[underground]

After the heady discussions and love on the coffee thread, I'm interested in tea - cos I love it. At work I'm primarily drinking loads of Tetley's, 2 bags in a cup, with milk. At home Sainsbury's Earl Grey, or Twinings Lapsang Souchong, and again lots of the stuff, always with milk. I've had a while of drinking Sainsbury's Green tea, the odd white tea when it's in the hotel basket (always teabags, never with milk), but I'm sure there's a whole world I'm missing out on - reading about gunpowder, and tea balls, etc.

What's worth knowing?

[Muenchener]

What's worth knowing?

Water temperature.

On the subject of kettles with an adjustable temp, they are good. Without wanting to change lanes mid thread green tea is a different drink at 70-80 degrees.

This was a revelation to me too. A guy in a tea shop told me about it when I bought a packet of green tea from him.

Some people have digital thermometers; I've had an adjustable temperature kettle for a while now, which I expect is nowhere near as precise but does the job for me. I'm sure you can also get close enough for non-connoisseur purposes by "turn it off a bit before" / "add a dash of cold" methods.

I also read somewhere that one should let tea steep for a few minutes. What comes out in the first few seconds is mostly just caffeine - if you want the full flavour and all the healthy antioxidants etc. it takes a bit longer. This in contrast to coffee where over-extraction is very bad. Can't find the link just now though.

[erm, sam]

My wife's cousin is totally bonkers about tea, obsessed with it, and he runs the below. A good place to buy uber fancy teas...

http://www.essenceoftea.com/about-us/

[psychomansam]

My wife's cousin is totally bonkers about tea, obsessed with it, and he runs the below. A good place to buy uber fancy teas...

http://www.essenceoftea.com/about-us/

Fuck me they sell some expensive shit.

Postcard teas and Jing tea are great. If you're around Oxford Street in London, drop in to postcard and ask to try some stuff. Have had quite a few happy hours there, lots of interesting discussions with the owner, along with free sample. And I'm not sure I've ever been charged for the teas I tried either (since I tended to buy a fair amount to take away)

Also, once you get into tea which isn't black, temp is everything. I have a nice little stainless steel thermometer from postcard, cost about a tenner. You can get them cheaper.

Green is great, and oolong is fucking awesome, especially if you can afford the good ones.

Personally my favourite for a long time was white teas. These are basically just picked, dried and packaged, and tend to still have 'fur' on the leaves. Very delicate flavours, though they can still be rich in their own way. That said, when heathen friends tried it, they tended to say it tasted of water. It may help to have a sensitive nose and palate!
I should probably freecycle some of my tea really as I can't drink caffeine at the minute.

[Obi-Wan is lost...]

Not that fancy but for a nice change from Tetley, pg tips etc Twinings Everyday makes a lovely cuppa.

[Durbs]

During the work day, I'm enjoying the Clipper Organic Earl Grey.

Best tea I've ever had was in Sri Lanka at the Mackwoods tea plantation. The silver-tip stuff there was seriously lush.
The Gold-tip was around coming out somewhere near the price of cocaine... The queen drinks it, so it's probably not too bad.

Enjoy a bit of a masala chai too, but they've stopped doing the one I like (had an elephant on the packet), and all other options always taste a bit too er... "forced" in terms of spices.


One bag, brewed for 1-3 minutes depending how the conversation in the kettle is going. Milk, no sugar, never squeeze the bag.

[chris20]

It's all about Clipper fair trade tea, makes the best cuppa or failing that Yorkshire tea

One bag, brewed for 1-3 minutes depending how the conversation in the kettle is going. Milk, no sugar, never squeeze the bag.

I fluff the bag up to get the leaves moving around but only squeeze it when workmates are giving me abuse for taking to long

[Jaspersharpe]

Interesting. I'm totally addicted to Earl Grey at the moment and the current box of Twinings (very nice) wont last long so I'll return to this thread shortly.

[Durbs]

It's all about Clipper fair trade tea, makes the best cuppa or failing that Yorkshire tea

Hmmm, I don't like their organic english tea. A bit too bleh. Which is a shame as I bought a jumbo box of it.

[chris20]

It's all about Clipper fair trade tea, makes the best cuppa or failing that Yorkshire tea

Hmmm, I don't like their organic english tea. A bit too bleh. Which is a shame as I bought a jumbo box of it.

No I'm not fussed about the organic one, it's the normal one that does it for me - I think it's the orange and black box but they keep changing the colours so I'm not sure anymore 

[shurt]

I got a Forlife stump teapot recently to use loose tea in (there are lots of other similar ones). The reason i like it so much is that you can let the tea brew for the desired time and then remove the leaves completely so a second cup is the same strength as the first. its a really good idea.
I've had various green and white teas that I like and also jasmine as well. The loose jasmine flowers make really amazing tea.
As others have said with the shop bought tea Clipper is pretty good. I've gone off normal tea (earl grey, breakfast etc) all together in the last few years and I've no idea why, I just never fancy it anymore.

[underground]

I got a Forlife stump teapot recently to use loose tea in (there are lots of other similar ones). The reason i like it so much is that you can let the tea brew for the desired time and then remove the leaves completely so a second cup is the same strength as the first. its a really good idea.
I've had various green and white teas that I like and also jasmine as well. The loose jasmine flowers make really amazing tea.
As others have said with the shop bought tea Clipper is pretty good. I've gone off normal tea (earl grey, breakfast etc) all together in the last few years and I've no idea why, I just never fancy it anymore.

I love Jasmine tea - in fact that was the one I took to the alps last year and stopped the indigestion. Again, just Sainsbury's stuff.

Looking at the teapot - it's 550ml so not really big enough for 2 mugs of tea, in the way I'm used to drinking it (3 mugs in the morning preferably) but I guess you don't glug mugs of the finer teas like that anyway. Fuck it, I'll get one. 

So the big question is - where can I get the tea? I looked at the essenceoftea link above but I don't fancy paying 9 quid a gram for something I'll probably ruin. Is there a Hasbean equivalent for tea? I just found http://www.chah.co.uk/ and they do 50 gram selection packs. So the next question is - how would I store it before / after opening?

[moose]

I've ordered from these before (during a brief tea "phase.... before relapsing to dirty strong coffee) - I remember liking their long leaf Earl Gray.  Do selection packs and prices seemed okay.

http://www.allabouttea.co.uk/

[Duma]

I've had stuff from this lot before that was nice
http://www.teapigs.co.uk/tea/shop_by_category/all_tea

[shurt]

I've not really got any tea mail order/ online before so can't recommend anywhere. The two places mentioned on here look ok. I'm in a strange position as where I live (Wells) has a very good specialist tea and coffee seller. No website but there is a picture here:
 http://maps.gstatic.com/m/streetview/?q=&layer=c&z=17&sll=51.207741,-2.652766&cid=8030065853393539222&panoid=rbEnDZ4zSO4AAAALCpUs0Q&cbp=13,268.17758440266329,,0,0&ved=0CAoQ2wU&ei=qqyZUv2bLtPW8QPvqYGwDw&gl=GB&hl=en
It's rather good

[Paul B]

currently I'm enjoying gunpowder tea and the more traditional Moroccan mint infused green tea from the night market in Marrakech. The former is what I hope for every time I buy chai at home (I've never had milky, Indian Chai) but it never tastes as it smells.

This stuff is incredible even if it contains enough sugar to dissolve my teeth.

[tomtom]

I got a Forlife stump teapot recently to use loose tea in (there are lots of other similar ones). The reason i like it so much is that you can let the tea brew for the desired time and then remove the leaves completely so a second cup is the same strength as the first. its a really good idea.
I've had various green and white teas that I like and also jasmine as well. The loose jasmine flowers make really amazing tea.
As others have said with the shop bought tea Clipper is pretty good. I've gone off normal tea (earl grey, breakfast etc) all together in the last few years and I've no idea why, I just never fancy it anymore.

I love Jasmine tea - in fact that was the one I took to the alps last year and stopped the indigestion. Again, just Sainsbury's stuff.

Looking at the teapot - it's 550ml so not really big enough for 2 mugs of tea, in the way I'm used to drinking it (3 mugs in the morning preferably) but I guess you don't glug mugs of the finer teas like that anyway. Fuck it, I'll get one. 

So the big question is - where can I get the tea? I looked at the essenceoftea link above but I don't fancy paying 9 quid a gram for something I'll probably ruin. Is there a Hasbean equivalent for tea? I just found http://www.chah.co.uk/ and they do 50 gram selection packs. So the next question is - how would I store it before / after opening?

I heard that Chah was staffed by ear ring wearing 7 year olds equipped with two ipads, so you might want to give them a miss

[underground]

Right then... Bought a Stump teapot as an early xmas pressie to my sen. My verdict is that it's a nice bit of kit, good size for 2 cups of tea (not mugs) and the steeping bit is ace. I know I can do the same with one of those scissor things or the thing out of the Bodum mug I have at work - but its nice to have the pot to sit down with, and have a second cup.

For the tea I gave Northern Tea Merchants a ring, in Chesterfield, had a lovely chat with a really nice knowledgable lady, and talked about what I wanted to try - she told me loads and also told me they deliver once a month round Chessy, Sheff etc. in a van. No sales pressure, she offered to send a sample - and that was 50g Formosa Oolong, and 125g each of Earl Grey and Lapsang Souchong.

I've tried the first 2 - the Formosa was brilliant, something to change my whole perception of tea drinking - 2 mins in the boiling water and drunk straight, I'd give up all other teas for it.

The Earl Grey was 'different' - I guess since I'm used to a strong black tea with a bergamot flavour from Sainsburys, and this is more a less black tea... so it turns out tasting 'weak' - having supped a few posh earl greys at the inlaws over xmas, It seems to be how it should be, and I like it. Less artificial perfume...

Not tried the Lapsang yet....

[slackline]

If you fancy an adventurous hike to get a cuppa you should visit Mt Hua Shan.

[Muenchener]

If you fancy an adventurous hike to get a cuppa you should visit Mt Hua Shan.

That looks excellent. And to think people used to whinge about the Camino del Rey in El Chorro

[Luke Owens]

Clipper; Green Tea with Lemon - Can't get enough of it!

[psychomansam]

This stuff is incredible even if it contains enough sugar to dissolve my teeth.

So does Indian chai, fyi.

[Paul B]

so I've heard. Does it taste anything like the store bought stuff smells?

I've subsequently learnt that the 'tea' I was drinking doesnt actually contain any tea. Oops. Instead it is made from Ginseng and:


Ginseng Tea Spices by travelswithmyt4, on Flickr

and brewed in that large copper urn with plenty of sugar (supposedly this concoction is liquid viagra).

All through the week the locals were hassling the guy to add some small crystals from a shot glass, tourists weren't offered. At the end of the week he added this to my 'tea' and I can only assume it was menthol crystals, the result was amazing.

So, if you're in Marrakech "No. 71, you can't go wrong", as the locals would say / hassle you with.

[Sloper]

Obviously I like a propper cup of tea, althoguh if hungover will drink builder's / prole tea.

If you want a good merchant I use Imperial Tea & Coffee of Steep Hill Lincoln,

http://www.imperialteas.co.uk/tea/darjeeling/first-flush-garden-darjeeling

If you want some tips, I'd suggest that you get one of their tea tasting boxes, 6 types at a guess under £20.

If you're more particular their silver tip oolonmg is sublime and they aheva fantastic range of first and second flush darjeeling the Bannockburn is worth every penny, their lapsang is simply devine (somked over pine roots) for a wonderfull scented and earthy flavour. In fact I haven't hada  bad brew at all, good people to do business with too.

[shurt]

Found out an interesting fact out about Jasmine tea the other day.
I've had this tea in two forms - Jasmine flowers and a green tea variety. I have always wondered exactly what makes a tea Jasmine and why it always seems to be combined with green tea. I was in my local tea shop in Wells (mentioned early in this thread) and asked the bloke in there and he told me all the stats.
Apparently, traditional Jasmine tea is always green tea flavoured with Jasmine flowers. The normal process is for the fresh green tea to be scattered on the floor at the beginning of the night and Jasmine flowers (which only open at night) to be then thrown in amongst the tea. This is done 5 nights on the trot with the flowers being picked out each morning. At the end of this the green tea has been flavoured by the Jasmine. No flowers are normally included in the finished tea. I'm not convinced that commercial Jasmine green tea is done for 5 nights or flavoured this way but the more expensive stuff will be. Really interesting though.
The non green tea Jasmine flowers are a really good cuppa as well just for the record.