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I have finally caught up! This has been an amazing thread. I thought I knew stuff about tea, but now I know a lot more and I'm looking forward to trying some things with my newly-acquired knowledge. I needed a new electric kettle, and this thread encouraged me to one with adjustable temperature (on clearance at Target!) that also happens to be accutare +/- 2 degrees. So, to actually contribute something other than drool, I would like to mention dried stevia leaf. When I brew blends from Teavana, I usually prefer them to be sweetened. I ordered dried stevia leaf from Mountain Rose (I also get peppermint for tea purposes there), and I add a tiny bit to my tea leaves. I brew it with the tea and it is magically sweet! I love it because it's a minimally-processed plant that I can brew into beverages. If you like some sweetness (or lots of sweetness), I encourage you to try it! I've made strawberry Southern sweet tea with the brewed stevia leaf to great success!
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Mar 9, 2012 22:05
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I was home this week, and can share my ubiquitous favorite drinking vessel and tea: A thousand apologies for the low-light cell phone picture. The mug is a pale green, so tea looks really pretty in it, and it is thick so it retains heat very well. The tea is a rolled Dragon Pearl Jasmine, and I have mixed in some dried jasmine flowers.
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Mar 16, 2012 16:21
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Mountain Rose Herbs! It's around ten dollars, I think. I'd link you, but I'm on mobile. A few years back the mug was square, but same print. I like this shape and size.
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Mar 17, 2012 01:14
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Mr. Fedora posted:My order from Mountain Rose Herbs came in the mail today! Congratulations, and enjoy the mug! That's a great deal of tea... Tried any so far? In other news, I tried the Starbucks green tea frappé thing on the recommendation of this thread and it was pretty good. I like how frothy it managed to be with all the crushed ice. Thanks! milpreve fucked around with this message at 15:12 on Mar 31, 2012 |
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Mar 31, 2012 15:10
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Tea Report! My mom got me this tea as a gift:  Here are the leaves in the very nice glass jar:  In the infuser:  Water just added:  At the end of it's brewing period:  The spent leaves:  I tried to get a picture of it in the mug, but the clouds came out and none turned out well. The second brew picture below shows the color pretty well, though. The rose does not make a big appearance like jasmine would. It might be more pronounced in hotter water, though. I was stuck using the Instant Hot tap, which dispenses water somewhere between 190-210 degrees ("steaming" hot). The smell was pretty normal, and the taste is pleasant. It's not terribly remarkable, but I'm on my third cup for the day. This third cup is my first second brewing, because my mom cleaned up my first first-brew. The second brew:  Only a half of a cup because I forgot to take a picture before I started dispensing! The flavor isn't that different, but I let it steep a little longer. I'm sorry I wasn't better about noting times and temperatures, but I'm at my parents' for the week and it's unfamiliar territory now. I probably wouldn't do more than 3 steeps just because it's already a little weak. Again, though, that could be the fault of insufficiently hot water. milpreve fucked around with this message at 03:58 on Apr 3, 2012 |
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Apr 3, 2012 03:49
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Death Vomit Wizard posted:Thanks for the great pics. Come to think of it, I haven't tried any "tea leaves + flowers" teas. Does the oolong taste not completely mask the rose taste? Also, have you gotten the oolong leaves to unfurl all the way yet? They still look half-balled in your last pic. The rose taste is very very subtle, but I think it will be more pronounced with hotter water. I would hardly know it's there right now. My mom got an oolong with lavender for herself. I had three cups the other night on the same leaves and they were completely open by then. Actually, the spent leaves took up about half of the IngenuiTEA. It was pretty cool. That was my first consumption of the tea, I've been letting it steep a little longer now and it's better. I will update once I'm back to my place and can try it with properly hot water. I'm terrified of microwaving water and my parents do not own a stove-top kettle, so it will have to wait until Monday. Another tea I have that is tea + flowers is my Dragon Pearl Jasmine. Last year I bought a bag of jasmine flowers and I added them to the pearls, so now it's a little more jasmine-y. The pearls are pretty old, so the rejuvenation helped.
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Apr 6, 2012 20:23
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My recommendation for drying mint is to go pioneer on it. Make a bouquet of the mint sprigs, tie the ends with twine, and hang them upside down somewhere dry. When the stalks are dry, remove the leaves and you are good to go! I do this with chammomile, too.
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Apr 8, 2012 19:19
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Fryhtaning posted:I was thinking of trying out a bunch of samples from a few places, but I thought I'd see if there were any goon recommendations first. I love the Golden Monkey (black) and the Phoenix Mountain Dan Cong (oolong) from Teavana, and pretty much everything else there tastes weak or fruity to me. Any good specific or general recommendations based on that? I'm not familiar with those specific teas, but I do agree that Teavana is very fruity.  As for retailers, Adagio and Upton both have great samples and are highly recommended throughout the thread. I ordered from Adagio first. Their samples are $2 for .8oz and have brewing temps/times, which I liked as a Teavana customer. My Upton order will be next paycheck, so I can't tell you much, but people here seem to like their tin packaging. I have an oolong question, as it happens. I like the dark leaves, like the rose oolong I posted and the stuff at Asian restaurants. Looking at oolong pages, though, I see a lot of green leaves with fancy names. I'd like to try some of them, but I'm not sure what to expect. Do they taste like the dark oolong I like, or like green tea, or like grass? Mostly I'm a rooibos/dark oolong-drinker. Can someone recommend a green-leaved oolong from Adagio or Upton that is a good intro to the other side of oolong? (I'm sorry I forgot the type names, I hope I'm not too vague.)
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Apr 26, 2012 17:56
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pork never goes bad posted:Milpreve - Greener oolongs will often taste more like green tea than the amber oolongs. If you like amber oolongs, try to find a traditional green style oolong rather than the more modern style. The more modern style, which is a very bright green, is almost completely unoxidised and is often basically unroasted. Thanks! That's really good to know. I've seen the tie guan yin talked about a lot in this thread, so I'll give that a go. If it matters, I brew in an IngenuiTea. Fryhtaning, I second the recommendation for Darjeeling. I've always though of it as sort of between an oolong and a black tea. milpreve fucked around with this message at 16:37 on Apr 28, 2012 |
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Apr 28, 2012 16:34
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aldantefax posted:Use in samovar-style pots tends to suggest it is brewed extra strong, but that does seem like a pretty solid breakfast tea. Whenever I get around to ordering from Upton I'll have to try that out! Can you (or someone) explain what samovar-style is?
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May 2, 2012 16:46
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pork never goes bad posted:And the notion that adding milk to tea is somehow inappropriate is also misguided. I completely agree. When my mom was in South Africa, home of the rooibos plant, the only way ANYONE she met drank their rooibos was with milk. Most Americans I meet don't add milk, but it's much better with. And who can say the growers of the plant drink it incorrectly?
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May 11, 2012 04:48
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Tea people! I request your advice on tea to go. I have a nice thermos that suits my needs. Do you brew your tea, pour it into pre-heated thermos, and leave, or do you throw water and leaves in and let it steep on the road? Obviously, the type of tea matters for that somewhat, but I hate wasting the leaves by only brewing the one thermosful, and I could make a second batch if I had leaves at school. I've been doing inexpensive Chinese-grocery oolong, but I also do rooibos chai and vanilla honeybush. Thanks!
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Sep 23, 2012 03:53
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Rollofthedice posted:Thing is, I'm liking the idea of that Yerba Mate stuff. Does it work iced? From what I can tell, it's traditionally served hot, but the thought of coffee levels of caffeine in iced tea form is almost too good to be true. And if that's a terrible thing to do, are there any alternatives? My fiancé drinks yerba mate. I got him a french press mug. In the mornings he adds a few inches of mate with a little yerba dulce (dried stevia leaf) and (I think) 185•F water. Then he goes off to work and refills it from the hot side of the bathroom and kitchen sinks throughout the day. The dulce only lasts a brew or two, but by the end of the day, the mate is still good, if a tad weaker. So, not exactly cold, but certainly near tepid. He doesn't like hot drinks either. Also, don't use a gourd. Seriously, unless you have cultural reasons to do so, it's gross. The gourd taste is weird, then you use it lots and it sucks up the bitter flavor of the mate, then your mate always tastes gross. But that is my personal opinion. Bombillas are cool, though. Metal straws with a filter on the end so you don't drink leaves. Also, the metal part should tell you how not-hot mate is supposed to be. That could be painful if it's served too hot. And, like green tea and white tea, it can scorch. I have never tried it iced, but I would imagine it would taste okay... You could always add some yerba dulce if it's gross. Good luck!
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Nov 25, 2012 17:25
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Muffiner posted:What brands should one go for with Yerba Mate, and how high/low does Pipore rank? I ordered the first batch of mate from Guyaki, then the subsequent pound from Mountain Rose Herbs. My boy likes MRH as it is pretty cheap but organic and farm-sourced. We think doing it in milk sounds gross, but try it! I'd not do it in the gourd simply because I would worry about all subsequent mates tasting like spoilt milk.
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Dec 24, 2012 20:46
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In my experience, about half the leaves start out floating and gradually sink. If you left the leaves in long enough, they probably would all sink.
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Dec 28, 2012 22:10
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Honeybush is similar to rooibos, but is more like tiny woodchips in consistency. I have a vanilla honeybush I can post comparisin pictures of later, when I'm not going to bed. Rooibos can't be oversteeped, but it also can't be re-steeped (it's not worth it, I've tried many times). Also, the traditonal South African way to drink rooibos is with milk. Not a lot of people seem to know that, but it is so tasty that way! E: I had a bonus minute. Here is a comparison between rooibos and honeybush. Bot are flavored and have flower petals in them for some reason, but you can see how the "leaf" is different. Honeybush is actually easier for loose steeping. 
milpreve fucked around with this message at 06:30 on Jan 15, 2013 |
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Jan 15, 2013 05:56
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Vienna Circlejerk posted:Is it actually steeped in milk or is milk just added later? My mom said that she always had it added, not steeped in milk. But it was probably fresh milk, not pasteurized and skimmed to a certain milk-fat percentage. I would expect that they removed the cream for making butter, but maybe not. She visited more rural and poorer areas, and any time they were in fancy hotels, it was brought out by the cup, pre-made.
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Jan 15, 2013 22:17
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Sech posted:I was given an ounce of Black Chai and an ounce of Indian Spice Herbal Chai for Christmas. I tried brewing the Indian Spice Herbal Chai both straight and with milk added, but I wasn't a fan of either. Did you sweeten it? A lot of commercial blends are already sweetened, often quite a bit. I've also heard to make it with sweetened condensed milk, but I haven't tried it and the person may or may not have said the right thing (English was not a strong language).
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Jan 17, 2013 15:46
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Has anyone had experience with theteaspot.com? It was recommended at a panel at an anime convention, but the guy didn't mention Adagio or Upton and only recommended against Teavana because of pesticide use accusations. But I thought I'd give him a fair shake and ask here.
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Jan 21, 2013 07:28
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Muffiner posted:Filling the gourd to 3/4 of the way up may be too much. I strongly suggest you put a full teaspoon of sugar in before putting any Yerba Mate to offset part of the initial bitterness, if you want. I'll be honest and say that I hate traditional yerba mate, so my advice differs. Ectohawk is the family yerba mate drinker. I got him a french press mug. He fills the bottom with leaves (maybe an inch or so), adds semi-hot water, and takes it to work. At work, he refills it throughout the day with the hottest water he can get out of the kitchen tap. Sometimes he sweetens it, but he says that when he stopped using the gourd the experience was a lot less bitter. You can also sweeten with yerba dulce, or dried stevia leaf, if it suits your fancy. Ectohawk says it only lasts for a brew or two, but by then the yerba mate is a lot less strong, so it's not as necessary. Good luck! Unrelated: I'd like to use some of the information in this thread in a a presentation I'm giving about tea. Credit will be given where due, but I wanted everyone to be informed. I'm not going to be directly quoting anyone, and I won't steal pictures, just drawing upon the knowledge of the collective to round out my experiences.
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Feb 6, 2013 17:01
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Muffiner posted:Great to hear that you're finally enjoying it! Yerba mate can be re-steeped throughout the day. The first steeping will be the strongest, but you most certainly can have a few cups out of a batch. It's not terribly expensive, so you can pitch it each time, but topping off one cup throughout the day is incredibly convenient. Again, though, this is not being traditional and using a gourd. Two opposing views, I guess.
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Feb 8, 2013 20:03
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hope and vaseline posted:I was browsing the Adagio store in downtown Chicago... Adagio has a STORE?! I can't wait to go back to Chicago now! I was just at their airport yesterday, they have an Argo tea shop there. They make yummy bottled teas (Mojitea is my favorite), and their shop in the airport was like a tea version of a coffee shop.  I can't wait for summer!
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Apr 9, 2013 04:36
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hope and vaseline posted:Got my Ali Shan in the mail yesterday, what's a general guide for steeping Oolongs? I've heard that you're supposed to wash the leaves out first and discard the water, then do the first steep from there, so start at 2 min and increase time per steep? And does anyone brew gongfu style at home? I've had it once in a teahouse in Portland and it was a wonderful way to enjoy tea with friends, but it seems like far too much effort to enjoy tea every day. I just want a big cup to sip while it pours rain endlessly outside. This doesn't really answer your question, but I brew my prolongs per package direction in either my cast iron pot or in my yixing-lined tumbler from Teavana. Oolongs vary based on their oxidation. I don't wash my leaves first because I don't brew gong fu. If I were to, I would rinse them, but I'd save the rinse liquid to taste because I'm curious as to why it is normally dumped. But that's me, the girl who follows her own rules.
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Apr 11, 2013 16:09
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neongrey posted:Should be fine. Leave the lid open and they'll dry nicely. Are you supposed to dry the leaves between infusions? I always resteep within an hour tops, and I leave my IngenuiTEA's lid closed to prevent my cat from eating the tea leaves.
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May 27, 2013 03:41
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I had my first cup of lapsang souchong last night. Thank you, thread, for introducing me to the deliciousness. To contribute to the kettle discussion, I got a "cordless" kettle from Target. You set the temperature on the base via digital display, and it will continue to tell you water temp as it cools. So it doesn't have to be an order-online-specialty-item if you don't want it to be.
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Jun 2, 2013 15:56
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breaks posted:...but most flavored teas are sprayed with extracts of whatever (ie "natural flavors")... This is actually why I stopped drinking a lot of flavored teas. I'm really sensitive to their (over)use at Teavana, where they use smell to lure you in. I have returned several bags of overpriced potpourri, and now I always taste in a cup to go before buying. Anyway, ante posted:From internetting it, it's made of raspberry leaf, apple, juniper berries, peppermint, and natural flavours. Remember that ingredient lists go in order of content. Let your mint leaves and raspberry leaves dry completely after being washed for the best infusion. The variety you got is likely fine. As they are herbs, they are usually done in pieces instead of whole leaf, but I don't think that matters. Raspberry leaves are the basis of your tea. There are more apple pieces and juniper berries than mint. Juniper can get strong, but apple pieces seem pretty mild. Mint can overpower, so use sparingly at first. Usually I see them in cube-ish shapes, but thin slices should be fine. Forget about the "natural flavors," you don't need to add them. If you want to, though, maybe just spray the apple slices so you can bin them if they are terrible. If you have any teas with dried apple pieces, taste one to see and go from there. You can infuse each ingredient separately to get a sense of their steeping strength. Just do them all at boiling for the same time (5 mins?), since they will infuse that way once blended. Mix your liquids as desired, and then you know the proportion by which to blend your tea. Good luck!
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Jun 13, 2013 13:29
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Eeyo posted:Anybody have a favorite lapsang souchong? I like mixing a little bit into other teas for a slight smokiness kind of like russian caravan (I've been putting some in my turkish tea). Occasionally I'll have a cup 'O smoke by itself. The stuff I got was mystery brand from the bulk bin at my local hippy grocery store, so I don't know who made it. I was going to ask this same question. I got a sample from Upton, and I loved it so much I've drank it all. Editing to add: I enjoyed the Lapsang Souchong Imperial. (Steepster wouldn't load before, so I couldn't check until now.) milpreve fucked around with this message at 15:47 on Jun 20, 2013 |
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Jun 20, 2013 15:26
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I got mine a few days ago, I saw the promo on Steepster. The Tieguanyin is the autumn, in case that matters to anyone. I haven't tried any yet, so no tasting notes, but I'm looking forward to trying them! It was a good mix, all teas that I expect to like.
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Jun 27, 2013 13:13
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DurianGray posted:I think the problem with that is that a lot of "cast iron" teapots now come with enamel coatings on the inside, and sometimes paint on the outside. I honestly have no idea what kind of effect direct heat might have on the enamel. I guess there's a chance it could crack if the outside metal is heating differently than the enamel inside. It does. Also, the exterior coloring can burn and get funky on a gas stove. Fortunately, it wasn't my pot that got ruined...
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Jul 12, 2013 03:28
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Eeyo posted:They don't use the same type of enamel the Le Creuset type enameled cast iron stuff does? That enamel is stovetop safe. But I guess they could use a different type, I have no idea. It wasn't a one-go sort of thing. I think, over time, the pot weakened. Also, Le Creuset pans aren't supposed to be used over high heat, but that poor little pot got used repeatedly with the burner on high.
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Jul 12, 2013 13:11
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hayden. posted:I'm sort of new to loose leaf tea and want caffeine-free (or low caffeine, like green) recommendations. Just so you know, quote:Despite what many erroneously believe, green teas do not necessarily have less, or more, caffeine than black teas. Some will argue that green tea has 1/3 the caffeine of black tea while oolongs are slightly more caffeine-rich with 2/3 the caffeine of black tea, but this is simply not true. Caffeine content is not related to level of fermentation; instead, it is more closely aligned to the type of leaf used. This quote is from Upton, found here. There is also a section on the last page of their "Brief Guide to Tea" that explains how it is extracted across multiple infusions. Also, gyokuro is delicious. You might be able to trade your unwanted tea on Steepster. Try smaller samples until you figure out what you like, and get hot cups to go from Teavana as a nice way to try some without having to buy 2oz. milpreve fucked around with this message at 14:11 on Aug 1, 2013 |
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Aug 1, 2013 14:08
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Lady Truck Driver posted:Does anyone have a rooibos/red tea they can recommend? Plain or flavored is OK with me. I'm trying to get more into it, but all I have is a caramel blend from Capital Teas. Also, I'm really interested in Butiki Teas, since they seem to have a lot of good reviews on Steepster (although Steepster reviews are frequently prefaced by what the reviewer happens to be feeling that day/life story/quotes from Shakespeare, so I don't know how credible they are). Does anyone have experience with them? Try rooibos with milk. It is how my mom had it in South Africa before it was widely popular. I like the vanilla rooibos from Adagio with vanilla soy milk. Also, I'm same username on Steepster. Rooibos orange mixed with peppermint is super yum, similar to Adagio's Foxtrot blend.
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Aug 26, 2013 13:28
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My guess is Ravenna. They put crazy in the water there.  Seriously, though, city water is usually fine and well water... not so much. If you like your water, your tea will be fine. If you prefer to drink it filtered, filter your tea water. My rule of thumb.
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Aug 27, 2013 05:21
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platedlizard posted:Hey guys I like to brew my tea in a French press. I had a large bodum press, but it was made of glass and I took it camping and well, it didn't survive. I'm looking for a French press with a metal filter that is not made of glass. Anyone got any recommendations? My fiancé has a Bodum travel mug french press for drinking his yerba mate at work. Not exactly what you asked for, but it might work for camping. Amazon link
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Sep 9, 2013 18:03
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Don't throw things at me. Teavana has a new apple cider tea made with rooibos that is fabulous. I love apple cider teas, but most have a strong cinnamon extract/chemically taste. This one doesn't, and I will buy a pound of it as soon as I can afford it. It's $9/2 oz. It's seriously delicious, and supposed to be a part if their regular tea wall, but I wouldn't be surprised if they retired it before next summer to make way for more seasonal drinks. They have samples in the store of it, and it's $3 for a hot cup to go. I know, most of Teavana is meh or crap, but try this. Better than a PSL (Starbucks pumpkin spice latte) any day! Note: It does have artificial flavoring, but I'm pretty sure that's mostly for apple flavor. The cinnamon isn't too strong or awful or artificial-tasting like cheap spiced teas. Teavana.com posted:Ingredients:Cinnamon, red rooibos, chicory root, plum pieces (plum, rice flour), apple slices, carob pieces, hibiscus flowers, artificial flavoring, apple pieces, orange peels
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Sep 22, 2013 22:22
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Aerofallosov posted:There's nothing wrong with liking something Teavana has. The bad part is when you buy into them and insist on a hojillion dollar tea pot otherwise your tea will taste like crap and 3 monks will come personally down the side of a mountain to pour the tea over your head. Truth. Fortunately, they don't try to sell me add-ons anymore. 1) They know I'm grad student poor, and 2) I am too busy chatting comfortably with them and they forget. Also, they sell the Aladdin cup with the lever and the infuser basket that drops down. It's pretty slick. This gal might be buying one, eventually. Because I need more mugs... I bought the T-Free a while ago, but this one seems more functional.
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Sep 23, 2013 13:43
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cobalt impurity posted:I set my kettle to 180, fill my thermos, and drink it at whatever it's coasting at. Yeah, some cultures that drink yerba mate traditionally use boiling water, but others just get the water to a light steam. It's different depending on whether you ask an Argentinian, a Brazilian, or a Paraguayan. Seconding this right here. Or, if you're my fiancé, 1/3 tap water, 2/3 hot water from the side of the coffee maker at work.
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Oct 24, 2013 17:31
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Thoht posted:Just a note too, traditionally you would boil Moroccan mint tea, so it's not like boiling green teas is some completely unheard of thing. Isn't mint tea a tisane (herbal)? I thought you boiled all tisanes.
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Oct 30, 2013 20:48
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Enter Char posted:Moroccan mint tea is traditionally gunpowder tea mixed with mint leaves. Ooh... Yum!
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Oct 30, 2013 22:40
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Well, I fell off the don't-buy-more-tea-until-you-drink-what-you-have wagon.  Here's more coupon codes for Adagio: 9249091693, 6509453856
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Dec 3, 2013 05:18
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