DEBORAH CROMBIE: As requested by Hank and some of our readers earlier in the week, I will try to dredge up some of the information from the tea master's class I took in London quite a few years ago! I do have a certificate that says I am a "Certified Tea Master," but I can't find it. Nor can I find any of my coffee table books on tea, which must have been cleared out in one book purge or another. (This is always the way of it, isn't it? As soon as you give things away, you discover you need them again...) So we will have to rely on my memory, with a bit of help from our friend the internet.
I'm going to concentrate on black tea, as herbals and tisanes are not my forte and are not technically tea. Here are some loose black teas. That's Lover's Leap on the left, English breakfast on the right, and Earl Grey on the bottom. If you look closely you can see the differences in color and texture.
Black tea is made from the oxidized leaves of the Camellia Sinensis plant. Legend has it that many years ago in China, a single leaf from the plant fell into the cup of a Chinese emperor, so the love of the beverage was born. Until the 1800s, tea was cultivated almost exclusively in China, but cultivation has now spread across more than 40 countries.
There is so much history here that we can only touch on the barest details! (The East India Company, British colonization, the American revolution, etc. etc.!)
The most significant production of tea today is in China, India, Sri Lanka, Kenya, and Turkey. Two of the most popular types of tea are Assam, grown in India, and Ceylon, grown in Sri Lanka. Assam has a rich, malty flavor and is most often used in "breakfast blends" like English, Scottish, or Irish Breakfast teas. Ceylon teas are a little more delicate, but are also used in the base blend for "breakfast" teas and in Earl Grey blends.
"Earl Grey" is simply a black tea blend to which is added bergamot, a distinctive citrus flavoring derived from citrus bergamia, a orange-sized fruit with a yellow-green color, thought to be a ancient hybrid between a lemon and an orange.
White and green teas are made from less oxidized Camellia Sinenis leaves, but the science of tea production is way beyond our scope here.
Loose teas are made from whole tea leaves, while teabag teas are made from smaller, broken tea particles, or "dust." While tea bags brew faster, the tea lacks the full flavor of loose tea and can often taste bitter.
Now for the fun stuff--how to make a proper cuppa! In an ideal world, you'd pour filtered water just off the boil over loose leaf tea in a warmed teapot. Let steep for at least five minutes--patience, patience! Then pour and enjoy, with or without milk. I generally drink mine unsweetened with a little milk to buffer the tannins. There is much controversy over whether the milk should be added before or after the tea, but I honestly don't think it makes much difference. If I'm pouring tea from a teapot, I put milk in first. If I'm making tea in a mug, I add it afterwards.
Loose tea in a pot, poured through a strainer, is ideal because more hot water comes in contact with the tea leaves, releasing more flavor. But I am lazy, and most often put my loose tea into a t-sac, a paper do-it-yourself teabag, and brew it right in my mug. I use the biggest size t-sac because it works in both mug and pot.
Here are some of my current favorite teas, with the t-sacs.
The tea in the center is Lover's Leap from the English Tea Store, available online, as are the Davidson's Organics. Most loose teas are available in smaller sized bags if you want to experiment with some different teas to discover which ones you like.
I've been a bit off Earl Grey lately and am drinking Lover's Leap for my afternoon cuppa. If you use loose teas, you can also blend them yourself. I generally use half Lover's Leap and half English Breakfast in the morning.
Many fancy "silk" teabags these days are actually plastic, so I don't recommend them if you're worried about injesting, or using, microplastics. Even some paper teabags have plastic sealants and binders. The t-sacs, however, are made from banana or manila hemp, a renewable material grown in southeast Asia, and are 100% plastic and chlorine free.
Here is my idea of a perfect afternoon tea, a cup of Lover's Leap with a slice of my local bakery's lemon olive oil cake!
I have many teapots, but thought the Emma Bridgewater pot with the types of teas the most appropriate!
Reddies, will you join me in a cuppa? And if you have more tea questions I'll do my best to answer them!
Wow . . . so much that I did not know about tea . . . thanks for sharing this with us.
ReplyDeleteAround here, we always have Earl Grey [John's favorite]; I am partial to English Breakfast tea . . . .
I'm glad there are teas for every taste, Joan!
DeleteMy husband drinks only tea. When I met him he drank Earl Grey. Because at that time he would sell all his possessions every few years and take a year off from teaching to go mountaineering around the world, he didn't own much but he did own a little brown ceramic teapot and also a silver tea ball that hooks on the side of a cup and is suspended, full of tea leaves, in the hot water. He drinks his tea with loads of sugar and (when I had cows) heavy cream or (now) half and half. In the spirit of love and togetherness, I tried to become a morning tea drinker, but the whole process was too fiddly and too much like cooking for my sleepy impatience. I will occasionally have a cup of decaffeinated tea in the afternoon.
ReplyDeleteWe had a number of years when we were paying for special services for one of our children and money was so tight that I was wrapping our loose change and carrying it to the bank to meet our bills. In those years Earl Grey fell off our grocery list and my husband drank Lipton black tea in bags. When eventually our finances recovered I bought him some Earl Grey and he was surprised to find that its flowery taste was no longer as attractive as it once had been. Now when he goes out he prefers English Breakfast. (Selden)
p.s. There is an account from the early 18th century saying that on Long Island, rural people were confused by tea -- the new, popular item imported to New York City. They tried stewing the leaves and then eating them, and were perplexed that this dish had caught on. (Selden)
DeleteNow I want to know how your adventurous husband became such a proper tea drinker, Selden. And that is fascinating about the Long Islanders stewing and eating the tea leaves! Ugh.
DeleteDebs, my husband has been a mountaineer around the world since his 20s and a reader of mountaineering history long before that. All the leading mountaineers in print then were British. Perhaps that exposure gave tea cachet? The story of Long Islanders in the 1700s perplexed by how to consume the trendy new product has always made me laugh. (Selden)
DeleteSelden, that would make sense of the tea connection. So interesting. Has your husband climbed all the major peaks? I know I've said here before that one of my favorite non-fiction books is Jon Krakauer's INTO THIN AIR, about the 1996 disaster on Everest. Not that I've ever had the least desire to climb a mountain, but I'm still fascinated by those that do.
DeleteDebs, he has climbed around the world but not in the Himalayas. He was scheduled to be part of an expedition 35 years ago when Someone Who Shall Remain Nameless filled out and sent his application to a prestigious and competitive master's program at Columbia University. He was accepted! And suddenly he was on a career track for the next thirty years. He loved it and though he is nostalgic at the thought that he missed the Himalayas, he has been many other places. If you liked INTO THIN AIR (I did also) try TOUCHING THE VOID (1988). It was written by someone whose belay partner cut the rope and let him drop into a crevasse. Miraculously, the author survived to tell the tale, and he did not blame his partner. However, my husband would always say, when we entered a working cocktail party where we knew no one: "Just don't give me the Swiss belay" ... the mountaineering expression for cutting the rope and allowing your partner to fall. (Selden)
DeleteWhen I was in high school, most likely grade 11 in a Canadian school - detail might be important, we had a full section on long poems. One of them was David, by Earle Birney. To put it mildly, I was gob-smacked. I was probably 15, and naïve, BUT it was not the tragedy of the accident, but the introduction of mercy killing which was a subject so not of something I was aware. There was a very large discussion - not on the writing of the poem - the usual parsing etc, but on the subject of mercy killing. Being very timid, I kept my tongue. I did think, that if it was me (in 1966, and still today) , the mercy killing would have been my choice.
DeleteThe poem still remains an important part of my life.
Oh, Debs, of course you took a course on teas! It had to be one of the rabbit holes you hopped into when you wrote your book on teas and the docks and the children sent from London during the blitz. Kissed A Sad Good-bye. That is still one of my favorites! I am not a fan of Earl Grey. I'd be glad to sample different blends of black tea from different regions. I have always loved tea and have at least one cup a day. I suppose it wouldn't be that difficult to use loose tea if I bought the correct equipment. I think there is a tea shop in town. Rabbit hole, here I come!
ReplyDeleteOh, have fun, Judy! You'll have to let us know what you discover. And, yes, KISSED A SAD GOODBYE was my tea book. I had such fun writing it, and it's still one of my favorites, too.
DeleteThanks for the lesson! I'm not much of a tea drinker, but it's good to know the differences. I like the sound of those hemp tea sacs - you can put the whole thing in the compost bucket when you're done. Do you ever use a little metal tea ball to put the tea in?
ReplyDeleteYes, the t-sacs are compostable, as of course are the tea leaves. I'm not crazy about the metal balls. They tend to get nasty, and also to come open in the pot, in which case you might as well use a strainer. I do have a nice strainer with its own little resting cup, but it's t-sacs 99% of the time here.
Deletethanks, this was very informative
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Dru!
DeleteAs I mentioned, I can no longer drink black tea due to the tannins.
ReplyDeleteBut I do drink green tea. I am looking forward to visiting tea houses & plantations when I am in Taiwan in 3 weeks. Taiwan's many mountains makes it the ideal location for growing tea.
Do report on your trip Grace, and stay safe!
DeleteSounds interesting Grace - looking forward to hearing about your trip!
DeleteGrace, your trip sounds wonderful. Keep us posted!
DeleteMmm, that sounds lovely! Can’t wait to hear about it.
DeleteThanks for the morning lesson, Debs! I learned a lot here.
ReplyDeleteI did not know, for instance, that Bergamot is a citrus! The only one I've ever known is the plant that goes by Monarda, BeeBalm, and Bergamot, but turns out there is no relationship. All this time I thought Earl Grey was made from the plant. And yes, I just spent fifteen minutes deep diving this.
My kids who travel everywhere have picked up loose teas for me all over the world: Kenya, Turkey, France, Peru, England, Myanmar, Greece. Some a lot better than others. So I have used the T-sacs for years. What a great invention. And thanks for confirming that the "silk" teabags are plastic. I always suspected they were. I've used a lot of real silk in my life, and they really don't resemble the natural fiber at all.
I was hoping to take my grandson to Japan sometime this year, and learn more about tea as part of the trip. Not sure that will happen now.
Karen, thanks for your deep dive. I too, assumed that it was the Bergamot plant that we grow in the garden. I thought that you picked the leaves, and fresh or dried brewed a tea.
DeleteIn Brazil, "bergamot" is what they call a tangerine, as I recall.
DeleteKaren, I also thought that bergamot was bee balm! Thank you for the clarification -- I was confused by "citrus" as well. (Selden)
DeleteYes, it is confusing. I grow bee balm as well. But the bergamot flavoring in tea definitely comes from the citrus plant. I do hope you get to make that trip to Japan, Karen. What a great experience that would be for you both.
DeleteThank you! Raising my cuppa to you! Milk in first when pouring from a pot and after for a mug makes sense to me.
ReplyDeleteI will be raising my cup to you in just a bit! A first pass at the blog, then tea! And I think in honor of the post I will make it in a pot this morning. It's a very pot of tea day here, grey, damp, and chilly.
DeleteBlowing snow here. Again. Sigh. (Selden)
DeleteMy daughter drinks only tea, not coffee. Usually she buys David’s Tea (I think David’s (Canada) and Davidson’s (US it seems) are the same source – I don’t know which ones, but she makes her brew with a metal ball to hold the leaves. I am sure the reason is that it is reusable, but…
ReplyDeleteMy grandmother in her time would ‘pour’ tea at a town ‘tea’. The tea was always in a silver teapot with a hot water pot by the side. She would play with the two pots to pour the tea in the cup. I have no idea if she knew what she was doing or what she was doing? When the silver pot was empty, the pot was taken back to the kitchen where it was refilled and brought back to pour again. Were you taught of any differences in the flavour of the various vessels it was brewed in? Can you brew in silver or do you need a Brown Betty and then pour it into the silver vessel? What about the giant pitcher, the mug, or stewing on the back of the stove? Do you need any number of silver teapots to practice (Dumping ground here… shipping available!)
I don't have any scientific evidence, Margo, but I think it's probably much better to brew tea in a ceramic pot, rather then in metal. But I've had tea from silver pots many a time. They always seem to drip, and to burn your fingers! The purpose of the hot water pot is to dilute the cup when the tea in the teapot gets too strong.
DeleteOh, that's interesting about David's/Davidson's, too. Will have to look that up. I've been very happy with Davidson's teas, which I just discovered in the last year or two.
ReplyDeleteIt just struck me, Debs, and I hope I am not misremembering it, but didn't one of your earliest books involve tea? At least it was one of the first of yours that I read and when I say that it involved tea, it was truly much more than that. I do remember learning so much, especially the part about not using tea bags, as they affect the flavor of the tea.
Oh, yes, Judi, and thanks for mentioning it. It is KISSED A SAD GOODBYE, and it has much to do with tea and the history of the tea trade. It was when I was researching that book that I took the Tea Master's course. I do love that book. I may have to listen to the Audible version.
DeleteI loved it too but couldn't remember the title and too lazy to research it.
DeleteYes would love a cup of your tea, in your kitchen, with you!
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing I'd like more, Lucy! One of these days we must make that happen. And you won't be allergic to the animals!
DeleteThanks for the information--but my preferred tea beverage is iced tea (preferably Lucianne) made with tea bags and lightly sweetened. A very long time ago, when I was on the road because of fieldwork, my crew would make pitstops at McD's and I would get an iced tea. I swear those drinks were tea-flavored sugar! Makes my teeth shudder just thinking about it now.
ReplyDeleteI have a metal tea ball, have tried brewing my own hot tea from loose leaf varieties, but tea makes me crazy if I drink too much. So, no hot tea and iced tea rarely.
Ugh, I do not like sweet iced tea, Flora. I don't mean homemade lightly sweetened, but the stuff they serve in restuarants and fast food joints. I'm sorry tea makes you crazy! For me it's a boost for creativity.
DeleteSo interesting - thanks Debs. There has been mention of tea bags v a tea metal ball. I wonder if one way of steeping the tea is better as far as the taste or convenience? You've mentioned the words "tannins" and "oxidized". I'll have to check into how they affect the tea and our bodies.
ReplyDeleteI don't like the metal balls myself. I think they can impart a metallic taste to the tea, and they often come open in the pot. If not using something like a t-sac, I think it's best to leave the tea loose in the pot while it steeps, then pour through a strainer into the cup.
DeleteI think Rhys spoke about making tea or maybe it was her husband John who is the tea maker? I think she spoke about how important the water and brewing was.
ReplyDeleteIt's John who's the teamaker, and he has his own special blends. We'll have to ask Rhys what he brews.
DeleteThank you for the tea lessons, Debs. Good to know about the microplastics in paper teabags. Still thinking about that episode about plastics on Doctor Who with Jodie Whitaker.
ReplyDeleteLove loose tea. I like the strainer, though sometimes I cannot find it. One of the reasons I need to delclutter because I have too much stuff. I get what you mean about the book purge because I learn that I need something AFTER I donate it. This decluttering is taking longer than I expected and it is important for me to decide which things to keep.
Drinking tea with you this morning virtually. I think I get emails from the english tea shop? Thank you for the recommendation of Davidson's Tea. On my last visit to London, England, I bought the best tea that I ever had. Believe it or not, it was from a dime shop, not a fancy tea shop. And I loved this tea, which rarely is found in the States.
Do you remember the brand, Diana? My very favorite tea comes from a London teashop (there are several locations) called Whittard's of Chelsea. I always bring back as many boxes as I can stuff in my suitcase, but I saw somewhere recently that it's now available online in the US.
DeleteThough I do not recall the brand, it was a dime shop near Jerymn Street in London. The shop was a gift shop, I think, with trinkets. It was quite a while ago. I recall it was near Waterstone’s bookshop on or near Jerymn street. I know it was Not Twinnings or one of these fancy tea shops.
DeleteI've been buying online from Whittard's this year. Their tea is wonderful, and the price, including shipping, is far more reasonable than I expected. I'd rather visit their store in person, of course, but this is the next best thing. But now you've got me searching for a recipe for lemon olive oil cake because I want a piece, NOW!
DeleteMeg, I've seen lots of recipes online but have never made it myself. I'm very spoiled with our bakery, but as they only do the olive oil cake in the spring and summer (it just started last week) I may have make some myself in the off season! And, oh, yay, another Whittard's fan! I'm going to order some asap!
DeleteSince we're talking all things tea, why does Lapsong Souchon taste smoky? Are the leaves actually smoked to oxidize them? I've never liked it for that reason and never had anyone to ask!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great question, Edith. I have never been able to drink Lapsong Souchon for that reason. I was always amazed that anyone could. (Selden)
DeleteGood question, Edith and Selden. Yes, Lapsang Souchon is a black Chinese tea that is dried over a smokey pinewood fire. I've never been a big fan, either, but I imagine it's like peated scotch--you can develop a taste for it.
DeleteA bag can be added to a bean pot giving the beans an added jolt of flavor.
DeleteOh, so interesting, Coralee! I've never heard of that!
DeleteI am a Lapsang Souchong lover! It has become my go-to morning tea since COVID because I can taste it. Not surprisingly, I also love peaty whiskies.
DeleteWell done and informative, Debs. Thank you. I too use online English TeaStore for supplies. They usually have my favorites in large boxes- very helpful- and a chance to sample new ones in small boxes. And inexpensive pottery teapots just right for three-cup or two-mug serving.
ReplyDeleteYes, they do have nice inexpensive teapots--I have one somewhere. Actually, I have a couple, one cobalt blue, and one a traditional Brown Betty. I've tried many teas from the English Tea Store over the years, and that's also where I leaned about the t-sacs. For anyone interested in tea, it's a great resource.
DeleteGood morning everyone, and happy first Sunday of Daylight Savings!
ReplyDeleteAnd a very happy birthday to our Hallie!! Hallie, I hope you have a lovely day planned.
Aww, happy birthday, Hallie!
DeleteHappy birthday, Hallie!
DeleteHappy Birthday, Hallie!
DeleteHappy birthday, Hallie! Hope it’s wonderful!
DeleteThank you! Thank you! Thank you!!!
DeleteThat was me Hallie
DeleteTea drinker here both in the morning and anytime of the day. If I have company, I brew the English Breakfast tea in a Brown Betty teapot after the teapot has been warmed up. If I am drinking alone, I brew my green tea made by Tetley in a mug. Years ago, I was hooked on Earl Grey tea by Twining but the flavour has changed so much I avoid it. It’s too perfumed. I detest those ‘silk’ teabags! On a cruise in China from Shanghai to Beijing fifteen years ago, I attended a tea ceremony in a Tea House. I learned that the temperature of the water varies depending on whether you are brewing black, white, or green tea. I frequent the Bluestone Cottage restaurant for lunch and really enjoy their Canadian Breakfast loose leaf tea ☕️
ReplyDeleteYes, I started out with Twining's Earl Grey, too! The "gateway" tea! And still, when I'm in London, I will buy a box of Lady Grey, but the tea Twining's sells in the US never tastes the same. That very interesting about the tempature of the water, too. The white and green teas are so much more delicate, so I'm assuming the water used to brew them would be less hot?
DeleteDorothy, I have had English, Irish and Scottish breakfast teas, but never Canadian. How does it differ or compare to the others? — Pat S
DeleteGood question, Pat. I'd never heard of Canadian Breakfast Tea.
DeleteHappy Birthday Hallie!
ReplyDeleteFrom Celia: loving your expose Deb's, thank you. I'm a tea drinker too (haha) and my morning cuppa is a mix of Yorkshire Gold and Earl Grey which I order from https://www.atlanticspice.com/ on Cape Cod.
ReplyDeleteIn the afternoon I'll drink Lapsong Souchong with a little YG blended in. And yes I'm all about the loose tea and a strainer. I bought a delightful little glass tea on line (you know where) which has a large strainer built in and it's two cups which is perfect if it's just me for tea. I love the olive oil cake but paradise with my afternoon cuppa are ginger biscuits which I can dunk. Please don't tell anyone!
I loved all the tea detail in Kissed a Sad Goodbye. I fear I'm not such a purist in making my tea but the water must be boiling and not cooked in the microwave though I have been known to warm up my second cup that way.
I have a clear electric kettle (from you know where) which shines a blue light on the water as it boils. So pretty, and it never fails to delight me. I agree with you about the microwave! And I do love tea with ginger biscuits, as well. Do you make them, Celia, or buy them imported from the UK?
DeleteI think you know that John blends his own tea from Darjeeling,, Ceylon, Chinese Keemun and fine leafed Indian tea for strength. I can’t tell you the ratio. Known only to him And we do make it properly in the teapot every day! It’s a must at our house. And love your teapot Debs
ReplyDeleteThank you, Rhys! And I wondered what teas John used. I hope I get to sample a cuppa sometime!
DeleteI’ll happily join you in a cuppa. I drink tea at least twice a day.
ReplyDeleteAt home I make a stronger tea and add milk to it (except in Earl Gray because I don’t want to distort the flavour) but in a restaurant where teas are usually weaker , I drink it straight..
I have two cups with a kind of metal screen covering the interior in which leaves have plenty of space to give the flavour. When ready I remove the screen that I can wash and reuse. Those cups come with a lid to keep the tea warm but I rarely use it.
That sounds like a cool set-up, Danielle!
DeleteHave a lovely birthday, Hallie, and thank you for the tea information, Debs. I mostly drink tea in a mug instead of making a pot, and I put a small spoonful of loose-leaf tea into the mug with no tea bag or metal container and give it some brisk stirs. Five minutes later, all the tea is at the bottom of the mug, and since I like my tea very hot and drink it fast, I finish it before it gets too strong.
ReplyDeleteYes, tea leaves do sink! You must drink your tea black with no sugar, Kim, so no further stirring required!
DeleteBless you for this; I'm ordering t-sacs right now. I've been brewing loose dandelion tea lately (hideous, vile, stuff but said to be good for the liver) and there is too much debris in the cup. If there's a more elegant word for "debris", clue me in.
ReplyDelete"Debris" works for me! Hopefully you can use your t-sacs for some proper tea as well!
DeleteThanks for the fun tea insights! I just can’t like coffee (I know, I know) so it’s tea for me. I’ve always been intimidated by loose leaf but now I need to experiment. Becca
ReplyDeleteThat's terrific, Becca. I hope this post encourages people to give loose tea a try. It's really not hard at all, and it tastes so much better.
DeleteThis is so fascinatingly wonderful! And I think the world is divided into pro and con Earl Grey—and I have to admit even in this delightful company, do not like Earl Grey. Or any teas that taste like fruit.
ReplyDeleteBut good old straightforward tea with milk and sugar is transporting! And I wish I could share it with all of you … and I would be afraid to put in the milk first, that I would get too much and throw off the balance.
Thank you for this, dear Debs!
Hank, I've always liked Earl Grey, but I have to admit that lately it's been tasting like bathroom cleaner to me! Maybe our tastes change, or maybe the brands I'm using are just too heavy on the bergamot.
DeleteHA! Bathroom cleaner! Exactly...
DeleteIn honor of our chat today I've made a really proper pot of tea in my Brown Betty teapot. So good!
ReplyDeleteThanks for this post. I'm a tea drinker and love English Breakfast Tea. (I'm not an Earl Grey Fan.) I've been buying Davidson's tea for ages. I'll try the t-sacs. I've been using other fillable tea bags but these sound great. I need to order more bags anyway so I'll give the t-sacs a try.
ReplyDeleteI hope you love the t-sacs, Betty!
DeleteI don’t often drink tea, but I like it. I’ll have to try it again. I certainly love the looks of your proper afternoon tea with lemon cake, Debs. But I’m here to say that all this reminds me of Kissed a Sad Goodbye, one of my favorite of your books. It made me want to make a cuppa too. (I love all your books, though - I have read them in series order 3 times, and eagerly awaiting the next one!)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Melinda! I did love writing that book. All the tea research was so fascinating, as well as the parts about the children evacuated during the Blitz. I highly recommend the film BLITZ by the director and writer Steve McQueen. It's about a young mixed race boy who is evacuated but jumps off the train and makes his way back to his mother in the East End. So well done and gripping! I think it's streaming on Apple TV?
DeleteI am definitely a fan of many varieties of tea, but my absolute favorite is Eros tea from Mariage Freres from France. I order it online from Market Hall Foods. It’s a delicious loose leaf black tea with floral notes. I use a nylon mesh tea infuser in a mug because it doesn’t let any tiny particles of tea pass through. I don’t like metal tea balls because they always seem to leak bits of tea.
ReplyDeleteI’m putting your book, Kissed a Sad Goodbye, on my TBR list, Deborah!
I hope you enjoy the book, Claire! And thanks for the recommendation. I have heard of Mariage Freres teas but have never tried them. Eros sounds like a perfect tea and I will have to try it.
DeleteI have Paris-Kyoto from Mariage Freres and it is divine. I will see it’d I can order some more using your rec.
DeleteI am definitely taking my Brown Betty down from the display cabinet. I usually drink bagged tea for ease of cleaning, but I do know better. Time to track down some real (loose) tea and enjoy. Have to order some Lover's Leap. Sounds wonderful. Thanks, Deb.
ReplyDeleteYes, to me the Lover's Leap is the sweet spot between malty black teas and the more delicate varieties. And I did fetch my Brown Betty from the dining room cabinet this morning. It really is the perfect tea pot.
DeleteYes is my afternoon drink - and I’m avoiding caffeine - wondering if decaf tea is a bad idea - can you taste the difference? Hallie
ReplyDeleteHallie, I drink Davidson's Decaf Black tea often in the afternoons, or I mix it half and half, depending on how late it is. I think it tastes fine.
DeleteI love a cup - or two - of tea in the morning. And I’m in the “pro” camp for liking Earl Grey. My husband drinks English Breakfast which I also enjoy. We have an electric kettle so we do drink it with boiling water. I make ours a cup at a time. I realized when we moved that I had a ceramic teapot (probably inherited from my mother-in-law) so I should start civilizing our morning cuppas. I do have many loose teas and we are in a bit of a rut. Thanks, Debs, for your very informative lesson! — Pat S
ReplyDeleteThank you, Pat! This has been my pleause. And if you and your hubby are both drinking the same tea, it makes sense to brew it in a pot! You've reminded me that I used to brew Earl Grey in the pot so that Rick could have it iced with dinner. I guess I got lazy!
DeleteI loved the ease of brewing with teabags at work, and even though I’m now retired, I have been lazy. Time to dust off the teapot and work my way through some loose leaf tea that I have been ignoring. I have a nice bag of Ti Kuan Yin oolong, aka Iron Goddess of Mercy.
ReplyDeleteAnd looking forward to lots of good tea when I do a walking tour in Japan next month!
Smith Teas are wonderful. I live in Portland, Oregon, where they are produced. They have many blends available in plant-based sachets and as loose leaves. They are all available online. Enjoy!
ReplyDelete