Tea

flyinglentris

Disabled and Retired Veteran
Joined
18 Dec 2017
Local time
10:13 AM
Messages
5,689
Location
USA
To increase the variety of my beverages, I have decided to turn to tea. I don't normally drink tea, probably, because the only tea I've ever tried is Lipton tea bag tea.

There is only one species of tea (camellia sinensis), but several variations, small leaf, large leaf and for black teas, the large leaf assamica varietal. The natural range of tea plants is a small area around the China/Burma border, but tea has been cultivated beyond its natural range.

Tea is normally steeped in hot water at a temperature just less than boiling, but some teas can be made in cold water. Cold water used to make tea makes is much milder. Teas are usually sweetened and in some cases blended with milk. Some teas like Chai and Earl Grey are flavored, with spices or a fruit rind oil.

I have acquired Chai and Earl Grey tea which both come in tea bags.

full.jpg


Chai and Earl Grey are both steeped in hot water. Milk may be added to Earl Grey. Chai is flavored with a variety of spices and Earl Grey is flavored the rind oil of the bergamot fruit.

The Japanese harvest their tea early, while it is green.

The most popular Japanese tea is the sencha green tea. Sencha may be acquired either as crushed leaves or in tea bags.

full.jpg


Sencha tea is usually brewed in a tea pot which may or may not have a built in strainer. These pots are ceramic and hot or cold water is poured into them over the sencha tea.

full.jpg


The same tea plant is used in Japan to create Matcha powder, a finely ground tea powder used to create matcha. Matcha may be used to create ceremonial green tea or may be used in foods.

full.jpg


Matcha is made with a special ceremonial tea set and is whisked to mix it with hot or cold water.

full.jpg


Clearly, not all tea comes in tea bags. And from early times, tea did not come in tea bags. We've all heard how a person's fortune could be read from the tea leaves in their cup of tea - yes? Strainers are used for raw tea that does not come in tea bags, like sencha and matcha, but even the strainer may not be used in all cases.

I will be trying my new teas, instead of coffee in the near future.
 
Last edited:
To increase the variety of my beverages, I have decided to turn to tea. I don't normally drink tea, probably, because the only tea I've ever tried is Lipton tea bag tea.

There is only one species of tea (camellia sinensis), but several variations, small leaf, large leaf and for black teas, the large leaf assamica varietal. The natural range of tea plants is a small area around the China/Burma border, but tea has been cultivated beyond its natural range.

Tea is normally steeped in hot water at a temperature just less than boiling, but some teas can be made in cold water. Cold water used to make tea makes is much milder. Teas are usually sweetened and in some cases blended with milk. Some teas like Chai and Earl Grey are flavored, with spices or a fruit rind oil.

I have acquired Chai and Earl Grey tea which both come in tea bags.

View attachment 66909

Chai and Earl Grey are both steeped in hot water. Milk may be added to Earl Grey. Chai is flavored with a variety of spices and Earl Grey is flavored the rind oil of the bergamot fruit.

The Japanese harvest their tea early, while it is green.

The most popular Japanese tea is the sencha green tea. Sencha may be acquired either as crushed leaves or in tea bags.

View attachment 66910

Sencha tea is usually brewed in a tea pot which may or may not have a built in strainer. These pots are ceramic and hot or cold water is poured into them over the sencha tea.

View attachment 66911

The same tea plant is used in Japan to create Matcha powder, a finely ground tea powder used to create matcha. Matcha may be used to create ceremonial green tea or may be used in foods.

View attachment 66912

Matcha is made with a special ceremonial tea set and is whisked to mix it with hot or cold water.

View attachment 66913

Clearly, not all tea comes in tea bags. And from early times, tea did not come in tea bags. We've all heard how a person's fortune could be read from the tea leaves in their cup of tea - yes? Strainers are used for raw tea that does not come in tea bags, like sencha and matcha, but even the strainer may not be used in all cases.

I will be trying my new teas, instead of coffee in the near future.

I was just watching a doco this morning about the tea trade from India back to the uk. I the 1800s a ship load was worth in out money today 14 million dollars.

I've always been coffee but started drinking tea years ago because it's better for you.
I have earl grey every morning and I love it. Wife gets dilmah, by far the best of ones I've tried. She doesn't drink tea or coffee so she drinks hot chocolate.

Russ
 
I was just watching a doco this morning about the tea trade from India back to the uk. I the 1800s a ship load was worth in out money today 14 million dollars.

I've always been coffee but started drinking tea years ago because it's better for you.
I have earl grey every morning and I love it. Wife gets dilmah, by far the best of ones I've tried. She doesn't drink tea or coffee so she drinks hot chocolate.

Russ

Yes, tea and its cultivation in India, does have a long history. And for the English, tea has become a national drink.

Coffee, the other caffeinated beverage, originated in Ethiopia and was cultivated in Yemen and Saudi Arabia, before it spread in usage to Europe and later, the Americas and world wide.

Tea, it is said, has more caffeine than coffee.
 
. Teas are usually sweetened and in some cases blended with milk.
I'm not sure if tea is usually sweetened. That's rather a sweeping statement as I think it varies across cultures. I never sweeten tea although I was brought up with sugared tea. Most people I know don't put sugar in tea. although I'm sure plenty of Brits still do. And I'm pretty sure that in China, tea is pretty well never sweetened (or has any milk added). In Japan too, green teas wouldn't be served with sugar or milk.

Also, professional tea taster would never put sugar or milk in tea.
 
I sweeten tea depending on the tea. My usual morning cuppa...no sweetener, same as MrsT.

Tea is the most-consumed beverage in the world, after water, according to a TV program I watched a while ago. I think that's due in large part to the huge tea-drinking populations in China and India.
 
Tea has been an everyday part of my life for years and years. My morning always starts with black tea (I really like Lipton's yellow label by the way), and I usually drink an additional one or two cups throughout the day. Mostly black tea, and always sweetened, but never with milk.
 
I'm not sure if tea is usually sweetened. That's rather a sweeping statement as I think it varies across cultures. I never sweeten tea although I was brought up with sugared tea. Most people I know don't put sugar in tea. although I'm sure plenty of Brits still do. And I'm pretty sure that in China, tea is pretty well never sweetened (or has any milk added). In Japan too, green teas wouldn't be served with sugar or milk.

Also, professional tea taster would never put sugar or milk in tea.

I was bought up with tea with sugar. I havnt changed, my son drinks green tea a lot, with no sugar.

Russ
 
I'm not sure if tea is usually sweetened. That's rather a sweeping statement as I think it varies across cultures. I never sweeten tea although I was brought up with sugared tea. Most people I know don't put sugar in tea. although I'm sure plenty of Brits still do. And I'm pretty sure that in China, tea is pretty well never sweetened (or has any milk added). In Japan too, green teas wouldn't be served with sugar or milk.

Also, professional tea taster would never put sugar or milk in tea.

Yes, well, I'm sure a lot of people drink tea unsweetened. I used to drink my coffee black, all the time. Now, I have been rotating through black and various sweeteners, every morning, to have some variety. And that variety issue, is one reason that I will be turning to tea. I may drink it straight or with various sweeteners, even milk, to chase down some variety.

For a person who likes variety, I'll admit to often doing repeats on meals and such, but I still eventually try something new or modified. I love variety.
 
Back
Top Bottom