Tilted Tea - Page 2 - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

RoboBlaster · 01-20-2005, 08:40 AM

The Russian custom of drinking tea from a saucer is considered one of those things that you do in the company of friends or family. It is not to be done in a formal setting. The reason to do it is when your tea is really hot and you don't want to wait for it to cool, pour it into the saucer and let it cool there. Russians customarily enjoy very very strong tea, so they often like to add marmalade to the tea, or hold a lump of sugar in their teeth as they sip.

You could probably get away with using soap with a glass teapot, as glass is relatively nonpourous and won't hold on to the soap and looks bad if it is dirty.

I am a bit strapped for time, but I can talk about gungfu later.

Bryndian_Dhai · 01-20-2005, 08:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by avernus

I would add something if I may - the cup shaped infusers are a fantastic and quick way of making a nice cup of tea but make sure you have a *metal* one. They are much easier to clean! (Can use bicarbonate of soda or a scourer) The plastic ones eventually seal up with all the tea remains....

I've never had a problem with my plastic cup insert.... I have a couple of dozen floating around my house at any given time, most of them designated to a particular mug. *grins* Plastic being porous, too, I like to keep my strainers separate for certain different kinds of tea. I use them when I'm making tinctures and other herbal decoction, too, and I've never really had to ditch them for getting gunked up with herbs...... Occasionally heat will warp one, or a batch of something goes bad and spoils the strainer. But the ones I use particularly for tea never gunk up.... I have a small toothbrush I bought at the dollar store that I use for small, specific cleaning, and if I have to, I use it to scrub the holes clean, though that's rare.

I like my metal one, but I find that it sometimes gives the herbs a funny, tinny taste. *shrugs* I used to have a glass one, but I broke it and I can't find another one.

Averett · 01-20-2005, 08:42 AM

Man, you guys are hardcore about your tea! This thread is so cool

Bryndian_Dhai · 01-20-2005, 08:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RoboBlaster

Russians customarily enjoy very very strong tea, so they often like to add marmalade to the tea, or hold a lump of sugar in their teeth as they sip.

I can attest to that: I customarily drink a Russian black tea in the mornings.... it has a bigger kick than coffee, and it tastes so goooooooood. *grins*

avernus · 01-20-2005, 10:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bryndian_Dhai

I've never had a problem with my plastic cup insert.... I have a couple of dozen floating around my house at any given time, most of them designated to a particular mug. *grins*

Maybe its the water around my area, I don't filter it you see *sheepish* and it leaves a terrible residue. Tooth brush is a good idea though.

You're really crazy about your teas eh? I though I was into teas.... I get my teas from a chap who calls himself The Tea Man (http://www.wiltshiretea.co.uk/), he'll give me free samples too. The other day I had Genmaicha, which has rice in it(?!?), and this delicate Wild Cherry Tea with cherry blossom.

David

Charlatan · 01-20-2005, 10:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bryndian_Dhai

I can attest to that: I customarily drink a Russian black tea in the mornings.... it has a bigger kick than coffee, and it tastes so goooooooood. *grins*

What is the difference that makes Russian tea so strong? Do you just use more? Where are the leaves from... I'm pretty sure there is nowhere in Russia where tea can grow.

What brand or source to you drink for Russian tea?

Bryndian_Dhai · 01-20-2005, 06:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by avernus

The other day I had Genmaicha, which has rice in it(?!?), and this delicate Wild Cherry Tea with cherry blossom.

Oooh, toasted rice in tea makes it yummy yummy. It makes it so much more.... robust, I guess. Changes the flavor just enough to make it a whole new animal. *grins* And I love cherry blossom tea.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Charlatan

What is the difference that makes Russian tea so strong? Do you just use more? Where are the leaves from... I'm pretty sure there is nowhere in Russia where tea can grow.

What brand or source to you drink for Russian tea?

I never use more of the Russian... it makes it too strong to drink. There's a fine balance between strong and robust and bitter and nasty.

As for the rest, I really have no idea. A friend who works for the American embassy in Moscow sent it to me originally, and continues to send it to me. The box is white and blue and black and in Russian... So I have no clue what it says. My friend says it's a fairly common brand of tea that is pretty popular in Moscow.... Sort of like Lipton, I guess, or Twinings. Its a loose tea, not in bags.

He keeps talking about coming back to the States to work, so I'm not sure what I'm going to do for it after that. I'll just have to find another source, I guess.

RoboBlaster · 01-20-2005, 06:49 PM

Russian teas are often a blend of strong black teas, such as assam, and I think they use a black tea called lapsang souchong, which is a chinese tea that is smoked over pine needles. Also, they use a very fancy brewing apparatus called a samovar, which might lend to strength, I'm not sure. Anyway, Russian tea is all in the blend.

Bryndian_Dhai · 01-20-2005, 08:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RoboBlaster

Russian teas are often a blend of strong black teas, such as assam, and I think they use a black tea called lapsang souchong, which is a chinese tea that is smoked over pine needles. Also, they use a very fancy brewing apparatus called a samovar, which might lend to strength, I'm not sure. Anyway, Russian tea is all in the blend.

I've never found that a samovar makes it stronger.... although one of the nice things about a samovar is that it keeps it hot without making it bitter. Sort of like a percolator, I guess. I wish I could afford a samovar, given my penchant for Russian tea, but I can't, so I must stick with my teapot.

Charlatan · 01-21-2005, 06:13 AM

Some different Samovars

From what I've read you brew the tea in the pot on top and keep hot water in the samovar below... The tea up top becomes quite strong just by brewing it for a long time. It is then watered down using some hot water from the samovar below... So how does the brew up top not get bitter?

RoboBlaster · 01-21-2005, 02:59 PM

It might get really bitter, but the hot water added to it cuts the bitterness somewhat

SiN · 01-21-2005, 03:27 PM

Great Thread!

I'm not a conniseur (coffee's my thing) but the bf is ... and I'm the one who does everythign but drink the tea.

Don't feel like writing a long post right now .... but I might change my mind ...

One thing I've not seen mentioned in my quick look thru the thread, is Storage of The Tea?

We have a small collection of loose teas (black teas + a rooibos) and I need a storage solution.

I would like to store in clear glass jars (since I have lots of those) and I don't have cupboard space, my best location for the collection is on a countertop ... not in direct sun at all, rather dark in sort of a corner really...
anyways - exposure to light, is it OK if the tea is consumed within X amount of time? (I would likely label the jars, which would block some light as well).

...

and just a comment re: equipment - I make the tea by heating the water in my water cooker (tefal vitesse) and the teapot is a .5 liter porcellain (thick) pot, the tea goes in a gold-plated filter thingy .. after brew, the pot has a little teastove w/tea light that it sits on.

oh, and I wash it all in the dishwasher

RoboBlaster · 01-21-2005, 04:32 PM

Tea has three enemies: heat, light, and air. As long as that place you put it is cool and somewhat dark, you will probably be good as long as it doesn't sit for longer than a few months, I'd guess.

Bryndian_Dhai · 01-21-2005, 04:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RoboBlaster

Tea has three enemies: heat, light, and air. As long as that place you put it is cool and somewhat dark, you will probably be good as long as it doesn't sit for longer than a few months, I'd guess.

I have to ditto this... Your glass canisters will probably be fine, as long as they are not in direct sunlight and are sealed against air and heat. And moisture.... Don't put them anywhere incredibly humid, either (like don't store them above your stove, even high enough to avoid the heat will still get steam)

I keep mine in stonewear canisters, that have rubber gasket seals around the edge of the lids. Because you can't see inside the canister, I keep several different kinds of tea in two medium canisters, in plastic ziptop baggies, each labeled with the date purchased and the type of tea. I don't buy much at a time, since I like so many different types, and they shouldn't sit for much longer than a couple of months. My Russian tea has a canister to itself, as does my herbal headache blend, since I use so much.

RoboBlaster · 01-21-2005, 06:58 PM

I had mentioned earlier that I would go through the gungfu method of tea preparation when I had more time. Well, the time has come. Gungfu is also known as kung-fu in our western bastardization of the Mandarin dialect. This term means "art" or "skill" and is not only used for fightin'. In the gungfu method of tea preparation, a special type of pot is used, made of a special type of clay in the Yixing (pronounced "eee shing") area of China. This "purple clay" is special because of its ppurous nature and the craftspersons there are very skilled in the art of pottery. The pots are usually small, holding about 6 oz of liquid. Though somewhat expensive, the pots aren't too hard to find online.

The gungfu method is used primarily for oolong teas for a couple of reasons. One is that oolong is very popular and abundant in China. Another is that it is suited for multiple steeps, which is important. So, if you want to do gungfu, use oolong and the proper Yixing teapot.

Assuming you have a teapot, you will need a shallow bowl, about the same proportions and shape of a pasta bowl. Put the teapot in the bowl.

Insert twice the amount of tea you would normally use. If the teapot holds 6 oz, use two teaspoons. Then, pour the hot water on the leaves, just enough to coat, and immediately pur off. This is called rinsing the leaves.

Now, pour water all the way up to the top of the pot. Put the lid on. There should be a hole on the top of the lid. That is there so that you can pour the water over the teapot and seal it on a layer of water; you will know when it is just right when water comes out of the spout. The water that goes over the pot collects in the bowl, keeping the pot hot throughout the brewing process. The Yixing clay is also very good in keeping heat.

Wait 30 seconds. Yes, I said 30 seconds. Though the steeping time is short, the great amount of leaf makes up for it and gives a great complexity and flavor to the tea.

You can repeat this process up to six times or at least as many times as the tea gives up flavor. As far as oolong goes, this is the only way to go.

If you want to be really traditional, you will need two small special cups per person. As per tradition, you would pour the tea into a tall narrow cup and immediately pour it into a short squabby cup (the cups and bowl are all made of Yixing clay as well). You are supposed to drink out of the second cup and smell the tea vapors out of the empty first cup.

If you do get a Yixing teapot, never ever ever clean with soap. It will cling to the pot and be nasty. Yixing teapots are supposed be seasoned and retain the flavors of teas past. In fact, Yixing teapots seasoned over the years can be worth mucho dinero.

Pip · 01-22-2005, 03:57 PM

This thread rocks!

Quote:

Originally Posted by RoboBlaster

The Russian custom of drinking tea from a saucer is considered one of those things that you do in the company of friends or family. It is not to be done in a formal setting. The reason to do it is when your tea is really hot and you don't want to wait for it to cool, pour it into the saucer and let it cool there. Russians customarily enjoy very very strong tea, so they often like to add marmalade to the tea, or hold a lump of sugar in their teeth as they sip.

Coffee was drunk that way until very recently in (rural) Sweden, some of the oldest generation still drink it that way. There's a special kind of sugar lumps for this that are very thightly packed and take forever to dissolve. I do stir down a spoon of jam every now and then in my tea, but most of the time I take it without anything. I like black and green tea best, the spicy red stuff makes my mouth and throat feel weird. I'm a sucker for the fruity flavored ones and herbal tea. As long as it smells nice! It's the smell that is the best in my opinion, I love holding a steaming cup in my hands and just breath in the goodness.

Squishor · 01-22-2005, 04:28 PM

Wow, what a great thread! I feel very rewarded for stopping by Tilted Cooking today.

I am a bit of a tea snob, although not a terribly sophisticated one. My family has a lot of British influence, so I grew up seeing my grandparents and mother drink black tea every day. I do use tea in bags though, since I'm usually the only one drinking it and it doesn't make sense to brew a whole pot. I put cream in it, as my stomach won't tolerate it without. I generally buy imported tea, although Tazo "Awake" is alright in a pinch. I also drink a lot of herbal teas, the kind with medicinal uses or for relaxation. I can't tolerate any sort of flavored tea - to me, things like cinnamon, almond flavoring or fruity flavors just aren't "tea." I won't touch them, and I've had some embarassing moments after accepting the offer of a cup of tea only to find that the person has a cupboard full of "almond spice" or "roasted blackberry" or whatever.

I also love green tea, having spent time in Japan as a child.

I'll have to try some of the teas mentioned here - this is great!

RoboBlaster · 01-23-2005, 11:45 AM

I just came across a little "essay" on tea by George Orwell. Though I disagree with a point or two, I find it to be pretty interesting.

Quote:

If you look up 'tea' in the first cookery book that comes to hand you will probably find that it is unmentioned; or at most you will find a few lines of sketchy instructions which give no ruling on several of the most important points.

This is curious, not only because tea is one of the mainstays of civilization in this country, as well as in Eire, Australia and New Zealand, but because the best manner of making it is the subject of violent disputes.

When I look through my own recipe for the perfect cup of tea, I find no fewer than eleven outstanding points. On perhaps two of them there would be pretty general agreement, but at least four others are acutely controversial. Here are my own eleven rules, every one of which I regard as golden:

First of all, one should use Indian or Ceylonese tea. China tea has virtues which are not to be despised nowadays - it is economical, and one can drink it without milk - but there is not much stimulation in it. One does not feel wiser, braver or more optimistic after drinking it. Anyone who has used that comforting phrase 'a nice cup of tea' invariably means Indian tea. Secondly, tea should be made in small quantities - that is, in a teapot. Tea out of an urn is always tasteless, while army tea, made in a cauldron, tastes of grease and whitewash. The teapot should be made of china or earthenware. Silver or Britanniaware teapots produce inferior tea and enamel pots are worse; though curiously enough a pewter teapot (a rarity nowadays) is not so bad. Thirdly, the pot should be warmed beforehand. This is better done by placing it on the hob than by the usual method of swilling it out with hot water. Fourthly, the tea should be strong. For a pot holding a quart, if you are going to fill it nearly to the brim, six heaped teaspoons would be about right. In a time of rationing, this is not an idea that can be realized on every day of the week, but I maintain that one strong cup of tea is better than twenty weak ones. All true tea lovers not only like their tea strong, but like it a little stronger with each year that passes - a fact which is recognized in the extra ration issued to old-age pensioners. Fifthly, the tea should be put straight into the pot. No strainers, muslin bags or other devices to imprison the tea. In some countries teapots are fitted with little dangling baskets under the spout to catch the stray leaves, which are supposed to be harmful. Actually one can swallow tea-leaves in considerable quantities without ill effect, and if the tea is not loose in the pot it never infuses properly. Sixthly, one should take the teapot to the kettle and not the other way about. The water should be actually boiling at the moment of impact, which means that one should keep it on the flame while one pours. Some people add that one should only use water that has been freshly brought to the boil, but I have never noticed that it makes any difference. Seventhly, after making the tea, one should stir it, or better, give the pot a good shake, afterwards allowing the leaves to settle. Eighthly, one should drink out of a good breakfast cup - that is, the cylindrical type of cup, not the flat, shallow type. The breakfast cup holds more, and with the other kind one's tea is always half cold before one has well started on it. Ninthly, one should pour the cream off the milk before using it for tea. Milk that is too creamy always gives tea a sickly taste. Tenthly, one should pour tea into the cup first. This is one of the most controversial points of all; indeed in every family in Britain there are probably two schools of thought on the subject. The milk-first school can bring forward some fairly strong arguments, but I maintain that my own argument is unanswerable. This is that, by putting the tea in first and stirring as one pours, one can exactly regulate the amount of milk whereas one is liable to put in too much milk if one does it the other way round.

Lastly, tea - unless one is drinking it in the Russian style - should be drunk _without sugar_. I know very well that I am in a minority here. But still, how can you call yourself a true tealover if you destroy the flavour of your tea by putting sugar in it? It would be equally reasonable to put in pepper or salt. Tea is meant to be bitter, just as beer is meant to be bitter. If you sweeten it, you are no longer tasting the tea, you are merely tasting the sugar; you could make a very similar drink by dissolving sugar in plain hot water.

Some people would answer that they don't like tea in itself, that they only drink it in order to be warmed and stimulated, and they need sugar to take the taste away. To those misguided people I would say: Try drinking tea without sugar for, say, a fortnight and it is very unlikely that you will ever want to ruin your tea by sweetening it again.

These are not the only controversial points to arise in connexion with tea drinking, but they are sufficient to show how subtilized the whole business has become. There is also the mysterious social etiquette surrounding the teapot (why is it considered vulgar to drink out of your saucer, for instance?) and much might be written about the subsidiary uses of tealeaves, such as telling fortunes, predicting the arrival of visitors, feeding rabbits, healing burns and sweeping the carpet. It is worth paying attention to such details as warming the pot and using water that is really boiling, so as to make quite sure of wringing out of one's ration the twenty good, strong cups of that two ounces, properly handled, ought to represent.

George Orwell
Evening Standard, 12 January 1946.

Charlatan · 01-23-2005, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RoboBlaster

I had mentioned earlier that I would go through the gungfu method of tea preparation when I had more time.

Great description... this is how my friend made tea for me at the tea house in northern Taiwan (I mentioned it a few posts up)... I was facinated by the process. At the end the pot was literally stuffed with leaves as they had expanded in the water to fill the smallish pot... This was after a few steepings...

A small kettle of water was kept warm beside the table on some sort of heating device so we could keep filling the pot and pouring water over the pot...

It really was a wonerful day and very nice setting in which to drink tea.

Bryndian_Dhai · 01-23-2005, 07:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RoboBlaster

I just came across a little "essay" on tea by George Orwell. Though I disagree with a point or two, I find it to be pretty interesting.

This was great, RoboBlaster.... Thanks for sharing it.

Manuel Hong · 01-23-2005, 08:24 PM

Good advice Roboblaster! I work part-time in a tea room and steeping time and temperature makes a huge difference!! I love the Victorian Earl Grey by Harney Tea and the Japanese (sencha) green cherry is also fantastic!! There's one green tea called Bangkok which is a blend of lemongrass, ginger, and coconut with sencha that rocks! I also Like Indian Nimbu (black) and Honeybush Vanilla (rooibos). The name "Honeybush" is enough to make you want to try it, yes?

Suave · 01-24-2005, 12:23 AM

I'm enthralled by yerba mate (a type of green tea that I believe is from South America). It's supposedly amazingly good for you (especially your energy), and it's really mild yet flavourful (mild in that it's not as "bitter", for lack of a better word, than other teas). I also like black tea (I drink Earl Grey specifically, simply because that's what I was raised on) as well as mixtures of green and herbal teas, and oolong tea occasionally. I normally add sugar, and sometimes milk or cream to all of the teas with the exception of mate (there's supposed to be an accent on the e, but I'm too lazy to instert it).

RoboBlaster · 01-28-2005, 03:07 PM

My fellow classmates are convinced that I am addicted to caffeine. To prove me wrong, they bet me that I couldn't go this next week without anything caffeinated. Unfortunately, all of my beloved teas contain caffeine, which sucks big time. I hope I know what I am getting into...

Bryndian_Dhai · 01-29-2005, 07:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RoboBlaster

My fellow classmates are convinced that I am addicted to caffeine. To prove me wrong, they bet me that I couldn't go this next week without anything caffeinated. Unfortunately, all of my beloved teas contain caffeine, which sucks big time. I hope I know what I am getting into...

Good luck man.... Giving up caffiene, even temporarily, was a pain in the ass for me. I'm not addicted, but my body sure let me know when I didn't get as much as it was used to.

Get some aspirin.... Your head will be the worst.

Charlatan · 01-29-2005, 09:19 AM

How much caffine are you drinking everyday? I would say that I am mildly addicted to caffiene... I function much better after a cup or two of coffee in the morning...

RoboBlaster · 02-15-2005, 08:07 AM

Anyone try any pu-erh? It is one of those teas that some people really love and some really hate. I'm just wondering what others think.

Bryndian_Dhai · 02-15-2005, 08:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RoboBlaster

Anyone try any pu-erh? It is one of those teas that some people really love and some really hate. I'm just wondering what others think.

I've never had mature pu-erh... I'm interested in trying it, though, since I liked what I tasted in spite of the fact that it had been aged less than a year. No one here carries it, though, so I'd have to order it if I did want to try it.

What do you think of it?

RoboBlaster · 03-10-2005, 01:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bryndian_Dhai

I've never had mature pu-erh... I'm interested in trying it, though, since I liked what I tasted in spite of the fact that it had been aged less than a year. No one here carries it, though, so I'd have to order it if I did want to try it.

What do you think of it?

About damn time I respond, eh? I like pu-erh, though I haven't had any really old stuff yet. I have a cake or two sitting around, though. The cakes I did drink were pretty good, it had that musty flavor to it that most people speak of. It is not my most favorite of teas, but I wil definitely have a place for it in my rotation. One cool thing about pu-erh is that you can let it steep for hours and hours if you wanted and it would never get bitter. I have heard that some people put a couple of cakes in a thermos and sip away at it all day long. Hmm, not a bad idea, maybe I'll give it a try.

iccky · 03-10-2005, 04:12 PM

Thanks for the great tea thread, and the wonderful advice on tea Roboblaster. that George Orwell article is priceless.

I have always loved tea, and always wanted to become more of a coniseaur, But up until now I've limited myself to drinking Bigelow earl grey using a tea bag. Now, however, I will be a tea snob for life!

RoboBlaster · 03-14-2005, 07:05 PM

Muwahaha, we have a convert in Iccky. I also began my tea "journey" through Bigelow tea. Then I said, well if I like this so much, I may just like loose leaf even more. I did. Then I said that I might just like to try it without all this honey I am putting in it. I did. Then I said, well, if earl grey is this good, I bet regular ole tea may be great too. It was. And so the snowball rolled...

Bryndian_Dhai · 03-14-2005, 07:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RoboBlaster

Muwahaha, we have a convert in Iccky. I also began my tea "journey" through Bigelow tea. Then I said, well if I like this so much, I may just like loose leaf even more. I did. Then I said that I might just like to try it without all this honey I am putting in it. I did. Then I said, well, if earl grey is this good, I bet regular ole tea may be great too. It was. And so the snowball rolled...

Hahaha... I started my journey with Celestial Seasonings tea. *grins* I have tried every single variety, and have used their Chamomile Mint for years... I was working with my apothecary to make some natural tinctures for my arthritis and my migraines when he suggested his headache tea, and I started investigating herbal loose teas. Then my hubby and I made friends with a local shop owner who owns a gourmet kitchen shop... Teapots and coffee pots and kitchen utensils and pots and pans and such. She sells whole bean coffees, and suggested I try her Jasmine loose tea when I bought a teapot for my herbals. And thus, my journey started. She regularly gets loose teas for me, and has suggested several that I still get from her and still love. I always stop when I find a tea shop or something, and have learned to try lots of new stuff... *grins* And so the monster was born. *winks*

Grasshopper Green · 03-16-2005, 02:24 PM

Wow. I love tea, especially a nice iced Earl Grey in the summer. I've never tried loose tea (yes, I use bags, usually Tetley's), but this thread makes me want to try some. I feel like such a beginner now!!

I do have a funny tea story. I visited my mom in North Carolina (before I moved there) and ordered a glass of iced tea at a restaurant. I didn't know about "sweet tea", and when I got my glass, proceeded to pour two sugar packets into it. I took a sip and made a face, and the waitress walked over laughing. I decided I didn't like Southern tea at that point and just had a diet Coke instead. After I moved there, I always had to ask for unsweetened tea because most places automatically brought sweet tea to the table.

RoboBlaster · 03-18-2005, 08:24 PM

I right there with you Medusa99. I cannot stand sweet tea at restaurants, as the tea is wayyyyyyy to sweet. I don't even bother with ordering it. And it's not the same to order unsweetened tea and add sugar to it because then you hafta stir and stir to get that sugar dissolved.

Bryndian_Dhai · 03-19-2005, 01:10 PM

I've started ordering my tea in restaurants "half and half" (I live in the deep south and they always offer sweet or unsweet). For the most part, that combats the horrid sweetness of sweetened tea, and I don't have to sweeten unsweet tea, which is chancy at best, as either the regular sugar doesn't melt, or the artificial sweetener makes it taste funny. I just don't drink a lot of sodas, and in general unless I'm drinking wine or other spirits, I prefer tea when I eat.

RoboBlaster · 03-20-2005, 08:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bryndian_Dhai

I've started ordering my tea in restaurants "half and half"...

I don't know why I never thought to do that.

Charlatan · 03-20-2005, 09:29 AM

It's funny but iced tea is just not something we drink a lot of up here... It's available but mostly in the mix form or pre-bottled. It is hard to find brewed iced tea.

I much prefer hot tea anyway.

Grasshopper Green · 03-20-2005, 11:09 AM

I've actually just stopped putting sugar in my tea because of the dissolving issue....and I rarely order ice tea in a restaurant either because it just doesn't seem to be big here in Utah and it always tastes like it's been sitting for ten hours. I miss the south

I like iced Earl Grey because it seems to have a sweet flavor to begin with.

snowy · 03-20-2005, 12:11 PM

I love iced tea. We make our own sweet tea here in the summer. But I have made the mistake of ordering iced tea in a restaurant and receiving that awful Nestea crap. Ew. I only like it if it's fresh-brewed. Mm. Two packets of sugar and I'm good to go, though I will drink it unsweetened from time to time.

I also really enjoy Arnold Palmers--half iced tea, half lemonade. Starbucks has it on their menu as Iced Tea Lemonade in the summer--they do make a great one, with fresh brewed Tazo black tea. Delicious. The lemonade sweetens the tea just enough.

I wish it were summer.

Charlatan · 03-20-2005, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by onesnowyowl

I wish it were summer.

You and me both...

Since when did Arnold Palmer become a parragon of tea?

Bryndian_Dhai · 03-20-2005, 07:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RoboBlaster

I don't know why I never thought to do that.

heheh, the only reason I thought to do it myself is that I had a waitress top off my glass of sweet tea with unsweet... Light bulb!! lol.... A happy accident, as it were.

01-20-2005, 08:42 AM	#43 (permalink)
Averett Is In Love Location: I'm workin' on it	Man, you guys are hardcore about your tea! This thread is so cool __________________ Absence is to love what wind is to fire. It extinguishes the small, it enkindles the great.

01-21-2005, 06:13 AM	#50 (permalink)
Charlatan Getting it. Super Moderator Location: Lion City	Some different Samovars From what I've read you brew the tea in the pot on top and keep hot water in the samovar below... The tea up top becomes quite strong just by brewing it for a long time. It is then watered down using some hot water from the samovar below... So how does the brew up top not get bitter? __________________ "My hands are on fire. Hands are on fire. Ain't got no more time for all you charlatans and liars." - Old Man Luedecke

01-21-2005, 03:27 PM	#52 (permalink)
SiN strangelove Location: ...more here than there...	Great Thread! I'm not a conniseur (coffee's my thing) but the bf is ... and I'm the one who does everythign but drink the tea. Don't feel like writing a long post right now .... but I might change my mind ... One thing I've not seen mentioned in my quick look thru the thread, is Storage of The Tea? We have a small collection of loose teas (black teas + a rooibos) and I need a storage solution. I would like to store in clear glass jars (since I have lots of those) and I don't have cupboard space, my best location for the collection is on a countertop ... not in direct sun at all, rather dark in sort of a corner really... anyways - exposure to light, is it OK if the tea is consumed within X amount of time? (I would likely label the jars, which would block some light as well). ... and just a comment re: equipment - I make the tea by heating the water in my water cooker (tefal vitesse) and the teapot is a .5 liter porcellain (thick) pot, the tea goes in a gold-plated filter thingy .. after brew, the pot has a little teastove w/tea light that it sits on. oh, and I wash it all in the dishwasher __________________ - + - ° GiRLie GeeK ° - + - ° 01110010011011110110111101110100001000000110110101100101 Therell be days/When Ill stray/I may appear to be/Constantly out of reach/I give in to sin/Because I like to practise what I preach

01-21-2005, 06:58 PM	#55 (permalink)
RoboBlaster Psycho Location: Ouuuterrrr Spaaaaacccceeee	I had mentioned earlier that I would go through the gungfu method of tea preparation when I had more time. Well, the time has come. Gungfu is also known as kung-fu in our western bastardization of the Mandarin dialect. This term means "art" or "skill" and is not only used for fightin'. In the gungfu method of tea preparation, a special type of pot is used, made of a special type of clay in the Yixing (pronounced "eee shing") area of China. This "purple clay" is special because of its ppurous nature and the craftspersons there are very skilled in the art of pottery. The pots are usually small, holding about 6 oz of liquid. Though somewhat expensive, the pots aren't too hard to find online. The gungfu method is used primarily for oolong teas for a couple of reasons. One is that oolong is very popular and abundant in China. Another is that it is suited for multiple steeps, which is important. So, if you want to do gungfu, use oolong and the proper Yixing teapot. Assuming you have a teapot, you will need a shallow bowl, about the same proportions and shape of a pasta bowl. Put the teapot in the bowl. Insert twice the amount of tea you would normally use. If the teapot holds 6 oz, use two teaspoons. Then, pour the hot water on the leaves, just enough to coat, and immediately pur off. This is called rinsing the leaves. Now, pour water all the way up to the top of the pot. Put the lid on. There should be a hole on the top of the lid. That is there so that you can pour the water over the teapot and seal it on a layer of water; you will know when it is just right when water comes out of the spout. The water that goes over the pot collects in the bowl, keeping the pot hot throughout the brewing process. The Yixing clay is also very good in keeping heat. Wait 30 seconds. Yes, I said 30 seconds. Though the steeping time is short, the great amount of leaf makes up for it and gives a great complexity and flavor to the tea. You can repeat this process up to six times or at least as many times as the tea gives up flavor. As far as oolong goes, this is the only way to go. If you want to be really traditional, you will need two small special cups per person. As per tradition, you would pour the tea into a tall narrow cup and immediately pour it into a short squabby cup (the cups and bowl are all made of Yixing clay as well). You are supposed to drink out of the second cup and smell the tea vapors out of the empty first cup. If you do get a Yixing teapot, never ever ever clean with soap. It will cling to the pot and be nasty. Yixing teapots are supposed be seasoned and retain the flavors of teas past. In fact, Yixing teapots seasoned over the years can be worth mucho dinero. Last edited by RoboBlaster; 01-22-2005 at 04:38 PM..

01-23-2005, 08:24 PM	#61 (permalink)
Manuel Hong Addict Location: Land of the puny, wimpy states	Good advice Roboblaster! I work part-time in a tea room and steeping time and temperature makes a huge difference!! I love the Victorian Earl Grey by Harney Tea and the Japanese (sencha) green cherry is also fantastic!! There's one green tea called Bangkok which is a blend of lemongrass, ginger, and coconut with sencha that rocks! I also Like Indian Nimbu (black) and Honeybush Vanilla (rooibos). The name "Honeybush" is enough to make you want to try it, yes? __________________ Believe nothing, even if I tell it to you, unless it meets with your own good common sense and experience. - Siddhartha Gautama (The Buddha)

01-20-2005, 08:40 AM	#41 (permalink)
RoboBlaster Psycho Location: Ouuuterrrr Spaaaaacccceeee	The Russian custom of drinking tea from a saucer is considered one of those things that you do in the company of friends or family. It is not to be done in a formal setting. The reason to do it is when your tea is really hot and you don't want to wait for it to cool, pour it into the saucer and let it cool there. Russians customarily enjoy very very strong tea, so they often like to add marmalade to the tea, or hold a lump of sugar in their teeth as they sip. You could probably get away with using soap with a glass teapot, as glass is relatively nonpourous and won't hold on to the soap and looks bad if it is dirty. I am a bit strapped for time, but I can talk about gungfu later.

01-20-2005, 06:49 PM	#48 (permalink)
RoboBlaster Psycho Location: Ouuuterrrr Spaaaaacccceeee	Russian teas are often a blend of strong black teas, such as assam, and I think they use a black tea called lapsang souchong, which is a chinese tea that is smoked over pine needles. Also, they use a very fancy brewing apparatus called a samovar, which might lend to strength, I'm not sure. Anyway, Russian tea is all in the blend.

01-21-2005, 02:59 PM	#51 (permalink)
RoboBlaster Psycho Location: Ouuuterrrr Spaaaaacccceeee	It might get really bitter, but the hot water added to it cuts the bitterness somewhat

01-21-2005, 04:32 PM	#53 (permalink)
RoboBlaster Psycho Location: Ouuuterrrr Spaaaaacccceeee	Tea has three enemies: heat, light, and air. As long as that place you put it is cool and somewhat dark, you will probably be good as long as it doesn't sit for longer than a few months, I'd guess.

01-22-2005, 04:28 PM	#57 (permalink)
Squishor Frontal Lobe Location: California	Wow, what a great thread! I feel very rewarded for stopping by Tilted Cooking today. I am a bit of a tea snob, although not a terribly sophisticated one. My family has a lot of British influence, so I grew up seeing my grandparents and mother drink black tea every day. I do use tea in bags though, since I'm usually the only one drinking it and it doesn't make sense to brew a whole pot. I put cream in it, as my stomach won't tolerate it without. I generally buy imported tea, although Tazo "Awake" is alright in a pinch. I also drink a lot of herbal teas, the kind with medicinal uses or for relaxation. I can't tolerate any sort of flavored tea - to me, things like cinnamon, almond flavoring or fruity flavors just aren't "tea." I won't touch them, and I've had some embarassing moments after accepting the offer of a cup of tea only to find that the person has a cupboard full of "almond spice" or "roasted blackberry" or whatever. I also love green tea, having spent time in Japan as a child. I'll have to try some of the teas mentioned here - this is great!

01-24-2005, 12:23 AM	#62 (permalink)
Suave Twitterpated Location: My own little world (also Canada)	I'm enthralled by yerba mate (a type of green tea that I believe is from South America). It's supposedly amazingly good for you (especially your energy), and it's really mild yet flavourful (mild in that it's not as "bitter", for lack of a better word, than other teas). I also like black tea (I drink Earl Grey specifically, simply because that's what I was raised on) as well as mixtures of green and herbal teas, and oolong tea occasionally. I normally add sugar, and sometimes milk or cream to all of the teas with the exception of mate (there's supposed to be an accent on the e, but I'm too lazy to instert it). __________________ "Few people are capable of expressing with equanimity opinions which differ from the prejudices of their social environment. Most people are even incapable of forming such opinions." - Albert Einstein "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something." - Plato Last edited by Suave; 01-24-2005 at 12:28 AM..

01-28-2005, 03:07 PM	#63 (permalink)
RoboBlaster Psycho Location: Ouuuterrrr Spaaaaacccceeee	My fellow classmates are convinced that I am addicted to caffeine. To prove me wrong, they bet me that I couldn't go this next week without anything caffeinated. Unfortunately, all of my beloved teas contain caffeine, which sucks big time. I hope I know what I am getting into...

01-29-2005, 09:19 AM	#65 (permalink)
Charlatan Getting it. Super Moderator Location: Lion City	How much caffine are you drinking everyday? I would say that I am mildly addicted to caffiene... I function much better after a cup or two of coffee in the morning... __________________ "My hands are on fire. Hands are on fire. Ain't got no more time for all you charlatans and liars." - Old Man Luedecke

02-15-2005, 08:07 AM	#66 (permalink)
RoboBlaster Psycho Location: Ouuuterrrr Spaaaaacccceeee	Anyone try any pu-erh? It is one of those teas that some people really love and some really hate. I'm just wondering what others think.

03-10-2005, 04:12 PM	#69 (permalink)
iccky Psycho Location: Princeton, NJ	Thanks for the great tea thread, and the wonderful advice on tea Roboblaster. that George Orwell article is priceless. I have always loved tea, and always wanted to become more of a coniseaur, But up until now I've limited myself to drinking Bigelow earl grey using a tea bag. Now, however, I will be a tea snob for life!

03-14-2005, 07:05 PM	#70 (permalink)
RoboBlaster Psycho Location: Ouuuterrrr Spaaaaacccceeee	Muwahaha, we have a convert in Iccky. I also began my tea "journey" through Bigelow tea. Then I said, well if I like this so much, I may just like loose leaf even more. I did. Then I said that I might just like to try it without all this honey I am putting in it. I did. Then I said, well, if earl grey is this good, I bet regular ole tea may be great too. It was. And so the snowball rolled...

03-16-2005, 02:24 PM	#72 (permalink)
Grasshopper Green ...is a comical chap Location: Where morons reign supreme	Wow. I love tea, especially a nice iced Earl Grey in the summer. I've never tried loose tea (yes, I use bags, usually Tetley's), but this thread makes me want to try some. I feel like such a beginner now!! I do have a funny tea story. I visited my mom in North Carolina (before I moved there) and ordered a glass of iced tea at a restaurant. I didn't know about "sweet tea", and when I got my glass, proceeded to pour two sugar packets into it. I took a sip and made a face, and the waitress walked over laughing. I decided I didn't like Southern tea at that point and just had a diet Coke instead. After I moved there, I always had to ask for unsweetened tea because most places automatically brought sweet tea to the table. __________________ "They say that patriotism is the last refuge to which a scoundrel clings; steal a little and they throw you in jail, steal a lot and they make you king" Formerly Medusa

03-18-2005, 08:24 PM	#73 (permalink)
RoboBlaster Psycho Location: Ouuuterrrr Spaaaaacccceeee	I right there with you Medusa99. I cannot stand sweet tea at restaurants, as the tea is wayyyyyyy to sweet. I don't even bother with ordering it. And it's not the same to order unsweetened tea and add sugar to it because then you hafta stir and stir to get that sugar dissolved.

03-19-2005, 01:10 PM	#74 (permalink)
Bryndian_Dhai Insane Location: Louisiana	I've started ordering my tea in restaurants "half and half" (I live in the deep south and they always offer sweet or unsweet). For the most part, that combats the horrid sweetness of sweetened tea, and I don't have to sweeten unsweet tea, which is chancy at best, as either the regular sugar doesn't melt, or the artificial sweetener makes it taste funny. I just don't drink a lot of sodas, and in general unless I'm drinking wine or other spirits, I prefer tea when I eat. __________________ “When facism comes to America it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross.” ~Sinclair Lewis

03-20-2005, 09:29 AM	#76 (permalink)
Charlatan Getting it. Super Moderator Location: Lion City	It's funny but iced tea is just not something we drink a lot of up here... It's available but mostly in the mix form or pre-bottled. It is hard to find brewed iced tea. I much prefer hot tea anyway. __________________ "My hands are on fire. Hands are on fire. Ain't got no more time for all you charlatans and liars." - Old Man Luedecke

03-20-2005, 11:09 AM	#77 (permalink)
Grasshopper Green ...is a comical chap Location: Where morons reign supreme	I've actually just stopped putting sugar in my tea because of the dissolving issue....and I rarely order ice tea in a restaurant either because it just doesn't seem to be big here in Utah and it always tastes like it's been sitting for ten hours. I miss the south I like iced Earl Grey because it seems to have a sweet flavor to begin with. __________________ "They say that patriotism is the last refuge to which a scoundrel clings; steal a little and they throw you in jail, steal a lot and they make you king" Formerly Medusa

03-20-2005, 12:11 PM	#78 (permalink)
snowy Kick Ass Kunoichi Location: Oregon	I love iced tea. We make our own sweet tea here in the summer. But I have made the mistake of ordering iced tea in a restaurant and receiving that awful Nestea crap. Ew. I only like it if it's fresh-brewed. Mm. Two packets of sugar and I'm good to go, though I will drink it unsweetened from time to time. I also really enjoy Arnold Palmers--half iced tea, half lemonade. Starbucks has it on their menu as Iced Tea Lemonade in the summer--they do make a great one, with fresh brewed Tazo black tea. Delicious. The lemonade sweetens the tea just enough. I wish it were summer. __________________ If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau