Thread: Tea anyone ??!!

Originally Posted by Nightblade

I get the 3lb white from amazon Lakanto brand

https://smile.amazon.com/Lakanto-Mon...KX5V7ZSYTMYRMK

Ordered a bag!

Originally Posted by Nightblade

I must be honest. When I started this thread it wasn't so much the kind of tea but the experience that I was looking to share. I've tried some higher end teas and green teas, Oolongs etc. As stated before, you can read along and get the gist of my evolution. At the end of the day I just like a good strong cup of good black British tea. Meaning something along the lines of the common brands I mentioned earlier.

That's just me though. I know those brands well and there is really no guesswork or worry about price, location, estates etc. Now I make a perfect cuppa daily and I'm more concerned if I'm out of milk or sugar. Milk has to be whole not 1/2 n 1/2 or lowfat or ugh.... skim and the sugar has to be monk fruit which I'll explain in a minute. Now it's about how I enjoyed it. What was the weather like, what did I have with it ? Or will it be a scone or Marmite and toast, sausages maybe or nothing ? What kind of cup shall I use today, the Russian tea glasses, the blue willow china breakfast cup or my good friend the big moustache mug or if with a friend the good ol trusty white diner mugs(love those).

Brewing for me and my black......can't go wrong with 3 min but never more than 5. Water temp?......meah boiling but not boiled and the water drawn should be fresh drawn so it's full of oxygen. it's either a cup and bag or a pot and bags to preference of strength . Not uncommon for me to do two pots in a day either.

My influences didn't start with the Hobbit but that certainly played in eventually. Mine was more influenced by the everyday Brit or Irish, or common wealther who got through the day with a cuppa. When times are rough and tough, a good cuppa really does help out and I'm sure the Tommies in the trenches would agree. but in that case so would a good ammo or medical supply line. RIP heroes.
. Three things I've gotten from that culture that amazingly work well, Keep calm, stiff upper lip and a good cuppa….no lie man.

Now about the Monk fruit sugar. I discovered it when I got diagnosed with DB2. Its sweeter than sugar but all the medical reports I could find supported that it was fine for diabetics. No calories,carbs nuffin….zip ! I've checked my sugar many a time and no ill effects and there is no funky aftertaste like other non sugar sweeteners. It's like a gift from heaven...…..thanks God , appreciate it ! I need a cuppa now...…….cheers !

As I have said many times. Don't let anyone tell you what you are supposed to like. Like what you like because you like it and let that be your reason. I love the high end teas as much as the next guy but I won't give in to snobbery in any pursuit. I have rarely met people who know more about tea than I do but I find I can learn from anyone. Also just because it's expensive doesn't mean it's good. Just because.its cheap doesn't mean it's bad. As I say, I really enjoy a good, high-end, fine tea But I don't drink them very much. I usually buy in small quantities because much of the time the fine stuff is very expensive and related to the earlier point about expense not equaling quality It really stinks to buy a bunch of something that was really expensive and then it's swill. It's happened to me before. Often what I will do if I find something that is really good is buy a small quantity to test it then if it's good buy a pound bag and break it up into smaller quantities, nitrogen flush it and reseal it into smaller bags. Mostly I drink less expensive teas that I keep as staples. I like Ahmad tea company because they have a good selection of loose teas which I prefer to CTC. I do however drink some CTC tea. Taylors of Harrogate and Twinings are both very good quality for the price as is Bigelow. Also Lipton. Especially lipton's green label teas are very good quality for a very affordable price. I buy them locally from an Indian market.

My wife laughs at me because I like flowery China patterns. She calls them my "old lady tea pots."


There's no reason why men can't like flowers also, although I'll admit the Old Country Roses is a little old ladyish.
I also have a number of cast iron teapots. But my favorite is this plain white Royal Doulton.

I got this in an outlet store on clearance by chance. I had always wanted a fine bone China set in plain white. Problem is one of the cups is crazing and the only place this line is in retail sales is New Zealand. That's a little ways from Florida

Tea time with my daughter. Home isolation has some benefits

Originally Posted by PaulFLUS

I have rarely met people who know more about tea than I do but I find I can learn from anyone.

Okay, that didn't really come out the way I meant it to. It sounds a little snobby there.What I meant was that I have spent a lot of time learning about tea because it's something that I really love but here in the south in the US I am nearly alone in that. To most people here tea means "sweet tea" that being sweetened iced tea. That not withstanding I still find out things I didn't know all the time

Funny now that I look at it this way,I have a tea cup for all moods it seems. All but my moustache mug and work mug are sets of two..can be used for coffee of all types as well. I travel to distant lands via beverage and vehicle for it.

First Line up L to R : Russian Podstakannik , French Durex and Middle eastern saucer, Japanese cup , Polish pottery



2nd Line up the heavy's for more robust sippin.

Moustache mug , Diner mug, Blue Willow Breakfast cup.



And here's a gratuitous picture of my boy Misha

I don't have much in way of packaging and I'll save the tea pot and tea tins for another S n T.

Teas I like in Order I guess .

PG Tips............ good every day British cuppa. nice and strong.------------ Milk n sugar
Barry's from Cork Ireland ....Strong n Malty and nice golden color -----------.Milk n sugar
Yorkshire Gold ..........Pretty much the same as the above two. Golden and strong select blend-------Milk n sugar

Chai homemade including the masala. Using any of the above teas. strong, spicy and creamy.

Oolongs any kind but favorite is Milk Oolong .......No Sugar no milk

Kusmi Russian Teas. Favorite Blend Bouquet of flowers (Was Czar Nicholas II favorite) ....I always do Russian teas black with sugar or jam which is old skool traditional.

Have not tried Mongolian Butter tea yet but and Old friend from this site and thread Olav lived there and told me all about it. Sounds delicious ! Olav if your out there man, cheers and hope your well.

Originally Posted by PaulFLUS

My wife laughs at me because I like flowery China patterns. She calls them my "old lady tea pots."


There's no reason why men can't like flowers also, although I'll admit the Old Country Roses is a little old ladyish.
I also have a number of cast iron teapots. But my favorite is this plain white Royal Doulton.

I got this in an outlet store on clearance by chance. I had always wanted a fine bone China set in plain white. Problem is one of the cups is crazing and the only place this line is in retail sales is New Zealand. That's a little ways from Florida

Try this to find hard to find stuff.............. https://www.replacements.com/

So I agree with both of these articles as this is not the first article Ive read on the subject. and I have yet to see anybody really capture the essence of it without turning it into the ladies club social. I guess being raised by a Scot that's where my influence came from.We didn't per se do tea in the sense but it's the mindset. You had some tea with substance and all the pretension went out with the bathwater so to speak. All the Irish friends I know and my Aussie friend as well have the same mindset it seems. Gimme a builders tea and some mite and toast and the world is right again.

https://afternoontea.co.uk/informati...t-is-high-tea/

https://must-see-scotland.com/scottish-high-tea

When I think of Hight tea, I think of the unexpected guest scene in the HOBBIT. I love sweets and those little dainty sandwiches you get at afternoon tea as much as anybody but...........

Hight tea to me should be mugs not cups or bigger cups and foods should be meat pies and soda bread and boxty or potato farls and cheeses and sausages and soft buns. If scones be present then instead of the clotty cream and jam it should be lots of fresh butter and pickles and oatcakes and scotch eggs. Here in the States I think people associate the word high to mean upper crust or high fallutin and fancy such is the afternoon tea. Get rid of the doilies and bone china and the multi tiered plate thing and break out the Brown Betty, heavy crockery and checked cloth.

But,......to each their own also.

I haven't read both of those articles yet. I skimmed the first one. Especially here in the south afternoon tea or high tea is always some frilly, lacy, doilies poppycock. At church in the summer they have a "ladys' tea" to which I always protest. It's a lonely business being a tea lover in these parts.