# Tea



## Bob Hubbard

Ooh.  I like Tea.


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## Tez3

Bob Hubbard said:


> Ooh. I like Tea.


 

Do look at the mail order stuff (the tea is from Taylors of Harrogate founded 1889)  especially the hampers, we have a Bettys in the town next to us and I tell you, you go in and you'll forget about the cares of the world while you are there! Forget politics, Betty's tea and cakes will unite the world.

Sorry to sidetrack, but you have to understand exactly how important tea time is here lol!


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## Frostbite

We should start a separate tea thread.  I love the stuff.


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## Tez3

Tea is vastly underestimated in its value to diplomacy. Perhaps if people sat down with a good cup of tea together we'd get more peace, as Winston Churchill said better to jaw, jaw than war, war. 
Ancient tribes weren't stupid when they offered hospitality to any who turned up in their villages/tents etc. It's harder to make war on someone after you've eaten and drunk with them and _seen them as fellow human beings with families and feeling the same as you. _
It's much easier to hate strangers and people different from you.


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## Drac

Bob Hubbard said:


> Ooh. I like Tea.


 
Me too..What do you recommed Tez3????


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## Tez3

Different teas for different times. English Breakfast tea to wake up to, Ceylon for meals, green tea for digestion and well being. Earl Grey when feeling delicate.
http://www.teaworld.co.uk/taylors-teas.php?ppc&gclid=CNWMyInX45YCFQgrlAodeSNHPg

It's a tradition here that before decisions are made and after momentous events one always has a cup of tea. this ensures that hasty decisions aren't made, others opinions are heard and one can recover your equilibrium. Tea should be hot (though iced tea is nice) this allows time for thought before finishing. One gets to know people over tea.
It's no coincidence that the Queen hosts several tea parties a year at Buckingham Palace and Holyrood Palace. It may be a security  nightmare but pays dividends in the value it has in her meeting the people.


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## Sukerkin

Don't forget the glory that is Lady Grey for those thoughtful moments when contemplation and quiet allow you time to savour.

We should take care not to sidetrack here tho', ladies and gents - it's a serious topic after all.  One in fact that would well benefit form a cup of tea as accompanyment .


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## Bob Hubbard

Tea bits split from Obama thread in Study.


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## Xue Sheng

Ahhh a chance to brag.

I get tea directly from China from my in-laws and before I went to China and meant my sister-in-law I actually thought I know an awful lot about tea..... NOPE... not compared to her. She now sends me tea..... I too like tea


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## crushing

Out of curiosity, does cold or iced tea show a lack of culture or refinement?  Or is it more the fact that I would make a gallon of Lipton Green Tea at a time using a microwave and drink it on the rocks a pint at a time?


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## Xue Sheng

crushing said:


> Out of curiosity, does cold or iced tea show a lack of culture or refinement? Or is it more the fact that I would make a gallon of Lipton Green Tea at a time using a microwave and drink it on the rocks a pint at a time?


 
No.... but using Lipton does 

Just kidding. 

Anyway you drink tea is fine with me.


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## JadecloudAlchemist

Yes my Obama thread has served its hidden purpose the truth of me wanting to talk about Tea!!

I Like Green Tea varities

White Teas and Oolong Teas.

Herbal Teas as well.

I think the Starbuck Green tea lemonade is a great beverage.

However there are Teas I do not like such as:

Straw Tea any commercial Tea like Brisk or Lipton way to much Sugar for me. 

Crushing nothing wrong with drinking ice Tea!!


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## Darksoul

-Must admit, when I saw the topic, I had to go put the water on to boil. Should make that a routine, cup of tea everytime on MartialTalk. I like tea too, and I don't think it matters how you make it or which flavor/brand you use, as long as YOU like it. There are certainly some tea snobs out there in the world, just as bad as the coffee snobs. (Although, I would like to know why Dunkin Donuts doesn't exist in Denver.) Haven't had too many tea flavors I didn't like. Green tea, orange tea, berry tea, breakfast tea, you really can't go wrong. A little honey, or cream, or sugar, or lemon or just plain, it all works. Which also reminds me, I need to go the store and buy more.

Don't suppose anyone could suggest a decent store brand that would be available?

Andrew


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## JadecloudAlchemist

My wife likes Tazo brand Green Tea. This is the main GreenTea used at Starbucks. I don't like it because of the Lemongrass.

I try not to buy my Teas from the Supermarket because the grade is low.

When you are looking for Green Tea look for the actual leaf and not bits and pieces that find in cheap low grades.

Some Teas that are in bag have good amount of leaf.

Best way to compare is to get a Lipton Tea bag which looks like ash and compare it to full leaf bags huge difference.


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## Keith Kirkendall

Tea gives us a sense of wellbeing since it is loaded with all kinds of nutrients and antioxidants. So it makes sense that discussions seem to work better over a cup of tea. I am studying genetics, and geneticists are disovering that the foods we put into our bodies can actually affect future generations...genetically. The term for this is epigenetics. Of course other environmental factors can influence our "gene health", such as good or bad parenting while growing up. A study was done on Agoudi mice...mice that were fed foods that were methylated seemed to get along better and were much calmer in their interactions with each other. The mice that were lacking foods that contained methyl were more anxious acting and not as sociable. Studies were also done on rats...the mother rats showed affection by being attentive licking the offspring to keep them clean...the behavior of the baby rats showed them to be calm even under stress induced situations. Mother rats that neglected their offspring...these baby rats were more fearful/inward acting and cowered when stressful situations arose. So, it is proven that outside/environmental stimulus has a direct affect on our genetic coding...influencing how we deal with things. Food for thought.


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## Tez3

Iced tea doesn't show any lack of refinement, it's just not so common here as we tend not to have the weather for it.
I drink all my tea without milk so like a nice clean tasting tea. I use one made for drinking locally, Taylors make a Yorkshire tea for hard water areas which is perfect. I will use bottled water to boil up for other teas.
Liptons is bland and made for a 'foreign' market I think.
That tea is good for you has been suspected for a long time and is now being proved by scientists.
http://www.tea.co.uk/index.php?pgId=18&healthdisclaim=yes

I think the emotional support offered by tea is also important!!


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## Xue Sheng

JadecloudAlchemist said:


> Green Tea varities
> 
> White Teas and Oolong Teas.


 
And Black/Red Teas too

I am not a big fan of herbal (flavored) tea

Although Iam forced to drink herbal tea (of TCM) from time to time.



In China (or at least Beijing), and now I do it from time to time to, I found that the basic practice was throw leaves in a cup and drink it, pour hot water on it, drink some, pour hot water on it, drink some, repeat.


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## BlueDragon1981

I personally don't drink anything hot... i do drink tea in the ice tea form though.... :drinky: :drink2tha   :high5:


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## Frostbite

I drink one to two cups of black tea in the morning with breakfast and then I usually have a green tea after dinner.  I'm freaking addicted to SoBe Green Tea and Arizona isn't bad either.  Oh and green tea with jasmine=awesome.

I have a question for Tez though:  is there a major difference between Irish and English breakfast tea?


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## Frostbite

Oh and if any of you ever happen to be in Seattle, there's a great tea shop in Pike Place Market.  They have teas I'd never even heard of there.  Be sure to bring lots of money though.


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## Tez3

Frostbite said:


> I drink one to two cups of black tea in the morning with breakfast and then I usually have a green tea after dinner. I'm freaking addicted to SoBe Green Tea and Arizona isn't bad either. Oh and green tea with jasmine=awesome.
> 
> I have a question for Tez though: is there a major difference between Irish and English breakfast tea?


 
I think so, there's a Scottish one too. I expect it's the way the tea is blended for the local water. Tea blending is an art so like whiskys, cigars, bread and wines I think you have to find the blend you like.
The teabags sold in supermarkets can be a bland compromise which tries to please everyone. They are easier no doubt but tea leaves and a teapot can make it perfect.


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## donna

Love Earl Grey, am also partial to Chai tea, I like to brew my own Chai and experiment with the spices!


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## morph4me

I'm partial to Assam, dark and very strong.


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## Sukerkin

Aye, a potent brew indeed.  Not to be an apostle about it ... but ... have I mentioned Lady Grey ?

Also, Everyday Tea (as advertised by Steven Fry) is exactly as it says.  I consume quite a bit of this at work ... erm ... everyday in fact :lol:.


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## Frostbite

Sukerkin said:


> Aye, a potent brew indeed.  Not to be an apostle about it ... but ... have I mentioned Lady Grey ?
> 
> Also, Everyday Tea (as advertised by Steven Fry) is exactly as it says.  I consume quite a bit of this at work ... erm ... everyday in fact :lol:.



Stephen Fry the actor?  I love his work.  As far as Everyday Tea, that's the $2 a box stuff I get from Trader Joe's here in the States.  It's actually quite good as far as cheap tea goes.  They also have a $2 bottle of red wine that isn't half bad.


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## Tez3

Frostbite said:


> Stephen Fry the actor? I love his work. As far as Everyday Tea, that's the $2 a box stuff I get from Trader Joe's here in the States. It's actually quite good as far as cheap tea goes. They also have a $2 bottle of red wine that isn't half bad.


 
That's Twining's Everyday tea. Stephen Fry has just done a series on America where he travels in aLondon taxi to every state, it's very good.


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## Frostbite

I love Mr. Fry.  He's an inspiration to tea drinkers across the US.


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## hpulley

I am a big green tea snob.  I only drink organic green tea from Japan, almost always from near Kyoto.  Good green tea tastes good on its own so it needs no flowers or fruits in it.

Japanese tea is expensive and hard to get here but I insist on it anyways. The lady at a tea shop last night was selling "Made in China - Blended in Japan" green tea and matcha.  She said they don't export any from Japan since they don't have enough for themselves.  Not enough land.  Sigh... last time I buy anything from that shop.  I wouldn't mind it if she'd said, "They export very little and it is so expensive that no one buys it so I only sell the Chinese stuff instead," but she fibbed which I can't stand.  Similarly one of the tea bag companies they use at work has a green tea which is made in China but which shows Fujisan (Mount Fuji), a Shinto gate and other Japanese trappings though it is made in China.  Truth in advertising, eh?

Anyways, I enjoy matcha done properly at home (usually ryakubon date temae with an antique Japanese tetsubin, Kyoto made chawan, et al), and while at work sencha and meicha in a cheap tetsubin.


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## BlueDragon1981

Here you go.... check out what this site says about the health benefits of tea.... I'm sure you will like it....

http://www.whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=146


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## Bob Hubbard

BlueDragon1981 said:


> Here you go.... check out what this site says about the health benefits of tea.... I'm sure you will like it....
> 
> http://www.whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=146


Great site!


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## BlueDragon1981

Yeah that site is like my "bible" for foods.


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## girlbug2

I like white and green teas both, although I drink them only in the mornings because otherwise I'm up all night. Cream clouds the clean taste of tea so I don't use it any longer. Sugar also detracts from tea IMO. Now and then a little honey is nice though.

The best herbal teas are made straight from fresh ingredients. Used crushed peppermint leaves to steep peppermint tea and sliced ginger to steep ginger tea (which is also a good cold remedy with honey and lemon btw).


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## BlueDragon1981

girlbug2 said:


> I like white and green teas both, although I drink them only in the mornings because otherwise I'm up all night. Cream clouds the clean taste of tea so I don't use it any longer. Sugar also detracts from tea IMO. Now and then a little honey is nice though.
> 
> The best herbal teas are made straight from fresh ingredients. Used crushed peppermint leaves to steep peppermint tea and sliced ginger to steep ginger tea (which is also a good cold remedy with honey and lemon btw).



One of the two things you mention that detracts is sugar. Interesting that sugar is "bad" for you. Cream although not entirely bad is not all that great. 

You mention ginger and peppermint. Which are good for you. Peppermint is used to calm an upset stomach. America uses to much sugar and salt. Then our tastes start to acquire it and we feel we need it. We get enough sodium in what we eat naturally without even adding salt. What does that have to do with tea.... i don't know.... 

There is a doctor that told my grandfather to not drink tea. I was thinking does this doctor not read up on what he is saying. It is because of the caffeine. However it does not have that much caffiene in it. Not enough in my opinion to take the other health benefits away from him. What do I know though I'm just a simpleton. :yoda:


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## David Weatherly

I love Numi brand teas.  Their Monkey King Jasmine Green is the best.

David


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## Cette Hamster La

donna said:


> Love Earl Grey, am also partial to Chai tea, I like to brew my own Chai and experiment with the spices!


 

If you put  a moderate amount of dark molasses and a fair bit of honey in some of the spicier chai's you can make them taste very much like liquid ginger bread.

As someone who has long been of the opinion that tea's only taste like dirty water I've been happy to find that hot black tea's are actually to my liking.  Still not sure I get green or cold sweet tea though.


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## Aefibird

I love a good cuppa! I'm with Tez and share the opinion that if everyone sat down with a nice cup of tea (and some good biscuits [cookies]) then we'd have world peace! 

I will drink tea made with teabags, but much prefer it made the 'proper' way with loose leaf tea and a teapot (warming the pot first, naturally!  )

My favourite teas are Earl Grey, Assam, Lapsang Souchong and Chai, especially a blend of Chai that is sold in a little specialist Asian food shop just down the road from where I live. It's quite heavy and spicy, but very very delicious.

I'm also partial to "builders brew" in a morning when it is my turn to go out and do playground duty at school. On a cold English morning when surrounded by hoards of pre-teens there's nothing like a strong cuppa to see you through!

For anyone not enlightened to the particular delights of the British working class "builders brew", it's a very strong cup of tea made with little milk but lots of sugar and often strong enough to "stand the spoon up in it". Popular with brickies on building sites, hence the nickname Builder's Brew.


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## Marginal

BlueDragon1981 said:


> There is a doctor that told my grandfather to not drink tea. I was thinking does this doctor not read up on what he is saying. It is because of the caffeine. However it does not have that much caffiene in it. Not enough in my opinion to take the other health benefits away from him. What do I know though I'm just a simpleton. :yoda:


My grandfather had to stop drinking tea too. Just that much caffeine was enough to make him extremely dizzy.


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## Bob Hubbard

Try white tea, it's got the least caffeine of all the varieties.   Also, rooboos is another 'new' tea, no caffeine but a good mix of anti-oxidants.


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## Drac

I hope to make it to England some year and find a nice tea house and sample the tea and biscuts and maybe a resturant that make a decent Yourkshire Pudding..And then on to the pubs....


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## Aefibird

Drac said:


> I hope to make it to England some year and find a nice tea house and sample the tea and biscuts and maybe a resturant that make a decent Yourkshire Pudding..And then on to the pubs....



If you make it over to England then THE place to go for tea and cakes is Betty's of Harrogate. Delicious hand-made cakes and the finest cup of tea in any cafe anywhere.

http://www.bettysandtaylors.co.uk/

Harrogate is a great place to visit and it's also situated in the best place in England - Yorkshire. Some folk call Yorkshire "God's Own County" and when you visit it it is easy to see why. 

Yorkshire is easy to get to from Manchester airport too, which does flights to lots of places in the US/Canada. 

As for a restaurant that makes decent Yorkshire Pudding then one of the best near me is Yorkies in Sheffield. 

http://www.yorkiesofsheffield.co.uk/

They specialise in Puds but do other food as well.

There's also a little cafe/take away place by the Cathedral in Sheffield that do nothing but Yorkshire Puddings, with various fillings. I can't remember their name, but always have to pop in their if I'm passing that way. Not good for healthy eating, but too irresistable to resist!!

Anyway, back to tea. I'm drinking English Breakfast tea at the moment with a splodge of milk.


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## Hagakure

Tez3 said:


> That's Twining's Everyday tea. Stephen Fry has just done a series on America where he travels in aLondon taxi to every state, it's very good.


 
Indeed, great show. Wonderful actor/writer/producer/comedic specimen.

I drink tea on a daily basis, green, black, always piping hot, always refreshing. I'm partial to Earl Grey in particular, Yorkshire Tea (although I'm not from the Independent Republic of Yorkshire ) and Assam. I once tried ice tea, and thought it was a crime against humanity. 

I'm heartened by the amount of US types embracing civilisation and tea drinking, always rather thought of the US as being a coffee nation. Which, I only drink when there's nothing else around, or when it's made for me. 

I bloody love tea. Come to my house, and I'll put the kettle on! We'll drink tea and talk nonsense.


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## Hagakure

Aefibird said:


> Harrogate is a great place to visit and it's also situated in the best place in England - Yorkshire. Some folk call Yorkshire "God's Own County" and when you visit it it is easy to see why.


 
Admittedly, most of those people are FROM Yorkshire.  I've never met a Yorkshire lad/lass who wasn't proud of being from there. It's not the same being from the West Midlands. 

My relatives are in Sheffield, is that where you're from?


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## Sukerkin

Beat me to it, *Hagakure* :lol:.  

My current 'working' tea of choice is Twinings Everyday.  That gets me through and is very tolerant of changes in water/kettle/milk et al.


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## Hagakure

Sukerkin said:


> Beat me to it, *Hagakure* :lol:.
> 
> My current 'working' tea of choice is Twinings Everyday. That gets me through and is very tolerant of changes in water/kettle/milk et al.


 
 Is that with reference to the Yorkshire comment? Or the West Mids? Or both?


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## Sukerkin

The Yorkist Divine Origins Oligarchy being largely espoused by Yorkshiremen observation .


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## Hagakure

Sukerkin said:


> The Yorkist Divine Origins Oligarchy being largely espoused by Yorkshiremen observation .


 

I shall say nothing.... 

Seriously though, Yorkshire Tea - "The way tea used to be"....


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## tellner

I'm lucky enough to live in a city which embraced craft beverages wholeheartedly from the microbrewing and espresso revolutions to microdistilling and now teahouses. 

Unfortunately, it's still hard to find our favorite go-to tea anywhere. That would be African Pride from Tanzania. Most of it ends up in English Breakfast and Irish Breakfast blends. It tastes good. It has sufficient life-giving caffeine. Most of all it doesn't stew. You can brew it strong enough to lift bricks, and it won't turn bitter.


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## Flying Crane

wow, just discovered this thread, haven't read all the way thru it, but I also am a big fan of tea.

I used to drink coffee, but finally clued into the fact that it leaves my digestion chronically upset.  I still like a cup of coffee, but I try to minimize how much I drink.  Instead, I drink tea like there is no tomorrow.  When I'm at my desk at work, I've ALWAYS got a cup of tea at hand.

Mostly Irish Breakfast, but also Earl Grey, Oolong, Darjeeling, stuff like that.  Black teas are my favorite, I can't quite get excited about green teas and herbal teas.


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## Hagakure

Ok guys,

Here's a question.

How do you drink yours...?

For me;

Green tea - as is.
Black (super market) tea - milk, 1 sugar.
Earl Grey - as is.

Cheers,

H


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## Flying Crane

for the most part I drink my tea straight up.

Once in a while I will add honey and lemon.  I find they gotta go together.  Either alone is no good.


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## Xue Sheng

Green tea as is and generally Chinese style - meaning with the leaves in the cup and keep adding hot water. However I am drinking Hoji Cha at the moment without the leaves, but hey it's Japanese so I can get away with it. 

Oolong - as is

Black tea - well it depends, Irish teas, British teas I add milk all others straight up (as is)

Earl Grey I no longer drink, somewhere along the way I lost the taste for it.


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## Brian R. VanCise

Personally I love all kinds of green tea.


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## morph4me

Black tea, Green tea, Earl Grey, English Breakfast, Assam, Oolong, Darjeeling, and any other tea I've ever enjoyed - straight up


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## Bob Hubbard

Bumping this because I'm drinking tea. That's why. 

Also, it's good for you 

Been drinking a lot of Puerh lately.   Just got in a Numi Puerh tea brick. Kinda cool.


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## hussaf

anyone find good macha in the US?  What do you think of what Teavana sells (matcha wise)?


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## Xue Sheng

Bob Hubbard said:


> Bumping this because I'm drinking tea. That's why.
> 
> Also, it's good for you
> 
> Been drinking a lot of Puerh lately.   Just got in a Numi Puerh tea brick. Kinda cool.



I've been drinking Numi Gun Powder tea and Puerh lately. I did not know they had a brick, I have been  missing my brick of Pu erh tea




hussaf said:


> anyone find good macha in the US?  What do you think of what Teavana sells (matcha wise)?



Wouldn't touch it. It is over priced and if you believe the studies I've read, loaded with a lot of non-tea stuff I don't want to drink


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## hussaf

About stuff from Teavana?  I'm not surprised.  I got some matcha from there and it wasn't very good.


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## ballen0351

I want to get into tea. I always want to but I don't know enough about it


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## Xue Sheng

ballen0351 said:


> I want to get into tea. I always want to but I don't know enough about it




Put tea in cup, add boiling water, let steep for about 5 minutes......drink.....that is about all you need


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## Carol

ballen0351 said:


> I want to get into tea. I always want to but I don't know enough about it



What Xue said.  Just add hot water and drink it straight.   

Some cultures consider it an insult to add anything (like sugar) to the tea. 

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2


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## Bob Hubbard

&#8220;No,&#8221; Arthur said, &#8220;look, it&#8217;s very, very simple&#8230;. All I want&#8230; is a  cup of tea.  You are going to make one for me.  Now keep quiet and  listen.&#8221;
  And he sat.  He told the Nutro-Matic about India, he told it about  China, he told it about Ceylon.  He told it about broad leaves drying in  the sun.  He told it about silver teapots.  He told it about summer  afternoons on the lawn.  He told it about putting the milk in before the  tea so it wouldn&#8217;t get scalded.  He even told it (briefly) about the  East India Trading Company.
  &#8220;So that&#8217;s it, is it?&#8221; said the Nutro-Matic when he had finished.
  &#8220;Yes,&#8221; said Arthur.  &#8220;That is what I want.&#8221;
  &#8220;You want the taste of dried leaves boiled in water?&#8221;
  &#8220;Er, yes.  With milk.&#8221;
  &#8220;Squirted out of a cow?&#8221;
  &#8220;Well in a manner of speaking, I suppose&#8230;&#8221;
  &#8220;I&#8217;m going to need some help with this one.&#8221;


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## Xue Sheng

Well the instructions have been available in the local planning office for the last nine months.

It was on display in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying "Beware of The Leopard"


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## Bob Hubbard

ballen0351 said:


> I want to get into tea. I always want to but I don't know enough about it



Tea simplified:

[h=2]Brewing the Perfect Cup of Tea[/h]
Part of a new site I'm working on. Rest isn't "ready" but it's a good Tea 101 for making a good cup.


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## ballen0351

UMMM yeah making it I got covered.  I ment picking one out.  I walk in tea shops and its overwhelming with all the choices


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## Bob Hubbard

Well, you have 
Black, Oolong, Green, White and Herbal's. 
High Caffeine to low caffeine
Low anti oxidants to high anti oxidants.

I'm partial to black teas, primarily Darjeeling, and Puerh.

Walk into a Teavanna and taste all the samples.  If you find one you like, have them brew you a full cup to try out. (If you have a Starbucks card you get a star there)
Note: Teavanna uses their own rock sugar and brews strong so if you buy their teas you might want to go extra sweet and strong in the brewing at home)

They'll also let you smell any of the tins.

I'm working on some more tea articles that'll get into this more.


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## ballen0351

Bob Hubbard said:


> Well, you have
> Black, Oolong, Green, White and Herbal's.
> High Caffeine to low caffeine
> Low anti oxidants to high anti oxidants.
> 
> I'm partial to black teas, primarily Darjeeling, and Puerh.
> 
> Walk into a Teavanna and taste all the samples.  If you find one you like, have them brew you a full cup to try out. (If you have a Starbucks card you get a star there)
> Note: Teavanna uses their own rock sugar and brews strong so if you buy their teas you might want to go extra sweet and strong in the brewing at home)
> 
> They'll also let you smell any of the tins.
> 
> I'm working on some more tea articles that'll get into this more.


That's my problem I walk into Teavanna and I like it all lol.


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## Bob Hubbard

Nothing wrong with that.  I've got probably 100 types in my cupboard.  lol


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## ballen0351

Bob Hubbard said:


> Nothing wrong with that.  I've got probably 100 types in my cupboard.  lol



It just seems so expensive. Last time I went they tried to sell me a starter kit it was over $100 for tea and then another $65 for a tea pot. My wife would shoot me if I spent that kinda loot on tea


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## Bob Hubbard

Tazo is expensive, so it pays to shop around.  

Quality is above supermarket but not what I consider 'high'.  I've paid $199/lb for tea though (was damn good).

My "regular stock" teas:

*Tazo*
- Zen
- Zen with Ginger
- Chai
- Darjeeling

*Wegmans*
- Chai (decaf)
- Black w/Cinnamon
- Mint

*Numi*
- Emperor s Pu-erh

*Rishi*
- Pu-erh Classic (loose tea)


2 of the Wegmans by me used to sell loose tea, I bought a ton that way. Stopped carrying it sadly. 
But Numi and I think Rishi both have sampler boxes. Grab 1 and try a variety of flavors.  You'll pay maybe $10 but it's worth it.  This aint Lipton dust bags. LOL


For summer, I look for a loose black with good body in the $10-20/lb range for making gallons of iced tea. I usually have 2-3 gallons in the fridge at a time. I drink -alot- of tea.  LOL


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## ballen0351

How much tea can you get from a pound?  
I drink about 1 1/2 to 2 gal of ice tea a day but its the store bought tea bags from target.


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## Xue Sheng

ballen0351 said:


> How much tea can you get from a pound?
> I drink about 1 1/2 to 2 gal of ice tea a day but its the store bought tea bags from target.



Don't know exactly but a pound of tea is about 200 tea bags and that is roughly 200 8 oz. cups so and that works out to about 12.5 gallons

There is more caffeine in a pound of tea than a pound of coffee but you use so little tea to make a cup it ends up less caffeine per cup of tea than per cup of coffee

But  your talking ice tea and that can be made differently. You can use fewer bags of tea (if you are talking bags) and let it steep longer. I have seen ice tea made by the gallon with about 8 tea bags so using that you are now at about 25 gallons


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## ballen0351

Xue Sheng said:


> Don't know exactly but a pound of tea is about 200 tea bags and that is roughly 200 8 oz. cups so and that works out to about 12.5 gallons
> 
> There is more caffeine in a pound of tea than a pound of coffee but you use so little tea to make a cup it ends up less caffeine per cup of tea than per cup of coffee
> 
> But  your talking ice tea and that can be made differently. You can use fewer bags of tea (if you are talking bags) and let it steep longer. I have seen ice tea made by the gallon with about 8 tea bags so using that you are now at about 25 gallons



I like my tea light I make a gal of ice tea with 2 to 3 tea bags so I guess Id stretch a pond of tea out for a long way.  That makes it more reasonable.  I was thinking like 20 cups or something crazy per pound so I was WAY off.  Thanks


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## Xue Sheng

ballen0351 said:


> I like my tea light I make a gal of ice tea with 2 to 3 tea bags so I guess Id stretch a pond of tea out for a long way.  That makes it more reasonable.  I was thinking like 20 cups or something crazy per pound so I was WAY off.  Thanks



It depends on how strong you like it but it is about a half a teaspoon per cup steeped for 5 minutes. I do a 2 cup pot with one bag or one spoon of loose and let if steep for 10 minutes.

And if you do this the Chinese way you throw some tea leaves in a cup and keep pouring hot water on it all day long.


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## ballen0351

Thanks both of you.  I think I may hit the local tea shop down town tomorrow.  Its local small business so I like that better the the mall tea shop.  See what they recommend for a good beginner tea.  and maybe something or my wife she has some medical issues maybe something is available to help with the symptoms


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## Bob Hubbard

I use a tea basket when I make my tea.  2 tsp of leaf.  First brew 4 minutes. 2-5th brew 5 minutes. 6th is 10 minutes.  Depending on the leaf, I can get 5-10 brewings out of 1 basket.  As Xue said, toss a pinch of new leaf in as you go and you can go most of the day on at best a tbl of tea leaf.  


Now, tea for medical use..... different animal entirely.

I brew turmeric teas as well as ginger ones to help with my headaches and back issues.  As someone who does a lot of self-medicating through tea, I suggest a lot of research, and talk to some experts.  Also, webmd.com is a good resource to use to look for possible interactions, etc.


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## crushing

Xue Sheng said:


> But  your talking ice tea and that can be made differently. You can use fewer bags of tea (if you are talking bags) and let it steep longer.* I have seen ice tea made by the gallon with about 8 tea bags so using that you are now at about 25 gallons*



That's what I used to do, make ice tea by the gallon.  More recently I've infused Lapsang Souchong and Rooibos into a beer at bottling to create a smokey tobacco-like IPA.  Fellow beer brewers that also like tea seem to really enjoy this beer and it kind of blows their minds a little bit when they try it.  I gave a bottle of the beer to the lady that sold me the tea and she said she like it.  I entered it in to the AHA's National Homebrew Competition as 'Other Smoke Beer' and I'm looking forward to the feedback.


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## Xue Sheng

crushing said:


> That's what I used to do, make ice tea by the gallon.  More recently I've infused Lapsang Souchong and Rooibos into a beer at bottling to create a smokey tobacco-like IPA.  Fellow beer brewers that also like tea seem to really enjoy this beer and it kind of blows their minds a little bit when they try it.  I gave a bottle of the beer to the lady that sold me the tea and she said she like it.  I entered it in to the AHA's National Homebrew Competition as 'Other Smoke Beer' and I'm looking forward to the feedback.



Wouldn't mind trying that one myself


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## ballen0351

Im going to head to the tea shop today get me some stuff.  Any good anti-inflammatory stuff out there?


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## Xue Sheng

ballen0351 said:


> Im going to head to the tea shop today get me some stuff.  Any good anti-inflammatory stuff out there?



All tea is anti inflammatory but they say green tea is the best at it and it also reduces cancer risk as well


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## Bob Hubbard

Turmeric.  I do several different teas with it in it, as well as in supplement form and in my cooking.  Have significantly decreased my ibuprofen intake as a result.



> [h=3]The Doctor's Remedy: _Turmeric_ for Joint Pain - NYTimes.com[/h]well.blogs.nytimes.com/.../the-doctors-remedy-*turmeric*-for-joint-pain/&#8206;
> Oct 19, 2011 - While many people may encounter _turmeric_ only in curry dishes and ... It helps the _turmeric_ get absorbed so that it goes into your bloodstream _versus_ ... ingredient in _turmeric_, curcumin, with _ibuprofen_ for pain relief in 107 ...
> 
> 
> [h=3]_TURMERIC_: Uses, Side Effects, Interactions and Warnings - WebMD[/h]www.webmd.com/.../ingredientmono-662-*TURMERIC*.aspx?...&#8206;WebMD
> 
> 
> Find patient medical information for _TURMERIC_ on WebMD including its uses, effectiveness, side effects and safety, interactions, user ratings and products that ...
> 
> 
> 
> [h=3]_Turmeric_ - NYU Langone Medical Center[/h]www.med.nyu.edu/content?ChunkIID...&#8206;NYU Langone Medical Center
> 
> 
> by N Home - &#8206;Related articles
> 45 One hundred and seven people were randomized to receive _ibuprofen_ (800 mg daily) or _turmeric_ (2 grams daily) for 6 weeks. Both groups experienced a ...
> 
> 
> 
> [h=3]_Turmeric vs_. NSAIDs for Knee Osteoarthritis - Fitness Goop[/h]www.fitnessgoop.com &#8250; Green & Healthy Living&#8206;
> Jul 5, 2010 - Subjects with a pain score of >= 5 were given either 800mg/day of _ibuprofen_ or 2000mg of _turmeric_ extracts for 6 weeks. The end points of the ...
> 
> 
> 
> [h=3]Natural Remedies: The Benefits of _Turmeric_ | Muscle & Fitness[/h]www.muscleandfitness.com &#8250; ... &#8250; Features&#8206;Muscle & Fitness
> 
> 
> Commonly used as a spice in South Asian cooking, _turmeric_ also has ... the pain relieving effects of curcumin (the active ingredient in _turmeric_) and _ibuprofen_.


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## ballen0351

finally made it to the tea shop in town.  I didn't buy anything they were too confusing.  They make their own blends in house there and it all had different names and fruits and other blends.


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## Xue Sheng

ballen0351 said:


> finally made it to the tea shop in town.  I didn't buy anything they were too confusing.  They make their own blends in house there and it all had different names and fruits and other blends.



Start with a simple green tea or Black/red tea or Oolong or possibly white tea, don't let all of this overwhelm you. I drink hardly any of the herbal infusion teas. The cloest I get is Earl Grey or Jasmine.

Green tea I tend towards Sencha, Gun Powder or Genmaicha (Genmaicha has brown rice in it)
Black tea to try: I tend to drink Ceylon, Darjeeling, Assam, Earl Grey Note another black tea you see out there is Lapsang souchong (aka Caravan tea) it has a rather smoky taste
Oolong tea
White Tea

Just start with a basic tea and don't get overwhelmed by the variety and the tea "experts".  Once you get an idea of what those taste like then start going for the herbal stuff that "you" think sounds good, not what anyone else thinks sounds good. I have had several people tell me how GREAT chamomile Tea is and how surprised they are that I don't drink it and then they try to get me to try it again. Frankly the stuff tastes like socks to me so I don't drink it

My wife's family in China thinks that we take this whole tea thing to seriously....just throw some leave in hot water and drink it. Or my sister-in-laws view: She does not know why Americans are so tea crazy since none of them have any idea what good tea is in the first place ... Or maybe that is just my sister-in-laws way to give me a jab


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## hussaf

Just grab whatever catches your interest.  Then give a quick review here.  It's not like you are buying a house.


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## ballen0351

hussaf said:


> Just grab whatever catches your interest.  Then give a quick review here.  It's not like you are buying a house.



True I was just trying to find some of the above selections and was having trouble.  I did try a blueberry/black tea  and a mint vanilla green they were both good


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## hussaf

nice.  my wife makes ice cream and creme brûlée with teas, pretty good stuff


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## ballen0351

Ended up with a Green Goji Superfruit tea.  Going to give it a try

http://www.capitalteas.com/Green_Gojiberry_Superfruit_p/1050.htm


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## ballen0351

Had my first cup this morning.   It was good.  A little on the light side.   Maybe I didn't use enough tea or the water wasn't hot enough or something but it was good. Had a hint of the berry flavor and I didn't add any sugar or anything but it had a slight sweetness to it.


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## Xue Sheng

ballen0351 said:


> Had my first cup this morning.   It was good.  A little on the light side.   Maybe I didn't use enough tea or the water wasn't hot enough or something but it was good. Had a hint of the berry flavor and I didn't add any sugar or anything but it had a slight sweetness to it.



You can also let it steep longer, how long did you let it steep?


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## ballen0351

Xue Sheng said:


> You can also let it steep longer, how long did you let it steep?



About 10 minutes


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## Xue Sheng

ballen0351 said:


> About 10 minutes



How much tea, how much water and how hot was the water


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## ballen0351

Xue Sheng said:


> How much tea, how much water and how hot was the water



About a tea spoon and around 18 Oz of hot water from the keurig machine


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## Bob Hubbard

Which Keurig model?  Mine maxes out at 192F temp wise.

I'd go with 2 teaspoons next time, see if that boosts the flavor a bit.  Also, make sure your using a real teaspoon measure, not the spoon you stir your tea with.  
I actually have a teaspoon and tablespoon measure right by my machine for accuracy.  Well, that's the intent.  I tend to go heaping regardless, LOL!


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## Xue Sheng

Boil water in a real live tea kettle, grab some tea in your fingers, throw it in a cup, pour on boiling water.......drink


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## ballen0351

Xue Sheng said:


> Boil water in a real live tea kettle, grab some tea in your fingers, throw it in a cup, pour on boiling water.......drink



The tea lady said not to boil the water for green tea?  She said 170 degrees max.  She also said don't let it sit for more then 3 minutes too so.......


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## Xue Sheng

ballen0351 said:


> The tea lady said not to boil the water for green tea?  She said 170 degrees max.  She also said don't let it sit for more then 3 minutes too so.......



Like my sister-in-law, Americans take this too seriously....and still no nothing about tea


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## ballen0351

More tea hotter water great taste


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## crushing

ballen0351 said:


> More tea hotter water great taste



That's great!  I think the key is to experiment and find what you like.  I've been going through that process with coffee over the last couple years since I started drinking coffee.  I think I've finally nailed down a method with the French press that appeals to me most.


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