Anyone really into drinking Tea?

Epicurean Exploits - Food and Recipes
21

Excellent description, that is one of the things I like about it… that complex fermented note…

22

Mariage Frères, agreed is stellar.

For a total coffee-like buzz… PG Tips is rockin’.

Beyond that…

I have no idea what green teas I’ve had…but I used to have a collection that was sick…and very pricey… there are some that are sublime…I wish I had more info for you.

FWIW: Since I’m sober now… tea is a wonderful distraction… maybe it’s the tannins?

23

We drink mostly iced teas. I drink hot teas very seldom. The teas we use most are Republic of Tea. Currently we’re making our iced tea from Ginger-Peach (black), Mango Ceylon (black), and Jasmine Green Tea. When I was working I used to drink iced tea at lunch most of the time. My favorite then was Jasmine Green Tea at Lien’s Place (a Vietnamese restaurant, that i ate at a couple times a week). It was brewed in a pot with loose tea, and the pot and two glasses full of ice were brought to my table.

Now in the early afternoon (except when we go out for lunch), I have a large glass of whatever iced tea is in the refrigerator. We make a new batch every three or four days.

24

I’m drinking some Pu’Er right now. How much tea leaf should I be adding to my cup? The first couple of cups were light but I let the 3rd cup sit and holy cow it was dark and powerful.

Is Pu’Er like aged Bordeaux while Snapple Ice Tea is like oaky chardonnay? :slight_smile:

25

I have some Assam tea like that I got from an Indian store. It seems like it is either way too weak, or stronger than hell. I just make it strong and add cream, which I normally don’t do, but that’s about the only way I can drink it (although it is good).

26

We visited the Charleston Tea Plantation a few weeks ago. Really interesting. The specifically blend some 300+ varieties (eg like grape varieties) to achieve the blend they want for their signature tea. Each plot is co-planted with the varieties, so they just harvest en masse. The American Classic really is one of the best basic iced teas we’ve had.


http://www.charlestonteaplantation.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A.

27

Growing up we mostly drank tea because Dad didn’t like coffee. Turns out he should have just got better stuff, but there wasn’t as much available at the time so we stuck w tea.

Mostly I like good Darjeeling. It can have a faint floral note and usually has great aromas, with a little bit of tannin that gets way out of hand if you steep it too long. But if you get the GFOP, which is from the young leaves, it’s pretty hard to beat. A while ago Twinings had a special blend of Darjeeling but I haven’t seen that for about 20 years. The better ones aren’t completely fermented either, so they’ve got a touch of Oolong that helps.

The Assam teas are a little less impressive usually, but that’s kind of like saying “California wine”. I think it’s the largest tea growing area and it covers a lot of different quality teas. Still, sometimes they’re OK but at their best, and I’m no expert, I’ve never liked them as much as great Darjeeling. They tend to be less complex and interesting and a lot of them go into various blends like English Breakfast tea, although that can pretty much include anything.

Keemum is completely different and for me, sometimes has a fruity taste and lacks some of the tannins of Darjeeling. Again, there are all kinds of quality parameters and when I went into a shop in Chinatown to buy some a couple weeks ago, I learned that I could pay over $60 an ounce.

Those are mostly what we drink.

Can’t stand most Lapsang Souchong - I detest that smoked flavor. I like the idea of green tea and once in a while make a cup of jasmine tea, but rarely.

And I’m glad that people stuck to real tea and not those blends of dried leaves/flowers that have nothing to do with tea leaves. [swearing.gif]

28

If you like Darjeeling, Assam, and other Indian teas you can go crazy at Upton Tea.

They have all these letters like GFBOP which I have never quite learned to decode.

Darjeeling has a beautiful red color but it kind of makes my stomach hurt, there is a brightness that seems a little – distracting or something.

I seem to like Chinese and Taiwanese better. Oh, I didn’t mention Da Hong Pao, Big Red Robe. That’s very nice stuff.

29

I’m an tea addict and drink 5-6 teas a day and at any time I have at least 20 different kinds of tea. I prefer loose leaf teas and I always brew them in my cast Iron tetsubin . I have Darjeeling in the morning, first thing when i wake up and that tea needs to be brewed with boiling water. In course of the day I usually have green tea, Sencha or Gyokuro, which is my favorite and brewing temperature is very important (around 60f). I buy mine from this site http://www.umami-chaya.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; and they ship from Japan, expensive as hell but worth every single penny if you ask me. They come in small 50g vacuum packages. In late afternoon I always have white needle tea. I always have cup or two a day of Hibiscus tea which is very acquired taste as is sour but is good for lowering blood pressure and cholesterol. For my kids instead of soda I make ice tea which consist of German Chamomile and Peppermint tea that i serve them with dinner.

30

I love green tea. My favorite is Barnes and Watson Spring Dragon. Has good complexity and flavor. Buy it loose leaf or in the foil pack. For whatever reason, if you get it in the pillow pouch, it is not as good. Almost tastes like black tea that way.

I like organic JAde Coud loose leaf as well, but I am not sure whose tea that is. I don’t think it is ABrnes and watson, though.

31

Leo


Very very cool. You’ve got great style!

32

I like Rishi’s Citron Oolong, their green tea, and the basic Oolong.

Sometimes the lemon blossoms are toow fragrant in the Citron Oolong, so, I mix some of the basic Oolong with the Citron blossomed version.

I let it steep at 195F for 3-4 minutes, add raw local honey, and it is off to the races.

33

I drink lots of Yamamotyama green, genmai cha, and hoji (roasted) teas as well as tea from Peerless coffee in Oakland. The smoky “Russian Caravan” is very good…they sell online.

34

I drink tea each and every day. Coffee about twice a month.

My daily tea is Yorkshire Gold but when I go to London, I always head home with Fortnum & Mason’s Regent’s Blend (which I pull out for special occasions or when I need a little lift).

I am lucky to live in San Francisco for my Oriental tea; I go to Red Blossom for truly amazing Jasmine Pearl and Chrysanthemum.

I have to admit that at Rhone Rangers, Numi was handing out packets of of Chocolate Puerh which really surprised me!

35

I would 2nd this recommendation. I have them add a little extra silver needle and the jasmine pearl. It makes the tea a little more balanced IMO. Although they can never figure out how to charge me as it requires them to use basic math.

George

36

had any kidney stones yet, Leo? Tea has a lot of oxalate and is one of the things stone formers need to moderate.
alan

37

I very much enjoy a good black tea for breakfast, straight up (no milk or anything else). Somehow the tannins are very penetrating yet refreshing and that taste serves as a kind of marking point for the morning.

38

If I had to choose a favorite I’d go with Second Flush Darjeeling. For ordering I usually use Upton or TeaGschwendner.

I picked up some very nice green teas at a shop in SF that will brew small samples of tea for you before you buy. Unfortunately I don’t remember their names :frowning:

39

Leeenda, I am not a tea drinker, but people who are seem to like this producer:
http://www.gypsytea.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

disclosure: I sell it

40

Hey Linda! Already lots of great responses here.

On the Darjeelings and the other teas with the lettering. ‘FOP’ stands for “flowery orange pekoe”. T is for “tippy”—just the tips of the leaves used, I think, another “F” is for “first flush” and “G” may be “green”.

I’m quite particular about my darjeelings, my favourites have been Goomtee and Glenburn Estate, the real expensive stuff like Singhilli and Jungpala (last I saw it some 20 years ago, it was $90 an ounce) I actually don’t like.

You haven’t had Lapsang? Well, try it first. I tend to add a little bit to get some hickory taste if I’m boiling potatoes. [basic-smile.gif] I love Islay whiskies too, but you won’t catch me drinking Lapsang straight. I can’t bring myself to love Pu-Erh, despite how good it is for you. “Poo-Erh” is my moniker for it. Oops, prejudices showing! I do like a flavoured Rooibos every once in a while.

Monkey Pick Oolong is a go-to for me, Da Hong Bao is the bomb, wish I could source some. Assam is almost all on the strong side for me, my favourite there is Sewpur, which I find has an interesting fruity counterpoint on the taste.

Plenty of other Chinese tea, I’m a big fan of Silver Needles and white teas. I also use Dragon Phoenix Pearl Jasmine extensively as a cure-all. And that stuff keeps forever. My current loose-leaf bag is at least 7 years old and still just as potent. And of course Dragon Well (Lung Ching). Who doesn’t love Dragon Well, eh Linda? [wink.gif] (BTW, I finally, a few weeks ago, finished off the stuff I bought on that visit with you at the Ferry Docks back last year).

I do like Ceylon teas and certain Japanese teas—not many Senchas and no Genmaicha for me—if I want popcorn, I’ll buy popcorn. Emperor Gyokuro is very nice. I’ve tried to get the hang of matcha but haven’t quite been able to do it. Some of the higher-end Kenyan teas (main ingredient in Irish Breakfast IIRC) like Milima estate can also be good.

Frank, with Japanese teas, my own experience is that you have to be ultra-precise on just how long you let them steep, and it’s trial by error.

My everyday tea, if I had to choose one, is currently a keemun called Golden Monkey. But I’m going to pop some Glenburn in the cup this morning.

cheers,