Recipe Tea: What are you steeping these days?

Now that it is cold again I will start drinking more tea.

Short is good, I like mine to be really earthy and full body like a good strong cuppa coffee from Europe.

Hey if you like it short steeped, that's the way you like it and that's great!

 

As I mentioned in another thread, I've been steeping a fair amount of Ali Shan oolong lately. I'm trying to take it easy with it since my tea supplier ran out. If anyone has any recommendations as to similar oolongs, I'm all ears. My tea shop currently has a High Mountain from Taiwan that I assume will be relatively similar.

 

I've been enjoying this Alishan oolong that was gifted to us. Over 10 oz. of it!

 

Jelly.

 

Spiced Chai, with a bit of honey.

 

A GFBOP Kenyan black tea called Milma. It's perfect for drinking black.

 

There are a couple of peach blends I can think of off the bat--Stash has a peach-flavored black tea, and Republic of Tea has a ginger peach black tea. The Republic of Tea sachets are more expensive, but worth it. Republic of Tea has lots of delicious teas to explore. I love their pomegranate green tea and I've been brewing their Hibiscus Sangria iced tea by the pitcher.

 

I've been experimenting with tea blends recommended for iced tea.

I tried one that was black tea, spearmint, rooibos, and coconut. It was pretty good.

I'm now about to try a white tea (Bai Mudan) blended with coconut and vanilla.

I think this summer will be filled with coconut for me. I'm thinking of hitting some piña coladas eventually.

 

These have coconut flakes in them. Though I'm sure coconut milk added to tea would be delightful.

 

Any of you crazy tea people going to Toronto? I'll bring tea... just tell me what kind you like and how much you'd like me to bring. car is small, so... keep that in mind

 

I'm pretty well covered on the tea front--one of my very good friends is a purveyor of tea, and is going to the World Tea Expo in Vegas in a few days I'm hoping they find a new source for Ali Shan while they are there, although the High Mountain Formosa they found to replace it is nearly as good at a lower price. Maybe I can bring some tea too and we'll have a tea-off.

 

We skipped WTE because we already went to Vegas in March, and we want to drive down to South Caroline for the annual Z3 gathering on Labor Day Weekend. Not to mention, we also want to go to Toronto!!!!

But yes, bring some tea!

 

Darjeeling is why I can't ever quit black tea. (Well, that and my occasional Irish breakfast tea binge.)

I'm currently drinking a "Himalayan" blend of Darjeeling and Nepalese tea. It's not a true Darjeeling, but it has similar characteristics. It must be drunk unadulterated.

 

Funny you should bring up darjeeling, as I was just having some yesterday: Darjeeling Tea

It makes a nice light-bodied afternoon sipper.

 

In looking at that site, I find it interesting that you can get 200 cups from a pound of tea vs. maybe 60 cups from a pound of coffee. Starbucks says 64 5-oz cups.

A pound of Starbucks Sumatra whole bean coffee is $13.95, which comes out to about $0.22 per cup.

A pound of that Darjeeling at Adagio is $34, nearly 2.5 times more, but it comes out to $0.17 per cup because of the higher yield of the tea leaves.

So that means the "cheaper" (pound for pound) coffee is actually 30% more expensive (cup for cup).

Either way, this demonstrates why I tend to brew or steep at home. It sure beats paying $2 to $5 per cup depending on what you're getting. (Though I'm more like $0.30 to $0.40 per cup of tea because of how I buy it.)