Favorite Tea?

[seamonkey]

Black tea for me, though sometimes an oolong is nice. Lightly steeped. Iced tea (nonsweetwened) is my soft drink. There are a few high quality Chinese green teas that are good, too, but generally green teas taste like lawn clippings to me. I get my teas from an importer. Americans are just (barely) waking up to the joys of fine tea, though I have been a connoisseur for many years. In the US people usually get the bagged stuff that is basically the floor sweepings, rather than the better parts of the leaf.

Did you all know that caffeine gives the bitter taste to tea and coffee? And that one's threshold for tasting this is genetic. People tend to be tasters or non-tasters, though it runs across a spectrum. Tasters, like me, prefer cream and/or sugar in coffee and tea, or lighter blends and brews. I prefer tea without anything added, but very lightly steeped. Non-tasters tend to like black coffee or heavily steeped tea because they don't taste the bitterness. As a taster, I really never liked the trend toward strong, dark roasts of coffee (Starbucks). I like traditional, smooth restaurant coffee. But I love tea best of all.

Developing a taste for fine tea is like becoming a wine lover--there are so many types, grades, and sources.

Perhaps many do not know the origins of tea? Except for herbal "tea" (meaning "infusion"), all teas are the same plant, that originated in China, and spread throughout the world via trade. White, green, oolong & black teas are the same plant but the difference is in how much oxidation is allowed to occur after harvesting. If you want to try the really heavy stuff, try a pu-erh tea from China. These are buried and allowed to ferment in the ground for some length of time.

Orange pekoe does not refer to a flavor, rather, to the way the tea leaf is cut and processed. Like brandy, teas are assigned letters that designate the cut: OP = orange pekoe (full leaf), and others.

I buy my teas from this site, which has a lot of great info about tea: http://www.uptontea.com. You can also buy small sampler packs.

[mbf]

Drink tea only when I am sick. And then, it's usually some herbs.

[Caff_Racer]

PG Tips!

Oh aye, and Tetley too!

[RedDevil81]

PG Tips!

The monkey's favourite.

[Caff_Racer]

The monkey's favourite.

The name's Bond.... Brooke Bond!

[Anubis1779]

Sweet Dreams by Bigelow, it's a mixture of chamomile and peppermint and deliciousness!

[renoned]

kombucha!
im addicted.. i drink a bottle everyday!

I've been meaning to try that stuff, but it kinda gives me the heebee jeebees.

[south ov da border]

Earl Grey...

[snacks35]

Marijuana...the best tea on earth!

[GroobySteven]

PG Tips!

You cheeky chimp!