Some Trivia on Tea

[grace]

I find this fascinating! I do tend to drink five to seven cups of strong black tea a day, but it's made in a travel mug. I do drink out of a teacup...or a heavy clay handmade mug.

So long as it's not Lipton, I like it. Strong with sugar, no cream, please. Darjeeling and Earl Grey are the best for waking up; oolong and green for a quiet evening.

 

[donna]

Thought bump this thread with John's new thread on Tea Time.

 

[donna]

Since June Iced Tea Month thought bump this thread on tea.

 

[Fairfield]

Like @grace in #21, I drink a lot of tea--almost always black. My favorite is Halimari (a black Assam). A 2nd favorite is a black
blend, Russian Caravan--but without lapsang souchong.

When I first started volunteering with the local historical society, I worked with a lady who recently died at over 100 years. We disagreed on almost everything--until, one day, one of the other members said that she was going to bring in a box of tea bags. I'm afraid that I snorted and said "you can't get a good cup of tea from a tea bag" at which point Mary put down her pencil and said "you're right!". We both were amazed that we had found a point of agreement. When I said that it was a pity that there were almost no shops in our area that carried loose tea, she replied "Let me give you the name of my supplier...". It must have sounded like a drug deal!

Good tea is a treasure!

 

[FarawayFriend]

Store sugar cubes for your tea in a jar with whole cloves or cinnamon sticks. The cubes will absorb the spicy fragrance.

The same goes for vanilla beans.

Earl Grey tea is named for the 19th century Englishman who served as diplomat to China. He learned to enjoy the orange scented tea blend that now bears his name

Actually the flavor comes from bergamots not regular oranges. Bergamots sre a hybrid from lemon and bitter oranges (according to Wikipedia).
I usually have a mug of Earl Grey tea in the morning (yes, from a mug where you can put your hands around and enjoy the warmth on a chilly morning) and a mug of coffee in the afternoon.
In summer I make fruit tea from bags and keep in the fridge - makes a refreshing "soft drink" without calories, and there are so many varieties. At the moment I love strawberry, but I also like cherry and apple and peach.

English Cream Tea with scones, strawberry jam and clotted cream is such a delicacy!! We don't get clotted cream here and the imported stuff from Britain is always a bit over the top, it does not taste like it should. But I have recently found out that when you store organic, non pasteurized cream 2 weeks longer than the expiry date, the thick cream will gather on top and can be spooned into a small bowl and be served with the scones and jam. Love it!!

 

[FarawayFriend]

Actually in the north west part of Germany, East Frisia, they have a special tea ceremony. First you put a "Kluntje", a lump of hard sugar in a very thin china cup, then you pour piping hot, very strong Assam tea over that lump of sugar and listen to the crackling sound as the sugar dissolves. Then you put a teaspoonful of cream (not milk, real cream) slowly in that cup of tea and watch the "Wulkjes" (small clouds) appear. Never stir the cream into the tea! Each sip will give you the sensation of hot, sweet tea and cool, rich cream.


I prefer my tea unsweetend, but the East Friesian way of drinking tea is something special and I love how you automatically unwind from a hectic day while performing it.

 

[Fairfield]

Actually in the north west part of Germany, East Frisia, they have a special tea ceremony. First you put a "Kluntje", a lump of hard sugar in a very thin china cup, then you pour piping hot, very strong Assam tea over that lump of sugar and listen to the crackling sound as the sugar dissolves. Then you put a teaspoonful of cream (not milk, real cream) slowly in that cup of tea and watch the "Wulkjes" (small clouds) appear. Never stir the cream into the tea! Each sip will give you the sensation of hot, sweet tea and cool, rich cream.

I prefer my tea unsweetend, but the East Friesian way of drinking tea is something special and I love how you automatically unwind from a hectic day while performing it.

I also use cream (not milk) in Halimari. I suspect that a lot of the calming good of tea is tied up in the ritual of brewing and preparation.

 

[KianGaf]

I love a cup of tea and like several types. The mainstay of course is black tea and I could have several cups a day at one time, lately I've drifted towards coffee instead. I can go through phases with different brands, I like some of our domestic brands but my favourite these days is a Yorkshire tea imported from England. A cup of herbal tea is very pleasant as well , the ones I like are Chamomile & Pu-erh. The Chamomile is great at evening times to help you wind down the day. The Pu-erh is a Chinese fermented tea and is fantastic after a meal to aid digestion. When I visited China I went to a traditional tea making ceremony, it was enjoyable experience. They take tea very serious over there.