeling are of the smaller leaf Camellia sinensis var. sinensis, rather than the larger leaf var. assamica, more commonly grown throughout the rest of India," explains Jim Schreiber, a tea and beverage operations manager. "While classified as a black tea, Darjeeling teas are almost always less oxidized than a typical black tea," says Schreiber. The unique flavor of Darjeeling comes from Chinese tea genetics mixing with Indian terroir—plus the intricacies of harvesting and processing. It's lighter and less astringent than most black tea, but more layered and complex than most greens. The same Darjeeling tea from the same plantation will taste different depending on when it's harvested. These periodic harvests, called flushes, span the tea growing season, punctuated by the regular high mountain rains. From the first to the last harvest, the general flavor trend is light and delicate to robust and full-bodied. The second flush from the more mature plant is where the big wine-like flavors come out, but the highly prized first flush, which uses the very youngest leaves, is where you can find some really interesting, delicate, and smooth arboreal-minty-fresh mountain air flavors. http://drinks.seriouseats.com/2012/0...rst-flush.html __________________ Hello, Bearcat. Two Questions: Are you Malcor? Because call-out threads don't get moved to the Romper Room, but asking who Malcor is, as in being mult was moved there. Only a mod can do that. Why is DC getting over-moderated these days?
Posts: 168,548

10-25-2014, 10:01 PM	#42
ChiefsLV Veteran Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Las Vegas, NV Casino cash: $6082003	Earl Grey hot with milk and sugar is my go-to when I don't want the heavy coffee jolt. Also do various chai teas, pu-erh, and blooming teas
Posts: 1,001

10-25-2014, 11:30 PM	#44
Just Passin' By In Search of a Life Join Date: Feb 2009 Casino cash: $5450524	There is a wide variety of tea available. I use loose leaf tea, rather than tea bags. A company like Teavana http://www.teavana.com/ can get you started, both with basic teas and a variety of flavored teas chai/rooibos/herbal teas. I've usually got between 6 and 12 different teas on hand at any one time, since I don't drink coffee and tea is my hot beverage of choice. Preparation is important, but there's no sense in you going crazy about it unless you find you really like teas. The general temperatures are: 175 degrees for White Tea 175 degrees for Green Tea 195 degrees for Oolong Tea 195 degrees for Black Tea 208 degrees for Herbal Tea 208 degrees for Rooibos Tea 208 degrees for Mate Tea How to brew loose leaf tea
Posts: 69,748

10-26-2014, 12:08 AM	#45
Cornstock Veteran Join Date: Oct 2008 Casino cash: $9986835	Jasmine tea is amazing. You can buy it at hyvee in bulk like you do coffee. It's expensive, but if you get a dimwit to ring it up as coffee you can get $10 worth of tea for 84 cents
Posts: 1,606