Tea

Typhoid · 03-24-2012, 10:49 PM

Do you drink it?
Favourites/Least Favourites?
Recommendations?

I like my White Chai - but I usually stick with Earl Grey because it comes in bigger boxes, and I've got to pinch my pennies.
I'm not really well-versed in Tea or anything.
I just enjoy drinking it, and I'll try anything if it intrigues me enough.

Teuthida · 03-24-2012, 11:12 PM

I make myself a jug of tea everyday. Usually some mix of black and green.

I like matcha a lot but it's too expensive for how much tea I drink.

Vampyr · 03-25-2012, 12:32 AM

No matter how good the tea is I always feel like I'm drinking something watered down.

I prefer coffee. I would even consider myself a coffee connoisseur. I buy all of my beans at a local roaster and grind them right before using them. I make my coffee in a french press. I have an espresso machine for when I'm in the mood for that.

Seth · 03-25-2012, 02:50 AM

ohhhhh the topic is tea!
I love it.
Rooibos or bust. It's superb in every variety I've tried so far.

My mainstay is green tea but I'm not slurping Japanese imports anymore.
Nettle and peppermint and ginger tea is hockey.

Chai's and Earl Grey is sooo good. For once in a while.. I like these with blender made almond milk.

yerba matte but I'ma wait til I'm older.

I'm truly an espresso man at heart. It makes me insomniatic though.

goji berries and hot-warm tea! Drink tea and throw soaked goji's in oatmeal or smoothie.

Edit: I probably drank the equivalent of 8 cups of green tea throughout the summer and I didn't burn as easily. true

Angrist · 03-25-2012, 04:15 AM

Wow ok so what kinds of tea do I drink, let's see:

Rooibos (sometimes with a lot of different tastes mixed in)
Green tea (ditto)
White tea
Black tea (English blend)
Chamomile
Mint (Moroccan usually)
Chai (with sugar and milk!)
Liquorice (although these days I'm not a fan anymore)
Several fruit teas (which is black tea with fruit taste)
Other herbal teas when I get the chance

I usually drink 2 or 4 cups a day, it really depends on the time of the year. I love it because it's cheap but tasty.

Bond · 03-25-2012, 09:47 AM

I love tea ... and all of you!

I primarily drink earl grey and green tea. One or two cups of earl grey in the morning and early-afternoon, followed by one cup of green tea after dinner.

The only thing I don't like about the summer is that it becomes hard to drink warm tea.

Fox 6 · 03-25-2012, 11:35 AM

Tea is great. I usually have a cup of green tea at work everyday. Peppermint tea is a personal favourite tho.

Typhoid · 03-25-2012, 03:13 PM

Quote:

No matter how good the tea is I always feel like I'm drinking something watered down.

This. I mean, I like tea and all - I drink maybe 5 cups a day - but occasionally I get hit with a flavour of plant-water-soup and begrudgingly drink the rest of it with the thought of "Why the fuck am I drinking plant water and animal tit-juice in a cup with crystalized chunks of plants for sweetness", and then I'll go make some coffee or something (I drink my coffee black).

But I can get 144 tea bags for 5 bucks - so right now tea is way better.

Quote:

The only thing I don't like about the summer is that it becomes hard to drink warm tea

Stupidly obvious question: Have you tried cold tea? I don't mean have you tried it tried it - but do you make it during the Summer?
I thought that same thing last year, and started brewing and storing large batches of cold tea (I believe Orange Pekoe), and on hot or muggy days I'll make up a cup of cold tea like any other cup of tea, but also add ice cubes. I actually find it tastes a little better - maybe just because the day is hot by comparison.

I'm actually going to brew some storage tea right now for cold tea consumption and iced tea. The weather is getting nice. Time to be like mustard and get prepared.

Bond · 03-25-2012, 04:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Typhoid

Stupidly obvious question: Have you tried cold tea? I don't mean have you tried it tried it - but do you make it during the Summer?
I thought that same thing last year, and started brewing and storing large batches of cold tea (I believe Orange Pekoe), and on hot or muggy days I'll make up a cup of cold tea like any other cup of tea, but also add ice cubes. I actually find it tastes a little better - maybe just because the day is hot by comparison.

I'm actually going to brew some storage tea right now for cold tea consumption and iced tea. The weather is getting nice. Time to be like mustard and get prepared.

I've heard of this, but never seriously tried it. Would you advise just brewing some earl grey and then sticking it in the refrigerator for a while? I'd assume ice cubes would dilute the taste?

Professor S · 03-25-2012, 04:30 PM

Sun tea is delicious. Simply made: On a hot summer day put tea bags in a clear jar and set it outside in the sun. Let it brew for a few hours, and then add flavors to taste. I like lemon and fresh mint.

They key is the heat. The water gets very warm in the sun but never gets close to boiling or even simmering. This brings out the best flavors of the tea and avoids all the off-flavors that can come from hot water.

Combine 017 · 03-25-2012, 04:31 PM

Im not that big a fan of green tea, its too much like warm water. I like orange peco and a lot of the berry teas. I really like vanilla black berry.

Bond · 03-25-2012, 04:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Professor S

Sun tea is delicious. Simply made: On a hot summer day put tea bags in a clear jar and set it outside in the sun. Let it brew for a few hours, and then add flavors to taste. I like lemon and fresh mint.

They key is the heat. The water gets very warm in the sun but never gets close to boiling or even simmering. This brings out the best flavors of the tea and avoids all the off-flavors that can come from hot water.

Do you think this is legitimate or nonsense?

http://www.snopes.com/food/prepare/suntea.asp

Seth · 03-25-2012, 08:45 PM

nonsense. Now, if you're brewing kombucha then bacteria's an issue. I would think the sun's UV spectrum would help kill bacteria...

Professor S · 03-25-2012, 09:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bond

Do you think this is legitimate or nonsense?

http://www.snopes.com/food/prepare/suntea.asp

Legitimate in that it is possible, but not likely at all. I've drank literally 100s of gallons of the stuff throughout my life and have never had an issue. To be honest, it's your normal CDC/FDA overreaction more written to avoid litigation than promote food safety. I do agree that you shouldn't leave the tea out for more than a few hours, but the descriptions that are given in that article describe something that has been left out overnight or longer.

Then again, I've always brewed in either well or spring water. Municipal tap water never passes my lips beyond brushing my teeth. Nasty stuff for various reasons, mainly residual bacteria and preservative chemicals not to mention the terrible taste.

Typhoid · 03-26-2012, 09:59 AM

Quote:

I've heard of this, but never seriously tried it. Would you advise just brewing some earl grey and then sticking it in the refrigerator for a while? I'd assume ice cubes would dilute the taste?

I only add the cubes because it's hot out. It definitely dilutes it, but it's cold.
I would advise that, however.
I mean hell - you're never going to know if it's worth it to start doing unless you try doing it at least once.

And I think that sun tea bacteria thing has more to do with local water and just erring on the side of caution rather than a standard rule for everyone everywhere. It just says "it can make you ill" - for a lot of people simply drinking local tap water can make you ill. So I give that one a big fucking "meh". Live a little.

Edit: Further reading on that Snope's sun tea thing leads me to believe that it's no big deal, and simply to stop people from steeping tea in dirty jars full of shitty water.