Journal FortKnox's Journal: To UK /.'ers (and others): How to make Tea? 49
I'm american... a yank. The only tea I know my (italian) grandmother showed me. Get hot water, apply some random teabag from the grocery store, dunk it a few times to let it steep, throw away and sip until you can tolerate anything greater than a sip.
Well, today my throat hurt (a little bit cold, a little bit talking all day in a full day meeting), so I made myself a cup. Since I've been adventuring in cooking and trying to learn how to do things from scratch[1], I must ask someone who truely knows what they are doing:
How do you make tea? What's the best ingredients I can get in an american stores (is teabags sufficient? What brand?)? Any help is mucho appreciated.
[1] - I'm finding more and more that almost everything made from scratch is worth it. The only definate 'not worth it' I've encountered was baking a cake. Took all day and still tasted like a box cake. Won't ever do that again.
Well, today my throat hurt (a little bit cold, a little bit talking all day in a full day meeting), so I made myself a cup. Since I've been adventuring in cooking and trying to learn how to do things from scratch[1], I must ask someone who truely knows what they are doing:
How do you make tea? What's the best ingredients I can get in an american stores (is teabags sufficient? What brand?)? Any help is mucho appreciated.
[1] - I'm finding more and more that almost everything made from scratch is worth it. The only definate 'not worth it' I've encountered was baking a cake. Took all day and still tasted like a box cake. Won't ever do that again.
[tea] instructions (Score:2)
The important part is pre-heating the mug. Same if you're using a teapot. Preheat, dump the water, then fill again.
Re:[tea] instructions (Score:2)
Re:[tea] instructions (Score:1)
Try Twinings or Bigelow - they're supposed to be the better brands.
Re:[tea] instructions (Score:1)
Of course, the Hitchhikers Guide has a couple of articles on making [bbc.co.uk] tea. There's also a thread on Everything2 on making the perfect cuppa [everything2.com].
Re:[tea] instructions (Score:1)
Re:[tea] instructions (Score:1)
Re:[tea] instructions (Score:2)
How I make tea:-
0. Boil kettle.
1. Pour hot water into mug (don't fuck around with cups, you want a mug)
2. Carefully dunk the teabag in until the tea is pinkish.
3. Strain bag with a back of a spoon against the side of the mug.
4. Add sugar, but no milk.
5. Drink.
Re:[tea] instructions (Score:1)
Re:[tea] instructions (Score:2)
Orange pekoe just means a "low-grade" tea, in the sense that its not some "fancy-pants" tea. And you know something? The fancy-pants ones are an acquired taste, which makes me wonder just what you're paying for in something you have to learn to like.
Stick with whatever's your bag (pun intended :-)
Re:[tea] instructions (Score:2)
Also, if the water is boiling, it will destroy the tea. Depending on the tea (black, green, oolong), you want the water to be between 150 and 190 degrees.
-Ab
Re:[tea] instructions (Score:2)
Milk (preferably full fat) takes any bitter edge off and makes the tea real
Re:[tea] instructions (Score:2)
Re:[tea] instructions (Score:1)
Re:[tea] instructions (Score:2)
I generally don't pre-heat the cup, but the main thing is to pour the water on the tea while it's boiling.
Purists (such as George Orwell [246.dk]) drink tea without anything at all; personally I like a bit of brown sugar in it.
As for bags, depends on the bag. Twinings, Typhoo and PG Tips bags are good. Lipton's are so-so, depending on the type. Loose tea is generally better, though, and you should use a good tea ball out of stainless steel (other metals leech their flavor into the tea). If I use loose tea, I nor
Re:[tea] instructions (Score:2)
Tea is one of thse magic thing you cannot reheat. The only thing worse than reheated tea is accidently pouring some milk into tea with some lemon in it.
For a different taste, instead of using milk try some grape juice. Sounds strange, but it works (btw - it only works in a mug; its the same as drinking wine out of your old coffee cup - it really improves the taste)
Cakes are tricky (Score:2)
Re:Cakes are tricky (Score:2)
Well... (Score:2)
So, the first step to making good tea is to buy good tea. If you want smooth flavored tea, Tetley or Earl Grey are nice. If you want strong and rich flavor, East Indian teas are quite nice - personally, I prefer this brand called Taj Mahal, that can be obtained at most stores that sell East Indian food items. In terms of flavor and richness, the differ
Re:Well... (Score:2)
Personally I don't like Taj Mahal, but I brought back Assam and Darjeeling from my travels. Lovely.
I would actually like to know how to make the real Indian tea, Masala Chai. It rules!
Re:Well... (Score:2)
Re:Well... (Score:2)
Re:Well... (Score:2)
tea for one (Score:2)
Regular black tea works, but there are also some REALLY yummy herbal blends, and you might want to try something like mint tea, of which you'll find several kinds in the tea section of the grocery. REad the ingredients. If you want regular herb tea, no caffeine, you want stuff that has "mint" but doesn't say "tea" in the ingredients list. "tea" in the name, like "mint tea" refers to method, "tea" in ingredients refers to tea plant itself. We'll use mint for this example, you can t
Re:tea for one (Score:2)
Re:tea for one (Score:2)
Try irish breakfast or english breakfast, for something with a more robust, unadulterated flavour. If you're a coffee drinker, you might prefer those.
Darjeeling was nice, if i recall, but it's been awhile since i had it.
By the way... loose tea can be put in a thing called a "tea ball" which is a little cage-like thing that holds the tea so you don't have to strain it. Rdewald is right- t
Re:tea for one (Score:2)
Re:tea for one (Score:2)
I may have to adopt you after all!
Re:tea for one (Score:2)
Re:tea for one (Score:1)
I buy tea loose but one brand of bagged Earl Grey which I adore is Tazo. You can find it in many (most?) coffee/tea shops.
Re: (Score:2)
Re:tea for one (Score:1)
hot, i like rooibos with a little sugar and some milk (or cream if i have it on hand). iced i like it with just a little sugar. sometimes you find it with a little vanilla added, which is also really tasty.
Re:tea for one (Score:2)
That would be where the teapot comes in handy...
Mostly a matter of personal taste, of course, but I'd recommend mint tea and Earl Grey - although since I have a pack of Earl Grey behind me on the shelf and a large Starbucks coffee in hand, you can
Tea and cocoa (Score:2)
One teabag of Twinings English Breakfast with about 2 spoons of sugar (yes, sweet) into a mug of water microwaved for 2:30. I drink at least a cup a day.
That, and hot cocoa. I haven't found anything I'm 100% satisfied with (as with the tea), but for now, it's 1 mug of milk microwaved for 3:30 with 1.5 packets of Swiss Miss French Vanilla. The bottom half of the cup is always noticeably thin, though... might need something to make it creamier, methinks.
Best Tea Making Instructions Ever (Score:2)
no, i don't know if they are really the best instructions ever. but it is douglas adams. how can it be bad?
boring tea (Score:2)
So titled because it isn't very exciting.
No fancy-pants tea here, but it's nice and simple.
Re:boring tea (Score:2)
1. Microwave for as long as the water needs to be at a rolling boil, otherwise the tea won't taste good.
2. Make sure you vigorously pour the water into the mug when filling it, because otherwise the water will reach boiling temperature without any bubbling. As soon as the tea bag touches the water, it will erupt and possibly scald you. (I actually used to boil the water in a separate vessel
one rookie mistake to avoid (Score:2)
Also, if you like milk in your coffee, you're probably going to like milk in tea.
IMH (and possibly ignorant) O (Score:2)
I have heard several basics for making good black tea: Start with a kettle of fresh cold water, bring it to a full boil, and pour it over the teabag into a preheated cup. (I don't follow any of these but the full boil and I still get acceptable results.
Re:IMH (and possibly ignorant) O (Score:2)
aren't you an engineer? (Score:2)
I've been messing around with real-deal chinese gunpowder tea (so called, because the tea leaves are hand rolled and look like gun powder); I just can't get it right.
That being said, Good Earth's green tea blend in a baggie and Stash's Licorice Spice in a baggie come out fine.
Screw how its supposed to be done; find out the way you like it done.
Re:aren't you an engineer? (Score:2)
I've done too much software lately... its all about being lazy and automating everything for me. I'd rather experiment with cooking with stuff I know how to make than to screw around with tea. But so many british people get practically an orgasm from drinking tea, so I wanted to see what the big dealio was. Will try some different techniques I've read here tonight, though.
Re:aren't you an engineer? (Score:1)
Same with Coffee. In fact, one of my very british peeps (*lives there, works there, served in the RAF) drinks coffee. Go figure.
P.S.- use filtered water!!
Speaking of which, I've got some badass coffee waiting for me in a thermos right now. booyakka.
Re:aren't you an engineer? (Score:2)
Dunk the bag?! (Score:2)
(I like my tea STRONG.)
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Re:Hey Josh. (Score:2)
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How can you guys stand earl gray? (Score:1)
Absolutely awful.
Then again what do I know, I prefer fruit flavored herbal teas.
Actually Vietnamese style tea (and I would imagine coffee) is good.
1/2 tea, 1/2 cream.
Same with their coffee, but I think you have to use sweetened condensed milk instead. About the only way I could stand coffee I think, heh. Then again just give me the sweetened condensed milk and I'll be happy!
Oh and decaf chai is good, but hard to find. Err, am I being heretical if I mention Oregon Chai? ^_^
Tea making (Score:2)
As for making it, get your mug, put the tea bag in it, wait for kettle to boil, pour water in, stir a couple of times to get the tea bag moving, leave f