bearisgray

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 - - -

ekuw

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 :-)

ekuw

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.

Irishrose2

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.

notmorecraft

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 ��

charley26

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!

QuiltnNan

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.

Jingle

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

anne2016

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.

ptquilts

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.”