The Tea Thread

[Sean]

Anyone interested or passionate about Tea? Iced or Hot? Favorites? Black, Green, White, Oolong?  Use this space for anything tea related.

Since I have been in Nong Khai I have been drinking copious amounts of bottled green tea and am starting to experiment with brewing my own.  I prefer cold/iced tea, because nothing will ever replace my hot morning (sometimes afternoon) coffee.

Anyone have anything to say about this healthy beverage, Green or otherwise.

[ZeroG]

One benefit at my work is an endless supply of tea. Every afternoon I 'brew' up two bags of Bigelow green tea using the hot water tap on the coffee machine. I then pour the strong tea mixture into a large cup of ice. It melts over half of the ice and leaves a pint and a half of cool refreshment.

One thing I have learned from my Chinese co-workers is that tea bags are more of a western invention. I prefer the green tea leaves which come rolled up in little balls (2 millimeters in diameter) but expand to be 3" x 1/4" long leaves. But those are not what is free at work, so I make do.

Of course I like hot traditional teas sometimes instead of coffee. When I was in college, my gf turned me on to Red Rose tea. She would drink nothing else and would have her cousin's on the east coast of the US send her supplies. You couldn't get it in Texas. I have to admit, with milk and sugar, it was the best I have had. I compare all teas to it now.

Another thing I learned while I visited Norway is to warm up your cup with hot water. Empty out the hot water just before you put the tea bag in, and then pour in boiling water. This way the coolness of the cup will not cool down the water.

If you ever wondered how to make a perfect cuppa, that BBC article is pretty interesting.

[In2Kermit]

I'm a huge tea drinker! I like it hot or cold, but it can't have any sweetener in it. I like it earthy. My favorite is a nice Earl Grey. But I like alot of the natural herbals.

[Nick Lane]

I love tea! I can't drink straight coffee because I fidn the taste revolting (so if I do decide to have some, I often mix it with hot chocolate) but what I really love to drink is tea. I like most kinds,  either hot or cold, but I will only take it straight as it comes. I refuse to add any sugar or sweetener to my tea because, in my opinion, it makes it taste terrible. In fact, just last week a friend of mine brought some tea with him in the morning and said he had sugar in it and I told him I will only drink tea straight up and he said "Oh, you're a real man's man"

In fact, I was just going to get ready to head down to Fresno, I may brew up some tea and try out my new travel mug! Great topic, great beverage.

[Mus.]

I don't like tea, I always have to add loads of sugar to like it. Same with coffee. Plus, I don't like the whole caffeine addiction part.

[thartley]

Kitkat will chime in here, I am sure.    I love tea, but would like to have a real cup someday.  I have only had the Americanized versions of things like the Bigelow and Celestial.  I like the lemon zinger, and the chamomile.

[Nick Lane]

As far as flavors, I like pretty much anything, but typically when I want tea I just grab good old Lipton regular. Mus. - Caffeine is pretty hard to get addicted to, although I guess it all depends on the person.

[thartley]

I'm still looking for the chinese bubble tea!   

[In2Kermit]

Caffeine is pretty hard to get addicted to, although I guess it all depends on the person.

I agree, and I would rather drink something that is good for me, then drink a soda.

[ZeroG]

A man had been feeling really bad for about 3 weeks, so he went to see his doctor. The doctor said, "Look, I don't know what you've got, but it could be serious, so why don't you go to this specialist I know." So the man went to the specialist and the specialist said, "Look you have a very rare sickness, only one person every ten years gets it! The only cure is made in Australia in a little town called Mercy, about 400 miles from Sidney. And by the way, you have only one week to live."

So the man took the first flight he could to Sidney, rented a car, and drove to Mercy, Australia. When he got there he found it was one of those towns with a population of one. The man walked up to the house in the village, and an old doctor answered the door.

"You have to help me!", said the man, "I'm dying of this rare illness and I only have four days left to live"

So the old man invited him in. "I must give you my special Koala bear Tea. It is the only thing on Earth that can cure you."

So the old man went out to get the ingredients. One koala, a few birds and such. He boiled them together and gave them to the man with bones, feathers and dirt sticking out of the drink. The man looked at it, repulsed, and asked if the tea could be filtered to remove the lumps.

The old doctor looked horrified and said, "My dear Sir, the Koala Tea of Mercy is not strained!!!"


[edit]
Did I lose everyone on that? It's Shakespeare.

[thartley]

Koala Tea = Quality?

[Sean]

A man had been feeling really bad for about 3 weeks, so he went to see his doctor. The doctor said, "Look, I don't know what you've got, but it could be serious, so why don't you go to this specialist I know." So the man went to the specialist and the specialist said, "Look you have a very rare sickness, only one person every ten years gets it! The only cure is made in Australia in a little town called Mercy, about 400 miles from Sidney. And by the way, you have only one week to live."

So the man took the first flight he could to Sidney, rented a car, and drove to Mercy, Australia. When he got there he found it was one of those towns with a population of one. The man walked up to the house in the village, and an old doctor answered the door.

This sounds like a story line from LOST.


Thanks Thartley, I was guessing it was something like that two, I think you have to say that one outloud.

[ZeroG]

This sounds like a story line from LOST.

Yes, when Rose went there.

I first heard it as a man who visited a convent...The Sisters of Mercy.
But I am lazy and google had the Australian version first up. Isara has a high "quality of mercy", don't you think? 

Adding to the tea thread...Teas are an excellent item to order online and have shipped to you. VERY low shipping costs! There are quite a few online to  try.

[Sean]

Any online stores you prefer ZeroG?  I was browsing them and trying to find one that looked reputable.

[PK]

Here's a way to order teas and coffee online and help charities at the same time.

http://www.charityblends.com

They contacted us a while back but we never got around to signing-up. Maybe it's time we look into it again.

[Sean]

For some reason that site reminds me of selling wrapping paper to "raise money" for my elementary school in the failed hope that if you sold 1 million rolls you would get a Nintendo.

[ZeroG]

I have had some teas from Special Teas. They are reputable.

Specialty...Quality...Charity...STOP IT...

[Sean]

Perfect! that is just what I was looking for.  I want one of these!

[KitKat]

Sean, specialteas.com is a company I've done business with for years and I've never been disappointed in what I've received. They have a very large selection. ZeroG posted the link in a earlier post. 

[Sean]

Wow Kitkat and ZeroG, SpeacialTeas is a great site.  It's huge and really well done.  I will definitely be using them when I get back to the states.

[ZeroG]

[Ginafish]

Cool! Our first tea picture story! And with a camera phone?

I was raised on sweet Ice tea. When I lived with my parents, we drank a gallon a day. Now my hubby and I take a few days to drink a gallon and our kids only rarely get it as a special treat. I drink slowly so I don't put ice in my tea so it doesn't water down. It also helps with sensitive teeth.
 
When I have hot tea, I either drink it straight up or with a little sugar. I enjoy peppermint flavor hot tea. And I only drink caffeine-free teas although I make exceptions for dining out.

[Nick Lane]

It also helps with sensitive teeth.

Do you have this problem too?