Tea -
 

What do you consider to be "real/genuine" tea?

About the only "teas" that I like are Lipton's Instant fruit flavored iced teas - which I don't think a tea drinking aficionado would consider "real" tea. (Which to someone knowledgeable about different teas is probably like eating Velveeta to a cheese connoisseur.)

I have been in some grocery stores and the number of different kinds of tea available blows my mind.

Anyway -

I have questions -

What do you consider "real" tea? Do you consider anything other than leaves from a tea tree to be "real" tea?

Do you have a ritual or special time for drinking it?

Hot or cold?

Do you have something with it - like cookies or cake?

The idea of "afternoon tea" seems romantic.

Comments and opinions, please - - -

I drink quite a bit of tea, and yes I consider plants other than "leaves from a tea tree" to be real tea. I particularly like Chamomile, and I am also a fan on Rooiboos and both are "other" plants. I drink plenty of black tea, plain, some spiced like constant comment or chai. I also like green tea and mint tea as well. I don't have a ritual or special time to drink it, sometimes its with a meal, sometimes when I am cold and yes sometimes with cookies :-)

Oh I forgot to add; I have tried loose tea, but am fine with teas is bags too. Teas in bags are so much easier and to tell you the truth, I can't really taste a significant difference from loose to bagged tea.

I collect boxes of tea. That's what my last student I tutored thought. He liked a cup of Zen tea while he worked. One day he saw the pantry and estimated I had 2000 tea bags. My go to tea is Barry's Irish tea, but I like many flavors. Tazo Zen and a good jasmine are favorites.
I can't have any instant teas, though some of them sound good. They have sulfites in them to preserve the color.
Tea ceremony? Not when I'm alone, just a cup sitting on the counter and sipped as I pass by. When I visit a certain friend, he always makes us tea and serves it on a pretty tray, which is very nice. He keeps a variety of flavors, too, so I can try more without having an entire box.
I have at least 10 tea pots in my kitchen. About once a week, I will use one with loose tea, though I use a tea ball. I can drink it any temperature, so it's convenient having a pot full made up. Otherwise, I boil water in my red teapot - no microwaved water for me - and steep the tea in a mug.

I like Earl Grey or Lady Gray, I prefer the leaves, I think there is a difference, and I like it plain black and hot ��

To me, tea is a wonderfully thirst quenching and restorative hot drink, that is taken at anytime of the day. But breakfast and afternoon are my favourite times to drink tea. For breakfast with buttered toast and marmalade, and in a nice mug. Afternoon tea is an absolute treat, with small savoury sandwiches, a variety of small cakes, and a scone with jam and clotted cream, and always in a china cup and saucer with matching small plates. This may seem a little over the top, but it is an absolute treat to go out and enjoy, or be invited out for it. It is very special, and you do not need anything else to eat until the next morning!

I go with a group of friends to small places that specialise in afternoon teas, and we research new places too. It is a special treat at Christmas time because a glass of mulled wine is also on the menu. When family members come to visit, I will book an afternoon tea - as opposed to a meal, it is much more fun and enjoyable. The timing will generally be between 4pm and 6pm, and booking a few weeks in advance is essential - especially in the run up to Christmas.
The tea is aways 'loose tea leaves' and in a tea pot, there are an infinite (nearly) variety of teas that are available, some that are taken with milk, with lemon, or without any addition, and of course with or without sugar, and each person can have a separate tea pot depending on the tea preference

There are some very good tea bags available too, and they are convenient, but freshly made tea is delicious. I also love green tea, but it is so easy to get it wrong - water too hot, brewed too long etc. Green tea has supposed health benefits, but I really do think it needs to be the loose tea leaves as opposed to green tea bags - to me it does not taste as good. Mint 'tea' is also lovely; I place a handful of lemon balm or mint leaves in a jug, pour over hot water, leave to steep for a few minutes, and pour into a mug to drink. Lovely and refreshing on a warm day. I have never drunk cold or iced tea, and 'instant tea powder' is just wrong.

At other times of the day I will drink coffee (fresh or instant), and if forced to choose between the two, I would choose to keep the tea. I always drank tea when I was young, coffee for convenience when I left home, but tea will be always my favourite. Family members also continue to drink tea - weak, strong, with or without milk or sugar. My son's girlfriend does not drink tea or coffee, it has taken me a little while to get used to this!

i find it difficult to start my day without a mug of strong black tea. i've started drinking green tea in the afternoons for its health benefits.

I am not a real tea person. I only drink 1/2 sweet and 1/2 unsweet ice tea when dining out.

I drink many cups of tea each day. I will drink all kinds of tea as long as it's hot. I do not like iced tea. Earl Gray is wonderful but I prefer plain black.
I love tea with toast and jam for breakfast and with zucchini -lemon loaf any other time of day. I make the loaves and keep them frozen. I cut a couple of slices to warm in the microwave each time I have my tea.
I like tea strong (loose or bags) with no sweetener added.
I don't drink coffee.
DH says I am addicted to tea.

I like plain black tea but I find it hard to find any strong enough to suit me. Or maybe my taste buds are getting old. Right now I am using Typhoo Extra Strong. I use green tea and flavored tea to make iced tea.

I love what George Carlin said about fruit flavored tea.

Fruit-flavored Teas:

I would like to talk to you about fruit-flavored teas. These would be teas that are flavored like fruit. Fruit-flavored teas. You need to understand that. These are not fruits. They’re teas.

But they taste like fruit. All right? They have names like strawberry kiwi, lemon berry, orange mango, wild cherry, blackberry and cranberry. They taste like fruit. And they sound like fruits, too, don’t they? They’re not. They’re teas. Fruit-flavored teas. And frankly, I don’t understand this.

Personally, I’ve always been of a mind that if you’re looking for fruit flavor, if you’re genuinely interested in something that tastes like fruit, and you find yourself in the tea section, you’re probably in the wrong aisle.

My advice is, if it’s fruit flavor you’re after, play if safe, go ahead and get some fruit. I have found in my experience that fruit almost always turns out to be reliable source of fruit flavor.

Another good place you may wish to look for fruit flavor would be in fruit juice. Fruit juice is made by squeezing the juice out of the fruit. Apparently, the juice that runs out of the fruit has fruit flavor. Perhaps that’s why they call if fruit juice. It doesn’t taste like tea. For tea taste, you would need to get some tea.

So let’s sum this up: If it’s fruit flavor you want, you can’t go wrong with fruit. Or, as I’ve pointed out, fruit juice. Don’t be ordering tea. Tea has tea flavor. It’s not like fruit. It’s more like tea. If you want tea, I say order tea. That’s a different experience. It’s known as “having tea.”

Have you noticed, by the way, there are no tea-flavored fruits? Take a clue from nature.”

Have you tried Irish tea? I like Barry's better than Murphy's.

I am a die-hard tea drinker and have been since my early teens. (so 50+ yrs!). I do not drink fruit flavored teas (ptquilts, your George Carlin quote cracked me up) and don't like lemon in my tea. I start each morning with at least 2 cups of tea--usually a chai latte, but if not I will put the kettle on and steep it in my teapot. I'll either use a tea ball with loose tea or a bag(much easier to find it in the bags in the States). I often end my late nights with about 3 cups of tea. I will not drink Earl Grey or lady Grey--the bergemoth in them makes me gag--but about any other black tea works very well. I particularly like a black Kenyon tea like Robert Roberts (discovered in Ireland and can not find anywhere to purchase in the States!) or Barry's or Twinings, etc. I don't like Lipton's, although I do sun brew a liptons for iced tea in the summer sometimes. Until I went to Ireland I always drank my tea without cream or sugar, but now like a cube of demera or brown sugar in it and sometimes a drop of milk,too. This has made me thristy--need to put the kettle on!

I drink The Tao of Tea loose leaf tea.
Osmanthus Oolong Tea
Green Dragon Oolong Tea
Earl Grey Black Tea
Peppermint Herbal Tea (Grand kids favorite)
Lemon Balm Tea


To me "real tea" is leafy either cut, rolled or dried whole. I steep mine in a stainless steel basket in a cast iron enameled teapot. You pour the hot water over the loose tea ..........never, ever, ever bag it......

I am a self declared tea snob.

I do not like Liptons or Twinings tea. Bitter, but little flavour.

I buy love Earl Grey with vanilla, called Creamy Earl Grey at my local tea shop. I drink loose leaf tea, but do carry a couple of Stash Double Bergamot tea bags with me for 'emergencies'. As a university student, I carry a container of my loose leaf tea in my bag and make tea on campus throughout the day.

I drink a variety of herbal teas, enjoy mint tea, as well as Rooibos Tea.

On a Friday night I enjoy a Blueberry Tea, tea plus Amaretto and Orange Liqueur, with a twist of orange and a cinnamon stick. I am not much of a drinker, but in the winter after a long week of studying that is my treat.

Other than the Blueberry Tea, I do not add milk or sugar to my tea.

When I was in Europe this Spring I bought teas in Italy, Switzerland and The Netherlands. It was great to enjoy them for a few months when we returned.

I do like Lapsang Souchong, which is a smoky tea, as well as chai.

I love ice tea. I buy decaf teabags and make tons of it each week. I have a huge container which I store in the fridge. I add cranberry juice and orange slices to it. Hot tea is not my favorite but I will drink it. No snob about my decaf teabags.

Thanks for this thread Bear. It did bring back a favorite memory of a now deceased boss from Great Britian who gave me, the microwave tea maker, a lesson in proper tea making. Boil the water 3 to 5 minutes for proper ariation, steep for the proper amount of time to allow the flavor to develop, and the exact right amount of sugar and cream/milk. He was a wonderful man, and I was blessed to know him.
I am a tea drinker, plain water is SOOO boring! Although, I still use the microwave at times. I usually do not use loose leaf, but use all brands and all flavors. About the only one I do not care for is Earl Gray, but will drink it if nothing else is available.
Now, off to drink my tea and start my chores...
Happy Day,
Susan

The last tea I purchased from amazon came from England, thinking it would be a WOW! I have tried all kinds of brands and flavors over the long years of my life, and honestly I prefer good old Lipton. I don't drink tea often so I usually put it in the freezer in my kitchen, where I can get to it easily.

There is even dandelion tea.

A tea is a drink made from plantsthat are steeped in water. The tea plant is one plant that is frequently used for tea drink, but there are many herbal alternatives. I personally prefer variations on black tea, but peppermint tea and blood orange tea are also on my shelf. I prefer using a tea ball since I have more options in loose tea than I do bags. I generally make it in a mug instead of a pot since I don’t drink it fast enough to keep the pot even luke warm.

I've always been a tea drinker. My mother lived on black coffee and Constant Comment tea so I just sort of grew into it. Currently, my favorite iced tea is Bigelow Raspberry Iced Tea. It comes in large bags that work great in my ice tea pot. In the summer my favorite iced tea is a combo of half peppermint and half spearmint. I prefer Traditional Medicinals.

Right now, I drink a lot of Traditional Medicinals Nettle Leaf Tea (hot). My nutritionist recommends it for reactivity and allergies. I knew it was helping me but I didn't know how much until I had to get off of it and a supplement I take to have a blood test done. Wow! I felt awful. I'm so grateful I have it.

I drink a cup of Sleepytime tea at 9pm every night... faithfully prepared by my sweet hubby. This was a ritual we both enjoyed and he always did the tea making. Then one day he decided he didn't want to drink tea in the evenings anymore, but he continued to make mine! So sweet. And he brings me a biscotti to dunk in my tea, if we have them.

If I'm out for lunch I will order iced tea. We Southerners love our iced tea.... I get unsweetened and put stevia in it. When the weather is hot, iced tea really does cool you off.

I keep Echinacea tea handy for when I need to stave off a cold or sore throat. It works.

I'm not a tea drinker but I love iced tea with fresh lemons added or even limes. I only like it in the summer though.
But I don't care for hot tea. My Mom drinks it all the time.
I have little to no knowledge of teas but I would love a cup prepared by a Brit!!

I discovered a few years ago that I love milk in my tea (but I drink my coffee without milk). To be able to put milk in my tea, I have to avoid all fruity teas. If you add milk to fruity teas, they curdle, and that is not an appetizing view in the morning. Some I use local honey in, some I use no sweetener in. A couple of favorites are Earl Gray and Vanilla Chai by Bigelow Teas.

That George Carlin observation was hilarious!! He was brilliant at the absurdities of life.

Love George Carlin, may he RIP. I think tea is as personal as anything. I like what I like. Others like what they like. There are as many variations on methods as there are types of teas. Someone's favorite type of tea brewed to their perfect specifications may taste nasty to someone else.

I love lemon tea but I also like it with milk. My solution, when I had a house and garden, was to grow lemon thyme and add it to tea, along with the milk. Best of both worlds.

my son is an .
He has different clay pots for red, black, white and green teas. he buys by the ounce or gram depending on the price. he goes to Chinatown to buy some. sends to india for some. Some he buys in cake form. don't dare put white tea in a green tea pot!!! He brews loose teas, and filteres them. some are delicate and only brew for a minute or two, others up to 7 minutes. I drink Lipton or from the local Chinese food joint. I also brew sun tea. He will drink sun tea with lemon or just plain. i need the sugar, and gritty sugar is best. you get to chew on the sugar and nothings better than that.

OMG--is Lapsang Souchong not the best! I love it but find it hard to find so usually "ration" it. Definitely don't need milk or sugar with it. Did you know that Lapsang was the tea that the mountain men cherished in the book Centennial?

I have been trying some different teas. Republic of Tea I can buy in stores here & it is a tea bag form. A loose tea that I have found is Plum Deluxe on line. They have some really nice teas & ship fast. I started drinking tea because I wanted something hot in the afternoon/evening but not coffee or hot choc. Plum Deluxe gives a little description of the tea & I'm able to pick a lower caff. blend.

I agree with you! The dictionary says teas is made with tea leaves. A tisane is made with dried or fresh flowers or leaves. Folks who are precise and accurate about teas know that tisanes are not the same as tea, but are packaged as tea and are in the tea section.

Everyday run of the mill tea for me is Red Rose. Lipton has a bitter taste to me. I’ve started adding a drop or two of lemon juice to each cup as it clarifies and tastes better. BUT my preference is Twinings...Lady Grey or Earl Grey are my faves. No cookies needed. :-)

I have a pot of Valerian Root "Tea" every evening as it helps my mind to slow down and allows me to slip off to sleep easily. I usually add some ginger root slices, too. Not sure if it qualifies as a true tea, but it is lovely to sip the last hour of my day.

My Dr. has told me to drink a lot of hot green tea. In the bag's I like Twining's. I like a lot of the other teas they have. Can't beat their Ginger Lemon for a upset tummy. I drink some loose leaf teas from World Market and ordered from different tea places my DD sends me. Bentley's is also a good tea. Now I am enjoying the Twining's Christmas spiced and the Chai that I love. If you are new to hot teas try different ones as everyone has different taste and if you are like me you will find several that you like to keep on hand.

Funny I just saw this thread, because I've been sampling different teas lately. When I was a kid, my mom always made plain ol' Lipton tea (sweetened), but it always tasted rather bitter to me. After I got married, I found that Luzianne tea is more to my liking, but lately I've been wanting something different. So I ordered several boxes off Amazon (our stores have a terrible selection).

So far my favorite is Celestial Seasonings' Morning Thunder tea. Twinings Pure Peppermint and Twinings Winter Spice are both pretty good. Twinings Lady Grey tea sounded yummy by the description, but it tasted nasty to me. Lemon and ginger tea was my last favorite. In fact, I threw the rest of the box straight into the trash! LOL!

I bought a Celestial Seasonings fruit tea sampler box, too, but haven't tried any except the cherry. It was okay ... not particularly outstanding.

I also bought a box of Lipton Matcha Mint tea awhile back, too, that I like really well.

The plan was to drink tea when I got up, but I'm finding that I don't care for hot drinks at that time of day. I want something cold and refreshing when I first wake up, so I reach for a Diet Dr. Pepper. :)

Has anyone tried Yerba Mate' tea? I have an Argentinian friend who made it for me in the traditional manner. It was very good, though I felt as if it gave me a bit of a buzz......she pooh poohed the idea as she was raised drinking it and didn't think it was any more stimulating than a strong cup of coffee.

I am just wondering if anyone else had tried it and what their experience was.

Reading all these tea stories makes me remember my college days. My girlfriend across the hall and I would end the required study hours (7-10 pm) at our college, (can you imagine required study hours in this day and age???) and we would have a cup of tea together, sometimes with a sweet treat. (We used to pocket the tea bags when going through the dinner line, and see how many cups of tea we could get from one bag) You got plenty of advice and commentary from the others, so I'll just say, ENJOY your moments and your favorite type of tea.

Fusion Teas -- on-line -- has excellent teas. My favorite is Roasted Pumpkin Mate.
I was on a diet a few years ago where I had no caffeine/no sugar/no alcohol/no gluten/and a few more no's. (It is supposed to reset your system, and yes, I felt great and lost 13 pounds....)

Before this, I loved coffee. After a 2 month break, coffee smells wonderful but I just don't like the taste. So I became a permanent tea drinker and love my morning pot.

It has to be loose tea, in a pot.

I love teas. My favorites are Lapsang Souchong, Jasmine, Oolong, Darjeeling, English Breakfast, Earl Grey, Lady Grey, Irish Breakfast, Chai Latte And Celestial Seasonings Red Zinger.

Probably the best tea I’ve ever had in my life was during a trip to India in 1982– the street tea vendors sell “chai” (tea) which is good black tea with cardamom and some other flavors and then aerated with milk that they pour back and forth between two cups- we were there for a little over a month and I’ve never found anything that comes close here in the US- not even the “chai” sold in fancy coffee/tea shops.

Rob

I recently learned that adding milk to hot tea robs the tea of the health benefit. I like WUYI Chinese tea. I usually drink it iced though. I keep a pitcher of cold tea in the fridge. I think any tea is real. Some better quality then others.