Tea

[Doc Dan]

Yet one more reason not to buy Chinese products. They have, on many occasions, and one recently, caught them getting used cooking oil out of the sewer, straining it, then reselling it world wide as new cooking oil.

I tend to buy only organic teas, if possible. In this part of the world that is not hard to do. Loose leaf is the way to go. Tea bags are great for packing, but at home the loose leaf fills the bill. It simply tastes better. There are many plantations, here, and I can buy "Chinese" teas that are not grown in China. Really, it is all the same tea. The difference is in how long it is fermented (no cars allowed).

I found a true black tea (not Chinese style) with Jasmine flowers in it that was simply awesome. I cannot seem to find any more of it. But, no worries, I have plenty of good black tea and a Jasmine tree growing just out the door.

[PayneTrain]

To speed drying, which was traditionally done over several days in the sun, they drove over it, letting the warm exhaust gas dry the tea in a few hours.

Good lord, who are these people? Exhaust-dried tea and sewer oil. I love tea, and I love fried food cuz I'm a pig, so this just got personal. !@#$ you too China!

I read Teavana gets a lot of their tea from Japan. I might get back on that, cuz I just read the label on my Harney and Sons and it comes from "Asia and India." Anyone have any opinions on Teavana? Not sure how widespread they are.

[JD Spydo]

Has anyone heard of a tea company from South Africa called Five Roses?

From what I've been told by 2 people I know that work in health food stores is that there are 3 main distributors of ROOIBOS or (Red Bush ) Tea from South Africa which distribute it world wide. One Doctor I knew that had his own health supplement store got his directly from the Cape Of Good Hope in South Africa. It had English and 2 other languages on the box label. I've yet to find ROOIBOS Tea as good as that brand was yet.

Again the USA Tea company known as "The Republic Of Tea" does have a really decent grade of ROOIBOS Tea and they also have about a half a dozen different blends of it as well. They have one that has rose hips and two other herbs in it which is a great blend.

Personally I've never heard of "Five Roses" tea company but I would be the last one to have the ultimate authority on that. I do find it extremely interesting that the Cape Of Good Hope in South AFrica is the one place on the planet that you can grow good grades of ROOIBOS Tea.

I'm also slowly becoming a critic of Chinese White Tea. White Tea and ROOIBOS are the two teas I drink the most of.

[PayneTrain]

White tea is my favorite. I love the light, sweet, subtle flavor. Sometimes I'll blend it with a green flavored with jasmine or lavender or something like that. Plus it's supposed to be the best for you in terms of antioxidants.

I've never really been a fan of red tea, or rooibos. Admittedly I've only tried one kind, but I found it too...woody.

[Doc Dan]

Today, I had to go the hospital for a short while. There is a Starbucks there so I got a cup of Earl Grey Tea. The tea says it is made specifically for Starbucks. I had not realized that Starbuck's tea was not very good.

There is a brand in SE Asia, from the Cameron Highlands of Malaysia, that is superior. The company and its plantations is called BOH. I like BOH teas very much.
http://www.boh.com.my/home/" target="_blank

[eidah]

Today, I had to go the hospital for a short while. There is a Starbucks there so I got a cup of Earl Grey Tea. The tea says it is made specifically for Starbucks. I had not realized that Starbuck's tea was not very good.

There is a brand in SE Asia, from the Cameron Highlands of Malaysia, that is superior. The company and its plantations is called BOH. I like BOH teas very much.
http://www.boh.com.my/home/" target="_blank

I live in Malaysia and we have plenty of BOH tea. What is special about it? People here think Chinese tea is superior.

[The Deacon]

Today, I had to go the hospital for a short while. There is a Starbucks there so I got a cup of Earl Grey Tea. The tea says it is made specifically for Starbucks. I had not realized that Starbuck's tea was not very good.

I've only ever had Starbucks coffee, only had it three times, and each was from a different Starbucks. Each time the predominate flavors were bitter and burnt. Once is an accident, twice a coincidence, three's a pattern. I'd be genuinely surprised if their tea was any better.

[kbuzbee]

Starbucks coffee, only had it three times, and each was from a different Starbucks. Each time the predominate flavors were bitter and burnt.

Bitter and burnt is Starbucks signature. It's ONE of the reasons everyone associates them with sugar/milk coffee drinks (Cappuccino, Frappiccino etc) as that's the only way most people can drink their coffee.

I'd be genuinely surprised if their tea was any better.

I wouldn't necessarily condemn their tea based purely on their coffee. OTOH, I wouldn't be shocked to find it to be horrible.

Ken

[Doc Dan]

I live in Malaysia and we have plenty of BOH tea. What is special about it? People here think Chinese tea is superior.

I am sure a lot of people drink Chinese tea in Malaysia. Chinese style tea is made by BOH and BOH is the largest brand that I know about in Malaysia. The only difference between "Chinese tea" and other types of tea is in the manner it is fermented (unless you are talking about tea from China, which is problematic).
As far as your claim that most people drink Chinese tea, I am not so certain. Indians and Malays tend to drink black tea, as far as I am aware and black tea is more prevalent on the store shelves, unless it is a Chinese mom and pop shop. Also foreigners in the country drink black, but may drink Oolong, Darjeeling, Jasmine, Mango, and many other styles. BOH makes them all and even makes superior grade teas that are much better than the normal store shelf kind.

In Thailand I had a wonderful tea. In the morning it was brewed strong and black, with a little sugar and no milk. Later, I would be given iced tea, brewed strong with spices added. Both are very nice.

[JD Spydo]

Today, I had to go the hospital for a short while. There is a Starbucks there so I got a cup of Earl Grey Tea. The tea says it is made specifically for Starbucks. I had not realized that Starbuck's tea was not very good.

I've only ever had Starbucks coffee, only had it three times, and each was from a different Starbucks. Each time the predominate flavors were bitter and burnt. Once is an accident, twice a coincidence, three's a pattern. I'd be genuinely surprised if their tea was any better.

Deac I agree with you 1000% on that one :mad: When I traveled a lot I got to where I never went to Starbucks at any of the airports. I liked "Seatle's Best" much better. We have some franchise coffee shops here in Kansas City, Missouri USA known as "Scooters">> they have a coffee called " Scooter's Blend" and it is divine. Scooters also has some really great tea as well. The only drink I got from Starbucks that I ever liked was their "Blonde" selection and it was nothing to rave about as far as that goes. Yeah their coffee is burnt or the beans got moldy or something of that ilk. And their stuff is so exoribantly expensive that I rarely go into one of their stores. Now I will say this I did get some holiday blend beans of theirs for Christmas last year and it wasn't bad at all. But the stuff they serve in their stores is good for drain cleaner or cleaning the battery terminals in your vehicle's battery but that's about it.

The CHANG Tea Co. we have here in Kansas City is truly the best tea I've ever had anywhere. I heard that the Chang Tea Co. is a nationwide, franchise store. I highly urge all of you to seek them out. Their white tea is absolutely habbit forming.

[Doc Dan]

I wonder where Chang Tea Co. gets their white tea from? It would be interesting to find out. White tea is simply the young, tender, not fully developed tea leaves.

[Skidoosh]

My understanding is there are really only three types of tea, green, black (fermented green tea) and then oolong. White tea as doc said is young tea. Everything else is herbal or whatever. Is my understanding correct?

[The Deacon]

My understanding is there are really only three types of tea, green, black (fermented green tea) and then oolong. White tea as doc said is young tea. Everything else is herbal or whatever. Is my understanding correct?

Well, to be technical, all "tea" comes from the leaves of one plant, Camellia sinensis, commonly known as the "tea plant", "tea bush", or "tea tree". Depending on when the leave are picked, and how they are dried and processed, they produce white, yellow, green, black, or oolong tea. Everything else is more accurately described as an herbal infusion. However, the definition has been stretched for quite some time. Describing an infusion of sassafras root as "sassafras tea" goes back to at least the 19th century.

[Doc Dan]

My understanding is there are really only three types of tea, green, black (fermented green tea) and then oolong. White tea as doc said is young tea. Everything else is herbal or whatever. Is my understanding correct?

Yes, it is all the same plant, as I wrote earlier, and the difference comes in the age of the leaves (white) and how long and in what manner it is fermented.

[Doc Dan]

I am planning a trip to a tea plantation sometime after the first of the year. I will take pictures and post them.

[kbuzbee]

I am planning a trip to a tea plantation sometime after the first of the year. I will take pictures and post them.

Cool, looking forward to it.

Ken

[bearfacedkiller]

Enjoying this...



I drink loose tea at home but have been bringing this to work lately.

[Doc Dan]

Enjoying this...



I drink loose tea at home but have been bringing this to work lately.

Mighty tasty stuff.

Someone just gave me some Vietnamese tea. I will try it later and let you all know. It smells pretty good.

[Blerv]

Starbucks coffee is actually quite good for the money. If you use their roasts with your home equipment instead of the industrial cistern machines the must have bought from an Army surplus store that is :p. I have a Aeropress which I do reverse-method with a stainless filter instead of the paper wafers.

Their espresso of course is different and really depends on how the machines are timed. They are extremely expensive machines but that's the problem with automated shots; the good in theory besides speed is more consistency. In theory they should be timing the machines every few hours but I know some locations just don't give a crap and their shots taste like it. Odd since the partners get complementary beverages and should be figuring it out the painful way.

[kbuzbee]

I don't know, Blake. You're a lot closer to the Mother Ship than I am... Maybe it's a freshness thing?

The only *$ coffee I've ever really cared for was their Komodo Dragon. For whatever reason that one really hit me well.

Ken