Lots of coffee threads but don’t often see a tea one. I’ve got the coffee side of things sorted and am now getting curious about the finer side of tea. So what do you drink, how do you make it, etc.

Oolong, or Black Dragon, and Silver Needle. In a pot, water just off boiling, about 180 degrees.
Enjoy.

if i’m using something with ‘real’ tea in it:

I use a mug, add a good dash of cold water, fill with boiling water.

I allow the heat to warm the mug, add then the tea-bag / loose-leaf-swirler, stir gently.

something like darjeeling will be ready in about 20 seconds.

i find boiling water, and long brew-times just make for bitter tea.

this might be true: tea was invented at high altitudes, where water boils at a lot less than 100dC

proper tea is theft

mostly from here
http://t2tea.com/?v=1
have a selection from Good Morning, Orange Pekoe, Sydney & Melb Breakfast, Gen Mai Cha Sencha and Silver Needles, missus has the Chai’s and liquorice/mint ones.
Brewed in a pot.

My current teas-of-choice are Gunpowder Green (loose leaf in infuser, add water at around 70C, brew for 2 mins) and Russian Caravan (loose leaf in infuser, near boiling water, brew for about 4 mins).

J

You really need something from Mariage Freres or similar.

I can highly recommend Wedding Imperial or Marco Polo.

Not really posh tea just nice tea…I’ve always been a PG Tips/Typhoo man (yorkshire tea is fine too), but recently had ‘afternoon tea’ at a nice place in Ludlow and all of a sudden we’re buying DJ Miles Original.. Really quite nice. That’s not to say I’ll turn my nose up at a cup of PG now.
You can keep your earl grey <shudders>, by all mean enjoy, but it’s not for me.

Look up Jing Tea on google – some lovely stuff there…

danny has beaten me to it!

yorkshire tea is fine too

really whenever I have been inflicted with it (normally by coffee drinkers or fake northerners) it ends up tasting chewy.

Proper tea (posh or not) does not involve a bad.

I use quite a lot of Pukka tea because my friends wife sells it. (shameless plug http://bellatea.com/)

Also, I went to Morocco in November and May and got quite addicted to their mint tea so make quite a bit of that too. mmmmmmmm

Tea Pigs black tea is brilliant. I was a little sceptical at first, but having tried it, it really does taste different from ‘normal’ tea bags. I couldn’t drink it all the time, but for when you want to sit down with a cup of tea and a book or something (i.e. not having tea whilst working etc) then it is brilliant. Their Chai is great as well.

Been drinking quite a lot of White Tea recently (Clipper brand) as you can have it black to cut down on dairy intake and because it is a slightly milder flavour it doesn’t have that dry, bitter taste that black tea does if you have it black.

Thanks all. Some top tea tips there. Shall check out the websites and see if I can find some sort of posh tea starter selection pack or just get some of the recommendations here.

Edit: Special thanks to nealglover. That looks very… convenient!

water just off boiling, about 180 degrees

😯

speed12 – Member

Been drinking quite a lot of White Tea recently … it doesn’t have that dry, bitter taste that black tea does if you have it black. brew the 5h1t out of it.

fify.

(ALL tea should be drunk ‘black’ – milk in tea is basically the same as lemonade in beer)

There is nothing finer

DezB – Member
There is nothing finer

Except most other teas.

I like Waitrose’s tea … 🙂

http://www.reddit.com/r/tea/

Been drinking quite a lot of White Tea recently (Clipper brand) as you can have it black to cut down on dairy intake and because it is a slightly milder flavour it doesn’t have that dry, bitter taste that black tea does if you have it black.

Black tea is hundreds of different things, there are less bitter black teas and more so, there are softer/harsher/milder and everything.

Imperial Teas in Lincoln. I used to love shopping there:

http://www.imperialteas.co.uk/

They do good taster packs and good coffee too.

Gone off normal tea.

Cut out dairy when the missis did for health reasons, and drink peppermint tea now.

Don’t brew it too long though.

Stop fannying about and get some Yorkshire. Or Yorkshire Gold if you’re feeling flashy.

Teapigs is nice though.

Except most other teas.

Certainly not that weedy Yorkshire cack!

As above, there are loads of different types of tea, some are mild and are nice brewed for a short time and had without milk (Darjeeling), some are bitter and really need the milk to smooth it out into something thicker and satisfying.

Ignore those who insists you must never use milk. If we weren’t allowed to mix ingredients to get something nice, then most of cooking would not exist!

There is no REAL PROPER way to drink tea – it’s drunk in all sorts of weird and wonderful ways in the countries from where it comes originally.

Sometimes you just have to push the boat out!

Also, this…

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70qsB_gW4G4[/video]

I had an ex who liked Lapsang souchong, I always marvelled how it smelled exactly like the Haunted House at Alton Towers.

Orange Pekoe

Is this a tea or a grading of tea?
In the U.S. it seems to be a generic type only suitable for making Iced Tea.

Thanks all. Some top tea tips there. Shall check out the websites and see if I can find some sort of posh tea starter selection pack or just get some of the recommendations here.

The Tea House Emporium in Bath do strarter packs, I bought one for a mate for christmas a year or so back, they do several different versions;
teahouseemporium.co.uk

Coyote – Member
water just off boiling, about 180 degrees 😯

Sorry, I tend to think in degrees F, not C. Water still boils at 212 degrees, as far as I’m concerned.
It’s an age thing. 😉

I was made a cup of Tea by a lady who was interested in such things

Whilst I could tell it was several rungs above yorkshire T in terms of quality I’d rather eat my own vomit, it was dire

conclusion – I’m too much of a scumbag to appreciate such things

My SIL sells fancy teas mainly at craft fairs and the like, but has got a website as well…I am a Tetley man myself 😉

Teapot Tea Gifts

At Heston Blumenthal’s restaurant i had a Black saffron tea that cost £14.50 for 1 cup- the wife said i was irresponsible with money. Normally i like PG tips (and i’m from t-Yorkshire.)

JoB beat me to it 🙂

green tea beats cancer.

If you really must be a peasant and use a bag, you may as well make it a decent bag.

If you’re talking loose leaf (and you should be) I’m rather partial to a bit of H.R. Higgins’s Duke Street blend as a pick me up, thier Japanese cherry green tea is exceedingly pleasant as well. It’s where queenie buys her brew so it’s good enough for you.

*goes to put the kettle on*