Tea (way OT)

[EllasMum]

Anybody buy loose leaf tea? I got an IngenuiTea from Adagio a few years back, and quite like it. I got the sampler kit which came with yunnan gold tea, which is incredible stuff! I managed to buy some more on eBay (just to save a little money as Adagio is kind of high-end, IMHO) but I'm not totally sure about the quality - it tastes good when it brews up but is fairly cloudy. I'd like to buy some more of the good stuff, but with the weak Canadian $$ I just can't bring myself to order from Adagio. Anybody know of Canadian (or even American with cheap shipping) websites that sell loose-leaf tea? A google search turned up redumbrella.ca but the shipping is pretty high. Any ideas?

TIA!

[MontrealMum]

I sometimes buy loose leaf tea from our coffee importer as they do both, but it's spendy and I don't know where they get it from :( But, I also really like Kusmi tea http://www.kusmi.ca/index_en.php I don't know what your budget is, but they're all loose leaf and they have lots of different blends. I'm really into the spicy chocolate right now for winter. I don't buy it online (but you can) - I buy it at an import store here in town.

[nupe]

Amazon, although I know nothing about shipping from the us website to canada. I've bought quite a bit of loose tea there that I have enjoyed. Like this one that both my 4yo and I enjoy:
http://www.amazon.com/Stash-Premium-Organic-Jasmine-3-5-Ounce/dp/B001E5E268/ref=sr_1_29?ie=UTF8&s=grocery&qid=1231003414&sr=8-29

[bubbaray]

THere are all sorts of tea places in Vancouver. I'm sure some ship.

Also, there are probably some Chinese tea places in Alberta I would think. Do you have a Chinatown area? There are all kinds of Chinese/asian tea places here, I've been and purchased tea but never know quite what I'm drinking. LOL.

My favorite tea is actually Tetley. LOVE it.

[NewfieNat]

There's a nice tea store in Cochrane, although I can't remember what the prices are like.

Aha, here you go
http://www.teaandotherthings.com/

[amandabea]

My new favorite tea is from Bird Pick. I picked up a 1/2 pound of the Supreme Queen Pearl of Jasmine Green Tea from a store in LA's Chinatown and it is the best green tea I have ever brewed at home. I looked at their site -- http://birdpick.com/index.html -- and it looks like they don't currently ship to Canada, but you might find it at a local tea shop. It was $39/pound IIRC, which I think is comparable to the Adagio teas.

I've also recently tried some of the Adagio green teas and thought they were bitter, but maybe I brewed too long. I love my UtiliTEA water kettle from Adagio though.

[ThreeofUs]

Peet's sells great loose-leaf tea, but it's out of SF, CA, and I don't know what prices they charge for shipping.

I do know, however, that their tea is very high quality.

A word of warning on Amazon loose leaf teas: some (Taylor's of Harrogate, maybe?) are dust. A travesty of tea. Be careful and read the reviews first.

[EllasMum]

Thanks, everyone. Unfortunately, Amazon doesn't ship to Canada (boo). I know there are a couple of local tea shops here, I was just hoping to avoid going downtown! ;) Cochrane, on the other hand, is a much more palatable choice... might make that journey when the snow starts melting!

Thanks again for your suggestions.

Oh, and Melissa - I also love Tetley. It is my go-to for orange pekoe. I also love the organic black tea from Safeway (I think it is their brand?).

[nupe]

For a basic black tea I like PG tips. It is available widely in the US and I would *guess* in Canada too.
http://www.pgtips.co.uk/

[infomama]

Our popular loose tea shop is called Teavana. www.teavana.com

Very cool store/site and LOTS of tea. They will ship to Canada

[EllasMum]

For a basic black tea I like PG tips. It is available widely in the US and I would *guess* in Canada too.
http://www.pgtips.co.uk/

Thanks for the rec - I just saw this at Wal-mart the other day. I'll have to try some. :)

[Piglet]

There is a tea store in Southcentre if you don't mind the drive across town. They also have a Disney store, if that sweetens the deal, LOL.

[Neatfreak]

My fave place to go have tea in Calgary and Edmonton ships: http://www.steepstea.com/catalog/

I am a fan of their Rooibos African Chai ...