~Tea~

[Mercurial Anima]

I like Celestial Seasonings, and adore the Peppermint and Cinnamon Apple Spice varieties.

As for tea in bags...

I buy my tea in bags, but I open the bag and put the tea straight in my tea cup. Then, I heat up some water on the stove and pour the boiling water into my teacup.

I tend to prefer tsaines/herbals to black and white teas. I don't like a lot of the additives in the black and white teas, especially in the black teas.

Besides, loose leaves come in handy for my tea leaf readings.  

[TeaDidikai]

Mercurial Anima -Zeph-

I buy my tea in bags, but I open the bag and put the tea straight in my tea cup. Then, I heat up some water on the stove and pour the boiling water into my teacup.

Ummmm... why are you using boiling water?

Quote:

I tend to prefer tsaines/herbals to black and white teas. I don't like a lot of the additives in the black and white teas, especially in the black teas.

Which additives?

Quote:

Besides, loose leaves come in handy for my tea leaf readings.

Interesting. Which method do you use? Do you consider tesseography a spiritual practice? If so- do you think the quality of the plant has an effect on the quality of the reading?  

[TeaDidikai]

I've been slacking. Mostly I just lost momentum as a result of daily life.

That said- Updated!  

[queertastrophy]

TeaDidikai

Don't get me wrong. There are worst things to be drinking than tea from a bag and tsaines.

It's just until you've had really good tea... I mean REALLY good tea- you don't know what you're missing.

Nuri, Deo, Blue? Can I get an Amen!?

Amen, sister! I'm not quite certain how I made it through my life only having tea from Lipton teabags and the occasional cup in a Chinese buffet place. Green and blue-green teas are love. heart  

[MagickSlushii]

TeaDidikai

MagickSlushii

I wish we had...tea...But unfortunately, I have Lipton tea, which isn't tea to me...My mom buys it all of the time. -_-

Floor sweepings are not tea. ~nod~

Haha. xd Nice one. I would 100% agree with that.  

[TeaDidikai]

MagickSlushii

TeaDidikai

MagickSlushii

I wish we had...tea...But unfortunately, I have Lipton tea, which isn't tea to me...My mom buys it all of the time. -_-

Floor sweepings are not tea. ~nod~

Haha. xd Nice one. I would 100% agree with that.

A fellow Gaian introduced me to that particular mantra.  

[patch99329]

Do you get PG tips in america?

It's made of fail.
It comes in a teabag and even if you are the best tea maker in the world you wont make it taste like anything other than watery crap.

I think I'm the only person in this country that hates it.  

[TeaDidikai]

patch99329

Do you get PG tips in america?

It's made of fail.
It comes in a teabag and even if you are the best tea maker in the world you wont make it taste like anything other than watery crap.

I think I'm the only person in this country that hates it.

We can. My hubby now and then will try and sneak some into the house to insult me.  

[PurpleDragonsGems]

TeaDidikai

Nuri

You know, since you introduced me to the error of my tea-drinking ways (I still drink the occasional cup from teabags, but those are usually gifts these days), I've been spoiled. Deeply spoiled.

Good. You deserve it.

Dragon_Witch_Woman

I'm a little confused, whats wrong with teabags?

Let's see- where to begin.

1) Floor Sweepings are not Tea.
Fannings, sweepings or "dust" are what's left after the good tea has been sorted through. In some cases, they literally sweep them up off the floor.

2) Oxygen + Tea = BAD!
While most teas are oxidized to a certain extent (the exception being White tea- the process is sometimes called fermentation) it needs to be done in a carefully controlled environment. Good tea is then curled, balled or otherwise shaped to reduce the leaf's exposure to the air. The result is a sweeter, brighter tea.

Sweepings are too small to do this to- so their oxidization process continues and thus it spoils faster, takes on different flavors and looses it's nutritional value.

3) Tea leaves like to dance.
Tea needs plenty of room to circulate amongst the water in order for the flavor to develop. This is because some compounds are more soluble than others- and yet, when they aren't given room to flow properly, the diffusion of these compounds takes longer or doesn't happen at all, thus leaving with a bitter brew.

4) It's just plain poor quality.
When the tea traders buy tea, they look for qualities one cannot judge in fannings. When there is a shortage of fannings, tea plantations grind up poor quality tea for filler. Usually these are older teas that would have been good a year or so ago- but tea has a shelf life.

Why grind up good tea (with the qualities that tea merchants look for such as leaf size, color etc) for Americans and Brits to drink in tea bags when you can give them poor tea?

5) That's how old?
Unlike fresh leaves that can be tested for quality by eye, scent and feel on the fingers before being brewed, fannings cannot be given the same inspection. The result is that fannings are far more likely to stay on a shelf past their prime (not that they really have a prime) than loose leaf tea. And until you brew it- you won't know it.

6)... aren't 1-5 good enough?

Intresting. I'll have to do more research, and probably start making peppermint tea from my own pepperment plants when I find some good ones.  

[patch99329]

TeaDidikai

patch99329

Do you get PG tips in america?

It's made of fail.
It comes in a teabag and even if you are the best tea maker in the world you wont make it taste like anything other than watery crap.

I think I'm the only person in this country that hates it.

We can. My hubby now and then will try and sneak some into the house to insult me.

EW.

Please tell me he only sneaks the stuff in to annoy you, and not because he actually thinks it tastes good?

IT DOSEN'T. crying  

[Loona Wynd]

TeaDidikai

Don't get me wrong. There are worst things to be drinking than tea from a bag and tsaines.

It's just until you've had really good tea... I mean REALLY good tea- you don't know what you're missing.

Nuri, Deo, Blue? Can I get an Amen!?

Now I want to try real Tea! gonk  

[TeaDidikai]

Dragon_Witch_Woman

I'll have to do more research, and probably start making peppermint tea tsaines from my own pepperment plants when I find some good ones.

Fixed it! xd

patch99329

Please tell me he only sneaks the stuff in to annoy you,

Pretty much. Though it also might be used to fight home sickness as well. Poor dear has been here for over five years.

loona wynd

Now I want to try real Tea! gonk

twisted I WILL CORRUPT YOU ALL! ~ahems~  

[Loona Wynd]

TeaDidikai

.

loona wynd

Now I want to try real Tea! gonk

twisted I WILL CORRUPT YOU ALL! ~ahems~

I mean it's something I've always wanted to try.  

[TeaDidikai]

loona wynd

I mean it's something I've always wanted to try.

Which kind of tea?  

[TatteredAngel]

patch99329

Do you get PG tips in america?

It's made of fail.
It comes in a teabag and even if you are the best tea maker in the world you wont make it taste like anything other than watery crap.

I think I'm the only person in this country that hates it.

*giggle* That's what my raised-in-England stepfather makes all the time. Constantly. I drink it in the morning when he makes it mostly because it's there, it's hot, and I'm not awake enough to function for basic tasks without hurting myself.

So I have been known to drink floor sweepings of my own volition. Also, I am no great shakes at actually brewing proper tea for myself either, which is problematic. Water temperature issues, steeping time issues... I do it, frequently, but I suspect it's never as good as it's supposed to be. I am fail at kitchen.