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Right now I'm really digging chai tea with a bit of milk/sugar mixed in it. The stuff I got at Wegman's is looseleaf style called Maslala Chai Black Tea. It looks like someone took the mixture for garam masala and added it to some black tea, honestly; bits of cardamom pods and cinnamon are listed as ingredients. Any recommendations on other chai that fits this style?
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Jan 2, 2015 23:43
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i dont understand why people put cinnamon in the tea because it tastes disgusting
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Jan 3, 2015 00:26
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Slaapaav posted:i dont understand why people put cinnamon in the tea because it tastes disgusting Probably because different people like different things. Shocking, I know.
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Jan 3, 2015 01:40
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nwin posted:Right now I'm really digging chai tea with a bit of milk/sugar mixed in it. The stuff I got at Wegman's is looseleaf style called Maslala Chai Black Tea. It looks like someone took the mixture for garam masala and added it to some black tea, honestly; bits of cardamom pods and cinnamon are listed as ingredients. Upton Tea just delivered a big box of various tea samplers ($1-$2 each) I would bop over to their site and order some samplers. I like the decaf chai I am tasting right now, though I wish it were a bit more spicy.
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Jan 3, 2015 03:56
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KimotaBoom posted:Lupicia is doing it's annual "Happy Bag" sale. You get a random assortment of teas for half of what they normally cost. Here's a blog post with a picture and description of what was in the box last year that's pretty similar to what I got. I liked almost everything in my bag last year, although the black teas were kind of hit or miss. Also be warned that they take a while to ship out. Even at half price those teabags are expensive at 40 cents a piece
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Jan 3, 2015 13:22
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I like cinnamon but it can easily become overpowering in a blend. The Wegmans bagged chai I tried tasted pretty much just like a cinnamon flavored tea. Couldn't taste any other spices which isn't what I was really looking for. I liked the adagio blends a lot better.
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Jan 3, 2015 14:30
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nwin posted:Right now I'm really digging chai tea with a bit of milk/sugar mixed in it. The stuff I got at Wegman's is looseleaf style called Maslala Chai Black Tea. It looks like someone took the mixture for garam masala and added it to some black tea, honestly; bits of cardamom pods and cinnamon are listed as ingredients. Masala is a blend of spices, typically (but not always) cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, clove, & black pepper. You can definitely make it yourself with a good Assam. Try making it in a saucepan with whole milk and lots of sugar.  Surprisingly, the masala chai from Teavana is pretty cheap and quite good, although when I worked there I was the only employee who liked it.
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Jan 3, 2015 16:13
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pointsofdata posted:Even at half price those teabags are expensive at 40 cents a piece Thought the same, was about to hit the button just because I need to restock on teas, then compared the prices to my usual places. Sky high.
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Jan 10, 2015 01:31
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Can anyone suggest a decent recipe for ice tea? I've tried cold and hot brewing with various leafs, bagged and loose and no matter what I do it ends up tasting like tepid dishwater.
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Jan 15, 2015 11:19
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Get some reasonably cheap BOP or fanning grade tea. Pour in hot water, mix in sugar, add lemon to taste. Refrigerate overnight. Strain out tea. Drink in tall glass with ice.
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Jan 16, 2015 05:34
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nwin posted:Right now I'm really digging chai tea with a bit of milk/sugar mixed in it. The stuff I got at Wegman's is looseleaf style called Maslala Chai Black Tea. It looks like someone took the mixture for garam masala and added it to some black tea, honestly; bits of cardamom pods and cinnamon are listed as ingredients. Lipton Yellow Label is my go to. A big rear end box of orange pekoe is $10 online or slightly more at an Mediterranean/Middle Eastern/well stocked grocery. It's very malty and mixed with milk results in a rich flavor that reminds me of the European style Ovaltine. Pretty much any aromatic spice tastes great with milk, sugar, and Assam tea. Freshly grated ginger and cardamom are the two pillars of "traditional" chai-wallahs. If you want a real strong cup then try star anise, fennel, and licorice root. Nutmeg, cloves, and cardamom results in something that tastes like bitter hot chocolate. Ginger, saffron, and a little Ceylon tea results in a peppery-sweet flavor that really opens the nose. If you think cinnamon is overpowering then try Indian bay leaf and allspice. Rose water and orange zest reminds me of Earl Grey. When I'm feeling lazy I just use a powdered Chinese five spice which is a blend of ginger, star anise, nutmeg, cloves, and fennel. My normal cup of chai is to bring water with spices to a boil. Add tea, sugar, and milk then reduce to a simmer for 10-15 minutes. Strain and drink. Lipton holds up well under long steeping but I certainly wouldn't do it with more expensive teas. al-azad fucked around with this message at 13:15 on Jan 16, 2015 |
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Jan 16, 2015 13:10
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Is Yame Gyokuro worth $25 for 2 oz? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyokuro It's from this shop http://www.thefragrantleaf.com edit: vv thanks, gonna buy some. Mortley fucked around with this message at 23:24 on Jan 18, 2015 |
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Jan 18, 2015 00:24
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For reference the most expensive gyokuro sold by O-cha, a very good vendor specializing in Japanese tea, is about $14/oz. Their "Yame Gyokuro" is one of their cheapest at about $6.25/oz, but that doesn't really say anything about the pricing of the one you linked. At Hibiki-an, my other preferred Japanese specialist, their super premium is $16/oz, and their ultra-top-end, totally excessive competition grade is $38/oz. Their cheapest is a bit over $4/oz. Of course with both of those you also have to figure in shipping from Japan unless you are ordering enough to get it free. So basically, the pricing on the tea you linked is reasonable for a fairly high end tea from a specialist vendor. If it is in that neighborhood in terms of quality then the price is fine. For what it's worth, the brewing instructions are fairly consistent with how good gyokuro should be prepared, which is usually a good sign that it's at least decent. A lot of places selling crap gyokuro say to brew it like any other green tea. breaks fucked around with this message at 01:45 on Jan 18, 2015 |
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Jan 18, 2015 01:33
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I've drank PG Tips for my entire life so far. I've had tea drinkers laugh at me but I like the stuff. Am I drinking the Milwaukee's Best of tea? Should I be embarrassed?
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Jan 19, 2015 02:52
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evilolive posted:I've drank PG Tips for my entire life so far. I've had tea drinkers laugh at me but I like the stuff. Am I drinking the Milwaukee's Best of tea? Should I be embarrassed? I drink fancy Wuyi oolong from a yixing clay pot and I like PG Tips when I want a good, British cuppa with milk and sugar. 
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Jan 19, 2015 03:39
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milpreve posted:I drink fancy Wuyi oolong from a yixing clay pot and I like PG Tips when I want a good, British cuppa with milk and sugar. Do you have a yancha vendor you recommend? I've only had mostly generic DHP offerings before. Oh huh, I could have just looked up TeaDB's article. drat, the top end stuff is pricey as hell. hope and vaseline fucked around with this message at 04:44 on Jan 19, 2015 |
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Jan 19, 2015 04:38
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evilolive posted:I've drank PG Tips for my entire life so far. I've had tea drinkers laugh at me but I like the stuff. Am I drinking the Milwaukee's Best of tea? Should I be embarrassed? No. PG is a good milky cup. You should be embarrassed if you're drinking Celestial Seasonings or Bigelow's.
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Jan 19, 2015 06:11
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Could someone recommend me a lapsang souchong? I got a little nondescript baggie of it at a local health food store, and I like it enough to spring for some higher quality stuff.
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Jan 19, 2015 15:49
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Mlle posted:Could someone recommend me a lapsang souchong? I got a little nondescript baggie of it at a local health food store, and I like it enough to spring for some higher quality stuff. http://www.teavivre.com/smoky-lapsang-black-tea/ http://what-cha.com/black-tea/fujian-lapsang-souchong-black-tea/ http://yunnansourcing.com/en/fujian-black-tea/3154-traditional-smoked-zheng-shan-xiao-zhong-lapsang-souchong-black-tea.html http://yunnansourcing.com/en/wuyimountainrockoolongs/2939-zheng-shan-xiao-zhong-of-wu-yi-fujian-black-tea-spring-2014.html
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Jan 19, 2015 15:52
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hope and vaseline posted:http://www.teavivre.com/smoky-lapsang-black-tea/ Thank you! I like that Yunnan Sourcing has photos of the steeped leaves, I've bookmarked that.
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Jan 19, 2015 23:24
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I'm still getting into tea drinking and still learning. Have an electric kettle, a tea infuser, and a couple tins of Harney and Sons (what's everyone's opinion of that brand, by the way?) loose leaf stuff. The teas I drink are mostly Earl Grey and X Breakfast types. I've been using Splenda (though very little) and an occasional creamer as well. Currently I'm looking for a tea pot in which to brew several cups of tea. I drink tea pretty much all day long and especially with loose leaf tea the mess is a son of a bitch to deal with with only one cup per. I prefer to order all my poo poo via Amazon Prime for the free shipping though I could use a tea website if absolutely necessary. I'm also starting a new job soon and looking for an office solution, but I feel like I'll probably be able to just get a second kettle + pot. So I guess what I'm asking is: Does anyone have any loose leaf tea recs? Does anyone have a tea pot rec? Am I doing everything wrong?
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Jan 20, 2015 06:07
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For the kind of tea you like, basically traditional western style stuff, Harney and Sons is a pretty solid vendor. I think you'd have a tough time finding something that's better and Prime eligible. Adagio and Upton are a couple other options if you want to look at other sites. If you at some point want to get into puerh, or high quality oolong, or Japanese tea, I would recommend looking for (or asking here for) a source specializing in those styles. I can't much help with a large teapot since I don't use one, but make sure to have some kind of plan for keeping the tea warm or reheating it if you go that route.
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Jan 20, 2015 06:42
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Yeah. How is a teapot easier than a single-cup infuser? I have a couple in-cup cylinder style ones. I flick my wrist and give it a quick rinse and it's good to go for another one. I in fact stopped using teapots because the infusers are that much cleaner and easier. Are you using something like this?  Or more of a tea ball, which I will agree is a bit more of a pita.
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Jan 20, 2015 14:47
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Tea balls suck, and those in-cup infusers are pretty great, but I fell in love with my Adagio tea infuser the first time I used it.
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Jan 20, 2015 14:58
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CommonShore posted:Yeah. How is a teapot easier than a single-cup infuser? I have a couple in-cup cylinder style ones. I flick my wrist and give it a quick rinse and it's good to go for another one. I in fact stopped using teapots because the infusers are that much cleaner and easier. If you use a teapot with a similar style of infuser to that one, you can just adjust your measurements up a bit and make three cups with the same time and effort it would take to make one in a mug. It's just a bit more convenient if you're going to drink multiple cups of tea back to back anyway, or want to share with someone. Teapots like that are quite easy to find these days.
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Jan 20, 2015 17:25
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milpreve posted:I drink fancy Wuyi oolong from a yixing clay pot and I like PG Tips when I want a good, British cuppa with milk and sugar. So I had some Oolong tea with my boss today at work (who is chinese). He drinks the stuff all day long, a little too hyper for my taste. The tea was good but I'll be honest, I totally prefer PG Tips with milk and sugar. I guess it's more hot than anything that I like.
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Jan 20, 2015 19:40
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But Not Tonight posted:Tea balls suck, and those in-cup infusers are pretty great, but I fell in love with my Adagio tea infuser the first time I used it. Me too, I love the aesthetics of fancy tea pots but an infuser like that one just works so perfectly and easily I can't see the point in using anything else.
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Jan 21, 2015 00:12
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As was said, the ability to make multiple cups at once is what's convenient. Haven't to get up and reheat water and steep etc etc every time I want a cup is not as convenient as getting up, grabbing a kettle off of a warmer (or whatever), and pouring the tea into a cup.
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Jan 21, 2015 08:20
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Mlle posted:Could someone recommend me a lapsang souchong? I got a little nondescript baggie of it at a local health food store, and I like it enough to spring for some higher quality stuff. http://www.uptontea.com/shopcart/item.asp?UTid=301-18-22333303&afterCart=/shopcart/item.asp&itemID=ZS80 This is the best lapsang I've ever had.
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Jan 22, 2015 00:22
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milpreve posted:http://www.uptontea.com/shopcart/item.asp?UTid=301-18-22333303&afterCart=/shopcart/item.asp&itemID=ZS80 And darned economical.
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Jan 22, 2015 01:01
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But Not Tonight posted:Tea balls suck, and those in-cup infusers are pretty great, but I fell in love with my Adagio tea infuser the first time I used it. I was just about to post this, I drink at least a liter of tea a day and this is a far better way to do it than by the pot. Its good to have a pot (Upton has a good basic pot with a good infuser included) just in case you're brewing for company though.
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Jan 22, 2015 04:23
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Just watched this video series on youtube about pu'erh - how the tea is harvested, processed, bartered around between different people, and pressed into cakes. Very interesting! Worth watching if you have a few hours. Worth watching even if you're not interested in pu'erh really. The process starts on video 2...video 1 is about people drinking the stuff. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCL45YCbaBqem78gVjWzx8cg/videos. Apparently the series is a supplement to a book 'Puer Tea: Ancient Caravans and Urban Chic'. I haven't read it but after watching the series I decided to buy a few cakes and pick up the book at some point.
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Jan 22, 2015 18:30
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Neat, thanks. Always love learning more about puerh. Man, they're sampling dry and wet stored 90s raw puerh in the 7th video. I wish that stuff wasn't prohibitively expensive...
hope and vaseline fucked around with this message at 18:43 on Jan 22, 2015 |
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Jan 22, 2015 18:36
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Anyone want to sample some Zhi Rooibos earl grey, blue earl grey and coffee, and Upton vanilla chai? PM me and they will ship Monday. We weren't thrilled with any of them and I am going to order more Assam and Baker Street from Upton. 
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Jan 31, 2015 23:15
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I tried reading back a few pages and forum search and didn't get much results. Is using a french press for making tea considered a bad idea? Seems like infusers and such are variations on the french press method.
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Feb 3, 2015 14:22
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AnimalChin posted:I tried reading back a few pages and forum search and didn't get much results. Is using a french press for making tea considered a bad idea? Seems like infusers and such are variations on the french press method. The only drawback I see to using a french press is that maybe the leaves would get banged up a bit when you press it, leaving debris in your drinkable tea. But I've made tea in a french press before. It worked just fine.
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Feb 3, 2015 14:31
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It works fine, I did it for awhile. Kind of a pain in the butt to clean at times, which is why I prefer my fancy rear end tea robot or one of those adagio ingenuiTEA style pots.
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Feb 3, 2015 17:31
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My fiancé uses a french press mug at work-camp with Yerba maté. It's good for anything that can't really overbrew. Most mugs don't press down far enough to damage the leaves, which is a plus. But yeah, regular french press is fine if you're gentle with the pressing.
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Feb 4, 2015 00:10
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I finally ordered one of those ingenuiTea things from Adagio, and it's pretty decent. I don't like that I can't get under the filter to clean through it completely, and sticking it in the dishwasher just tends to leave a bunch of water sitting in the thing. I'm using a sanitizing solution (from brewing stuff) to make sure it stays clean, but I can't see myself using this with a puerh or any smoked tea like lapsang souchong. I like it a lot for oolongs and anything I steep more than once. It's just another tool for tea in my kitchen though and I don't see it fully supplanting my mesh infuser anytime soon.
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Feb 4, 2015 16:43
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I was served some bagged Taylor's Scottish breakfast the other day and the style seems promising. Any suggestions for better cost:quality and loose-leaf examples of Scottish breakfast?
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Feb 4, 2015 17:31
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