Tea

[ziki]

I say no more

http://www.jayateas.com/about_tea.html

[BillP]

I know more about green tea than black tea, though I like both very much -- much more than coffee which I don't really drink. I am a big fan of Chinese Silver Needle tea. Very subtle.

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ziki wrote:
I say no more

http://www.jayateas.com/about_tea.html

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[ziki]

We started to talk about teas in connection to Austen's book Mansfield Park and the topic grew on us exponentially. Now tea is also mentioned in The Reluctant Fundamentalist which lead me to some net-articles about tea in Pakistan. The topic seems to be endless. I do not drink coffee either, I used to and I still think it smells nice but my body doesn't miss it. I drank 'herbal infusions' (=herb teas) during a long time and just lately I started to experiment with different teas. I also drank Rooibos that I liked. It doesn't have tein, tastes good and in a couple of years it became very popular. It comes also flavored.

There are flavonoids in both black and green tea but I heard the body can't use them if you drink your tea with milk, which I do with black tea. I am also beginning to like jasmine tea.

I wonder how I can determine the quality of tea while still in a shop. It's impossible if the tea comes in a sealed package. In tea shops (loose leaves,no tea bags) it is also difficult. If I zoom on a particular blend I am possibly allowed to smell it but the tea might not be so good once brewed. I guess it is a trial and error situation. Real good tea comes in a limited batch and when sold out, finito, new season will bring new taste, I guess. The more I look into it the more it reminds me of wine (not that I know much about wine, I am not yet transformed into a Wine Diva), it all depends on many factors.

How do you buy your teas?

ziki

Message Edited by ziki on 05-14-200704:12 AM

[KristyR]

If anyone likes iced tea, there is a great cookbook called Iced Tea - 50 Recipes For Refreshing Tisanes, Infusions, Coolers, and Spiked Teas by Fred Thompson. His recipes make for a stronger, not watery, iced tea. It's also a great reference for how to use up left over teas that may be hiding in your cupboard, as he has recipes for green, black, looseleaf, tea bags, oolong, herbal, etc. One word of warning, don't use the full amount of sugar in the recipes! He loves his southern sweet tea, but it is way too sweet for me - and I have a huge sweet tooth! These recipes are great for summertime and I'm always being asked for copies.

B&N does sell this book, I just didn't know how to link it. Sorry!

Message Edited by KristyR on 05-14-200710:51 AM

[Jansten75]

Thanks for starting this post Ziki. I know what you mean about the difficulty of judging the quality of a loose tea. The closest I have come to helping me look at the tea is information from a book, "tea, Aromas and Flavors Around the World" by Lydia Gautier. There are two very good sections on sight of tea and tasting of tea. It offers the only information I have found so far on making judgments. It is still new for me so I am in the learning phase.

[Jansten75]

I have read that tea is to be approached very much like wine. There are many climactic and other elemental effects on the quality and taste of tea. Every season can bring varying results. There are many top quality teas that are unavailable to the general American market. Often I will read of a great tea but cannot find it. In the book I referenced, "tea, etc." there are 32 Grand Cru Teas; classifications you also find in wine. Another exceedingly useful book is, "The Tea Companion, A Connoisseur's Guide" by Jane Pettigrew; a must for any tea library.

[Jansten75]

Thanks Kristy. I will definitely add this to my library, just in time for summer.

[Jansten75]

"The Tea Companion" notes that this "Yin Zhen" or "Yinfeng" silver needle from the Fujian Province is the perfect white tea. The leaves are picked on only two days a year and processed entirely by hand. It is considered a refreshing digestif and can be drunk all day-no milk or sugar.

[ziki]

Hi Jansten,
thanks. I guess one has to take it one step at a time and once you 'specialized' you probably have a tea merchant you trust who can provide interesting blends. So maybe the whole mission is about finding a good spot where to shop, online or IRL.

ziki

[ziki]

I bet precious batches are wortha lot. But I do not suppose you store it (as wine). Tea after all is a 'fresh item', isn't it?

ziki

[LizzieAnn]

There is a mystery book series, "The Tea Shop Mystery" books, by Laura Childs that not only include a wonderful story, but also recipes and tea information. I just finished Blood Orange Brewing which is the 7th in the series, but the first one for me.

I loved the way tea is throughout the book - descriptions of different teas, making of teas, ways that certain teas were good, foods, and the acoutrements. I truly recommend giving these books a try!

[Jansten75]

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LizzieAnn wrote:
There is a mystery book series, "The Tea Shop Mystery" books, by Laura Childs that not only include a wonderful story, but also recipes and tea information. I just finished Blood Orange Brewing which is the 7th in the series, but the first one for me.

I loved the way tea is throughout the book - descriptions of different teas, making of teas, ways that certain teas were good, foods, and the acoutrements. I truly recommend giving these books a try!

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Thanks for the reference to the Tea Shop Mystery Books. I ran out on the weekend and bought the first two. They look to be light-hearted, fun reads but with great references to all sorts of tea things. I am hostessing my tea club in June and will pass on the series to everyone there too. Fun, Fun, Fun!

[LizzieAnn]

Glad you like them. Someone on the mystery board used the expression "cozy mystery" and that's how this series seems. I especially liked the tea references myself.

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Jansten75 wrote:

Thanks for the reference to the Tea Shop Mystery Books. I ran out on the weekend and bought the first two. They look to be light-hearted, fun reads but with great references to all sorts of tea things. I am hostessing my tea club in June and will pass on the series to everyone there too. Fun, Fun, Fun!

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[Jansten75]

Hey Ziki-just FYI, I will pick-up on this discussion for the summer, but right now I have a couple of pressing activities that I am hostessing-ironically, one is a Tea Club. So, do not think there is no interest here-will pick up soon.
Have you been trying any other teas? In reference to your question about storing tea, there are some varying opinions-as always. In general, in an airtight container away from direct sun many loose teas will hold for about six months. A 2 oz portion of tea will give you about 20 cups so you never need to buy much at a time.

[historybuff234]

I don't know much about tea, although I would like to begin drinking it. but my mom thinks I am too young to drink caffine. Funny thing though, at every swim meet I drink an energy drink containing caffine. Oh well, I'll just wait, I have taken a sip or two or three or four or five of my of dad's and grandma's tea. I am just sitting here posting with one of my favorite channel going in the backround, the History Channel. Why am I sayig this? Because a comercial just came on for John Wayne and that remined me, today is the 100th aniversary of John Wayne's birth. Happy Birthday John Wayne! He is one of my all time favorite actors right next to Bogart and others. I love classic movies!