OT: Tea People, come in!

[psophia17]

I have always liked tea, but have now decided to educate myself on teas. I like spicy teas, like chai without the milk and with only a little sugar, black teas, and usually green tea is alright with me too. In my sampling frenzy, I bought a box of Twinings that has Prince of Wales, Earl Grey, Lady Grey, Irish Breakfast, and English Breakfast. I've tried them all and only the Prince of Wales tea doesn't float my boat because even after a ton of steeping it tasted very watery.

But now I need to know - what is the deal with Orange Pekoe? It's just black tea, isn't it? Something about the size of the tea leaf? Aunt-in-Law, who I love dearly but who is nutty and controlling, insists that there is something special about Red Rose Orange Pekoe tea...I've always thought it was the porcelain animal in the box, but maybe that's just me...

Can anyone shed some light on tea leaves for me? TIA!!!

[kedss]

from Wikipedia:

Orange Pekoe is often referred to as "OP"; the grading scheme contains several other categories considered to be of higher quality than OP. The grades for whole leaf orthodox black tea, in ascending order are:

* OP (Orange Pekoe)
* FOP (Flowery Orange Pekoe)
* GFOP (Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe)
* TGFOP (Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe)
* FTGFOP (Fine Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe)
* SFTGFOP (Super Fine Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe)

Sometimes a digit "1" or "2" is added to the grade, signifying the first or second flush: e.g., "FTGFOP1". (Only the first two flushes are used to make grade tea.)

Broken, Fannings and Dust orthodox teas have slightly different gradings. CTC teas have a yet different grading system.

A common joke among tea aficionados is that "FTGFOP" actually stands for "Far Too Good For Ordinary People".

here's the link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orange_Pekoe

HTH! :)

[psophia17]

Thank You!!!

AIL, bless her, thinks she knows everything and keeps going on and on about her orange pekoe tea...funny how it's the lowest grade of all of them...

I think she'll be getting some of those FTGFOP tea leaves for her Christmas present - that'll float her boat bigtime ;)

[kedss]

LOL!! Figures, doesn't it?

[Saccade]

Petra, the next step in your tea journey (does that sound too pretentious ;) ) is to try loose teas... but down that path lies obsession!

Have you tried oolong?

Also, if you like spicy, you may like smoky -- give lapsang souchong or Russian Caravan a whirl.

Lastly, Kusmichoff (Kusmi Tea) makes wonderful spiced/citrus infused black teas, if you can find them. Spendy, though.
http://www.kusmitea.com/en/flash.htm

ET fix typo as usual.

-- Saccade

DS #1, 7/13/05
http://tickers.baby-gaga.com/t/eleeleabk20050713_-8_My+child+is.png[/img][/url]

[aliceinwonderland]

you're cheating!!! You're the coffee person! Can't have it both ways, you know!!

**feeling betrayed or else quite inadequate about my tea knowledge** :)

[psophia17]

I'll have to research these some...I suspect they don't carry them at the local Safeway...

I think I've had oolong at some point, but it's been a while. Will the oolong from Safeway cut the mustard, or must I venture into uncharted territory for that one, too?

[mudder17]

Oh my gosh, we just discovered a tea shop near our house and yes, our latest obsession is with loose teas. I've tried a red chai that is wonderful, especially when I don't want the caffeine, but DH has the regular chai and it's so good! My favorite for an earthy, caffeinated tea (great when I wake up with a headache for some reason) that's not too strongly caffeinated is Pu-erh Tuocha tea. We've also discovered various grades of green and oolong tea. One of our favorite oolong is imperial grade oolong. Yes, good tea is more spendy, but if you can get your local shop to carry loose teas, where you can get them by the ounce, it's not as expensive as prepackaged.

The brand that we've had much success with is In Pursuit of Tea, and I THINK we can get the prepackaged ones cheaper online than at our B&M store, but when our store carries it loose, it is cheaper. Oh, and another great thing about having this local tea shop is that you can try some of their teas at the shop and make a decision from there. :)


Eileen

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Kaya's a cousin! 10/1/05, 5lb13oz

[psophia17]

You can't pick just one - the poor coffee (or tea) will feel left out.

Most hot beverages are quite nice...cider, cocoa, broth...I'm equal opportunity for them, myself.

Coffee...best when fresh ground (but not from beans stored in the fridge or freezer), made in a manual drip coffeepot, kept hot in a caraffe (sp), and served light and sweet, preferably with whole raw milk and that brown granulated sugar or honey. Sometimes I brew it with some ground cinnamon, too...yummmy!

[Saccade]

Petra, you live in Vancouver. I am SURE you have great places to sample loose Chinese teas. When I come out in late Feb I will take you, 'kay?

Once you taste and have an idea of what you want, you can get it locally, or online. Given your location, I suspect you can find some very good stuff quite inexpensively.

-- Saccade

DS #1, 7/13/05
http://tickers.baby-gaga.com/t/eleeleabk20050713_-8_My+child+is.png[/img][/url]

[mudder17]

Well, I've had good oolong and bad oolong. Bad oolong is much more bitter and just not very flavorful. The key is also not oversteeping. You want to steep for ... 3-4 minutes, I think it is. I need to double check. The reason loose teas work better is that you can steep them loose, then filter out the leaves and drink the tea without the leaves hanging around. Of course you can do that with a tea bag as well, but the flavor doesn't run through the tea leaves as well. Makes sense?


Eileen

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Kaya's a cousin! 10/1/05, 5lb13oz

[Saccade]

Yeah, I have it both ways! For me, coffee is a vehicle for caffeine (albeit a very tasty one) and milk (calcium for nursing). Tea is a relaxing and energizing break that can become an obsession (much like wine). Believe me, I am a tea novice compared to many folks :) I just know what I like. Gotta get out and taste different ones!

-- Saccade

DS #1, 7/13/05
http://tickers.baby-gaga.com/t/eleeleabk20050713_-8_My+child+is.png[/img][/url]

[psophia17]

Yay!!!

I'm pretty sure there's a tea shop very local to me, even within walking distance...my area has a lot of Chinese and East Indian immigrants, so there's got to be good tea, and my immediate vicinity has (I'm told) a lot of Japanese influence (I think because it's a fishing village?).

I can't wait for you to come visit :)

[Saccade]

Yeah, don't steep too long, and don't use water that's too hot, either. Leave plenty of room in the pot for the leaves to expand, too. Best way is to try a bunch -- start with a known good one (like Ti Kuan Yin) to see what it's like, then mess around until you fine one that's cheap enough for daily use but still good...

Pu-erh is something that I haven't tried, Eileen... I'm a bit intimidated by what I've heard but maybe I will try it now. There's a Ten Ren teahouse near work...


-- Saccade

DS #1, 7/13/05
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[Saccade]

I will even bring yarn!

-- Saccade

DS #1, 7/13/05
http://tickers.baby-gaga.com/t/eleeleabk20050713_-8_My+child+is.png[/img][/url]

[daniele_ut]

My current favorite is Rooibos tea. We don't drink black teas at all, so we are limited to herbals. Rooibos is a South African red tea that is naturally caffeine free. It is popular in Holland and I got hooked on it there!

[psophia17]

you tease!

[mudder17]

Ooh! The Tieguanyin is wonderful green tea and we can now get it loose, so it's cheaper than it was! But Imperial Gold Oolong is almost as good! We got a teapot for one that allows you to steep the leaves, then you place it over the mug and the tea goes through, leaving the leaves behind. It wasn't too expensive and DH and I love it because we can each make our own teas.

Oh, one more interesting thing--some of the teas can be steeped twice, like the Pu-erh. You just have to try it.


Eileen

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Kaya's a cousin! 10/1/05, 5lb13oz

[brittone2]

I just want to third? the recommendation for loose tea. The lady I buy from has a slogan on her literature:
"Once you go loose, you'll never go bag." ;) Some bad tea humor I guess ;)

I'm a fan of Rooibos. Love it. You can buy it in bag form at places like Trader Joes, but the stuff I love the most is African Outback Rooibos. Rooibos (my tea lady says it is pronounced "roy-bus" ...I was never sure so I asked one day LOL) is naturally decaf which is great, it is tough to oversteep it (use 1 tsp in a tea ball, pour boiling water over it and steep 5 mins), and it is high in antioxidants. Great stuff :)

I enjoy other flavors too but that's my favorite. I also am enjoying a french vanilla chai from her shop very much too. I have always liked green tea but have to be in the mood for it, but I've now learned how to brew it properly and that helps (my instructions say 180, so once the water boils you remove it from the heat for about 2 mins or so). Pour over 2 tsp in tea ball and let steep (3 mins?) As Eileen said, it gets very bitter if oversteeped, but when brewed right is waaaaay better than anything I've had form a bag.

I am a loose tea novice but I already have trouble going back to the bags ;)

Oh, and fwiw I'm a two timer too....I love coffee as well ;) Like you Petra, hot cider or pretty much any hot beverage will do...It depends on my mood ;)

[Saccade]

I actually brew green tea (I like Dragonwell), white tea and oolong a few times -- even all day. It gets weaker but that's OK, as it's good for me to have less and less caffeine as the day goes on.

Is this like the teapot you have:
http://www.adagio.com/teaware/ingenuiTEA_teapot.html?SID=0f5170cd7c1ff2321247b7b e4a56bfee

I have tried to use the gaiwanu method but the leaves don't sink down and it's too messy at work, so I use a similar pot. If you want more straining/brewing toys, here's another thing for loose tea:

http://www.adagio.com/teaware/glass_minuet.html?SID=0f5170cd7c1ff2321247b7be4a56 bfee

Besides, since it's glass, you can see the beautiful tea unfurling.

ET correct name

-- Saccade

DS #1, 7/13/05
http://tickers.baby-gaga.com/t/eleeleabk20050713_-8_My+child+is.png[/img][/url]

[ctmom]

I've been currently going between Rooibos and Honeybush for my afternoon tea. It is also from South Africa and is actually an herbal teason, not a tea (which I only know b/c I called it a tea to someone and was corrected!).

[nicoleandjackson]

I'm not super-knowledgable about tea, but I have friends and family who are. I've had good luck with Stash teas and accessories:

http://www.stashtea.com/

They also have some interesting information on the history and types of tea, as well as tea recipes, if you are interested.

Enjoy!

Nicole
Mommy of Jackson 4/30/02
(and decaf Earl Grey lover, who secretly drinks tea like a toddler with milk and sugar :))


Who's the Biggest Boy? It's Jackson!
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[brittone2]

Ooooh....I like that second one! I'm using a tea ball now...I have 3, but I find I go through them so quickly and if I want 2 cups in a row...it is a PITB.

Maybe I'll put that on my Christmas list :)

[brittone2]

and then you can have this:
http://shopstashtea.com/800717.html

Someone posted a link to that site and that teapot came up right away...it of course made me think of you LOL.

[hobey]

Geez, I always seem to be the enabling one here (be it w/ yarn & now tea). :D There's a really neat tea store in Victoria (not Murchie's although they're good too. Silk Road Aromatherapy & Tea Co.) that I happened upon last December so I googled to see if they had a mainland outpost. Alas no but I found this....http://www.teaontheweb.com/

I'm also an equal opportunity drinker and enjoy both tea and coffee.

Raquel
Nathan's Mom 12/19/03

[psophia17]

That's so cute! Perfect for Eri, too...

[psophia17]

Is teason the same thing as tisane? From merriam-webster's online dictionary:

tisane - an infusion (as of dried herbs) used as a beverage or for medicinal effects

I would guess that means there are no tea leaves involved?

[psophia17]

I just remembered! I really like darjeerling, or at least I did the one time I had it, ages and ages ago.

[Rachels]

Just chiming in with some enabling. If you like tea, try the stuff from www.tealuxe.com! There are three locations around here, and their tea is just wonderful. It has spoiled me for the supermarket stuff.

-Rachel
Mama to Abigail Rose
5/18/02
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_amethyst_36m.gif
Nursed for three years!

and Ethan James
10/19/05
http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/bf.jpg


"When you know better, you do better."
Maya

[psophia17]

I just ordered the catalog...thanks!

(And although I like tea with just a touch of sugar, when it's really hot I add a lot of milk and sugar so my toddler can share with me, just like my Mom did for us when we were kids :))

[smilla653]

I was just going to write that you might like the Kusmichoff (sp?) teas that someone else further up the thread recommended. They always remind me of Christmastime. Williams-Sonoma carries pretty good tea.

I really like ordering tea from
http://www.specialteas.com/

Loose-leaf is the way to go!

[Saccade]

Yes, "teasan" is used by some tea manufacturers (eg Numi Tea) as a play on the French "tisane" -- usually it means that there is no actual tea in it, but that it is, rather, herbal or botanical.

-- Saccade

DS #1, 7/13/05
http://tickers.baby-gaga.com/t/eleeleabk20050713_-8_My+child+is.png[/img][/url]

[SeekerMage]

Speaking of teas...my mom collects Demitasse Cups....has anyone seen any pretty ones around? I would like to get her something really neat for the holidays....sadily she is just a simple orange spice tea kinda gal so no getting any fun teas to go with it. Please help if you can. Thanks!

[mudder17]

Yes, the first one is exactly what we have and it really does work well. Sometimes I'll stir the "lighter" leaves a little to help them sink down, but otherwise it works really well. The second one is great, but it wasn't available at our store--there was a different glass one that was shaped like a traditional teapot that had the glass infuser inside. It was pricier, though, so we stuck with the first one.


Eileen

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Kaya's a cousin! 10/1/05, 5lb13oz

[mudder17]

Ah, Rooibos is one of DH's favorite teas. I really like it as well, but I have to be in the mood. The crimson chai that I have is made with a mixture of Rooibos and other things. It's very nice.

And I love the bad tea humor. :)

Oh, and as much as I love the taste of a good coffee, I can't handle the caffeine (I have insomnia bad enough as it is). So I drink Cafix when I need my coffee fix. But I too am a lover of hot beverages. :)


Eileen

http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/candle.gif for Leah
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http://tickers.baby-gaga.com/t/catcatcvi20040222_4_Kaya+is.png
Kaya's a cousin! 10/1/05, 5lb13oz

[Rachels]

Tealuxe has some. Check out the section called "our merchandise."

-Rachel
Mama to Abigail Rose
5/18/02
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_amethyst_36m.gif
Nursed for three years!

and Ethan James
10/19/05
http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/bf.jpg


"When you know better, you do better."
Maya

[Twin Mom]

I'm not a big tea drinker myself, but for those of you who like Rooibos tea, I have to recommend Kalahari Red Rooibos tea. It comes in 4 flavors. They also have fruit bars which are really good too.

Friends of mine own the company (one is from South Africa) and they have been importing tea and other food products from South Africa for a while now. The tea is available at many retail locations across the country but they do have a map on their site where you can find retailers in your state. The web site is www.kalahariusa.com.

[psophia17]

She just left - and again, when I offered her some tea, she started lecturing me about Orange Pekoe. I told her what you told me, and she said "I am a tea drinker, and I have to disagree with you." How funny is that?

[Zana]

Of course I am biased towards Indian teas..but we take ours pretty milky. If you get a chance to visit any Indian stores/restaurants, try the spiced teas - Darjeeling tea with fresh spices (cardamom, cinamon, cloves) - it is bit of an acquired taste though.

I try and start my mornings with tea (black) with lime and honey..yum!

[aliceinwonderland]

I love that! Sent it to DH :) Alice does not look *exactly* like the illustrations in the book, but I think I can get over that.

For the record, I drink tea, DH drinks it even more, but only reluctantly. I love the benefits (of green tea) but hate the taste :)

My grandma (I swear!) used to boil what I think were dried branches of a bush and called it a tea, "mountain tea" It had the best flavor and cured everything...:)

[Saccade]

Mountain tea is great (if we are talking about the same stuff -- an herb/plant in the Salvia family from a certain climate zone with a yellow flower?)! I haven't been drinking it recently since I have no clue what herb it is or whether it's safe for BF. If you need some I will find out where DH buys it.

Also, there are lots of great green tea blends out there now if you are so inclined. If I feel like something less asringent or fresh than a traditional green tea, I drink one with mint and roses incorporated! I find very high-quality blends at Rishi tea:
http://www.rishi-tea.com/store/home.php?cat=9

ETA botanical info

-- Saccade

DS #1, 7/13/05
http://tickers.baby-gaga.com/t/eleeleabk20050713_-8_My+child+is.png[/img][/url]

[hellosmiletoday]

Where do you get your tea! I'm not much of a tea drinker...I only like herbal teas iced (with no sugar). But teas make a great gift. We were going to get ILs Bewley's irish tea from southern season, but we'd love to make a gift assortment of all different types of teas.

Mommy to baby girl 5/04

[hellosmiletoday]

I have white demitasse from wedgewood strawberry and vine. Another cute gift idea would be to get demitasse spoons...or 5 o clock spoons. I know you can get them from oneida on ebay. Also check out replacements.com
Mommy to baby girl 5/04

[brittone2]

I totally stumbled upon it, and it was my first real intro to loose teas, but there is a woman (Traci) who sells at the Raleigh flea market (I sucked DH into antiques hunting w/ me one morning...). Her little store is in one of the buildings, and it is called Thyme for Tea. She is an absolute doll...great personality and a lot of fun to talk with...she'll talk your ear off. She's a mama of two young boys, so it is cool to support her in her business venture. Her parents have a spice shop next to her little booth.

She has a website, but the last time I checked it was down http://www.tearificspices.com/servlet/StoreFront. I can look up her phone number later and I'll edit my post to add it. She'll mail you tea (no shipping cost if it is under a pound I think??) if you know what you want, but I enjoy smelling and checking them out in person ;)

I'll get her number to you later. If you know what they like, she could probably talk you through some ideas by phone. She has lots of literature with 'tea menus" and descriptions...I'm sure she could mail them to you.

Here's another article I found about her little business:
http://www.ncagr.com/paffairs/release/2005/8-05fleamarket.htm

[zuzu]

Another tea lover here. :)

I just stopped by our local tea house chain http://www.teaism.com/ to pick up some thank you gifts. I'm pretty sure they ship, and all the teas I've tried have been wonderful.

Melissa, mom to Sarah (5/03)

[tina-t]

I don't know much about tea, but my dad will only drink oolong tea (loose leaf). I prefer the jasmine tea, and for decaf, I like the honey lemon tea.

[pixelprincess]

Ah, nothing like a good strong cup of tea. My favorite every morning cuppa is PG Tips (an Indian brand that is popular in the UK). Wonderful with some cream and sugar.

Also love Peet's tea's. We have stores locally but it can also be found at http://www.peets.com/shop/tea.asp?rdir=1&cm_mmc=Google-_-Corp%20brand-_-broad%20match%20search-_-peets%20tea. Some of my favorites are Black Currant and Fine Darjeeling tea.

[cmdunn1972]

I second that regarding PG! :) It's a nice basic tea, and I love the pyramid-shaped teabag idea.

I also enjoy some East Asian varieties of tea, and I collect teacups from around the world. (Most of my collection features teacups from NE Asian countries such as China, Japan, and S Korea.) The neat thing about the Asian-style teacups are that the tea filters are built into the cup, so you don't need a ball. (They also have a little "hat" so that the tea doesn't get cold while it steeps.) The Chinese cup that I have has a divider inside the cup with holes. You put the tea leaves on one side, pour in the hot water, then put the "hat" on top. The Japanese and Korean teacups have a little separate cup with holes on the bottom that you put the tea leaves in. You slip the cup inside, pour the water in, then place the hat on top while it steeps. When it's time to drink, you take the little cup (with the tea leaves) back out and enjoy. It's brilliant, imo. :)

[aliceinwonderland]

or two

1. what is your favorite kettle? I saw this, would it work? http://www.adagio.com/teaware/water_kettle.html?SID=78a21f9981be82562f2442b7d836 d14f

2. What are some yummy loose Green Tea blends? In the summer, I was succesful making green tea look and taste like pink lemonade (by using some sort of frutit other tea lemon and honey), but now I want to venture into "loose" land. My favorite tea tastes a little swat and like peach or any other fruit. Tealuxe in Boston had such a thing, but I have not seen it elsewhere

[Saccade]

Welcome back, Eri!

I use a cordless electric kettle. It frees up a burner. But the one you posted is very cool and would certainly work to heat water. Adagio is a great place to order from.

As for loose green tea flavored blends, Adagio has some
http://www.adagio.com/green/index.html?SID=78a21f9981be82562f2442b7d836d14f
They have very cute sample tins -- if you get the tea kettle there, order some samples while you are at it.

Otherwise, my favorite are Rishi Tea's blends. They are actually made with white tea but the effect is very similar to flavored green tea (white tea is the least processed and green is intermediate between white and black).
http://www.rishi-tea.com/store/home.php?cat=7

This is my most favorite, especially for spring and summer -- peppermint, rose, and lavender:
http://www.rishi-tea.com/store/product.php?productid=5003&cat=7&page=1
Everyone in my office steals it from me.

ETA: At home, DH makes his own flavored tea by drying fruit peels and adding to loose tea along with mints and lavender from the garden. Apple peel and all kinds of citrus peel work great. More economical and you can customize.

DS 7/05

Be bold in what you stand for and careful in what you fall for * If you
don't like the news, go make some * If you're not confused, you're not
paying attention * join the discussion at bbbprogs at yahoo dot com

[kaylinsmommy2]

I like this tea press: http://www.bodumusa.com/shop/line.asp?MD=2&GID=7&LID=294&HID=1801%2D16US&CHK=&SLT=&mscssid=CDEMW7HL9DH88NBH4SA41V4P42SNBAP9

You heat the water on the stove to boil the water (like a kettle), take it off the stove, drop in your leaves, let the leaves soak the proper amount of time, and then you press the leaves down when you're ready to drink it. You don't have to remove the filter, and you don't have to use a strainer when pouring your tea. I really like it for that purpose. So it kind of doubles as a kettle, a tea pot, and a strainer?

On the other hand, I agree with PP about liking electric kettles because they take less thinking (my dad once almost burned down the kitchen by forgetting about a pot of water being boiled. It also boils water faster then on a stove (I've boiled water in my kettle and then poured it into a pot on the stove when I wanted to make spaghetti in a hurry). I think they also save energy. SIL bought this one for me, but I might get a stainless steel one instead: http://www.bodumusa.com/shop/line.asp?MD=2&GID=52&LID=301&CHK=&SLT=&mscssid=CDEMW7HL9DH88NBH4SA41V4P42SNBAP9

Caroline
mommy to Kaylin 6/5/04

http://b2.lilypie.com/9KMlm7/.png[/img][/url]

[aliceinwonderland]

Okay, so would you say that white tea is then healthier than green tea, in terms of antioxidant content, etc?? I am very ignorant about this, and so far, the only reason I've drank green tea is wrinkle prophylaxis ;)

I am loving that site, what with the sample tins, etc. I think I'm getting myself a St. Valentine's present :):)

Also, good thinking on your DH's part on the peels...why did that not occur to me! Oh, and you'll be interested to know I have a fresh supply on "mountain tea" and I think of you (and, err, your DH??) everytime I boil some. LOL. :)

[mudder17]

Actually, we have one kind of like these:

http://www.nextag.com/electric-hot-pot-water/search-html

And I love that we always have hot water available for tea or whatever else. It's great! Yes, it takes up some counter space (or table space if you have a table next to a plug), but I love it! And yes, they do have a lock for tots, although I'd keep it out of reach of the tots anyway. :)


Eileen

http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/candle.gif for Leah
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http://tickers.baby-gaga.com/t/catcatcvi20040222_4_Kaya+is.png
Kaya's a cousin! 10/1/05, 5lb13oz

[writermama]

We have a braun electric kettle that I love. I originally planned to get a more expensive stainless steel model, but my Canadian tea-expert friend warned me that stainless steel might get too hot on the outside for a house with a toddler in it.

This is the one I have -- it's very fast:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004S9H7/qid=1139535177/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-1647323-1963000?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=284507

The glass one looks really cool, though.

[Saccade]

Yeah, I think white tea is supposed to have more anti-o's, or at least stronger ones (says DH). They are what fights your wrinkles!

ETA: or do I mean dermacreases -- isn't that the technical term? Sorry for implying you had wrinkles already! ;)

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