Teas

[HS Thomas]

If it's one of your favourite brews how do you like it made ?

There's :
throw everything together and broil for 5 minutes (wince)
OR it can only be brewed in a tea-pot warmed to the correct temperature
OR it's only best spiced - (Starbucks serves a neat TZAO TCHAI).

I've never tried tea from a tea-maker , hate the stuff they serve on airlines , and like frothy steamed coffees and teas they serve up in some ports.
Black coffee is OK but Black tea , no way.
There are oiled teas (bergamon has to be the best ) , blended teas , white teas , green teas
[ December 03, 2003: Message edited by: HS Thomas ]

[San Su]

My Favorite is Milk tea with cardamom.

[HS Thomas]

Yum. I've tried that and it's good but not particularly stuck on that formula to have it day in day out..
Earl Grey is tea with bergamon and other blends and a favourite after festivities (another one is peppermint tea).
I'm surprised liquers didn't make it into teas. Or teas into liquers. :roll: Somethings are sacrosanct.

[Joe Pluta]

Earl Grey is tea with bergamon and other blends
I never knew that. But it explains why I enjoy it. I am, however, particular to Tchai, and Starbucks is actually quite good.
Joe

[Rufus BugleWeed]

Black Yunnan, aka China Black, oh that's good drinking, but don't let it steep too long.

[Richard Hawkes]

I like Earl Grey the best. Twinings do one with added citrus flavour called "Lady Grey". With or w/o milk is fine for me. Green tea after a heavy meal or to sip during the day (instead of water) is good. First thing in the morning however, you can't beat a plain PG Tips or Tetley teabag with a splash of milk and 1 sugar.
Coffee, great for the smell. I like it black or white but always strong. Currently weening myself off sugar for tea and coffee but its not easy.

[HS Thomas]

Then there are herbal teas. Approach with caution. Mixing your herbals can give you one hell of a headache.

[HS Thomas]

All teas can be consumed Midmorning and afternoon.
Pure Lapsang Souchong,from the Fujian province of China is recommended for the afternoon only.
Assam and Breakfast English are the only recommended teas for breakfast.
Earl Grey and Lady Grey (Which contain bergamot not bergamon as said earlier)
and Darjeeling are recommended drinks for Late Evening.
In France they serve tea in bowler-hat sized cups and coffee in miniature ones. I think they have something there.
Bonne appetea The French might say Bonne appethe

[Joe Pluta]

HS: Assam and Breakfast English are the only recommended teas for breakfast.
HS, how do you compare drinking tea vs. coffee at breakfast? For years I drank English Breakfast (as it was called here) and I really can't recall why I got away from it. I wonder if I should go try again? Although I don't know if the teas we get at the supermarket here actually do justice to the real thing.
Joe

[HS Thomas]

Originally posted by Joe Pluta:
HS: Assam and Breakfast English are the only recommended teas for breakfast.

HS, how do you compare drinking tea vs. coffee at breakfast?
Tea , first thing if you like to potter round and relax. Then coffee either at breakfast or at work to rev up. You could blend your own tea.I believe a cement mixer blends copious amounts really well at one go. Good presents if you have a large circle of friends and relatives and find a winning blend.There's something feng shui about giving tea presents.
English Breakfast tea, which is a full bodied blend of Ceylon and Indian teas; Irish Breakfast, a rich strong tea from the Assam region of India; Ceylon Breakfast, I read has a golden color and rich bouquet that make it especially good for making ice tea;
As a rule, the teas that go best with milk (cream should never be used with tea) are English Breakfast, Irish Breakfast and Ceylon Breakfast. Those best served without milk are Lapsang Souchong, Jasmine, Darjeeling and Vintage Darjeeling.
Darjeeling is sometimes called "The Champagne of Tea";
For years I drank English Breakfast (as it was called here) and I really can't recall why I got away from it. I wonder if I should go try again? Although I don't know if the teas we get at the supermarket here actually do justice to the real thing.
It's labeled English Breakfast Tea. But in conversation , refered to as Breakfast English to distinguish it, IMHO, from an English Breakfast, the perfect recipe for a heart attack.

Next on the list to try is Orange Pekoe..Is it recommended by anyone ?

[Thomas Paul]

I have never been much of a tea drinker. The only tea that I could ever satnd was Darjeeling. I much prefer coffee with the Indonesian coffees being on the top of my list.

[Joe Pluta]

an English Breakfast, the perfect recipe for a heart attack.
Friends just returned from a sojourn to the UK, and found it terribly amusing that the standard breakfast all over was the same, except for the name. Full English, Full Scottish, Full Irish, they all shared the same basic ingredients, with minor variations (such as haggis in the Full Scottish). Not having gone to Wales, they were unable to report on the existence of a Full Welsh. (A quick Google search found the phrase "Y brecwast gorau yng Nghymru ym marn yr AA!", which pretty much stymied me ).
They couldn't understand how anyone could actually walk, much less put in a full day's work, after such a thing.
Joe
[ December 04, 2003: Message edited by: Joe Pluta ]

[Richard Hawkes]

Originally posted by Joe Pluta:
Friends just returned from a sojourn to the UK, and found it terribly amusing that the standard breakfast all over was the same, except for the name. Full English, Full Scottish, Full Irish, they all shared the same basic ingredients, with minor variations
Damn, we've been busted!

[Wirianto Djunaidi]

I do like green tea, and good chinese tea (ooloong, jasmine, etc)..
some chinese restaurant serve good chinese tea, but most of them serve mediocre tea.
I like those tea with meal though, as they clean the palate nicely.
For regular sipping while working, green tea work for me. And I am
trying to figure out this one tea that I had at a small restaurant
recently..since the people has no idea what tea they serve, come in
big brown bag. Anyway, the tea has a very nice and strong aroma, but
very mild on the flavour..so I thought would be a good replacement
for water while I'm working..since I only drink coffe for the enjoyment,
not for the cafeine rush.
I haven't really try any of the local tea in Bali, but most of Indonesian
tea are the Indian variety.
For herbal stuff, my wife sworn by Chamomile tea. We only had Twinning
in Bali, and it's too light for my wife taste. She prefer Celestial seasoning's better. Recently we found a good brand, Sorenson or something
like that...but the price over here is US$12 for 100 gram. Twinning cost
us US$3 for 10 bags. Compare to local stuff which we can get for US$1.5 for 100 gram...*sighs*

[HS Thomas]

Wirianto , that's . A dedicated tea lover going by your description. If you can describe the aroma of the mystery tea we'll see whether we can track it for you. -pine, smoky, exotic woody, slightly nutty , balsamic ...? Colour of brew may help.
I like this description of Keemun tea , from Keemun region in China.
"A scent more awakening than coffee, without the heavy bitter taste and nasty shock to the stomach that coffee can have. Perfect tea for cream and sugar, with a rich flavour almost as smoky as a Lapsang Souchong. Highly recommended for coffee drinkers and black tea lovers alike."
And guess what - English Breakfast Tea IS Black Keemun Tea.
Also discovered Tazo Earl Grey blended with Tazo bergamot.
Discover Tea I really like the TAZO TCHAI at Starbucks. Must find out if it's spiced Tazo Earl Grey.
Health benefits of tea drinking include :
� Cancer Prevention - The American Association for Cancer Research found that tea drinkers were half as likely to develop certain cancers than non-tea drinkers.
� Bone Health - as reported by the Archives of Internal Medicine, tea drinkers were found to have higher bone-density measurements.
� Heart Health - a Harvard study shows that tea drinkers had a significantly lower risk of fatal heart attacks than non-tea drinkers.
� Oral Health - with its natural fluoride, flavonoids and vitamin C, tea inhibits the plaque-forming ability of oral bacteria.
� Arterial Health - Boston University researchers found that blood vessel function improves with drinking tea and seemed to reverse the progression of atherosclerosis.
� Skin Health - by applying tea to sunburned skin, its polyphenols will reduce sun damage associated with wrinkling and cancer.
� Overall Health - Brewed tea contains antioxidant polyphenols that neutralize free radicals which help protect against chronic disease.

If you are concerned about caffeine, consider that on average, tea contains approximately 1/3 to 1/2 less caffeine per serving as coffee. The average tea drinker consumes about 80 mg of caffeine per day as compared to the average coffee drinker's 220 mg. These approximations are an easy way to remember:
black tea contains about half as much caffeine as coffee
oolong tea contains about half as much caffeine as black tea
green tea contains about half as much caffeine as oolong tea

And the longer the infusion the greater the caffeine content. Tea bags, which contain broken leaves, produce an infusion with far more caffeine than loose leaf tea.
For those who are caffeine sensitive, consider red tea or Rooibos, a completely caffeine-free herb tea from South Africa. Rooibos (roy-bus) is the only other herb in the world which undergoes a fermentation process like black tea. Studies show that rooibos contains comparable amounts of polyphenols to green tea and has a soothing effect on headaches, disturbed sleep patterns and digestive problems. A great "tea alternative".
[ December 04, 2003: Message edited by: HS Thomas ]

[Michael Morris]

I like Earl Grey the best. Twinings do one with added citrus flavour called "Lady Grey".
Those are my favorites. Lady Grey seems to have less bergamot and a touch of lemon. No milk but very sweet is the way I prefer it. Sometimes I wonder why we threw all that tea into Boston Harbor.

[Marcus Green]

Best cup of tea I ever had was out of a glass cup by the side of the road up a mountain in Nepal. It had been brewed with milk and sugar in a saucepan over an open fire and was bliss. I'm sure if I tried to replicate it at home it would be disguisting.
Re: (full) English Breakfasts, they are more a treat eaten out at any time of the day than what the English eat at home. One of the best can be obtained at Bettys Teashops in Yorkshire mmmmmm, about 11 quid a head though. With the decline in the numbers of people performing all day manual labour it is not good for the health to start of with 900 KCalories of lard before leaving the house.
In my view the USA is the spiritual home of good breakfast. I shall always treasure the breakfast buffet in 1987 at a place called Hunters in Boston utter bliss, mmmmmmm.

[Thomas Paul]

Originally posted by HS Thomas:
If you are concerned about caffeine...

Indeed, I am concerned about caffeine. I am concerned about getting as much as I can every morning!

[HS Thomas]

While I don't think we have exhausted the possibilities that go with tea-drinking , let's see what coffee has to offer..
"Coffee has been a medical whipping boy for so long that it may come as a surprise that recent research suggests that drinking moderate amounts of coffee (two to four cups per day) provides a wide range of health benefits. Most of these benefits have been identified through statistical studies that track a large group of subjects over the course of years and match incidence of various diseases with individual habits, like drinking coffee, meanwhile controlling for other variables that may influence that relationship. According to a spate of such recent studies moderate coffee drinking
may lower the risk of colon cancer by about 25%,
gallstones by 45%,
cirrhosis of the liver by 80%,
and Parkinson's disease by 50% to as much as 80%.
Other benefits include 25% reduction in onset of attacks among asthma sufferers and,
at least among a large group of female nurses tracked over many years, fewer suicides.
In addition, some studies have indicated that coffee contains four times the amount of cancer-fighting anti-oxidants as green tea.
Of course, most of these studies do not take into account how the coffee is brewed, how fresh the beans, and so on. Perhaps as these studies are refined we may discover, for example, that drinking coffee that has been freshly roasted and brewed is more beneficial than downing coffee that is terminally stale or badly brewed. Certainly there is considerably more going on chemically in fresh coffee than in stale. And we may learn how much beneficial effects of coffee drinking are provoked by caffeine and how much by other, less understood, chemical components of coffee.
But one thing is certain, if I were a nurse taking part in the study noted earlier, and if I were drinking cheap office service coffee, I would be much, much more prone to suicide than if I were drinking, say, a freshly roasted and brewed Ethiopia Yirgacheffe or high-grade quality like Keopu's Kona - the sweet coffee [Hawaiian]."
The role of caffeine in health may have been misunderstood or so claim the coffee cartels. If this was true a combination of high-quality tea and coffee could keep the doctor away.
[ December 05, 2003: Message edited by: HS Thomas ]

[Marcus Green]

http://www.viladdia.com/Cuisinart%20Coffeemakers/index.htm?1254.htm&1

[HS Thomas]

Originally posted by Marcus Green:
In my view the USA is the spiritual home of good breakfast. I shall always treasure the breakfast buffet in 1987 at a place called Hunters in Boston utter bliss, mmmmmmm.

What did your treasured breakfast consist of ?
In two cities I ordered pancakes expecting to get those dainty floppy doilies that you drizzle honey on. And twice I got a stack of thick pan-depth sized cakes piled high. Not to mention biscuits for breakfast, and steak.
Marcus, from your link , I never knew about

Hawaiian coffees and Kona seems to be the best quality.
From your link agai, this ones for Thomas Paul - "Hot Lava Java (8 oz ground) - Taylors of Harrogate Coffees.
Indonesian arabica beans are blended with higher caffeine robusta beans from India and Africa and roasted very darkly. The result is a super strong, powerful coffee with a high caffeine kick. A true eye-opener, Hot Lava Java appeals to people who like a seriously powerful, great tasting coffee with plenty of caffeine."
[ December 05, 2003: Message edited by: HS Thomas ]

[Michael Ernest]

Earl Grey infusion with local honey and lemon zest, all through winter. I rarely get nasty colds if I stick to it.

[Thomas Paul]

Originally posted by Michael Ernest:
I rarely get nasty colds if I stick to it.

Do you get nasty colds if you don't stick to it?

[Michael Ernest]

Every time I do get one, it occurs to me I haven't been taking my potion for some time. And when I get a cold, yeah, it's usually pretty nasty. Travels from throat to sinus to lungs, lasts about three weeks, and I'm coughing up all sorts of lung butter to boot.
Sometimes I'll put in some drops of distilled vinegar, which I'm told helps oxidize the antigens in the honey, making them more potent. Not as much fun to drink, though.
[ December 05, 2003: Message edited by: Michael Ernest ]

[Richard Hawkes]

Originally posted by Marcus Green:
Re: (full) English Breakfasts, they are more a treat eaten out at any time of the day than what the English eat at home.
Yes, English breakfasts are much better at lunchtime - not too often mind. They go well with the the PG Tips and Tetley teas too. Trying to appreciate a fine tea with all that lard and ketchup would be a waste of time for your tastebuds!

[HS Thomas]

It's scientifically proven that adding milk first aids the colloidal balance between casein the main protein constituent of milk and the caffeine/theine found in coffee/tea.
Standards have been proposed and accepted on the proper way to make a cuppa - British Standard BS 6008 and ISO xxxx

[HS Thomas]

Can one have Pimms and Tea ? I thought you could but it doesn't say so on the box. Just a lot of fruit and lemonade, cucumber and mint.
A full English breakfast is also a cure for a hangover.Hmmm I think that's just a marketing ploy. After a full night's celebration who is likely to want to cook a full English breakfast, let alone face the full grease-works.