What is the best type of tea?

[Lorenzo_H]

Truly spontaneous question;

What is the best type/brand of tea? I recently have discovered that I like tea a lot, and because of health reasons, have abandoned coffee in favour of the leafy infusion. I am talking about normal tea, in the true sense of the word (ie not any fruit teas or herbal teas)

So, what is the best availible type of tea availible to buy in a supermarket near me?

So far there seems to be several brands I have noticed:
tesco's finest
twinings everyday
pg tips
ty phoo
tetley
yorkshire teas
and then I noticed that my aunt drinks special loose tea called "London Palace teas" - not a big fan of loose tea...

Rooibos tea (redbush) is a nice South African alternative to tea, and maybe someone knows a good brand of this too.

I hope there are enough English people on this forum to have a well-backed opinion (since I doubt the brands will be the same elsewhere!).

[Pannonian]

Tieguanyin

[Tristuskhan]

Try the good qualities of Oolongs, like Shui Hsien, Tieh Guan Yin or Da Hong Pao, once you get used to Oolong you're likely to become addicted. These are not brands but varieties: if you really want to taste teas, do not use teabags but a teapot (tea leaves need to unfold to liberate their flavour). Moreover, teabags are really expensive compared to loose tea (according I understand what you mean by "loose tea", my english is everything you want but perfect), you're likely to pay double price for the same quality.

Other interesting teas: northern Iran (yes, they grow Camelia sinensis in Iran), unbitter rich black tea, spring darjeelings and Imperial Pu'er -pure delight. Tea in China and Taiwan is much like wine in France: they have hundreds of "brands" each one having it's own personnality. For the price of twenty average teabags (fifty grams) you can get one hundred grams of very nice tea.

Yerba Mate is not tea, but a south american bush (Ilex paraguaiensis, if you want to know): it's a bit bitter when you taste it first, but you easily get used to it, I wakes you up faster than coffee and is harmless for the guts!

And never trust a brit about tea, tea is just and ersatz for coffee in England

Edit: Pannonian, you've just "cut the lawn under my feet"

[Lemur]

Accept no substitutes.

[Strike For The South]

For tea to even be considered it must be iced and be sweet.

[Lemur]

With a splash of Kentucky bourbon, eh Strike?

[drone]

For tea to even be considered it must be iced and be sweet.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweet_tea
Right here. Sugar added during the hot brew, steeped, then served on ice. Nectar of the gods.

It's a shame I can't get a decent glass here, I have to go to Richmond or further south before it gets good. Bunch of heathens up here.

Edit-> Apologies to the OP, but you should not have started this thread when the UK was prepping for bed (or still at the pub). I suspect a slew of uncultured posts (like mine) from supposed "tea" drinkers will be forthcoming as US Orgahs get home from work. Should have used a little more foresight!

[InsaneApache]

For tea to even be considered it must be iced and be sweet.

Oh! No! Dear God No!

Tea must be drink immediately after boiled water is introduced....dear me, my good man, what on Earth did you thunk you were thunking?

Edit-> Apologies to the OP, but you should not have started this thread when the UK was prepping for bed (or still at the pub). I suspect a slew of uncultured posts (like mine) from supposed "tea" drinkers will be forthcoming as US Orgahs get home from work. Should have used a little more foresight!

You got that right.

[drone]

Hot tea is not something you really want when it's constantly in the 85-100F temperature range. Nothing better than southern sweetened iced tea when working outside in the heat, or trying to recover from an over-indulgence the night before. We may be unsophisticated, but we have adapted to the environment. We'll send the recipe your way if this global warming gets out of hand.

[Hosakawa Tito]

My mother swears by Red Rose Tea.
As for me, I prefer Texas Tea.
2 tablespoons pineapple juice
2 tablespoons lemon-lime carbonated beverage
1 tablespoon light rum
1 tablespoon tequila
1 tablespoon vodka
1 tablespoon gin
3 drops Original TABASCO® brand Pepper Sauce
Combine all ingredients and pour into a 12-ounce highball glass filled with ice; stir. If desired, garnish glass with a wedge of pineapple or lime.

[Andres]

Coffee with a bar of chocolate.

I rest my case.

[Big King Sanctaphrax]

Hot tea is not something you really want when it's constantly in the 85-100F temperature range.

My grandmother always used to tell me that a hot drink actually cools you down more in hot weather than a cool one, as it promotes bloodflow to the skin. But she might have been talking nonsense, who knows.

Varieties of tea are really down to personal taste-I like darjeeling myself. If you really want to have a good cup of tea, though, you should stay away from teabags.

[spmetla]

Hot tea is not something you really want when it's constantly in the 85-100F temperature range. Nothing better than southern sweetened iced tea when working outside in the heat, or trying to recover from an over-indulgence the night before. We may be unsophisticated, but we have adapted to the environment. We'll send the recipe your way if this global warming gets out of hand.

Not too sure about that, here with our subtropic heat and humidity I still enjoy my 4 o'clock tea, it's actually quite nice.The influence of the Japanese and Chinese has caused me to prefer green tea, no sweetener or milk necessary. Start the day with Kona coffee and end it with green tea, life is good.

I feel that Yamamotoyama makes the best packaged tea bags. I'm not so picky as to mush up my own leaves.

[Beirut]

Accept no substitutes.

I used to drink this stuff by the gallon, but I find it a bit... flowery sweet, now. I still love a good Earl Grey, but I'm trying different kinds now.

Found a very good organic Earl Grey, but it's more than twice the price of Twinnings. Mind you, what price pleasure?

[ShadeHonestus]

texas tea...black gold...

[Lorenzo_H]

Coffee with a bar of chocolate.

I rest my case.

Coffee=Bad for you
Chocolate=bad for you.

I rest my case.

Tieguanyin

Can you buy that in stores here?

[Pannonian]

Tieguanyin

Can you buy that in stores here?

London Chinatown.

[Somebody Else]

The best tea is hot, milky and possibly even slightly sweet, after tabbing some unmentionable distance in the rain, at night, up and down countless hills.

[Duke Malcolm]

Assam from my local tea merchant. Mmm... 90p for 4oz loose

[TosaInu]

Hello Lorenzo_H,

Darjeeling.
Earl Grey.
Cheylon.
Assam Garden for the nice odour. Taste is 'subtle'.

Green tea is nice too, almost all of them are more subtle than black tea.

Maybe you can find 'tryout' collections and see what matches you best?

Twinings makes good bags, but it may not suit you and/or the milage of vendors differ in other countries. Twinings offers those collections, I only see http://shop.twiningsusa.com/index.as...ROD&ProdID=141 now, but I recall others.

Perhaps this site is of use to you? http://www.twiningsusa.com/ http://www.twinings.com/home.php

[Omanes Alexandrapolites]

My personal favourite is Lady Grey which basically tastes like Earl Grey, also very enjoyable, with a hint of citrus - lemons and oranges - it's really a bit of a fruit tea/real tea hybrid though, so it may not be your sort of thing. It's also not especially refreshing, so it's not a very good substitute for water.

English Breakfast tea is also a nice tea, and, as you would expect, is refreshing and awakening for mornings, it's also good for anytime of the day, yet I do prefer to keep it to mornings.

[TosaInu]

Nettle tea is a good water substitute. Can be consumed hot and cold.

[Lorenzo_H]

London Chinatown.

hmmm, I don't live near London. Unless you are refering to a chain of shops or a brand?

Hello Lorenzo_H,

Darjeeling.
Earl Grey.
Cheylon.
Assam Garden for the nice odour. Taste is 'subtle'.

Green tea is nice too, almost all of them are more subtle than black tea.

Maybe you can find 'tryout' collections and see what matches you best?

Twinings makes good bags, but it may not suit you and/or the milage of vendors differ in other countries. Twinings offers those collections, I only see http://shop.twiningsusa.com/index.as...ROD&ProdID=141 now, but I recall others.

Perhaps this site is of use to you? http://www.twiningsusa.com/ http://www.twinings.com/home.php

Thanks for that opinion. Earl Grey I have tried and liked, the rest I have seen but cannot remember tasting.

I like Twinings very much. I am a big fan of their "Everyday," "English Breakfast," (what is the difference anyway between those two?) and "Earl Grey." I have also tasted their "Chai" which seems to be quite nice, I like the cinnemon. Twinings USA may not help me, but the other one certainly.

On Nettle Tea; I can't remember drinking it, but I do like the taste of fresh Nettle leaves. Quite risky to eat though - one must squeeze them very hard, and avoid rubbing the leaf, especially the edge. Once you get them into your mouth they are fine.

[TosaInu]

..but I do like the taste of fresh Nettle leaves. Quite risky to eat though - one must squeeze them very hard, and avoid rubbing the leaf, especially the edge. Once you get them into your mouth they are fine.

It certainly sounds risky.

[Shahed]

Twinnings, Fortnum & Mason for mass marketed yet high quality brands.

I like Orange Pekoe, Lapsang Souchong. I like all teas.

[Pannonian]

hmmm, I don't live near London. Unless you are refering to a chain of shops or a brand?

Try phoning Loon Fung and Seewoo asking if they'll do deliveries. Agree on a set number of a set product (say you want tieguanyin tea and let them specify the details), add P&P, add some more (lubrication), send a cheque for the total, and they might do so. Get a working relationship going and they might even direct you to other goodies.

http://www.seewoo.com/x/chinatown.html
http://www.allinlondon.co.uk/directory/1162/20648.php

[Lorenzo_H]

Try phoning Loon Fung and Seewoo asking if they'll do deliveries. Agree on a set number of a set product (say you want tieguanyin tea and let them specify the details), add P&P, add some more (lubrication), send a cheque for the total, and they might do so. Get a working relationship going and they might even direct you to other goodies.

http://www.seewoo.com/x/chinatown.html
http://www.allinlondon.co.uk/directory/1162/20648.php

I don't think I'm that much of a tea enthusiast yet - though I'll keep that in mind.

[ShadesPanther]

I usually drink Punjana, A local Belfast importer.
http://www.punjana.com/sections/?secid=1

Punjana in now the brand leader in its home market in Northern Ireland. There are already over 60,000 cups of Punjana tea enjoyed every hour day and night 365 days a year.

[DemonArchangel]

Longjing is a very good type of tea.

My preference is for green tea of course.

[Beirut]

Nettle tea is a good water substitute. Can be consumed hot and cold.

My woman's drinking that stuff. She's doing some intestinal spring cleaning and I think it's part of the ordeal. (Along with all manner of strange potions, vitamins, flax seed, fish oil, and omega-3 oddities littering the kitchen.) She's also drinking white tea, the new in thing. I haven't tried it yet.

Darjeeling is good. I prefer strong dark teas. I tried to like green tea, but I haven't found a good one yet.

Thyme tea (we call it dirt tea) is good when you have a cold, really helps out the lungs.

I might get one of those real tea... things, that BKS uses instead of tea bags, and buy some top shelf Earl Grey. That should be good.