The Magic of Tea

a reply to: TheAlleghenyGentleman

Yes. It is the same tree. Pine needle tea was used for colds, and so was rosemary needle tea.

The beauty of tea is that almost every culture throughout time has used tea for healing and comfort, and it can be made from so many sources. In most places you don't have to look much further than your backyard.

a reply to: NightSkyeB4Dawn

Yes, It is wonderful. At work, when someone is sick, I will take a little ginger root, some citrus peel, lemon, honey and any herb at hand and try to build the spirt.

That reminds me. A few weeks ago I had some left over purslane, so I steeped it and made tea. It was great, earthy, sour.

a reply to: TheAlleghenyGentleman

I have never tried purslane tea before. It is all over the place out here, I am going to have to give it a try. I like dandelion tea, but I have to buy it from the market because dandelions don't do well in my area of South Florida.

Ginger is my goto tea because I have Chron's .

a reply to: NightSkyeB4Dawn

Dandelion tea is fabulous. Anything ginger is my jam. I used to make 6 gallons of chamomile tea at a time for work. It would come out tasting so light and perfect. It was honestly like a kiss of tea. It was so refreshing.

Love those tea beans you have to grind into a thick powder, put that grind into a percolator and boil water through so that black goodness drips out the bottom filling the cup up with thick dark goodness, add a few drops of cream and sit back, enjoying that tea

Something special about the strong taste of coffee over the more subtle tea in my opinion.

a reply to: Raggedyman

I also love coffee. I used to live in Jamaica in my 20’s and the coffee there is fantastic. But this is a tea thread and I also love tea. I just love life stuff. I try and be a positive person.

DP

Once up in northern Malaysia / Southern Thailand, my friend and I took some pictures out in the tea fields. I didn't even recognize it, but he did, so I stopped. We got out and waded out into the field. The smell of tea was amazing, like standing in a field of mint.

My sister is a big tea fanatic. I like it, but I'm still learning (like coffee better). Anyway, I bought her a couple hundred dollars of loose teas from Asia (China, Malaysia, Thailand) and India. She went crazy; loved them. I tried to buy teas from places I'd been to in my life. Made me want to like tea even more, it was so fun buying them. Some teas are really expensive!! I have to say, tea is an acquired taste. I'm not sure I've fully acquired that taste yet, but I'm trying.

I do like the different flavors, but many teas are just too strong for me (and I like STRONG coffee). I don't know why, but it's just a taste thing. Teas are so much richer, I don't know.

originally posted by: TheAlleghenyGentleman
a reply to: Raggedyman

I also love coffee. I used to live in Jamaica in my 20’s and the coffee there is fantastic. But this is a tea thread and I also love tea. I just love life stuff. I try and be a positive person.

My family were all tea people, I became the infidel.
Not that there were any issues, I never threw any tea overboard to start a war and a good coffee was always on offer
Just found tea a tad to mild for myself

Green tea sometimes

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

Your sister enjoys the tea a little more each time she makes a cup from the teas you gave her. I know I think about the person that gave me the tea every time I make a cup from my gifted stash. Always puts a little smile on my face from gratitude.

I like coffee. Coffee is my get up and go, take charge of the day drink. Tea is my relax, concentrate, put my feet up and chill drink. If I want to have light or serious conversation with a friend, I pull out the tea pot. If I want to get busy and stay focused I drink coffee. Coffee with friends is usually on the go.

I like coffee. I love tea. How I choose depends on the frame of mind that I am in, or the frame of mind I want to be in.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

One of the perks of my husband's job is that he gets goodies sent to him from contacts all over the world. One of those was actual good grade Chinese tea. It's fabulous stuff.

a reply to: NightSkyeB4Dawn

Tea is my go-to when my throat is rough. Nothing like a constant cup of warm, fragrant goodness at hand to keep my throat soothes and clear.

I also drink it for late morning/early afternoon.

By this time of night, I'm mostly into water unless I'm nursing throat trouble, then I'm into the herbals.

a reply to: ketsuko

I have a Chinese-American friend that is a translator for a Chinese restaurant distribution center. She gets teas from all around the world as gifts that she shares with me.

I love trying new teas that she shares.

When I was over in Asia, I learned that teas like Lipton are what they call "sweepings", what thery sweep up off the floor after they package up the better loose leaf teas. We went to some of the better tea houses where they had gently smoked whole leaf teas and some other fantastic ones, right off the plantations. Some were smoked / dried with ginger and/or jasmine...not like anything you can get anywhere else on earth!

So yes, I bought my sister all these exotic teas, and she really does love them. I'd probably like some of them too, but I never bought any ones like that for us. Although, I do have a number of nice loose leaf teas which are good.

Anyway...teas are fun.

a reply to: NightSkyeB4Dawn


I love it as well. I'm a big Adagio fan. Their prices are alot better than things like Republic of Tea, IIRC.

Right now, I'm drinking Fujian Ti Kuan Yin. Another splurge being greatly enjoyed: Shizuoka Shincha. I was loving one of their wuyi's; very mineral-y. However, the next tin didn't have as strong of a mineral note.

So where do you like to buy, and what are some of your current faves?

originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk
When I was over in Asia, I learned that teas like Lipton are what they call "sweepings", what thery sweep up off the floor after they package up the better loose leaf teas. We went to some of the better tea houses where they had gently smoked whole leaf teas and some other fantastic ones, right off the plantations. Some were smoked / dried with ginger and/or jasmine...not like anything you can get anywhere else on earth!

So yes, I bought my sister all these exotic teas, and she really does love them. I'd probably like some of them too, but I never bought any ones like that for us. Although, I do have a number of nice loose leaf teas which are good.

Anyway...teas are fun.

It's hard to drink sweepings when you have had well-brewed cups of nonsweepings.

a reply to: drussell41

I haven't had to buy any tea for quite a while. I have two passions, candles and tea. My family, friends, and constituents, know that one of those items are sure to be met with great pleasure by me, so I have a pretty good stash of both.

I do buy ginger tea from the local oriental market, and I make my own.

I am learning from my fellow ATSers though, and will definately be trying the ones you mentioned.

I was in the US of A last year following System Of A Down on their west coast tour, I absolutely loved the 'cold tea' drink which was available at the McDonalds, but still yearned for a 'proper cuppa'.

As i hadn't spent as much money as i though i would of done, i treated myself to four days in a hotel in Las Vegas before i headed back to the airport. I'd driven the equivalent to four times the distance from Lands End to John-O-Groats in the United Kingdom in a week and a half, 3106 miles.

Tea was on the menu, and that's what i ordered. I was served with a pot of very warm water, it might of been hot when it left the kitchen, but certainly not boiling. The tea bag was on the side of the saucer, with a plastic stirry implement. OMG, where is the spoon? I asked the waitress about a tea-spoon, and she explained to me that 'Americans don't use metal tea-spoons as they are unhygienic.'......... I couldn't believe my ears, as i was eating with a set of metal cutlery.

I think i'd better let people know, how I make a cup of tea. Not any of the fancy teas, but a standard cuppa

1. Boil the kettle.
2. Put some of the boiling water into the teapot, with a metal tea-spoon and give it a swirl for 10 seconds or so. This is to warm the teapot up.
3. Take spoon out, carefully as it might be very hot.
4. Chuck in the teabags/lea-leaves. I normally put in three. 'PG-Tips' are fine, 'Yorkshire Tea' is better. There is a rule of thumb, one tea bag for every cup and one for the pot.
5. Re-boil the kettle, and pour into the teapot.
6. Give it a quick stir with the spoon.
7. Put the tea-cosy on the tea-pot. This is to let the really hot hot water drag all the tea out of the bag/leaves.
8. Warm up the cups, like you did with the tea-pot with the water from the kettle.
9. After a couple of minutes, pour the tea into the cups.
10. Add milk and sugar to taste. Personally, I have milk and two sugars, otherwise known as NATO standard, (my Dad was in the Royal Navy).

Interestingly, the best brews are made with the tea-pots which have the tanning all on the inside, the brown staining.

Best regards

Tea

a reply to: Mark42

She is mistaken. I am American and I hate plastic utensils, dishware, glasses and cups. I also highly prefer a metal spoon, but I have a few wooden spoons for measuring out my tea.

How I prepare tea depends on the tea blend that I am preparing. Some blends I like a lot stronger than others. I agree that you boil the water, not the tea.

I prefer unsweetened tea, but there are some places that serve a very nice sweet tea, and some teas I like with a bit of milk.

Teas are so versatile that I am positive there is a blend and a style to warm the heart of every soul.

I love tea. Lately it's been hibiscus and white/pomegranate

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